The Task Force for Global Health is planning to purchase the DeKalb County Clark Harrison building at 330 West Ponce de Leon Ave from DeKalb County in downtown Decatur.

A recent Champion article noted the sale as part of DeKalb County’s larger plan to move offices to a huge 600,000 square foot complex on Memorial Drive in coming years.  However it didn’t mention who the potential buyer would be.  Well, we need look no further than the Task Force for Global Health’s website to figure out the answer to that question…

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on April 15 to approve the sale of DeKalb County’s facility at 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. for $12 million to The Task Force for Global Health. The vote to approve the sales agreement comes after almost a year-and-a-half of negotiations between The Task Force and the county.

The Task Force, which has 115 employees, has reached capacity at its current headquarters in Decatur. The organization added 20 new positions in 2015 and is expected to add at least 20 more in 2016. Purchase of the building will allow The Task Force to increase the impact of its existing programs and to launch an anticipated initiative in noncommunicable diseases.

The Task Force will continue to negotiate the terms of the agreement with DeKalb County and conduct due diligence over the coming months. The sale is expected to be finalized by the end of 2016. For more about the building’s sale, see the April 20 edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

In addition to working together on the building transaction, The Task Force has been discussing a partnership with DeKalb County on addressing health and healthcare disparities among local residents. “I am excited that the county and city of Decatur are committed to keeping The Task Force in the community,” said Mark Rosenberg, MD, Chief Executive Oficer of The Task Force. “We believe that there are opportunities to apply many of the same values and practices that we use globally–including social justice, global health equity, and collaboration–to work with people here at home.”

Photo courtesy of The Task Force for Global Health