PERRY, Ga. — Following the January acquisition of the property, an approximately $14 million Veterans Affairs clinic is set to come to the nearly vacant Eastgate Shopping Center at 1309 Main Street in Perry, according to Ashley Hardin, CEcD, Economic Development Administrator, for the city.
“That property has been under contract several times over the last few years for redevelopment,” Hardin said. “It’s in a State Opportunity Zone, which we put in there in hopes of redeveloping, so it’s very exciting to see that parking lot will be landscaped and then part of the building will be demolished — and then we’ll have a higher and better use on that property.”
A program ran by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs classifies sites as State Opportunity Zones.
“It’s a Georgia income tax withholding program for a business with job creation,” Hardin said. “We put properties in that [State] Opportunity Zone that are targeted for redevelopment.”
Three businesses would be Church in The Park.
A Step Above Dance Company will be moving to another location on Lake Joy Road, but Church in The Park will stay and continue to have access to the parking lot of the shopping center, Hardin added. The future of the Family Dollar is still unknown.
According to Frank Jordan — who works with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Dublin — the project has an anticipated opening date of December 2023.
And while officials aren’t sure just yet how many jobs the new site will bring to Perry, the incumbent staff at the V.A. Outpatient Care location on Houston Lake Road will be moved to the new facility when it opens.
Jordan said Houston County represents the geographic center of the veteran population, while special services and moving operations to Perry will enhance access for rural veterans traveling to receive care.
City Manager Lee Gilmour said Perry beat out other prospective cities to host the project.
“I do know that V.A. had a competition, and a number of different cities and locations made application based on the initial set of criteria that the V.A. had; Warner Robins was one of them,” Gilmour said.
Economic Development Administrator Hardin said residents will see construction of the new clinic begin some time in Q3 of this year.
This is a developing story. When updates happen, you can read about them in The Journal.
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