PACT In the News: Taylor Avenue Redevelopment: Homeport Selected as Development Partner

Pilgrim Elementary School on the Near East Side.

Article: Homeport named developer for former Pilgrim Elementary School site on Taylor Avenue

PACT’s Perspective:
The transformation of the Taylor Avenue corridor is one step closer to reality. PACT has selected Homeport, one of Central Ohio’s leading affordable housing developers, as its partner to redevelop the former Pilgrim Elementary School site—a six-acre property positioned at the heart of the Near East Side.

This milestone represents more than a development deal; it’s the culmination of over a year of community visioning and planning to ensure growth benefits those who call this neighborhood home. Homeport will deliver a mixed-income residential community that balances affordability with opportunity, combining new housing, green space, and pedestrian-friendly design.

As the Community Quarterback for the Near East Side, PACT’s role is to align public and private partners, secure investment, and keep residents at the center of every decision. The Taylor Avenue project is proof that equitable development can honor legacy, attract resources, and build a sustainable future—one rooted in collaboration, inclusion, and place.

PACT In The News: Columbus Business First - Pastors, property & purpose (may require a subscription)

Sheldon Johnson is executive director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation, or PACT standing in the history Bronzeville Neighborhood.

Article: Columbus Business First - Pastors, property & purpose (may require a subscription)
PACT’s Perspective:
Churches have long been anchors of community life on the Near East Side — shaping the moral, cultural, and civic fabric of Columbus for generations. Today, many of these congregations also hold something deeply valuable: land. Through PACT’s Faith-Based Developers Initiative, local pastors are learning how to transform that land into lasting community benefit.

Led by Executive Director Sheldon Johnson, the initiative equips churches with the tools, partnerships, and financial literacy to approach development with confidence and purpose — bridging the gap between faith and finance. Backed by support from Fifth Third Bank, PACT convened a first-of-its-kind training cohort that included historic congregations such as Shiloh Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church, Union Grove Baptist Church, and Rehoboth Temple Church of God in Christ.

The goal isn’t to turn pastors into developers — it’s to empower them as stewards of their land and legacy, ensuring that future projects reflect both spiritual mission and social impact. This initiative exemplifies how faith-based organizations can play a transformative role in advancing affordable housing and community revitalization while protecting the heritage that defines the Near East Side.

In Case You Missed It: The PACT Newsletter is Back!

PACT is hard at work in the Near East Side community in 2025, and we're excited to bring you along. From the Taylor Avenue project, where we walked alongside residents through the REI process and the Gallery Walk, to sharing the stories, updates, and opportunities that keep our community connected, this newsletter is your window into what’s happening, what’s next, and how you can be part of it.

Check out the April 2025 Newsletter by clicking the image below!

Columbus Foundation names PACT as one of their 2025 5 Nonprofits To Watch!

Every year The Columbus Foundation honors five nonprofit organizations delivering impact and improving the region. This year PACT is honored to be named on the list alongside four other dynamic organizations committed to a better Columbus.

To learn more about the other honorees please keep reading.

PICTURED, back row (l-r): Eryn Hathaway, Executive Director and Co-Founder of EPIC Youth; Sherome Hathaway, Co-Founder and COO of EPIC Youth; and Kate McGarvey, Executive Director of Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio. Front row (l-r): Shelly Douglas, Executive Director of Green Columbus; Dr. Dorothy Hassan, CEO of Our Helpers; and Sheldon Johnson, Executive Director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation.

PACT Featured in Columbus Underground for REI Proposal Search

Read the entire post at Columbus Underground.

Group Seeking Developers to Transform Several Key Sites Along Taylor Avenue

Plans are moving forward to redevelop several key properties on the Near East Side. PACT, the neighborhood organization started over a decade ago by the City of Columbus, Ohio State University and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, is soliciting proposals from developers to build on nine different sites.

Clustered along the Taylor Avenue corridor, the parcels all together add up to about about six acres of land. Some of them have existing buildings on them and some don’t.

The group sent out a Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) in August outlining its expectations and preferences for what might get built on each of the parcels, including which of the existing buildings should be prioritized for preservation and which most likely need to be demolished.

PACT owns or controls nearly all of the properties and in some cases has worked to shore up and stabilize the buildings to position them better for a future renovation work.

Read More…