Congressman Artur Davis will participate in a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday at 4:30 p.m. for the new Magnolia Gardens apartment complex to be located on Marie Foster Street.

The 48-unit complex will serve as affordable housing for families who are not prepared to buy their own homes.

Established through a partnership between the Jonathan Daniels Community Development Corporation (JDCDC) and Olympia Construction, the gated community will contain a complete learning center where residents can receive home ownership counseling and financial literacy.

Last year, the Alabama Housing Finance Authority awarded the partnership a tax credit to help them finance the project.

The groundbreaking ceremony is the last stop on a one-day congressional district tour

highlighting successful community

development corporations and municipal economic development projects.

During the tour, Davis will be promoting his new Initiative 7, a non-profit organization that will gather the nation’s top community economic development experts to help grass roots organizations build their assets and develop their own community improvement projects.

Kendrick said the JDCDC and other organizations will greatly benefit from the lending expertise of the Initiative 7 project.

Creating affordable housing and job training is just one aspect of community development Davis will be addressing in his initiative.

Mayor James Perkins, Jr. and city council president George Evans will also be present at the

ceremony.

Using private and public partners, the JDCDC provides low income families with affordable home and access to jobs and childcare.