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REAL ESTATE
BeltLine purchases more Westside land for
affordable housing
comprehensive plan for affordability.”
The property, once the site of an
apartment complex that fell into disrepair,
is also near the recently opened Westside
Park.
“Our mission is to ensure that people
in one of Atlanta’s most historic and
struggling neighborhoods, where nearly
40 percent of residents live below the
Federal Poverty Level, are not left behind
when it comes to equitable resources,
like affordable housing. We seek to
lead individuals and families on an
uninterrupted journey to self-suff ciency.
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 Bruce Deel, CEO of
City of Refuge, Inc.
City of Refuge delivers critical
resources, including food, job training
and housing to underserved residents
and plans to pursue affordable housing
development on the site through the
Low-Income FFousing Tax Credit
program, serving low-income residents.
The program has become the state’s
most successful affordable rental
housing production program and serves
households with incomes between 20
percent and 80 percent of the Area
Median Income (AMI).
The property at 350 Chappell Road
A/yill be transformed into affordable
housing. (Courtesy Google Maps)
By Madison Auchincloss
Atlanta BeltLine Inc. has purchased
a 6.3-acre site at 350 Chappell Road,
NW, in the city’s Grove Park and Llistoric
Westin Lleights neighborhoods.
In cooperation with Atlanta nonprofit
City of Refuge, which serves communities
in need on the city’s Westside, this
collaboration will lead to the development
of affordable multifamily homes near the
future Westside Trail — Segment 4 and
near the BeltLine’s largest planned site in
support of affordable housing, the 31 +
acre site at 425 Chappell Road, NW.
The $4 million transaction reflects
another step in the BeltLine’s
creation of long-term affordable
housing and commercial options
around the corridor. To date, the
BeltLine has invested $43 million
in more than 72 acres across six
sites.
With housing affordability
in the Atlanta area at the lowest
rate in over a decade, projects
like these are aimed at making
homeownership more realistic for
Atlantans. Additionally, walkability
has become a higher priority for
homeowners, as Atlanta’s public
transportation ranks poorly
nationally and traffic riddles the
city.
“This is one more meaningful
step in the Atlanta BeltLine’s
goal to create affordable housing
around the corridor, allowing
people to have access to greenspace
and walkable amenities, 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,” said
Clyde Lliggs, President and CEO of
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “Through this
collaboration with City of Refuge, we
are making sure all Atlantans will have
affordable living options as part of our
MARTA selects teams for streetcar extension to BeltLine
By Collin Kelley
The MARTA Board of Directors
today selected a team led by architecture
and engineering firm LIDR to complete
the final design for the Streetcar East
Extension.
The extension of the streetcar from
Downtown to the Atlanta BeltLine
Eastside Trail then up to Ponce City
Market will cost approximately $230
million and is funded through the More
MARTA half-penny sales tax.
Construction on the extension will get
underway in 2025 with service scheduled
to begin in 2028, according to a press
release from MARTA.
The MARTA board recently finalized
the alignment for the two-mile extension,
which runs along Edgewood Avenue,
Randolph Street, Auburn Avenue, and
Irwin Street to the Atlanta Beltline, then
34 | JULY 2023
turns north to Ponce City
Market, with five stops along
the route.
LIDR has extensive
experience with streetcar
projects having provided
engineering, architectural,
environmental, and
construction work on streetcar
projects in over 30 cities in
North America, according to a
press release.
“MARTA is keenly focused
on delivering the nine priority
projects identified in the recent
resequencing process by 2028,”
said Carrie Rocha, Chief
Capital Officer for MARTA.
“Moving into final design is
a critical milestone for this
project.”
“We’re excited to continue
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