Atlanta Housing Releases Request for Ideas (RFI) For Bankhead Courts
AH seeks community input for redevelopment of former public housing site.
Atlanta, April 12, 2024‑‑Atlanta Housing (AH) announced today that it has released its Bankhead Reimagined Request for Ideas (RFI). The RFI calls for community members, philanthropic and non-profit organizations, and commercial entities to share their ideas for the redevelopment of the 35-acre former Bankhead Courts public housing site in Northwest Atlanta. The process aims to gather information and ideas from the public to better ensure inclusion and community engagement. AH will use submitted ideas and information to help inform the procurement process and the selection of a development partner for the site.
“At Atlanta Housing, we believe that true change comes from empowering the voices of our residents and the surrounding community. The Bankhead Reimagined RFI reflects our commitment for greater transparency and engagement as we move forward to determine the best use of the former Bankhead Courts site,” said Terri M. Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta Housing. “This call for ideas is not just an opportunity to brainstorm, but an essential step forward in creating the future of Bankhead and the Donald Lee Hollowell corridor.”
Originally 45 acres, Bankhead Courts was developed in 1968 and completed in 1970. The 500 public housing units contained in the townhouse-style buildings were similar to the contemporary developments of Hollywood Courts and Englewood Manor. Bankhead Courts was a HUD development designed by local architects, and the two major parcels were separated by Donald Lee Hollwell Parkway, a major commercial corridor. In 2011, the site was cleared and demolished, and the northern portion of the site has since been disposed to Atlanta Public Schools for a bus maintenance facility which is currently under construction. The RFI covers the remaining 35-acre portion of the site which is south of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.
“The Bankhead Reimagined RFI will allow us to explore creative solutions for how new development can contribute to our mission of benefitting Atlanta’s families and its neighborhoods’ health and vitality,” said Larry Stewart, Chairman of the Atlanta Housing Board of Commisioners. “We look forward to exploring all options that will support the development of a dynamic, inclusive vision for a revitalized Westside.”
AH will consider ideas which are feasible, catalytic to the revitalization of the Westside, and add the most value to the agency’s mission of providing affordable, high-quality housing and supporting the transition of low-income families to self-sufficiency by providing educational, health, social and economic opportunities. Respondents are encouraged to share their proposed concepts, visualizations, business models and any other relevant information.
Responses to the RFI must be submitted here by 5:00 p.m. on June 7, 2024. Questions may be directed to Reimaginingbankhead@atlantahousing.org. A summary of the RFI submissions and ideas will be publicly shared at the end of June. A full copy of the Bankhead Reimagined RFI can be downloaded here.
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ABOUT ATLANTA HOUSING
President and Chief Executive Officer Terri M. Lee leads The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (AH), the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. One of 139 Moving to Work (MTW) public housing authorities in America, AH is an industry leader in providing and facilitating affordable housing resources for nearly 27,000 low-income households comprised of approximately 45,000 people, including AH-owned residential communities, tenant-based vouchers, supportive housing, as well as down payment assistance, where innovation leads the approach to making the dream of home ownership attainable for more Atlantans. Programs are funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
For more information, visit AH at atlantahousing.org or follow us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn at @housingatlanta.