The process of resuscitating a nearly century-old Atlanta school while injecting a southside neighborhood with housing and jobs-producing commercial space has formally begun. 

Atlanta Urban Development Corporation, a nonprofit entity that aims to develop underused public land into mixed-income housing, has released a Request for Qualifications calling for developers capable of turning the long-vacant, former Lakewood Heights Elementary School into a mixed-use hub that boosts the neighborhood. 

The 2.1-acre Lakewood Heights site is one of eight “surplus” school properties planned for conversion into community assets around the city. It’s highlighted by a 1932 school building at 335 Sawtell Ave. that all recent planning efforts have pinpointed as being crucial for saving and restoring through adaptive-reuse development. 

The school has been shuttered and vacant since 2004; three years ago, it was at risk of being demolished, but APS reconsidered and scrapped those plans, citing historical value.  

The RFQ calls for development firms capable of turning the old school property into a “dynamic community asset,” with roughly 55 housing units, most of them two to three-bedroom rentals. Another component would be about 8,000 square feet of commercial space geared toward inclusivity and meeting local residents’ needs, per AUD officials. 

The former Lakewood Heights Elementary School. Google Maps

Four options for adaptive-reuse and new construction in Lakewood Heights compiled in a March report this year. APS/Housing Innovation Lab/Atlanta Urban Development

Beyond preservation of the school structure, the general vision compiled after numerous community meetings calls for pedestrian-friendly designs and mixed-income housing options. 

The Lakewood Heights property has been pinpointed by Atlanta Preservation Center as being of “major significance.” The three structures on site today include the 1930s school and additions from the 1950s and 1990s.

“This redevelopment initiative represents a significant opportunity to repurpose underutilized public land into a community hub,” said John Majors, AUD’s CEO, in an announcement. “Our goal is to create a mixed-income housing development that not only addresses the urgent need for affordable housing but also stimulates local economic growth and enhances neighborhood vitality.”

The deadline for replying to the RFQ is Aug. 25, via AUD’s website. 

A draft concept for the corner of Charleston and Sawtell avenues shows a new commercial storefront, courtyard, and potential look of new townhomes, per the master plan. APS/Housing Innovation Lab/Atlanta Urban Development; designs, Zanetta Illustration

An aerial view over the intersection of Charleston and South Bend avenues with new on-street parking, apartments standing two and three stories, and the adaptively reused school. APS/Housing Innovation Lab/Atlanta Urban Development; designs, Zanetta Illustration

Submissions from developers will be scored based on experience with similar projects and each company’s specific vision for the site and ability to execute it, according to AUD. 

Whichever developer is picked will work closely with both AUD and APS to finalize the intergovernmental Lakewood Heights redevelopment plan before moving forward, per officials.

For interested parties, a two-hour Q&A session and bus tour of the Lakewood Heights Elementary School property is schedule for 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday. An option to attend virtually is also being provided. Otherwise, find more context and imagery for the Lakewood Heights plan in the gallery above. 

A map of historically significant Atlanta Public School properties, as compiled by Atlanta Preservation Center and APS.APS/Housing Innovation Lab/Atlanta Urban Development

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