A new era begins at Ralston Towers as Infinity Capital Partners cuts through the completion of a $15 million renovation
COLUMBUS, Georgia (WRBL) — The Ralston Towers in downtown Columbus marked a milestone when the new owner cut through the historic building’s $15 million renovation.
This was a day to celebrate a new chapter for the century-old building that will serve as affordable housing in the heart of our city.
But it’s also a day to remember how bad it was – and how many people lived and died in unsafe, unsanitary conditions.
It was truly a day of celebration as Infinity Capital Partners of Atlanta, with the help of Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson and Congressmen Sanford Bishop and Drew Ferguson, celebrated the rebirth of the Ralston as a project-based Section 8 US Department of Housing and Urban Development home .
“As amazing as it is, and as much as we love to talk about what we’re seeing now, you can’t really appreciate it without taking a look at some of the Ralston’s darker periods,” Henderson said.
And the darkest of days came in the summer of 2017, when Charles Hart died as a result of the extreme heat at Ralston.
“One of our fellow citizens died in a 100 degree room in the most horrible living conditions I have ever seen,” Ferguson said. “And so that tragedy has become something quite remarkable.”
Ferguson, Bishop, and Henderson pressured HUD to shut down the Ralston and remove the New Jersey-based owners who had tampered with the system.
The Ralston will now have 269 subsidized units dedicated to elderly and disabled residents. The first 80 units are ready. The rest should be completed by the end of the year.
“I want to give Infinity a big shout out and thank you for taking on this big, huge and daunting project,” Bishop said.
The Ralston Towers transformation would not have been possible without the political pressure on HUD, said Gregory Jones, chief investment officer of Infinity Capital Partners.
“I want to thank Mayor Henderson, Congressman Bishop and Congressman Ferguson,” Jones said. “Without them first just making sure what needs to happen and then trusting us. Give us the opportunity to implement and do what we do.”
There will be a small number of non-government subsidized units at the Ralston. 83 percent of the people living there will receive some type of HUD grant.
Congressman Bishop, Congressman Ferguson and Mayor Henderson talk about the Ralston. That will be his Sunday talk on News 3 Sunday Morning, starting at 8am.
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