ATHENS, Ga. — Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) is stepping into a new era at the University of Georgia, where construction is officially underway on a transformative project to expand its reach and better serve students for decades to come.

CCI Real Estate, an investment company focused on community transformational partnerships, has closed on a $67 million construction loan to fund the mixed-use redevelopment in downtown Athens. The project, developed in collaboration with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board (GBMB), will replace BCM’s longtime facility with an eight-story complex that combines student housing, retail, and revitalized ministry space in a single dynamic location.

A New Hub for Ministry and Community Life

The redevelopment will include 243 apartments (with a total of 353 beds), a 356-space parking deck, a rooftop amenity deck, and street-level retail like a coffee shop and fitness center — all centered around a modern ministry hub designed to host over 500 people for gatherings, conferences, and discipleship events.

Construction is slated for completion by June 2027, with New South Construction leading the build.

Leaders See Legacy of Impact for Generations

W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the GBMB, called the project a significant milestone for the future of collegiate ministry at Georgia’s flagship university.

“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, GBMB’s collegiate catalyst, echoed that excitement about what’s ahead for the growing campus ministry.
“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!”

A Longtime Location, A Renewed Vision

Since 1961, BCM has operated just a block away from the redevelopment site, serving generations of UGA students. The new project not only replaces the old space but expands it dramatically to meet the demands of a modern campus environment while integrating retail and housing to strengthen its connection to the community.

Tommy Fountain Jr., BCM campus minister at UGA, said the project goes far beyond bricks and mortar.
“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,” Fountain said.

Part of a Broader Statewide Strategy

This redevelopment is part of a wider strategy by the GBMB and CCI to modernize BCM facilities on campuses statewide, including similar mixed-use projects underway at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern University. The goal: create sustainable, flexible spaces that blend ministry needs with student life and community amenities.

As construction ramps up in Athens, Fountain said the excitement on campus is growing too.
“As construction begins, there is no question that excitement amongst our students, our local stakeholders, and our alumni will increase,” he 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.”

Originally reported by Henry Durand/Christian Index in Baptist Press.