Source: Prince Williams / Getty
T.I. is giving back to his Bankhead community in a big way!
On Oct. 25, the rapper shared a video to his Instagram account detailing a new housing development project that he is spearheading in Atlanta. The new affordable housing community is located near the city’s west side Bankhead Highway. According to The Atlanta Black Star, T.I. brought the property back in 2019 and later sold it to Missouri developer Vecino Group to begin construction.
“Checking up on my development in Bankhead man. Right here used to be the old Kmart Giant Food,” The “Bring Em Out” rapper said in the video. “We’ve got affordable housing, 143 units going up. Mixed-use community,” he continued on, stating that development was almost “40 percent done.” “We supposed to be done sometime next year,” T.I. added. “This is our first project that’s a development—proud of it. Since everybody’s somewhat from here, let’s see what you done did for here, ya dig?”
According to the Atlanta native, residents will get to indulge in the affordable housing establishment’s “community centers” and the new building comes equipped with “A greenhouse and a community garden.”
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Towards the end of the video, the rapper encouraged his followers to think about the importance of his efforts despite the recent sexual assault allegations that have been swirling about him and his wife, Tiny Harris. Back in June, the couple was accused of drugging and sexually abusing multiple women while running an alleged sex ring.
“I got love for everybody over here, but if anybody got anything to say about me s–t man don’t look at me, look at my work. Don’t look at me look at my work. Look at my moves, s–t we can kill all the cap.”
The property, which is reportedly called Intrada Westside, will take 18 months to complete and is located near 2174 Donald Lee Hallowell Parkway, not too far from where the Atlanta rapper was born and raised, Yahoo News noted. In 2017, T.I. launched the “Buy Back the Block” initiative alongside Atlanta’s APD-Urban Planning and Management in addition to Dynasty Real Estate Development, to buy up properties in Tip’s childhood neighborhood and flip them into affordable housing for the community. The artist, who also goes by the name “Troubleman,” told Inc Magazine in 2018, that the goal was to beat out the rising cases of gentrification happening in the area.
“…I didn’t want it to be one of those situations where luxury condos go up and people who are native are pushed out to the fringes because they can’t afford to live there. I wanted to provide development that would allow people from the area, who love the community, to be able to afford to stay,” he explained.
“Green spaces and gardens are incredibly important,” T.I. added. “We want a movie theater, bowling, laser tag, stuff I didn’t have. I’m trying to build a community where the people within it can be proud. If they’re proud they’ll have more of a sense of wanting to maintain it…The only way to do that is to invest. Why wait for someone else to come into a community where I went to elementary school, where I rode my bike and played?”
Following T.I.’s announcement, fans of the star poured into his comment section to show love about the tremendous initiative.
“Outstanding…we need to see MORE of THIS,” wrote one user. While another person commented, “Boss moves. Buy back the block!!”
A third user replied: “Tip building affordable homes on Bankhead..but these so-called “real bankhead” n****s that be having so much to say about tip ain’t doing nothing for the community.”
What do you think about T.I.’s new housing development? Tell us down below.
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