Villages News
Former Chamber president to help with Hallelujah Acres development
Shelby Star - Monday, Apr 28 2008
David Allen
SHELBY - A former president of the Cleveland County Chamber has found a new home at Hallelujah Acres.
Stuart Gilbert will join the development team for the The Villages of Hallelujah Acres, a residential community featuring walking trails, estate lots and more.
"I am very excited to accept this new position and be part of an incredible team of professionals," he said in a written statement sent Saturday. "The Villages team is creating more than a neighborhood; it's a health and Christian lifestyle community."
Upon completion, The Villages will generate an estimated $225,000 in property tax revenue for the county and $126,000 for the City of Shelby, the statement said.
"Stuart's background, experience and positive economic development energy fit well with us and will help us streamline building our exciting new community in Shelby," said Hallelujah Acres President Paul Malkmus in a written statement.
During Gilbert's tenure at the Chamber, more than 2,400 jobs were created. Gilbert has worked with various economic development teams generating more than 15,000 jobs and $4.5 billion in new investments.
Hallelujah Acres breaking healthy ground
Shelby Star - Friday, Feb 29 2008
Drew Brooks
SHELBY — From humble beginnings, Hallelujah Acres has grown from a small, 11 feet wide restaurant in Tennessee to being on the verge of creating a $30 million dollar healthy lifestyle community.
Rev. George Malkmus began preaching the benefits of his Biblical diet 16 years ago.
“It was just my wife and myself,” he said, adding that the restaurant could only seat 16 people.
“Gradually, people listened, applied the diet and got well,” he said, “and since then they haven’t been able to keep their mouths shut.”
Friday, hundreds of onlookers joined the Malkmus’ for the community’s groundbreaking. They were joined by business, community, state and congressional leaders.
Malkmus boasts that more than 10 thousand people have testified to the effectiveness of eating Biblically: avoiding cooked and processed foods in favor of “living” foods.
He attributes his own recovery from cancer to his adherence to the diet.
“The Villages of Hallelujah Acres is the culmination of 16 years,” he said. “People can actually come and live in a community that emphasizes both spiritual and physical health.”
Far from the small restaurant located in Rogersville, Tenn., Malkmus’ nondenominational ministry moved to Shelby in 1997.
But Hallelujah Acres’ reach goes far past Cleveland County. The ministry circulates its bi-monthly publication to more than half a million subscribers and e-mails frequent health tips to more than 90,000 people.
Friday’s attendees came from as far away as Idaho.
The reach is also reflected by the number and location of people who have shown interest in purchasing a lot in the planned community, which — in addition to the 100 homes that will be built during the first phase of construction — will also feature a clubhouse, pool, tennis court and walking trails.
Community consultant Rick Hord said he’s received interest from more than 1,500 people, representing every state in the nation and every continent save Antarctica.
Malkmus expects construction to begin in the spring, with the first residents ready to move in come the fall.
According to Hallelujah Acres, the Villages of Hallelujah Acres projects to generate more than $225,000 annually in tax revenue for Cleveland County and $126,000 annually in tax revenue for the City of Shelby.
Interested in investing in a lot? Contact Rick Hord at (704) 481-1700, ext. 758.
Hallelujah Acres breaking ground Friday
Shelby Star - Wednesday, Feb 27 2008
Drew Brooks
SHELBY — Hallelujah Acres will break ground and start selling lots Friday on a $30 million development to be located across the street from its headquarters at 900 S. Post Road.
The Villages of Hallelujah Acres will include upward of 100 residences, a clubhouse and fitness center, swimming pool, tennis courts, walking trails and gardens.
Lots will go on sale at the event, with the first wave of homes expected to be complete by the fall.
Hallelujah Acres is a non-denominational Christian ministry that teaches and promotes a biblical diet.
The village will build on and eventually replace the restaurant and resource center currently in operation.
The 2 p.m. event will also include a ribbon cutting hosted by the Cleveland County Chamber.
Hallelujah Acres’ plan bringing jobs, money
Shelby Star - Tuesday, Aug 21 2007
The city of Shelby made essentially the only call it could in approving Hallelujah Acres’ $30 million expansion plan — which includes a hotel, conference center and 695 housing units. Was there ever really a question of whether or not this project would get a thumbs up?
The plan calls for 694 housing units, including 432 multi-family housing units and 163 single-family patio homes.
“It’s a fantastic development for the city of Shelby,” said Mayor Ted Alexander. “It’s a boon to our economic development and tax base.”
With uncertain economic times, this development gives a much-needed shot in the arm to the local economy. It will create jobs as well as fuel money into the local economy.
ABC's Nightline to feature Hallelujah Acres
Shelby Star - Saturday, Aug 4 2007
Drew Brooks
SHELBY — A popular weight loss program based here in Shelby will gain national attention when it appears on the ABC news show “Nightline.”
Hallelujah Acres, on S. Post Road, hosted the news crew during its monthly seminar Saturday.
The ABC crew came straight from Minnesota, where they were helping cover the I-35 Bridge collapse.
Hallelujah Acres is a non-denominational Christian ministry that provides education, products, services and other resources to help people everywhere understand and practice God’s ways to ultimate health.
ABC correspondent Chris Bury said their time at Hallelujah Acres would be part of a larger story about the booming Christian weight loss industry.
Bury said Hallelujah Acres was growing very quickly and was one of the more ambitious programs.
Spokesman Paul Malkmus, who has promoted the diet for ten years, said being in front of the camera was a nerve wracking experience.
“You can never get used to being behind the camera,” he said.
The ministry offers seminars, a health store and has plans to build a hotel and conference center.
