Eight months after issuing a call for qualified firms, Atlanta BeltLine Inc. has picked a team of developers with experience in affordable housing to build a mixed-use project in the southern reaches of Buckhead.
Located at 579 Garson Drive, the 2.68-acre site in question is just west of Piedmont Road and north of Interstate 85, along the banks of Peachtree Creek. MARTA’s Lindbergh station and the Uptown redevelopment are located about two blocks directly north.
BeltLine officials announced this week they’ve selected developer Pennrose and affordable housing specialists Radiant Development Partners as finalists to build a project near the Northeast Trail focused on both equitable housing and commercial spaces.
The area in question is envisioned as a key cog in a regional network of trails near the future confluence of the BeltLine, Peachtree Creek Greenway, South Fork Confluence Trail, and nearby PATH400, which is expected to branch into Sandy Springs in coming years.
BeltLine spokesperson Jenny Odom tells Urbanize Atlanta construction on the affordable housing component in South Buckhead could begin in late 2024, contingent upon developers securing financing and entitlements.
“There are a lot of milestones between now and construction starting,” Odom noted via email. “We are in the origination stage.”
Atlanta BeltLine Inc.
Elsewhere in Atlanta, Pennrose’s recent projects include affordable housing at South Atlanta’s Haven and two different ventures in Sweet Auburn, McAuley Park’s first and second phase.
According to BeltLine officials, the Northeast Trail development will see a range of affordable housing that offers walkable access to restaurants, groceries, public transit, and other amenities.
The project’s commercial spaces will include micro units geared toward helping small businesses get off the ground. Those spaces are expected to feature views to Peachtree Creek and direct frontage on a BeltLine connector trail planned along the backside of the development. Developers plan to partner with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs to identify and boost small local businesses, according to the BeltLine.
Overview of the 579 Garson Drive site in South Buckhead today. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.
Overview of the area's existing and planned trail network from 2023. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.
A community engagement process for the project is slated to continue, and exactly how many homes it might offer hasn’t been specified. But officials expect the project to create 200 new construction jobs in the short term—and to contribute to the BeltLine’s goal of delivering 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030.
BeltLine officials say they’re nearly 57 percent of the way toward reaching that goal today, having assisted in the preservation or development of 3,181 affordable housing units since 2006 within the BeltLine Tax Allocation District.
The BeltLine purchased the vacant Garson site from Wells Fargo with a goal of introducing more attainable housing options in the Lindbergh area.
According to a Request for Proposals released in January, the site has sufficient demand for two restaurant spaces that would cater to an estimated 235,000 annual BeltLine visits, plus a 5,000-square-foot daycare facility. The creek-side site includes direct water access and what BeltLine leaders have described as “picturesque views.”
Find more context in the gallery above.
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