CSH grove deal moving forward

Published 7:02 am Sunday, May 18, 2025

Fireworks of a different kind flew at the Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority’s called meeting Tuesday.

Last month, four new board members were introduced to a combative environment that was largely unproductive toward the organization’s stated purpose. Tuesday, the board was in lockstep, unanimously moving a deal forward that could transform the campus of the former world’s largest mental institution.

A group of investors led by Perry, Georgia architect and developer Shrad Amrit wants to buy the Jones, Green and Walker building properties to renovate them into a hotel/conference center and off-campus student housing within the next six years. The Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority, put in place over a decade ago to find new uses for the old hospital properties, voted 9-0 to accept the proposal after a lengthy closed executive session Tuesday.

The agreed-upon sale price is $45,000, or $15,000 per building. In exchange for that low figure, the Redevelopment Authority hopes to get a much more welcoming gateway to the former CSH campus.

Amrit and his group estimate it will take a $40 million investment to redevelop the facilities.

“We expect the campus, especially around the front entrance, to be beautified to a four-star level,” CSHLRA chairman Calvin McMullen told the newspaper in a Wednesday interview. “When people ride onto the campus, they will look at it in awe once this project is achieved.”

Amrit was out of the country, so he was not at Tuesday’s meeting. He was instead represented by his attorney Mike Gray, a partner with Walker Hulbert Gray & Moore in Perry.

“Shrad is well-financed,” Gray said. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s got the money to do what he says he will do. He will be a good partner for y’all.”

“We look forward to what y’all will bring not only to this board, but to this city and the surrounding area,” said Ken Vance, who was attending his second meeting as a CSHLRA board member.

The action taken Tuesday was a step, but there is still ground to cover before a sale is reached. The buildings and the collective eight acres on which they sit still need to be transferred to the CSH Local Redevelopment Authority. They are currently owned by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the state agency that operates the last remnant of Central State Hospital at the Cook Building two miles south on Vinson Highway.

McMullen said Wednesday he expected to have the property transfer request in to the state by the end of the work week. As long as everything flows smoothly, CSHLRA and Amrit’s group have a closing date set for June 20.

About a year ago, Amrit’s group began showing interest in repurposing the Jones, Green and Walker buildings into different housing options. The three buildings range in age from about 80 to 140 years old and have sat abandoned by the state for decades. In July 2023, Gov. Brian Kemp even signed an executive order approving the demolition of the three structures that surround Central State’s picturesque pecan grove. They were — and continue to be — in major disrepair and at that time had no viable prospects interested in repurposing them. The buildings also pose a safety risk to the public due to their dilapidated state. Call them urban explorers or trespassers, people interested in getting a closer look at the old hospital facilities regularly make their way inside. Some have even posted video accounts to YouTube.

Amrit’s attorney on Tuesday told CSHLRA board members that although the buildings are in rough shape, they are what drew Amrit to the table.

“The only reason Mr. Amrit is interested in this property is because of the buildings,” Gray said. “This project really appeals to his architect side. I’ve never seen him more enthused about a project than this.”

A few details about the project were shared as the CSHLRA board was getting set to adopt the resolution accepting the proposal. McMullen stated the hotel/conference facility would include 77 rooms, and the student apartments would house anywhere from 150 and 250 units. Between 75 and 100 temporary construction jobs are expected to be created by the project, with an additional 37 permanent positions associated with running the new operations.

Where will parking be for the proposed development? A second resolution passed by the CSHLRA board Tuesday addresses that. Land behind the Chapel of All Faiths, the Green Building and Walker Building will be sold to Amrit and his group for the friendly sum of $10. In exchange, the developers will create parking on that land, including space for the Redevelopment Authority’s use behind the Chapel. The Chapel is managed by the Authority as an event venue for parties, funerals and weddings.

Amrit’s group has also agreed to, at no cost to the Authority, build an amphitheater in the pecan grove. As the owner of the grove, the amphitheater would be managed by the Authority. A proposal to put a concert venue in the grove was discussed back in 2018, but never came to be.

The resolution dealing with the proposed parking lot and amphitheater passed by unanimous vote as well Tuesday.

Should the proposed project bear fruit, it would be a big development for the former hospital campus and Milledgeville’s south side, all while expanding the city’s tax base.

If Amrit and his group do not follow through with their plans after the sale, there are provisions in the contract that would revert the Jones, Green and Walker properties to the CSHLRA. Several construction milestones must also be hit, per McMullen.

“There are definitely some incentives built into the structure of the agreement and what they have to achieve even once they start the construction,” the chairman said. “It will incentivize them from slowing down or not fulfilling their obligations.”

McMullen added that he was grateful for the current and previous board members who worked to move this project forward. He said he hopes the Authority can use it as a launching point for the future.

“I hope we’ve turned the page and gotten past all the negativity,” the chairman said. “We’re here and we’re still ready to move forward.”

The CSHLRA board is still scheduled to hold a regular meeting this Tuesday, May 20, inside the Lawrence Building.