On June 15, 2026 the Waynesboro council received an agreement with Abebe Ventures, LLC for the grant-funded infrastructure at St. George Crossing. This page lists what the city's own documents say about it, what a party says, and what is still open.
What the Record Says
Parties
The agreement is between "CITY OF WAYNESBORO ... and ABEBE VENTURES, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company, hereafter called 'the Developer,' whose address is 249 Milton Ave SE Atlanta, GA 30315". The notice address reads "Attn: Mike Abebe".
Who holds the grant
The packet names OneGeorgia Rural Workforce Housing Initiative Award 25wh-MCR-5-5229. The Governor's release of December 5, 2024 says "The City of Waynesboro was awarded $2,496,190 in OneGeorgia funds". It names the City as recipient and does not name the developer. The state program's own questions-and-answers document says "Local government/City/County must be the primary applicant." The agreement says the City designs and builds the infrastructure, draws down the funds, owns and maintains it, and reports to the State.
The three amounts
| Source of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| OneGeorgia grant, awarded to the City | $2,496,190.00 |
| City contribution | $100,000.00 |
| Developer costs | $423,810.00 |
| Total cost, as the agreement states it | $3,020,000.00 |
The agreement also says: "The Developer will be responsible for any additional costs that exceed the grant award." The council's draft minutes say the developer "will be responsible for all project costs exceeding the grant award and City contribution."
What must be built, and at what prices
Section 1.1 requires "the design, development and construction of twenty-four (24) townhomes and twenty-seven (27) single-family residences, and the Developer shall not sell or allow the sale or purchase of any single residence for less than $125,000.00 or more than $290,000.00." Section 1.4 says the residences are to be sold "to individuals who will use any of the residences as a primary residence".
Default and repayment
Section 1.5 lists what counts as default, including that the Developer has "failed to complete construction of all 51 residences", "stopped or abandoned construction of any residence for a period of more than 90 consecutive days", or sold a residence for more than $290,000.00 or for less than $125,000.00. It also lists bankruptcy and receivership.
On default, the agreement says the City "may immediately terminate this Agreement" and the Developer "shall immediately remit or repay any amount of the Award, and any other assessment or penalty to the State of Georgia might impose." It adds that this "includes the Developer indemnifying the City of Waynesboro for any Award funds that the State of Georgia demands be returned due to a default by the Developer."
Sections 1.6 and 1.7 say the Developer "shall convey to the City, at no cost, fee simple title to any and all permanent or temporary easements and rights of way" and "shall provide proof of funding to the City and DCA ... at the time of execution of this Agreement." Section 2.1 sets the term "until the Developer has sold the last residence within the Project".
The vote
The draft minutes of June 15, 2026, printed in the July 20, 2026 packet, say: "Council Member Byne made a motion to approve ... Vice-Mayor Bates seconded the motion. Council voted unanimously in favor of the motion". The minutes record no discussion of the item. Final approved minutes were not read.
The state program's rules
The state's award procedures manual says that if a home "is not sold in the specified price range, the infrastructure grant is subject to repayment to the OneGeorgia Authority." In that manual the "recipient" is the local government.
What a Party Says
The Governor's release describes the award as money "to construct street, drainage, water, and sewer infrastructure that will allow for the construction of 51 new, housing units in St. George Crossing. The development is on a 190-acre tract." That is the state's description of the project.
True Citizen reported on June 16, 2026: "Abebe Ventures will be responsible for any additional costs that exceed the grant award."
Open Questions
Seventeen days before this vote, on May 29, 2026, the Superior Court of Fulton County filed an order in Abebe Caesar Ventures, LLC v. Mekonnen Abebe, Civil Action File No. 26CV006560. The draft minutes of the June 15 meeting do not mention it. Was the council told? See Fulton County Judge Orders Abebe to Transfer Properties to Abebe Caesar Ventures.
On September 23, 2025 the Planning Commission minutes say of the project's regulating plan and ordinance: "Changes requested." No later approval of that plan was found in the records read. Were the project's plans approved before the city signed? See How Waynesboro and Atlanta Officials Voted.
The packet copy is unsigned. The developer's signature block reads "ABEBE VENTURES, LLC / By: ____" with no name or title. Who signed, and when, is not shown.
"EXHIBIT A DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY" is a heading with nothing under it. The agreement says the property is "set forth in EXHIBIT A", so which parcels it covers is not shown in this copy.
These six pages show no date or number of months by which the 51 residences must be finished, and no bond, letter of credit, escrow or other security from the developer. The agreement binds the developer to the terms of "the Award". The award documents were not found, so they may contain terms this copy does not.
The state's questions-and-answers document says both "thirty (30) months from award date" and "the two-year timeframe". Which period applies to this award is set by its award documents, which were not found.
On September 17, 2026 the Utilities Committee draft minutes record five bids and call a base bid of $2,930,454.00 from Shockley Plumbing, Inc. the "apparent low bidder". The September 21, 2026 agenda lists "Resolution 2026-09-01 to Award". The minutes of that meeting are not posted, so the award vote and the contract amount are not confirmed. The agreement's three amounts total $3,020,000.00. The pages read do not say how engineering and administration costs fit within that total. The contract's owner is the City. No Abebe entity is a party to it in the pages read.
Sources
The agreement as placed in the packet. Unsigned copy.
July 20, 2026 City of Waynesboro council packet, page 3Draft minutes of the June 15, 2026 meeting.
September 21, 2026 City of Waynesboro council packetAgenda items 5 and 6, the engineer's letter, and the September 17 bid-opening draft minutes on page 4.
December 5, 2024 Office of the Governor press releaseAnnouncement of the OneGeorgia award to the City of Waynesboro.
2025 edition Georgia DCA workforce housing questions and answersProgram rules on who applies and the completion period.
Undated OneGeorgia award procedures manualGeneral condition 24 on repayment if a home is not sold in the price range.
June 16, 2026 City approves agreement on St. George Crossing projectTrue Citizen article.
St. George Crossing
Review the broader Waynesboro development file and related municipal, property, and project materials.