A unique blend of commercial space and non-market-rate housing has officially delivered as infill development in the middle of a Westside Atlanta neighborhood. 

Following two years of construction on a formerly vacant site, the 880 North project opened Thursday with a ribbon-cutting led by Mayor Andre Dickens, Invest Atlanta CEO and president Dr. Eloisa Klementich, and other dignitaries in English Avenue.

The three-story 557 Lindsay St. project by OaksATL Community Development took shape on a relatively small corner site—just .13 acres—where Lindsay Street meets North Avenue. 

Named for its North Avenue address, the 880 North project is notable in that it brought new-construction, walkable restaurant space to the interior of English Avenue, marking what project leaders have called a milestone—and a first—for the area. 

Example of living/dining/kitchen space at 880 North's two-bedroom apartments in English Avenue. Courtesy of OaksATL Community Development

Exterior of 880 North, with six apartments above two retail spaces. Courtesy of OaksATL Community Development

Situated about five blocks east of the Beltline’s Westside Trail, across the street from Peace Preparatory Academy and Redeemer Community Church, the parcel had been used as a pocket greenspace since a dilapidated home was demolished there several years ago.  

The $3-million project includes six apartments reserved as affordable housing, onsite amenities, and two below-market commercial spaces, in addition to OaksATL’s leasing office, per officials. 

All six apartments are two-bedroom, one-bathroom units, with between 813 and 894 square feet.

Each rental is being reserved for households earning roughly 50 to 80 percent of the Area Median Income, which means monthly rents will range between $1,239 and $1,614, as project reps specified Thursday.

880 North’s two ground-floor retail spaces, meanwhile, are 795 and 844 square feet, both zoned for restaurant or mercantile use. 

Base rents for those spaces start at $29.29 per square foot for the first year, followed by “predictable” 2 percent rent escalations after that, “compared to the 3 to 4 percent increases typically found in nearby submarkets,” per 880 North reps. 

Scenes from Thursday's official ribbon-cutting at 880 North. Courtesy of OaksATL Community Development

Breakdown of ground-floor spaces at 880 North. Courtesy of OaksATL Community Development

Perks of the location, according to developers, include walkability to MARTA’s Ashby station, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Atlanta University Center. 

Invest Atlanta contributed $600,000 to the project through Westside Tax Allocation District funding, while City of Atlanta HOME funds kicked in an additional $521,848. 

Other members of the development team included architecture firm Shape (Studio H Architecture Planning Environments), Metro Consulting Associates (civil engineering), Sykes Consulting (structural engineering), and Pursuit Engineering. Westside Future Fund’s Impact Fund served as the senior lender on the project.

Head up to the gallery for more context and photos for the finished English Avenue project. 

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