What’s on the horizon for Sentry Apartments?

CENTERVILLE, Ga. — On May 2, Centerville City Council voted unanimously to award two Georgia Initiative for Community Housing points to Talon Development, LLC. Talon’s project, the Sentry Apartments, is committed to bringing what the city calls “workforce housing” to the area, and has garnered the city’s support in the process.

What’s up next for Sentry? Once points are secured, the apartment’s developer will seek additional funding through Georgia Department of Community Affairs, something that can be make or break when it comes to developing in the area. According to Centerville’s Economic Development Director Shannon Bryant, the apartments are merely in the conceptual stage and now the developer is in a holding pattern while they wait for an answer from the DCA.

While they’re waiting, Bryant explained that the developer will put together an application with the city’s recommendation, which will be due to the DCA by May 19. Once the application is scored and graded, DCA will announce their decision, normally around October.

Sentry Apartments was the lone applicant to the city this year, however Bryant explained that they don’t have to award points due to that fact; they still take the time to determine whether the proposed apartments would be beneficial for the city.

“We treat it as if we got 10 applications in. We have a scoring rubric, and we want to be sure that the project presented is a good fit for the city, that they are a good partner,” Bryant said.

Multiple factors went into determining whether Sentry would be a good fit.

In the city’s scoring rubric, points are awarded to factors like developer experience, project approach, connectivity to city amenities, inclusivity and positive impact to the community, innovative use of land, impact to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, parking, build quality and architectural aesthetics. Sentry scored a 38 out of 50, with main concerns being the development’s further proximity to city amenities, and lack of sidewalks in the area.

However, Bryant also believes the developer’s history with bringing workforce housing to other communities gives them an advantage.

“This is a developer who has extensive experience with these low-income tax credit housing projects; they have gone through this process with DCA before, for the application numerous times. They have gone through the point system with cities, getting their GICH points. It’s not their first time out of the gate, figuring it out, so that does work to their advantage,” Bryant said.

Another factor she believes sets them apart is staying power. According to Bryant, developers are required to make a 15-year commitment to ownership and maintenance of the property, while Talon is committed to double that, garnering more interest in their application.

“You can get more points, and a better score if you commit to doubling that… they’re going to say “yes, we’re willing to do a 30-year commitment.’ that’s a big deal; 30 years is a long time for a financial investment,” Bryant said.

Overall, Bryant believes that suitable apartments like these are imperative to filling a need in a growing community for working citizens who are here temporarily or may need assistance making ends meet during uncertain times. She added that the city sees the need in the community and value in these projects as well, leading to their support of Sentry Apartments.

“Houston County is growing, and you have to wonder: ‘where are all these people living? With all the people coming here, and the jobs that are coming here, where are the people who are going to work those jobs live?’ This is a project that fills in that gap, on a smaller scale. It’s 72 units, but that’s more than zero … this type of gap housing that fills in that need,” Bryant said.

In the meantime, the city is patiently waiting for DCA’s decision.

“We feel we have a strong application, and we believe in it, and that we have a really good chance of being funded, but it all comes down to the entire pot [of applications] that DCA receives, and where we stack up in the deck, compared to everybody else,” Bryant said.

If approved for funding, construction for Sentry would likely begin around August of 2024, with a completion date expected by June 2026.

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