First look: Pocket neighborhood claiming corner lot near Westside Trail

Vertical construction is underway on a new pocket neighborhood in a formerly industrial section of Southwest Atlanta that’s witnessing a groundswell of development. 

Culdesac Inc., an Arizona-based firm known for innovative approaches to infill communities, is leading development of 1121 Allene, a boutique venture that calls for 19 townhomes with modern-style (if not Scandinavian aesthetics) in Oakland City. 

Situated less than a block from the Beltline’s Westside Trail, the corner property in question was once home to a one-story brick building but had been a vacant lot for years. 

Across the street is Trees Atlanta’s leafy new headquarters and 20-acre Murphy Crossing, a historical site owned by the Beltline where Culdesac was previously set to head redevelopment until protracted disagreements with Beltline leadership squashed plans earlier this year. 

Now, Culdesac is pre-selling 1121 Allene townhomes, which call for two and three-bedroom units (in either two or three stories), with potential live-work modifications also on the table. The 19 townhomes have begun vertical construction in recent days, and the site plan calls for all of them to be set around a central parklet. Each will also have a small backyard area. 

Current prices at 1121 Allene start at $213,560. That buys a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit in 648 square feet, spread across two stories. 

The priciest three-story offering to date—unit No. 2—has three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 960 square feet for $301,860. 

Rob Maloney, Culdesac’s business operations and marketing lead, tells Urbanize Atlanta the townhomes are “designed for everyday buyers” who must earn between 80 and 120 percent of the Area Median Income. For a family of four, for instance, that’s a max of $137,000 per year. Down payment assistance and Invest Atlanta homebuyer support have also been set up, per Maloney. 

“Right now, we’re offering special early incentives that have already drawn a lot of pre-sale attention,” Maloney wrote via email. “Atlanta has such a rich history of culture and community, and we’re honored to make it possible for more locals to realize their dream of homeownership.”

The same development team—Culdesac and Atlanta-based Urban Oasis Development, Praxis3 (architect), Flippo Civil Design (engineers), Fortas Homes (builder), Servis 1st Bank, and Invest Atlanta—is wrapping vertical construction on 1070 Dill, a sister townhome project about a mile away. Prices at the latter project now start at $190,000 for one-bedroom, two-story units, per Maloney. 

Both Culdesac communities are being marketed as having modern finishes and walkability/bikeability to local restaurants, the Beltline, and MARTA. 

“These Atlanta townhomes are a major milestone toward showing how attainable homeownership can be,” said Maloney, “and how cities, developers, and communities can work together to create housing people truly want and deserve.”

Beyond the Culdesac neighborhoods, construction is underway in nearby blocks on the 840 Woodrow project, which calls for more than 300 apartments and rental townhomes spread across 7 acres and several blocks. 

Elsewhere, the adaptive-reuse Oakland Exchange is forecasting that its initial phase will open next year, when Beltline officials have said the revised first phase of Murphy Crossing’s redevelopment should also break ground. 

In the gallery above, find more context and a deeper dive into Culdesac’s plans for 1121 Allene in Oakland City. 

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