Pricey, historic Midtown building morphs into supportive housing

A 1930s Midtown property that achieved permanent historic protections, saw a full renovation completed, and then raised eyebrows with rent prices two years ago has changed course, becoming the city’s latest node of supportive housing.  

Following a stylish renovation, the historic Winnwood Apartments at 1460 West Peachtree St. carried rents in late 2023 between $1,700 and nearly $3,000. The units did come fully furnished—but they ranged from just 343 to 668 square feet, all of them either studios or one-bedroom options. 

All of that’s changed now. 

Officials with the City of Atlanta, developer Atlantica Properties, and nonprofit Partners for Home recently rechristened all 48 units at the Winnwood as supportive housing for previously homeless Atlantans. It’s part of a broader housing campaign called Atlanta Rising that’s delivered hundreds of units to date. 

Alongside perks such as full-size appliances, the restored Winnwood pairs longterm, affordable housing with voluntary services such as behavioral-health support and case management, according to city officials. The amenity-rich location is walkable to public transit, including MARTA’s Arts Center station. 

The Winnwood is part of the city and its partners’ goal to open 500 new rapid-housing units by the end of this year. 

Three projects have been completed so far as part of that rapid-housing push: downtown’s The Melody, a village of former shipping containers; a building rehab in Old Fourth Ward called 729 Bonaventure; and Reynoldstown motel conversion Ralph David House. 

Elsewhere, the modular-style, two-building Waterworks Rapid Housing Project is nearing completion in Berkeley Park. And another project at 405 Cooper St. in Mechanicsville broke ground on its initial phase in June.

Rental rates at the Winnwood haven’t been specified. But other rapid-housing projects, including at Waterworks, are reserving units for residents earning 30 percent of the Area Median Income. 

In November 2023, the Winnwood—then rechristened as Studio Revival Apartments—was listed for sale, following the two-year renovation. No listing price was set, as sellers were letting the market determine pricing at the time, per a marketing team. 

More recently, the property briefly operated as a hotel, Kasa Studio Revival Atlanta, that ceased operations earlier this year, according to online reviews. 

Built in 1931, the Winnwood Apartments had been the subject of redevelopment talks for several years. 

The two-story structure was built in a Georgian Revival-style by the once-prominent Atlanta firm H.W. Nicholes and Sons, and it reflects popular residential architecture from the early to mid-20th century. According to preservation organization Easements Atlanta, it’s one of the last examples of this architecture style left standing in the city.

GBX Group partnered with Easements Atlanta and developer Urban Landings to refurbish and reconfigure the building into four dozen units—all micro apartments and one-bedrooms. (Previously, the Winnwood’s rentals were either two or three-bedrooms.)

Urban Landings succeeded in earning a spot for the property on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. That enabled developers to access historic tax credits that helped make the project financially viable, officials said at the time. Winnwood’s ownership group also donated the façade easement to Easements Atlanta, ensuring the complex’s exterior design is permanently protected. 

Property surrounding the historic structure was poised to become a mixed-use high-rise several years ago, but those plans sputtered. 

In terms of Winnwood’s location, previous owners have noted Atlantic Station is 1/4 mile away, the Beltline corridor a mile east, and Piedmont Park about a mile and ½ southeast.  

Find more context and a closer look in the gallery above. 

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