Mattie Branch project is bringing micro storefronts, lofts to Reynoldstown street

As big-box mega-builds are materializing across metro Atlanta’s development landscape, from Memorial Drive to Alpharetta and Decatur, a Reynoldstown project is nearing completion that’s uniquely more intimate and respectful of the past, developers say.

Positioned along serpentine Flat Shoals Avenue, the last flank of the Mattie Branch project by Abode AB—a firm that’s been active in Reynoldstown for years—is a commercial-residential piece that’s designed to bring a human-scale, pedestrian-friendly touch a couple of blocks from the Beltline’s Eastside Trail.

Mattie Branch rep Jon Boykin tells Curbed Atlanta the live-work project has reached a construction milestone (the two-story exterior stands ready for paint), and a search for occupants has begun.

Curbed Atlanta

The breakdown: Seven residential studio flats for renters upstairs, above seven light commercial units at the base with porches.

Each space is about 400 square feet with 10-foot ceilings and will be leased for $1,100 monthly, says Boykin.

For the commercial component, “We’re seeking local, independent shops and small businesses,” such as micro cafes, a local market, small eateries, nonprofits, or creative shops and offices, Boykin wrote via email.

Abode

The intent is that storefronts—with materials that nod to Reynoldstown’s past, such as steel, exposed rafters, and site-sawn oak siding—will be a welcoming stop for neighbors and patrons of the planned Trolley Line Trail PATH.

The trail is expected to branch off the Beltline, continue through Reynoldstown and Edgewood, and connect with existing routes in Kirkwood and Decatur.

According to marketing materials, Flat Shoals Avenue was once a bustling thoroughfare, complete with a trolley that ran from Five Points to Decatur, all dotted with small businesses and other commercial establishments.

The planned trail would finish what PATH started before the Centennial Olympics, when a trail was constructed through Kirkwood on right-of-way that followed the old trolley route.

Boykin said, according to his discussions with PATH leaders, the TSPLOST-funded Trolley Line Trail is still in design and plan-review phases with the city, but construction could begin in late spring or early summer 2020.

Photos courtesy of Abode