First look: Beltline pocket neighborhood aimed at first-time buyers

Construction has begun on a unique southeast Atlanta project that developers say is geared toward first-time buyers, couples without kids, downsizing adults, or any other intowner generally sick of renting.

The 18-townhome venture is underway at 1160 Boulevard, claiming a vacant, 1/2-acre site that was home to a gas station decades ago and has since been cleaned up, per developers.

The Boulevard Heights location is roughly two blocks south of Grant Park and the Beltline’s Southside Trail corridor, which is undergoing trail construction on both sides of Boulevard. Next door to the east is Chua Quang Minh, Georgia’s oldest Vietnamese Buddhist temple.

The project, led by an LLC called 1160 Boulevard and designed by architecture firm TSW, is another example of an intown pocket neighborhood turning underused, tighter sites into denser residential enclaves that prioritize social interactions, economical use of space, and alternate means of transportation.

That means the one-bedroom, one and 1/2-bathroom townhomes will have no garages, but instead one dedicated surface parking space per unit toward the south end of the trapezoidal lot. A centralized courtyard and corner amenity space for barbecues are also meant to foster social interactions.

Meanwhile, another section of the site is being reserved for a lockable bike storage facility for residents who prefer to pedal to the nearby Beltline—which will be possible in coming years via the South Boulevard Complete Street (estimated construction start: 2025), should the city’s plans come to fruition.

No units at 1160 Boulevard have listed yet, but pricing is expected to start in the mid-$300,000s.  

The three-building project is inspired by Kronberg Urbanists + Architects’ 25-unit Edgewood community La France Walk, where a smaller but more centralized resale unit fetched $370,000 earlier this year.   

Each of the 18 townhomes will stand three stories, with about 912 square feet inside and another 150 square feet in mostly covered rooftop patio spaces.

The breakdown: Main levels will see living rooms, kitchens, and half-bathrooms; the second stories are devoted to primary bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry; and the third levels call for a flex space with small wet bars in addition to the patios.

Small, fenced yards for each home are also in the mix.

“It will be the lowest-priced [project] in the area, but it will sell for market-rate,” a 1160 Boulevard LLC development official who requested anonymity told Urbanize Atlanta.

“The thought was, there’s a whole lot of development going on in the area, a lot to be excited about, but we wanted to create something that’s different," he continued. "Everybody has their version of a two and three-bedroom townhome. We thought to go maybe a bit smaller and offer something that isn’t all that common.”

Another cost-saving tactic is to make the townhomes fee-simple, meaning owners would fully own the homes and land, as opposed to a generally more expensive condo arrangement with pricier insurance policies and other costs.  

“So rather than being $250 to $300 per month, the HOA we’re hoping will be like $40 to $50 bucks a month, because of fee-simple,” said the project official. “If you’re a single person renting or young couple and want to get out of an apartment and start building equity, there’s just not much around that’s affordable at an entry price point.”

The three-story layouts will also be less expensive to build, as any building at four stories or higher in Atlanta requires that fire sprinklers be incorporated, in addition to other costs such as more stairs, per the project leader.

Other plans call for onsite parking to be built with permeable pavers to help control water runoff, while conduit will be installed for future EV charging if buyers prefer. Landscaping calls for trees planted along Boulevard and other “tree islands” in the courtyard.

Beyond the Beltline, proximity to Zoo Atlanta, the future Boulevard Crossing Park, and a public greenspace that’s taking shape now as part of the Englewood development across the street are all cited as perks of the area.

Project heads tell Urbanize Atlanta vertical construction should begin at the site within about six weeks, and townhomes are scheduled to start delivering in late summer or early fall next year, when interest rates for mortgages could be lower. Plans call for building all homes at once, as opposed to in phases.

Head up to the gallery for more context and a closer look at what plans call for on this quickly developing section of Boulevard.

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• Is BeltLine-connected Boulevard Heights the next Reynoldstown? (Urbanize Atlanta)