A southside infill project a few blocks from the Atlanta Beltline corridor that’s grappled with delays is still viable and gearing up for construction soon, according to developers.

Atlanta-based Epic Development is moving ahead with a project that will add for-sale townhome options along the southern reaches of Boulevard in Benteen, a small neighborhood bordering Boulevard Heights and Chosewood Park that includes a namesake greenspace.

Situated south of Grant Park and Zoo Atlanta, the combined sites in question—1304 and 1316 Boulevard—span 2.3 acres immediately north of southside hangout Red’s Beer Garden. Across the street is the immense construction zone that is Empire Communities’ 34-acre Zephyr project.

Jim LaVallee, Epic’s director for development and marketing, tells Urbanize Atlanta vertical construction in Benteen should start in three to four months. Plans still call for 39 townhomes on the corner; other details will be ready for release in coming weeks, LaVallee said.

The cleared corner site in question today at 1316 Boulevard in Benteen. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A long-abandoned carwash and heavily wooded property were cleared last year to make way for the housing. Per 2023 plans, the townhomes would range from 2,080 to 2,150 square feet, with prices in the mid-$600,000s range.

The project hasn’t been named, and renderings aren’t currently available.

LaVallee previously said the project had to be redesigned twice before it could gain Special Administrative Permit approval at the city level in 2022.

Surrounding blocks, especially to the west and south, are alive with a frenzy of construction activity and heavy equipment as the promise of fresh Beltline blood permeates the southside waters.

Beyond Empire’s Zephyr community, nearby Chosewood Park projects include the 128-townhome Maguire at Skylar, a multifamily complex called The Upton, and in Boulevard Heights, a TPA residential venture that's replacing a landfill across more than 8 acres, among several other ventures.

The Epic Development townhome site is about 1/3 of a mile south of the Beltline’s Southside Trail corridor, which is now fully under construction as a multi-use pathway with plans of being completed in early 2026. (The trail portion between Boulevard and Glenwood Park has been delayed by unforeseen construction complications but is still expected to open sooner, sometime next fall, as Beltline officials recently relayed.)  

A new road installed at the corner site, with Red’s Beer Garden just beyond, as seen earlier this month. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The site's proximity to the massive Empire Zephyr project across the street, shown at bottom. Google Maps

People-friendly infrastructure and transportation changes in the area won’t be relegated to just the Beltline.

The South Boulevard Complete Streets project is scheduled to begin construction next year, with a roughly 11-month construction schedule to follow, according to Atlanta Department of Transportation estimates released in late 2023.

It will stretch for more than two miles through Grant Park, Boulevard Heights, Chosewood Park, and Benteen, providing a safer connection to the Beltline by way of protected bike lanes and better pedestrian infrastructure.

Google Maps; 2023 UA illustration

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• News, discussion near Benteen (Urbanize Atlanta)