Atlanta Beltline Chappell Road Redevelopment Plan Update

View of the site at 425 Chappell Road. Photo by Erin Sintos.

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. (ABI) has launched the community engagement process for the redevelopment of the Beltline-owned 425 Chappell Road site, the largest piece of property owned by ABI to date. The site sits adjacent to an additional 30 acres of property owned by the City of Atlanta. Between ABI’s site, 30 acres of adjacent land owned by the City of Atlanta, and Maddox Park, there are more than 60-acres of publicly-owned land in this area. ABI is actively coordinating planning efforts with the City of Atlanta and to identify which parcels may be available for redevelopment.

The vision for the site includes dense, mixed-income and mixed-use development, creating retail and housing options for the historically underserved Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights neighborhood. This site represents a tremendous opportunity to partner with the City of Atlanta to create a catalytic development for the neighborhood that could fill community needs, while helping to catalyze other economic development opportunities for the area.

Beltline officials held a virtual community engagement meeting April 24, 2023, to review plans for the site, discuss current development conditions, and share next steps for community conversations as part of creating a master redevelopment plan for the site and adjacent City of Atlanta properties. Prior to this meeting, a Stakeholder Advisory Committee convened to review plans and next steps for the site.

The meeting presentation with map is available HERE.

More information about Chappell Road project HERE.

ABI’s 31+ acre property was acquired in 2021 as part of the Beltline’s land acquisition strategy to support equitable development within the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD). The land purchase is part of the Beltline’s strategy to control land and work with developers to create thoughtful projects with long-term affordable housing, affordable retail spaces and sustainable land use, all sparking job and small business growth. The project advances the Beltline’s goal to assist in the creation and/or preservation of 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030.

The regionally significant Chappell Road site is poised to have a profound, positive impact on affordability and job creation in the area. This site also represents a tremendous opportunity to partner with the City of Atlanta to create a significant mixed-use, mixed-income, multimodal development in this neighborhood.

Situated in the Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights neighborhood and adjacent to the Grove Park neighborhood, ABI’s site at 425 Chappell Road is located approximately half a mile from the Bankhead MARTA station, with potential for great connectivity. It sits near a planned segment of the Atlanta Beltline Westside Trail (currently under construction), south of both Maddox Park and Westside Park, and is close to the Proctor Creek Greenway.

MARTA is also planning a large Transit-Oriented Development at the Bankhead station.

The Chappell Road site is part of the Beltline’s Subarea 10 Master Plan and several enhancements and improvements are envisioned for the site, including:

• Increasing park space near Maddox Park

• Adding dense mixed-use development

• Improving pedestrian and bicycle access

• Evaluating a connector trail along North Avenue east of the Beltline and North Avenue west of the Beltline

• Creating mixed income housing and a mix of owner-occupied and rental housing to provide more options for subarea residents of varying ages and income levels

Brock Built Homes and their affiliated companies sold the Chappell Road property to the Beltline for $25.6 million, 30 percent below their last appraised value. The reduction in the sales price is a donation from the Brocks to further the goal of an affordable and inclusive Atlanta. Financing of the acquisition was made possible through Atlantic Capital Bank, now South State Bank.

This site is in an area with challenges. It has been lagging in growth, with low-density residential, and 98 percent of residents commuting to work outside the area. A recent study commissioned by ABI found that the median household income in the area is less than $35,000 a year, which is about half of the city’s median household income.

The is characterized currently by low foot traffic, a lack of connectivity, few living wage jobs, and sparse catalytic developments. Working with the City of Atlanta will unlock the potential for this and surrounding properties.

The Beltline works closely with multiple partners to achieve affordable housing goals and provides capital to development projects through the Atlanta Beltline Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the Beltline TAD Excess Increment fund, both of which are administered by Invest Atlanta.

Next steps for the development include:

June 2023 – Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting #2

June 2023 – Westside Study Group – Chappell Road Meeting #2

Meeting materials and opportunities for public feedback will be made available on the day of the meeting at beltline.org/meetings.

COMMUNITY CONTACT: For more information, please contact engage@atlbeltline.org or call 404-477-3552.