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On Monday afternoon, city, county and community leaders gathered to cut the ribbon on DASH’s new housing development in Hillside.

DASH (Dependable Affordable Sustainable Housing) broke ground on the 17-unit housing development in June 2023 as part of its Hillside revitalization project, which brought Rock Salt Milk Bar, The Oink Joint, Cooter’s Catfish and The Dapper Den to the community.

The project uses a new zoning code in the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that allows for a mix of housing including cottages, accessory dwelling units and duplexes.

The Callaway Foundation were big financial supporters of the project, along with the City of LaGrange and Troup County, who both contributed ARPA dollars.

Nate Crawford, Executive Director of DASH, said the ribbon-cutting ceremony is as much a thank you to everyone who helped the project as is it a celebration.

“You all here today are a part of this. Whether you actually picked up a hammer on this project or not, you have some stake in this. Whether you’re in the city and working on the zoning and the county voting on us to receive funds. Whether you’re the Chamber or these businesses that are right here in the back of it, whether you’re a resident that will live in one of these homes, we’re very excited that you are here and we thank you,” Crawford said.

About a third of the development, five units, are slated to be utilized as affordable housing, Crawford said.

Crawford said DASH’s next development will be entirely affordable housing.

“As we continue our development work, we have another 16 units that will be coming out of the ground near the hospital. That is not without any local funding that is all state funding that will be all affordable housing, very similar developments this so we’re excited about that,” Crawford said.

Not only were the projects celebrated with a ribbon cutting, but the developers opened the development with a bang, a literal bang from a mini canon. While most wouldn’t think firing a canon in a residential neighborhood would be safe, the tiny canon was only packed with bread so it’s more ceremony than artillery.

Project Direct Caleb Hutchinson with Sheridan Construction said the canon has become a recent tradition for when they celebrate the completion of developments.