ATHENS, Ga. — Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) is moving toward a new chapter at the University of Georgia (UGA), as construction is now underway on a redevelopment project that will reshape the ministry’s presence in the heart of Athens.

CCI Real Estate has closed on a $67 million construction loan to support the project. Developed in partnership with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board (GBMB), the new site will include student housing, retail space and gathering areas, all anchored by a revitalized ministry hub for BCM.

According to its website, CCI Real Estate is an investment company that “creates investor value through community transformational and missional impact partnerships and monetizes non-earning fixed assets for municipal and charity organizations.”

W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the GBMB, sees great potential for the project.

“With over 31,000 students at the University of Georgia, this new facility will enhance our collegiate ministry in every way,” Hammond said. “It will also enable us to move significant resources that were used for maintenance and upkeep to evangelism, missions and discipleship.”

Beverly Skinner, the GBMB’s collegiate catalyst, called the effort a “great step toward the future” of BCM at UGA.

“I am so grateful for Georgia Baptists and CCI working together to ensure the long-term future of UGA BCM,” she said. “The new building is going to be such a great resource to support the work of evangelizing and discipling UGA students. Exciting days are ahead!”

Tommy Fountain Jr., BCM campus minister at UGA, said, CCI does not look at the project simply as a financial investment or construction project, but as “an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy of ministry on one of the largest mission fields in the state of Georgia.”

The development replaces BCM’s longtime location a block away, where the ministry has served students since 1961. Once completed, the new eight-story complex will include:

• 243 apartments (totaling 353 beds)
• a 356-space parking deck
• a rooftop amenity deck
• dedicated student gathering area and office space
• conference and ministry facilities accommodating more than 500 people
• street-level retail, including a coffee shop and fitness center

Construction is expected to be completed by June 2027. New South Construction has been selected as the general contractor.

The GBMB and CCI are also partnering on similar projects at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern University, where BCM facilities are likewise being redeveloped to create mixed-use spaces for students, ministry gatherings and commercial use.

“As construction begins, there is no question that excitement amongst our students, our local stakeholders, and our alumni will increase,” Fountain said. ” Being able to see dirt being moved and structures going up gives us something to look forward to as we continue mobile ministry this school year.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This article originally appeared in the Christian Index.)