No one has to draw a picture for Iona Satterfield.

For the last 18 years, she has lived in the George Foster Peabody Apartments, a run-down, out-of-date public housing complex on Talbotton Road.

The 44-year-old Columbus woman has seen the picture.

She now can see the future.

The Columbus Housing Authority on Wednesday was awarded a $20 million federal grant to demolish Peabody Apartments and replace the sprawling complex with a new mixed-income town- home community.

"This is a change for not only the residents, but the whole community," Satterfield said.

Others agree.

"It's an opportunity for a major revitalization of an obsolete housing complex," said Housing Authority Executive Director Len Williams. "It is also an opportunity to reconnect that neighborhood with the rest of the community."

The Housing Authority began the application process last year but aborted the attempt before the deadline to submit it to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Williams, hired as executive director a year ago, reorganized the grant application. He had been a part of the Housing Authority of Birmingham's successful HOPE VI bid in 1999.

"It is highly unusual for an authority to be successful in its first attempt," Williams said.

City Manager Carmen Cavezza praised Williams and the Housing Authority board for making it happen.

"The board and the new director made a determination that this was going to happen and went after it full force," Cavezza said.

It was important for Columbus to be successful because President Bush has proposed eliminating the HOPE VI program next year.

The Housing Authority spent about $270,000 to hire Wallace, Roberts & Todd of Philadelphia and Boulevard Group, Inc. of Atlanta to help prepare the application. The authority has also hired  Boulevard Group, Inc. to manage the project.

The plan to revitalize Peabody and the area surrounding it played a major role in Columbus landing the grant, HUD spokeswoman Donna White said.

"Essentially, these are awarded to those with an effective public housing revitalization plan," White said.

The Columbus plan calls for:

• The demolition of all 51 Peabody apartment buildings.

• The reworking of the road network to reconnect the 23-acre site with the rest of the neighborhood.

• Commercial property along Talbotton Road.

• A new townhome community.

Cavezza called it a "golden opportunity" to change a major portion of the center city. The city is exploring the possibility of making East Highlands a redevelopment area. This would make Community Development Block Grant dollars available for improvements.

"We will be able to go into areas that are deteriorated and bring them back to life," Cavezza said.

One of the reasons for the potential is Peabody's closeness to the city's medical community. Larry Sanders, CEO and chairman of Columbus Regional Healthcare System, said this accelerates the revitalization of the community surrounding The Medical Center.

"If you go back and look at the whole area in the mid-1970s, you would have seen that The Medical Center was surrounded by dilapidated residential property," Sanders said. "This will dramatically enhance the look and quality of life. It's a huge economic infusion."

For Peabody residents like Ida Williams, the revitalization project offers hope, even if they don't end up living in the new apartments.

"I want to see people get a better life," Williams said. "I want to see young women improve themselves.

"Praise God. We are going to see a new Peabody."