The latest planned conversion of Atlanta church property into housing has recently gained steam in a Westside neighborhood dotted with new construction.  

Westside Future Fund, a community nonprofit working on equitable redevelopment in neighborhoods west of Midtown and downtown, is planning a project called Proctor + Paines at the site of the former, shuttered New Jerusalem Baptist Church and an adjacent empty lot. 

The 383 Paines Ave. NW property in English Avenue is situated just north of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, about a block northeast of Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park. 

According to WFF officials, plans call for 25 multifamily units and 10 single-family homes at the corner of Paines Avenue and Proctor Street. 

The former New Jerusalem Baptist Church in early 2023, before it was closed and boarded up. Google Maps

Proximity of the Proctor + Paines site to Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park and Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.Google Maps

The Invest Atlanta Board last month voted to approve a $1.5-million Westside Tax Allocation District Ascension Fund grant to help support Proctor + Paines’ development. Atlanta’s Woodruff Foundation has also provided financial assistance, according to WFF. 

According to Invest Atlanta, all 25 multifamily units will be reserved for households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the Area Median Income. 

Plans call for revitalizing the church structure and building a communal pavilion, covered parking, and terraced pedestrian access that links Proctor Street and Paines Avenue, per the economic development agency. 

According to a June project update from WFF, Proctor + Paines remains in planning, permitting, and pre-construction phases. 

“When complete,” wrote project officials, “the development will create new housing opportunities while continuing the broader work of investing in neighborhoods where residents can thrive.”

The English Avenue site in a broader Westside context, with Vine City's Rodney Cook Sr. Park shown at bottom right. Google Maps

Nearby, WFF is also planning to break ground in coming weeks on a 54-unit project called The 404 @ Oliver Street at a cleared site immediate north of Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park. 

A few blocks away, two other income-restricted WFF developments—646 Echo St. and 839 Boone Boulevard—opened in English Avenue early this year. 

Meanwhile, another WFF project in next-door Vine City—an 18-unit infill project across the street from John F. Kennedy Park and the Hollis Innovation Academy—broke ground last month. 

The 383 Paines Ave. NW site in English Avenue. Google Maps

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