Renderings: MARTA’s next mixed-use build aims for swanky in Decatur

Along the eastern fringes of Decatur, nearest Avondale Estates, another former MARTA parking lot is transitioning to a mixed-use hub, and based on renderings, the project aims to inject a little Midtown high-rise ethos into the neighborhood.

MARTA’s latest transit-oriented development (TOD), Cortland Decatur East, hosted a topping-out ceremony Friday to mark the construction milestone.

Officials with Atlanta-based multifamily real estate firm Cortland Partners say the first batch of 378 rentals on College Avenue will deliver in August, with the rest coming online before year’s end. Expect 24,000 square feet of retail as well.

Connected to MARTA’s Avondale Station via a skybridge, Cortland Decatur East joins three more TODs under construction in Edgewood, near Grant Park, and in Chamblee, with others planned in Midtown, Lindbergh, and beyond. MARTA riders will have access to the Decatur project’s parking deck.

Cortland Decatur East, per developers, is EarthCraft and LEED Certified, with amenities that’ve become all but standard across the ITP multifamily landscape: a resort-style pool and lounge, yoga studio, a park and grooming station for pets, and bike repair station.

The early word on rents: 581-square-foot studios start at $1,339; meanwhile, the biggest three-bedroom flats (1,444 square feet) will top $3,000 monthly.

Beyond the rentals, the Development Authority of Decatur, along with Columbia Ventures, is developing on the former parking lot 92 affordable senior housing units, 34 condos, and another roughly 20,000 square feet of retail.

Added bonus: When complete, the multifaceted development will feature a central plaza.

Contributed photo by Britt Else

• Throughout Atlanta, an array of transit-connected MARTA development is rolling [Curbed]