$15M affordable housing build to debut near Beltline’s Westside Trail next week

Following a year and a half of construction, a new Adair Park mixed-income complex is being called an example of how public, private, and nonprofit entities can partner to keep Atlanta affordable for some—and the latest installment of affordable housing within a quick walk of the Beltline.

A ribbon-cutting is scheduled next Friday at Adair Court, a 91-unit senior rental housing community on Murphy Avenue described by project leaders as “gorgeous.” Speakers are expected to include Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Beltline head Clyde Higgs.

The $15 million venture stands a few blocks from the Beltline’s Westside Trail and Urban Farm and—in the other direction—MARTA’s West End station. Another walkable amenity, Adair Park’s largest green space, is steps away.

Google Maps

Adair Court includes two buildings with one and two-bedroom apartments, all for seniors age 55 and over.

Fourteen of 91 units are market-rate without income restrictions. But the bulk of apartments—58—are reserved for residents earning up to 60 percent of area media income, with the remainder (19 units) meant for those earning 50 percent AMI.

Beyond walkability, amenities include a community garden, computer lab, workout facilities, on-site laundry, and picnic area. RentHop lists typical rents for a one-bedroom at $540.

The complex was built by private developer Woda Cooper and nonprofit Parallel Housing, based in Athens, with the support of Georgia Department of Community Affairs housing tax credits and funding from city coffers, Invest Atlanta, and the Beltline.

Site plan courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Other examples of ground-up senior housing have risen across the city in recent years, even as the Beltline project was famously blasted for falling well short of affordable-housing goals.

In Reynoldstown, for instance, the Beltline’s affordable housing arm contributed $1.5 million to the 70-unit Reynoldstown Senior Residences project by Mercy Housing Southeast in 2015.

And dotted across the city, other affordable housing projects—or market-rate ventures with affordable components—have materialized with support from both the Beltline and Invest Atlanta.

Those include Phoenix House (69 units), Gateway Capitol View (160 units), and Old Fourth Ward’s hip Edge project (36 units).