First look: In Grant Park, major townhouse project launching on future Beltline

A considerable injection of townhomes is set to rise on formerly blighted brownfields in Grant Park’s southeastern flank, adjacent to a future stretch of the Atlanta Beltline.

EA Homes officials tell Curbed Atlanta construction will launch next month on a venture near the intersection of Avondale and Confederate avenues called “The Swift,” offering two and three-bedrooms floorplans starting in the $300,000s. Builders expect to welcome the first residents by early next year.

Site plans indicate the project will include more than 120 townhomes.

Plans call for an assault on “sameness” with “modern color palettes, bold use of metal accents, cross-wired fencing, cantilevered and screened porches, and a variety of thoughtful elevations,” per the developer.

Elsewhere in the community, expect numerous bike racks and unique communal aspects that include an amphitheater, pavilion, public park, fire pit, and community garden.

The Swift marks EA Homes’ second intown venture, joining another pocket of townhomes under construction near Lindbergh. The homebuilder is known for erecting “comfortable luxury” housing across Atlanta’s cushy northern ‘burbs, but company leaders have said they’re shifting focus to the urban core, feeding buyer demand for walkability and access to public transit.

“There’s a lapse in the market right now for affordable new townhomes that offer walkable living,” Caroline Simmel, EA Homes senior vice president of marketing, said in a press release. “The Swift provides an excellent opportunity for forward-thinking buyers looking to invest in a blossoming neighborhood along the BeltLine corridor.”

At last check, the townhouse component was planned to join a much larger community (17 acres total) by RocaPoint Partners, the group behind Forsyth County’s Halcyon. Last year, officials told Curbed Atlanta the next phase—once remediation wrapped—will include 200 apartments, a 3-acre public green space, and a Beltline trail spur.

But buyers in the area holding out for Southside Trail accessibility should be patient.

Beltline officials recently said the four-mile stretch linking the Eastside and Westside trails isn’t likely to deliver until at least 2023.

Remaining images: Google Maps

Google Maps

• The Swift [site]
• Suburban Atlanta builder shifts focus to Lindbergh, because buyers want MARTA, walkability [Curbed]