Vision emerges for BeltLine mixed-use buildings on Northeast Trail

Plans are taking shape for a two-building project on a creekside site that includes direct water access and what Atlanta BeltLine leaders described as “picturesque views.”

New details and renderings come from an Invest Atlanta report showing the project will include 130 multifamily units and about 10,000 square feet of commercial space deemed affordable in the Lindbergh neighborhood, near a future stretch of the Northeast Trail from BeltLine.

Invest Atlanta is expected to approve $250,000 from the BeltLine TAD pre-development loan fund. This will help fund $2.1 million in pre-development work to get the project off the ground, officials say.

Located at 579 Garson Drive, the 2.68-acre site in question is just west of Piedmont Road and north of Interstate 85, along the banks of Peachtree Creek. MARTA’s Lindbergh Station and the Downtown redevelopment are located about two blocks directly to the north.

BeltLine officials in August selected developer Pennrose and affordable housing specialists Radiant Development Partners to build the project, with a focus on both fair housing and commercial space. The BeltLine had purchased the vacant Garson site from Wells Fargo in an effort to introduce more accessible housing options to the Lindbergh area.

According to early drawings, the shorter building, closer to Piedmont Road, would include four floors of residential uses above “micro-commercial” space, or smaller retail units intended to help small businesses to start, with a place facing the BeltLine.

Next door would be a five-story residential building with two levels for parking and commercial space. Facing the BeltLine would be an elevated courtyard for residents and larger commercial and arts plazas. Other aspects will include bike storage, a designated carpool drop-off area and an overall pedestrian-oriented design.

Onboard amenities should be less over-the-top than most other new apartment projects around Atlanta. These include a clubhouse, picnic area, fitness center and washer-dryer hookups in the units, according to Invest Atlanta.

Apartments considered affordable would be reserved for households earning between 50 and 80 percent of the area median income or less.

At the cheaper end of this equation, that means the bulk of rentals in buildings (74 in total) at 50% AMI would see 398 square foot studios rented for $798 per month.

One-bedroom options with 580 square feet would cost $847 per month.

Elsewhere, 13 options at this rate would have two or three bedrooms, renting between $1,023 per month (for 850 square feet) and $1,036 (1,150 square feet).

None of the apartments will be rented at market rate, according to Invest Atlanta. Rental rates for the project’s commercial spaces have yet to be specified.

Invest Atlanta estimates the total cost of the project will be just under $60 million. A tax-exempt loan to developers would cover about half of the construction costs, while another $19 million would come from federal and state tax credits and BeltLine TAD funding.

According to BeltLine’s request for proposals issued to developers last year, the site has sufficient demand for two dining spaces to accommodate approximately 235,000 annual BeltLine visits, plus a 5,000-square-foot child care center.

BeltLine officials expect the project to create 200 new construction jobs in the near term and contribute to the agency’s goal of providing 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030.

The developers plan to partner with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs to identify and boost local small businesses, according to BeltLine.

Elsewhere in Atlanta, Pennrose’s recent projects include affordable housing in South Atlanta. Haven and two different businesses in Sweet Auburn, McAuley Park’s First of all And second phase.

BeltLine officials told Urbanize Atlanta last summer that construction on the project could begin in late 2024, subject to developers securing financing and entitlements. The Invest Atlanta report indicates that the construction period will last a year and a half, and that the complex will be delivered sometime in 2026.

The area in question is considered a key cog in a regional trail system near the future confluence of the BeltLine, Peachtree Creek Greenway, South Fork Confluence Trail and nearby. PATH400which is expected to expand to Sandy Springs in the coming years.

Find more images and context for the project in the gallery above.

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