No, that’s not a corner of Virginia-Highland circa 1925.
An English Avenue mixed-use development with unique, throwback aesthetics near two cornerstone parks is nearing completion this month, with a goal of injecting attainable housing and commercial activity into the historically disinvested Westside neighborhood.
The property was previously a vacant lot.
Nonprofit organization Westside Future Fund broke ground at the 839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard site in late 2023. It’s located immediately east of Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park; Vine City’s lauded Rodney Cook Sr. Park is about five blocks to the east, with the Georgia World Congress Center a few blocks beyond that.
How the retail corner space is shaping up this month at the 839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard project in English Avenue. Photo courtesy of KUA
Expected look and functionality of the project's commercial corner, as shown in renderings. Kronberg Urbanists + Architects
On the English Avenue corner, WFF’s plans call for 33 apartments alongside a corner component with space for new retail, which much of the east-west corridor is lacking. Three retail spaces totaling 1,200 square feet are in the works.
The project, as designed by Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, aims to help accomplish WFF’s goal of building on land near greenspaces such as Kathryn Johnston Park, which the agency partnered with community leaders to create and open six years ago.
All 33 units in English Avenue will be reserved for residents who meet WFF’s Home on the Westside eligibility criteria. That means priority will go to legacy residents, others returning to English Avenue, and people with strong ties to the community, per WFF leadership.
KUA architects and the nonprofit are also finishing construction on a nearby residential venture with similar aesthetics, also in English Avenue, near the Westside Beltline Connector trail.
Collectively, the complexes will create 57 apartments, ranging from studios to three-bedroom options. KUA reps tell Urbanize Atlanta both projects will be reserved for residents earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income.
Photo courtesy of KUA
Prior to the project's groundbreaking, the 839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard site in question is shown at center, with the entrance to Kathryn Johnston Park at left. Google Maps
Funding for the English Avenue projects was sourced from a Robert W. Woodruff Foundation grant, with additional capital provided by Invest Atlanta and WFF’s Impact Fund.
Meanwhile, directly across Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, a larger apartment building called The Simpson that will also include affordable housing is under construction on a former church property.
In the gallery above, find more context and a photo tour of 839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard construction progress today.
And let's ask ourselves: What other Atlanta corners could use this treatment?
Photo courtesy of KUA
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