The diet features a ratio of 85 percent raw foods to 15 percent cooked foods for each day. According to the Hallelujah Acres Web site “The dense living nutrients found in raw foods and their juices are the things that meet and satisfy your cells’ nutritional needs. When you eat these living foods, you will find that you no longer have to deal with hunger pangs or cravings.”
The diet also encourages its followers to keep away from meats, alcohol, coffee, milk, cheese, eggs and canned foods, among others.
It is based on Genesis 1:29, which states “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat [food].”
“As we get closer to that original diet, our physical ailments go away,” Malkmus said.
Aside from filming the seminar,Bury said the ABC crew visited several dieters in their homes.
There is no set airdate for the report, but it should air in the next couple of weeks, he said.
Hallelujah acres planning to build hotel:
Facility should create 127 jobs, cost $30 million
Shelby Star - Wednesday, May 17 2006
Pete DeLea
SHELBY — Hallelujah Acres plans to build a state-of-the-art hotel and conference center in Shelby across from its current International Headquarters, creating 127 new jobs in the next 10 years.
The company also plans on building a new restaurant, retail store, office space, media center and customer service call center at the new facility.
“It’s something Shelby can be proud of,” said President Paul Malkmus. “We’re excited about what it will do for the community in terms of jobs and tourism.”
He said the new facility will put the company in a better position to serve the customers that come from all over the world to learn about better health.
“We’re trying to share our message of a healthy lifestyle,” said Malkmus.
The $30 million project is expected to create 127 jobs between the next two and 10 years. The average salary will be about $30,000 a year.
Hallelujah Acres is in the process of purchasing 102 acres on South Post Road from Eastview, LLC. Eastview has submitted an application with the City of Shelby requesting a voluntary satellite annexation of the property. The city will hold a public hearing on June 5 to discuss the annexation request.
City Manager Rick Howell said the annexation and land development will benefit the city residents.
“Anytime someone is voluntarily annexing it’s good for the city,” said Howell. “I’m excited about the jobs it could bring to the city.”
Howell said the planned East Side sewer project, which will eventually extend sewer lines to the South Post Road site, will provide economic development opportunities for the area.
“It opens up a lot of area for potential development,” said Howell. “This just provides additional justification for the sewer line.”
Mayor Ted Alexander said the company’s plan is good news for the city.
“I’m really excited about this project and what it will mean for the community,” said Alexander. “This is probably one of the largest voluntary annexations we’ve had.”
Hallelujah Acres $30 million expansion closer to reality
Shelby Star - Thursday, May 17 2007
Pete DeLea
SHELBY — Hallelujah Acres $30 million expansion plans — which include a hotel, conference center and 695 housing units — moved forward Thursday afternoon after Shelby’s Planning and Zoning Board approved a conditional use permit for their complex.
The proposed project will sit on 159 acres at the corner of South Post and Joe’s Lake Roads, adjacent to their existent headquarters.
“We’re excited about the overall project and benefits it will bring,” said Hallelujah Acres President Paul Malkmus, who runs the non-denominational Christian ministry that provides health education, products and services throughout the world.
The plan calls for 694 housing units, including 432 multifamily housing units and 163 single family patio homes. The condominiums will start at roughly $150,000 and the single-family homes will start about $180,000.
Malkmus said phase one of the housing units, which includes 27 single family patio homes, should begin within two or three months. After that, he said homes would be built in phases depending on sales.
“We have quite a demand,” said Malkmus. “We sent out surveys to our readership and there is a large number that want to move to the Hallelujah Acres and the Shelby community.”
Along with phase one of the housing development, Hallelujah Acres plans to break ground on the hotel, conference center, retail store and restaurant in the next few months. He said the entire project, which would employ 127 new people, could be completed in the next five to 10 years.
Future plans include retail shops such as childcare facilities, hair stylists and bookstores in a commercial area with 56 residential units above.
The proposed planned unit development consists of:
An organic community garden
Community chapel
163 single family patio home lots
43 single family lots
432 multifamily dwelling units
56 dwellings above commercial units
21 acres of common open space
Hallelujah Boulevard, the main thoroughfare, will have bicycle lanes on both sides of the road
All streets will have sidewalks
The proposed general business area consists of:
72-room, 45,333-square-foot hotel with 18,000 square feet available for expansion
Restaurant, store/gift shop
Media and call center with print room and classrooms
32,662-square-foot conference center with administrative offices underneath
Six rental cabins
Clubhouse and fitness center with basketball, tennis, volleyball courts and swimming pool
1,000-seat, outdoor amphitheater
Hallelujah Acres expansion could create growth in city
Hallelujah Acres President Paul Malkmus said he hopes the expansion’s first phase, including the hotel and conference center, will be up and running by June 2008, when the city plans to have the East Side sewer project complete.
City leaders said the company’s plans are an example of how important it is to expand the city’s infrastructure to undeveloped land.
City finance director Ted Phillips said it would be difficult to determine how the project will impact the city’s tax base because the project will be spread out over several years. How much money will be spent when and how much the property tax rate would be at the time can’t be determined.
At today’s rate of 42-cents per $100 in assessed value, the estimated $30 million project would generate $126,000 in tax money for the city.
Councilman Chris Mabry said the city’s sewer project, which will eventually extend sewer lines to the South Post Road site, will provide future economic development opportunities for the area in addition to Hallelujah Acres plans.
“It’s an economic development tool,” said Mabry, the council liaison to the planning board. “It will help the big picture of growth we’re trying to go for.”
Planning Director Walter Scharer said the sewer extension is key to the company’s plans.
“If the city hadn’t started this project, I don’t think we would be here talking about it,” said Scharer.
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