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Mighty Hero Homes seeks Milledgeville partnership for 84‑unit veteran village
Summary
Mighty Hero Homes representatives asked Milledgeville leaders to partner on an 84‑home veteran community with on‑site services, a 6,000‑square‑foot community center, a 3,000‑square‑foot greenhouse and a canine training facility; state and local partners described prior funding and campus suitability.
Drew Walston, president and CEO of Mighty Hero Homes, told the Milledgeville City Council the organization is seeking a municipal partnership — not special treatment — to build an 84‑home community for veterans on the Central State campus.
"Tonight, we're not looking for special treatment. We're looking for something that's much more valuable, and that's a partnership," Walston said, asking the city to introduce Mighty Hero Homes to local banks, health providers, foundations and contractors. Walston described a master plan of seven quads with 12 homes per quad, a 6,000‑square‑foot community center and a 1,600‑square‑foot quad commons intended to foster camaraderie and shared services.
Senator Williams, who described earlier state work on veterans, said the state helped secure $2,500,000 to staff a 14‑bed transitional center at the Georgia War Veterans Home and voiced support for locating veteran services close to existing facilities. Cliff Harris, a veteran and project advocate, cited national figures and urged urgency: "There's 22 approximate suicides per day in the veteran community," and he described an estimate of roughly 35,070 homeless veterans nationally.
Walston said the proposal is more than housing: the project team envisions a 3,000‑square‑foot greenhouse for training in aquaponics and hydroponics, workforce development partnerships, and a canine training facility in an existing building to certify trainers and supply companion and service dogs. He framed the model as "MHH 360 — homes, health, and hiring" and said the organization will follow local ordinances and regulations while asking the city to use its relationships to help secure financing and philanthropic support.
Walston also emphasized local contracting: "We want this to be from within Milledgeville for Milledgeville — our veterans in Milledgeville," and showed a sign concept the team would place on the property once approvals are secured. He closed by asking the council to endorse the project so Milledgeville can be "the birthplace of the mighty hero home model."
