Beltline snags 6 Buckhead parcels to build affordable housing, more

Atlanta Beltline Inc.’s stock of available land for building more than trails and parks continues to swell. 

Beltline officials announced today they’ve purchased six parcels where Peachtree Road meets Bennett Street in Buckhead, a section of a commercial district along the Northwest Trail corridor just north of Piedmont Hospital, Shepherd Center, and other employment centers. 

The land buy marks the second in the immediate area for the Beltline, following the purchase last fall of troubled former nightclub Elleven45 Lounge and adjacent property. 

The second acquisition means the Beltline now controls 3.2 acres along Atlanta’s signature street, situated near Buckhead employment and commercial centers. (Beltline officials recently called Piedmont Hospital the largest employer along the full 22-mile loop.) The commercial buildings on site—all now vacant—will soon be prepped for demolition. 

The assemblage will allow the Beltline to build the Northwest Trail—Segment 2 as planned and “advance its goal of creating affordable housing and commercial space directly on the Beltline in one of the most sought-after areas of the city,” per a Monday announcement. 

Next steps call for a planning and community engagement process for redevelopment of the Buckhead acreage. It will seek input from nearby businesses, residents, and community leaders, per Beltline officials.

No timeline for redevelopment was specified. We've asked for information on what the Beltline paid for the Buckhead properties and will update this story should that come. [UPDATE: 5:36 p.m., Aug. 25: A Beltline rep replies: "The second phase was $18 million, making the total 3.2-acre purchase $29 million. There's no timeline for the demolition at this point."]

The purchase “demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that all Atlantans can benefit from the transformative power of the Beltline,” said Mayor Andre Dickens in a statement. “For years, this property stood as a symbol of neglect and missed potential. Today, we’re turning that around.” 

“This acquisition lets us create a mixed-use development that serves the healthcare workers, employees, residents, and small business owners who make this area thrive,” added Clyde Higgs, Beltline president and CEO. “We’re creating complete communities, where people can live near the services they need, such as doctors' offices and grocery stores, and have options to live car-free.” 

The Beltline section in question, Segment 2, begins at the southwest corner of the Bobby Jones Golf Course and stretches .7 miles to the east, along Colonial Hills Circle. The final phase of real estate acquisitions is ongoing for that section, the Beltline reports. 

The .8-mile Beltline section to the east, Northwest Trail—Segment 1, is fully under construction and set to deliver in the second quarter of next year. That starts at the western edge of the Peachtree Park Apartments near Lindbergh and wends along Peachtree Creek southward. 

The Bennett Street land holdings contribute to more than 80 acres the Beltline has purchased in recent years to expand housing and commercial space it plans to offer at relatively affordable rates. The agency says it’s completed 76 percent of a goal to create or preserve 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030. 

The Beltline trail itself, meanwhile, has finished 12.6 miles of mainline loop and more than 10 miles of connector trails to date. Nearly 18 miles of the 22-mile loop are forecasted to be finished and open in time for 2026 FIFA World Cup festivities in Atlanta next June and July. 

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