The Bridge SolutionRoots to Rise

East Thomaston, Georgia

Roots to Rise

Honoring Our Roots. Building Our Future.

A community-led vision for attainable homeownership, food access, and workforce opportunity in East Thomaston, Georgia.

Learn About the Vision Support Roots to Rise

Start a conversation: Partner Invest Sponsor

Community-led concept plan7.83 acres
Aerial concept plan of the 7.83-acre Roots to Rise site outlined in red. Curving streets frame 24 single-family home lots in yellow on the left and 9 townhomes in pink along the upper street, with a pond, green space and walking paths. Labels read Halls of East Thomaston, (9) Townhomes and (24) Single Family Homes.
Residents and partners lean over a printed aerial site plan on a table during community planning.
Concept plan designed with residents in partnership with the Serenbe Placemaking Team. A planning concept, not a final site plan.
The Roots to Rise project sign. It reads Roots to Rise, Honoring Our Roots. Building Our Future. A New Vision for East Thomaston, beside an aerial view of the planned neighborhood. A green band lists Attainable Homeownership, Fresh Food Access, Workforce Development and Community Revitalization. The footer shows The Bridge Solution, Inc. logo, A Community Development Initiative, and www.bridgesolution.org.

You may have seen our sign

Here is the story behind it.

The sign marks a long-term, community-led initiative in East Thomaston. It names four commitments:

  • Attainable homeownership
  • Fresh food access
  • Workforce development
  • Community revitalization

Start with the community

Community roots

A community shaping its own future.

East Thomaston has a proud legacy of freedom, entrepreneurship, and community self-sufficiency. At an August 2026 community charrette, 64 participants identified five priorities: heritage, ownership, opportunity, well-being, and the next generation. Those priorities guide our work.

A large group of residents and partners stands together in a community room after the August 2026 charrette.
Participants at the August 9, 2026 community charrette.
  1. HeritageCarry the community’s history into what comes next.
  2. OwnershipPathways for families to own where they live.
  3. OpportunityWork, skills, and enterprise close to home.
  4. Well-beingFresh food and healthy places for every age.
  5. Next generationPlan for the future, even if you don’t get to see it.
Handwritten pink sticky note: Plan for the future even if you don't get to see it.
Handwritten pink sticky note: Good health for our community.
Handwritten pink sticky notes about history and pride of self.

Notes from the charrette legacy wall, in residents’ own words.

Read the community’s history

The vision

Two phases. One neighborhood rooted in people and place.

Phase 1 is the near-term work. Phase 2 is in planning and partnership development, with its operating model and feasibility still to be defined.

Phase 1Planned

Attainable homeownership

Planned for-sale homes on a 7.83-acre site, with design inspired by East Thomaston’s mill-house heritage.

Planned for-sale homes
33
Site
7.83 acres
Single-family homes
24
Townhomes
9

Intended affordability planning goal: 80% to 120% of area median income (AMI).

Final pricing and affordability targets remain subject to financial validation. Homes are not available for purchase at this time.

Concept plan showing the 24 single-family home lots in yellow and 9 townhomes in pink within the red site boundary, with a central pond and green paths.
  • 24 single-family homes
  • 9 townhomes
  • 7.83-acre site
A one-story mill-style house with a front porch, white railings and a gabled roof. Line drawings of front, side and rear elevations for a mill-style house plan.

Mill-house reference home and city pre-permitted elevations that inform the design.

Phase 2Planning & Partnership Development

Growing Food. Cultivating Talent. Creating Opportunity.

Phase 2 is a vision for expanding fresh food access, building workforce skills, supporting entrepreneurship, and strengthening community impact in East Thomaston.

Phase 2 is in planning and partnership development. The operating model, partnerships, budget, and feasibility still need to be defined. It is not funded or ready for construction.

Partner in Phase 2 planning Discuss supporting the planning work
Food access
Explore ways to grow, distribute, and connect residents with fresh food.
Workforce training
Explore learning pathways connected to food, agriculture, culinary work, and supply chains.
Entrepreneurship
Explore opportunities that could help local people build and grow enterprises.
Community impact
Shape a model that responds to community priorities and creates lasting local opportunity.

Explore the full vision

Progress

Where things stand.

Local commitment is in place. The next step is predevelopment.

  1. Land7.83-acre site secured
  2. EntitlementRezoning approved
  3. CommunityCommunity-led planning underway
  4. DesignSurvey work authorized

Early philanthropic support

$35,000

In confirmed philanthropic awards.

Georgia Power Foundation
$10,000
Thomas Nelson Abdella, MD Foundation
$25,000

Project news

Community Foundation of Central Georgia visits East Thomaston

On October 22, The Bridge Solution welcomed the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to Thomaston for a conversation about the community’s priorities and a tour of the Roots to Rise site.

The visit was a chance to share what residents named at the August charrette, the progress made so far, and the predevelopment work ahead. We are grateful for the time and attention, and for the chance to build relationships that strengthen East Thomaston.

More project news

Phase 1 predevelopment campaign

Our $410,000 Phase 1 predevelopment campaign supports site engineering, due diligence, financial feasibility, and development readiness.

Gifts support predevelopment work for a nonprofit initiative. They do not purchase a home, reserve a home, or provide a financial return.

Give to predevelopment Sponsor a milestone

  1. Site and engineering

    Survey, due diligence, infrastructure, and design readiness.

  2. Financial feasibility

    Phasing and affordability analysis to validate pricing and targets.

  3. Development readiness

    Advance the development team and the financing pathway.

Phase 2 planning and partnership development is separate. It is a not-yet-priced opportunity to support planning work. Talk with us about it.

Get involved

Start where you are.

Anyone, right now

Learn

Understand the project, the community’s history, the two phases, and where things stand.

Anyone, right now

Give

Make a charitable gift to The Bridge Solution. Choose general support or Roots to Rise predevelopment.

Give to The Bridge Solution

By conversation

These paths begin with an inquiry and a qualified conversation.

About

The Bridge Solution, Inc.

We bridge gaps in rural communities through attainable housing, access to nutritionally dense food, and pathways to employment.

Founded in 2019 by Chrystal York, Founder and CEO, The Bridge Solution works alongside residents, municipal leaders, and institutional partners. Roots to Rise in East Thomaston is our current focus.

More about us