In alignment with the agency’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which sets a goal of creating or preserving 10,000 affordable units, Atlanta Housing is moving forward with its priority to activate more than 300 acres of its vacant land to achieve 5,000 new units of housing that will limit displacement and enable lower-income families and individuals to call Atlanta home. This commitment requires several public and private partners to come together, including the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta. With their support, in July of 2023, Atlanta Housing incorporated the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation (AUD), a non-profit subsidiary of AH positioned to lead housing developments on publicly owned land.

Earlier this year, the AUD announced its first project – the redevelopment of Fire Station 15 in Midtown at 170 10th St. The proposed redevelopment would turn Fire Station 15 into a mixed-use site that will incorporate market-rate, affordable, and “deeply, permanently affordable housing,” as stated by CEO of AUD John Majors. With this plan, a residential tower would rise above a redeveloped, fully operational ground-level fire station.  An RFQ has been issued for developers capable of taking the .78-acre property vertical. All responses to the RFQ are due by March 4, 2024, with a selection planned for the end of April.

Atlanta Housing is poised to throw its hat into the Midtown development boom through the innovative, new model of the AUD, which focuses on high-quality, deep, permanent, and adaptable affordability in inclusive neighborhoods where residents can thrive.

The Atlanta Urban Development Corporation

The AUD is positioned to work flexibly with private-sector developers and public-sector land-owning agencies to realize new developments that will positively impact tenants, neighborhoods, and the city. The AUD model prioritizes long-term affordability and public control of assets via a new model of public land development. At the same time, it can achieve affordability goals without relying on scarce, over-tapped resources by offering a unique toolkit of financial resources. The Atlanta Urban Development Corporation is incorporated through Atlanta Housing, with AH approving organizational powers, bylaws, and board appointments.

Learn more about AUD HERE