ATLANTA — City of Refuge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, will partner with Pencor Construction for a 31-unit affordable housing project in Atlanta’s Westside known as The 345. Pencor will be the general contractor for the project. North American Properties (NAP), a mixed-used developer based in Cincinnati, will be the project manager.

The 345 formerly was formerly a motel known as The Danzig Motel, which was one of the only African-American-owned motels in Atlanta. The motel had been abandoned for over 20 years, until City of Refuge bought it in 2017. City of Refuge is currently in the permitting process with the City of Atlanta. This spring, the nonprofit plans to break ground on the $2 million renovation.

The 345 will be a community to primarily serve African-American men from the Atlanta Westside. City of Refuge wants to focus primarily on Westside neighborhood residents, especially those from the Westlake and Bankhead areas who are defined as low-income individuals by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The three-floor housing community will be separated by groups. Floor one will be dedicated to veterans and citizens returning from incarceration; floor two will house men overcoming addiction and those with manageable mental health challenges; and floor three will serve young men aged 18-24 who are committed to furthering their education, working full-time and/or enrolled in one of City of Refuge’s vocational training programs taught in the onsite Workforce Innovation Hub.

A Resident Services Supervisor will manage each floor and will serve as an advisor to the men living in The 345. Residents of the program will receive housing and access to City of Refuge’s wraparound services for up to three years. This includes budgeting, discipleship, mentorship, employment, counseling, addiction recovery, healthcare, childcare, basic life skills and fitness.

City of Refuge is a nonprofit with the mission to transform the lives of individuals and communities in Atlanta and beyond. Pencor Construction is a construction management firm based in Alpharetta, Ga.

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