The Atlanta Beltline purchased a site near Westside Park to further its affordable housing development goals along the popular mixed-use trail.
Atlanta Beltline Inc., the nonprofit that manages the city’s trail loop, paid $4 million to acquire 6.3 acres at 350 Chappell Road, according to a Tuesday news release. The site is located in the Grove Park and Historic Westin Heights neighborhoods, and it’s close to the largest piece of Beltline-owned property — a 31-acre plot at 425 Chappell Road.
Beltline officials said both pieces of land are prime spots for affordable housing along the final segment of the Westside Trail, which is currently under construction.
“This is one more meaningful step in the Atlanta Beltline’s goal to create affordable housing around the corridor,” Beltline President and CEO Clyde Higgs said in the release. He added the primary goal is “creating whole communities where ultimately we hope people can access jobs and services within walking distance of where they live, without the need for a car.”
The Beltline has a goal of creating or preserving 5,600 units of below-market rate housing by 2030. A Beltline spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the organization has achieved 3,177 units — or nearly 57% toward that target.
The latest land purchase is a joint venture between the Beltline and City of Refuge, a nonprofit focused on Atlanta’s Westside communities. The surrounding historically Black neighborhoods have been underserved for decades, and a recent Beltline study of the area found the median household income is less than $35,000 a year — about half the median income of the city overall.
Both Chappell Road sites are roughly a half-mile south of the Bankhead MARTA Station and just south of a 90-acre property owned by Microsoft. The tech giant recently halted plans to develop the site into a new office and residential campus, stalling what would have been the largest development project in Atlanta’s Westside.
The 350 Chappell Road site was once an apartment complex that fell into disrepair.
“Our collaboration with Atlanta Beltline puts the pieces in place to provide new housing options to people who need and deserve fair access to safe and affordable places to live,” said City of Refuge CEO Bruce Deel.
The area median income, or AMI, of metro Atlanta is $96,400 for a family of four. City of Refuge plans to pursue Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to build housing for residents with household incomes between 20% and 80% AMI — or $19,280 to $77,120 for a family of four. The Beltline is currently in the master plan phase for the larger 425 Chappell Road property, which officials said will likely include dense housing offered at below-market rates and could address retail gaps.
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