H. J. Russell & Company Reopens Two Affordable Housing Complexes

H. J. Russell & Company and Russell New Urban Development, LLC, celebrated the completion of their $22.3 million renovation of 210 affordable housing units at Maggie Russell Towers & Capitol Vanira Apartments, preserving affordable housing in the City of Atlanta for the next 20 years. Joining a host of residents and Russell employees, including respective property managers Takeita Ward and La Tisha Prewitt, to help celebrate and support the company's commitment to affordable housing included Terri Lee, Chief Housing Officer for the City of Atlanta, Office of the Mayor, Tonya Curry, Deputy Commissioner for Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Jay Tribby, Chief of Staff for City of Atlanta Councilmember Amir R. Farokhi, District 2, and Matt Westmoreland Atlanta City Council Post 2 At Large, at Maggie Russell Towers, and the addition of the City of Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith, District 1 at Capitol Vanira Apartments and HUD's Valerie Jackson and Donald Winston.

The preservation of affordable housing and the quality management of those communities is, and always has been, a commitment of H. J. Russell & Company. Today, with gentrification spreading from Atlanta’s city center outward in every direction, preserving affordable housing remains a clear and present priority for Russell as it stays true to its roots and the community. The seniors at Maggie Russell Towers and the families at Capitol Vanira Apartments, live in neighborhoods in the heart of Atlanta that are experiencing extensive gentrification - Old Fourth Ward and Reynoldstown respectively. Maggie Russell Towers, built in 1982, is fondly named after the mother of Herman J. Russell.

“Our investment to enhance affordable housing underscores our dedication to building communities, and at the same time, enhancing the living environments of some of the city’s most vulnerable residents who also deserve quality housing in the heart of Atlanta,” said H. Jerome Russell, President, H. J. Russell & Company and Russell New Urban Development, LLC. “With the completion of these renovations, along with the stipulations on these projects, we have effectively preserved a significant amount of affordable housing for seniors and families in the heart of Atlanta for the next 20 years.”

Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, recently announced the “One Atlanta HousingAffordability Action Plan” that is designed to address Atlanta’s rising housing costs and the systematic displacement of residents who have called their neighborhoods home for decades. The ‘Plan’ involves garnering $1 billion in investment from public, private and philanthropic sources that will help preserve and create affordable housing throughout Atlanta.

Residents, employees, public officials and public service organizational representatives joined the Russell New Urban Development team and their project partners for a grand reopening celebration and ribbon-cutting for the two centrally located Russell-managed affordable housing properties – Maggie Russell Towers and Capitol Vanira Apartments.

“Now that our projects are complete, it is rewarding to be able to share the $22.3 million worth of improvements we’ve made to our existing affordable housing properties with the residents and the larger community,” said Michael B. Russell, CEO, H. J. Russell & Company and Russell New Urban Development, LLC. “Preserving these 210 affordable housing units, 150 for seniors at Maggie Russell Towers and 60 for families at Capitol Vanira Apartments, is representative of our commitment to not only creating and managing quality living environments for all, but also ensuring the communities in which we operate include all.”

According to Mack A. Hancock, SVP, Russell New Urban Development, LLC, who managed the renovations, the following are some of the factoids that represent each of the projects in numbers:

Maggie Russell Towers - in Old Fourth Ward

• 24 Sub-contractors
• 128,832 Square Feet of Flooring
• 375 Days to Complete
• 174,800 Estimated Work Hours to Complete
• 936 New Doors
• 150 Ranges, Hoods and Refrigerators
• 362,757 Square Feet Painted

Capitol Vanira Apartments - in Reynoldstown

• 23 Sub-contractors
• 62,845 Square Feet of Flooring
• 256 Days to Complete
• 82,000 Estimated Work Hours to Complete
• 82 New Doors
• 60 Ranges, Hoods and Refrigerators
• 300,000 Square Feet Painted

Maggie Russell Towers PHOTO: (l-r) Jay Tribby, Chief of Staff for City of Atlanta Councilmember Amir R. Farokhi, District 2, Delilah Wynn-Brown, Russell's Director of Real Estate Development, Deputy Commissioner Tonya Curry, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Michael B. Russell, CEO, H. J. Russell & Company, Donata Russell Ross, President & CEO, Concessions International, LLC, H. Jerome Russell, President, H. J. Russell & Company, Mack Hancock, SVP, Russell New Urban Development, LLC, Terri Lee, Chief Housing Officer, City of Atlanta, Office of the Mayor, and Matt Westmoreland, Atlanta City Council, Post 2 At Large are joined by residents, and H. J. Russell staff and partners to continue the legacy of the company's founder, Herman J. Russell Sr., to stay committed to ensuring affordable housing exists in the heart of Atlanta for everyone, especially in the building that is named after his mother and the siblings’ grandmother, Maggie Russell. This joint $22.3 million renovation with Capitol Vanira Apartments secures 210 affordable housing units for residents in Atlanta.

Capitol Vanira Apartments PHOTO: (l-r) Matt Westmoreland, Atlanta City Council, Post 2 At Large, Michael B. Russell, CEO, H. J. Russell & Company, Terri Lee, Chief Housing Officer, City of Atlanta, Office of the Mayor, Valerie Jackson, HUD, Deputy Commissioner Tonya Curry, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Carla Smith, Atlanta City Councilmember, District 1, H. Jerome Russell, President, H. J. Russell & Company, Mack Hancock, SVP, Russell New Urban Development, LLC, Donald Winston, HUD Senior Underwriter, and La Tisha Prewitt, Community Manager, Capitol Vanira Apartments cut the ribbon for the newly renovated affordable housing complex, Capitol Vanira Apartments in Reynoldstown, continuing the legacy of the company's founder, Herman J. Russell Sr., to stay committed to ensuring affordable housing exists in the heart of Atlanta for everyone. This joint $22.3 million renovation with Maggie Russell Towers secures 210 affordable housing units for residents in Atlanta.

ABOUT H. J. RUSSELL & COMPANY

Founded in 1952, H. J. Russell & Company is one of the largest minority-owned real estate development and construction services firms in the United States. A multi-faceted organization providing integrated solutions and an exceptional customer experience, H. J. Russell has developed, designed/built, renovated, and managed some of the nation’s most complex and high profile projects involving multiple stakeholders and requiring exceptional diplomacy and skill. Russell manages 25 multifamily locations in Atlanta, which make up a total of 2,701 units, and 2,304 of which are considered affordable housing. Visit www.hjrussell.com to learn more about the firm.