Just west of downtown and Midtown, a mid-rise building with nearly 200 apartments that meet affordability standards is officially moving forward, with a goal of offering walkability to multiple new job hubs and city amenities.

A groundbreaking led by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is scheduled Thursday morning for the second and largest phase of Herndon Square, the mixed-income, master-planned, 12-acre redevelopment of the former Herndon Homes public housing site.

The English Avenue project will rise along Northside Drive, next to the growing Science Square district and a few blocks southwest of Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. The BeltLine’s Westside Connector Trail is located about two blocks west.

Affordable housing developer Pennrose is partnering with Hunt Companies, Oakwood Development, Atlanta Housing, and city agencies on the development. Invest Atlanta approved $41.5 million in tax-exempt bond financing to help develop the apartments last year.

Project leaders said this week Herndon Square’s second phase will see 201 one and two-bedroom apartments total, plus 10,000 square feet of commercial space designated for resident programming. An enclosed parking deck is considered a phase-two perk.

Overview of phase two along Northside Drive, with a future Herndon Square grocery component depicted to the left and future townhomes at back center. Thriven Design

Just 30 apartments are expected to be market-rate. The other 170 will be considered Low Income Housing Tax Credit units, reserved for individuals and families earning 30 to 80 percent of the area median income.

Onside amenities will include a wellness clinic, fitness center, and computer business and learning center. At the core of the project, an interior courtyard with greenspace and a covered picnic area is intended to help residents socialize, officials said this week.

The schedule calls for opening the phase-two component in spring 2026.

Signage on the phase two building. Thriven Design

The project's 527 Herndon Square Avenue location off Northside Drive, near Science Square. Google Maps

Project leaders say recent and existing investments in the area—from Science Square and Echo Street West to the Signia by Hilton Hotel and Georgia World Congress Center—are expected to generate more than 5,000 permanent jobs in coming years.

Beyond the phase-two apartments, Herndon Square includes a 97-unit senior housing component that’s been fully leased. The project’s full scope calls for 379 units of multifamily residential (spread across two mid-rise buildings), 32 townhomes, and a 30,000-square-foot retail space on a section fronting Northside Drive.

That commercial component is expected to bring a neighborhood grocery option with fresh food access to English Avenue. No timeline on the remainder of development has been specified. 

Find a closer look at Herndon Square's forthcoming second phase in the gallery above.

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