With immediate access to the future Atlanta Beltline expansion, Overlook at Garson will deliver 130 completely affordable homes and approximately 10,000 square feet of community retail space.
ATLANTA – Today, Atlanta Housing and Atlanta Beltline, alongside development, community and financial partners, held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on Overlook at Garson, a $65.7 million affordable housing development in Northeast Atlanta located along the future expansion of the Atlanta Beltline.
Situated on a 1.39-acre site owned by Atlanta Beltline with views of the Midtown skyline, Overlook at Garson will provide 130 affordable homes in the Lindbergh-Morosgo neighborhood, one of the city’s most active and vibrant communities. The mixed-use development will bring low-income and workforce housing to an area directly adjacent to the future Northeast Beltline trail and within walking distance of the Lindbergh MARTA Station.
“Years ago, the Beltline acquired this property because we saw what it could become. We envisioned a neighborhood that was safe, healthy and connected,” said City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who also serves on the Atlanta Beltline, Inc board. “This time, we had the foresight to build affordable housing before we built the trail: 130 affordable homes, 130 families who will call the Lindbergh Community home. Today’s groundbreaking reflects the kind of partnership it takes to deliver affordable housing at the scale our city needs.”
Atlanta Housing contributed a total of $17.8 million to the development. Of that amount, $10 million will serve as a construction loan, while the remaining $7.8 million will serve as permanent financing for the project.
“The Overlook at Garson challenges outdated assumptions about what affordable housing can and should be,” said Terri M. Lee, President and CEO of Atlanta Housing. “Properties like this demonstrate what is possible through the group project Mayor Andre Dickens has championed across our city, where public, private and nonprofit partners come together to expand opportunity for Atlanta families. Along one of our city’s most vibrant and amenity-rich corridors, this fully affordable community will provide stability, access and the foundation for hundreds of Atlantans to build brighter futures. We are grateful to every partner who helped make this vision a reality and to the lasting impact this investment will have for generations to come.”
“We bought this site in 2021 specifically to ensure Lindbergh’s growth included the people who already call it home,” said Clyde Higgs, President & CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “This project demonstrates how public infrastructure can create lasting economic impact by preserving space for affordable housing, supporting local businesses, and connecting people to transit. As cities across the nation address affordability, the Atlanta Beltline continues to show what’s possible when infrastructure is designed to create opportunity for all.”
“Overlook at Garson shows what’s possible when affordable housing and community revitalization move forward together,” said Ivy Dench-Carter, Senior Vice President of Community Revitalization & Public Partnership at Pennrose. “This development will give hardworking individuals and families a place to call home, with direct access to public transit, quality schools, green space, healthcare, and all the amenities the Beltline provides. We are thankful for the support of the local community, project partners, and the City as we preserve affordability in a high-opportunity neighborhood.”
The building will comprise five residential floors above a podium level, topped with a raised amenity deck and two additional levels that step down to provide structured parking and commercial space. The approximately 10,000 square feet of retail space is designed to support affordability by offering smaller storefronts for local entrepreneurs and a larger food-and-beverage tenant with direct access to the Beltline. Construction will occur in a single phase and is expected to be completed in spring 2028.
Developed through a public-private partnership, Overlook at Garson brings together Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta Housing and development partners Pennrose and Radiant Development Partners, along with financing partners Bank of America, N.A.; Advantage Capital; Invest Atlanta; the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta; and Merchants Capital.
As of August 4, Atlanta Housing has committed 9,402 affordable housing units toward these shared goals, achieving 94% of its Five-Year Strategic Plan target and making significant progress toward the city’s broader affordable housing initiatives.
ABOUT ATLANTA HOUSING
President and Chief Executive Officer Terri M. Lee leads The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (Atlanta Housing), the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. Atlanta Housing carries the prestigious Moving to Work (MTW) designation and serves as an industry leader in providing and facilitating affordable housing resources for nearly 27,000 low-income households comprised of approximately 43,000 people through its Atlanta Housing-owned residential communities, tenant-based and project-based vouchers, supportive housing, as well as down payment assistance, where innovation leads the approach to making the dream of homeownership attainable for more Atlantans. Atlanta Housing programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.