Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Is Seeking Housing Developer Services for Catalytic Housing Development Along the Westside Trail

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of an affordable, single-family housing development in the Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights neighborhood, adjacent to the Atlanta Beltline Westside Trail – Segment 4. 

The Beltline is seeking qualified housing developer services to assist in the first phase of the development of the site, to help ABI advance affordable housing, economic opportunity, and neighborhood connectivity transforming a long-vacant site into an accessible, green, walkable community. This phase will kick start the development of the entire 425 Chappell Road site. 

Development of the full property is expected to occur in phases, across 10 blocks. The vision for the first phase will take place across blocks 1-5, with road access from Chappell Road and North Avenue, and will prioritize single-family and lower-density, smaller-scale multifamily designed to seamlessly integrate into the surrounding single-family neighborhood.  The development will include pedestrian oriented commercial space that will serve the existing and future community.

The conceptual site plan for the property envisions the first phase of development with as many as 150 new homes offered for-sale and nearly 5,000 square feet of neighborhood-scale commercial space targeted toward local small businesses. The plan also includes a Beltline spur trail that will extend from the Beltline Westside Trail -  Segment 4, through the adjacent City of Atlanta property, and across North Avenue to the first phase of the development, further enhancing access and connectivity for Atlantans to the trail and transit network. 

“The development of 425 Chappell Road helps realize the Beltline's long-term strategy of strategic site acquisition as a means to deliver affordable and attainable housing options and affordable commercial spaces for our local small businesses,” said Dennis Richards, Vice President of Housing Policy and Development of the Beltline. “This development will offer current and future residents' equitable access to affordable homes, greenspaces, transit, and economic opportunity. This will be an inclusive development and a shining example of the Beltline being a place where all Atlantans have an opportunity to live, work, and thrive.” 

Purchased in 2021, the full Chappell Road site spans 31 acres across 13 contiguous parcels, making it the largest land acquisition in Beltline history.  The site sits adjacent to 30 acres of City of Atlanta-owned property.  

Community engagement was central to the development plans for the site. Engagement took place through public meetings, outreach, NPU visits, neighborhood association presentations, and through a Beltline convened Stakeholder Engagement Committee. The Beltline has completed entitlement of the property, including approval from the Atlanta Regional Commissions’ Development of Regional Impact program. The site is zoned PD-MU (Planned Development – Mixed Use). 

 The site is located in Bankhead/ Historic Westin Heights and is also adjacent to the Grove Park neighborhood and approximately half a mile from the Bankhead MARTA station. Near the Westside Trail – Segment 4, the segment is currently under construction and targeted to open in summer 2025.  

The Beltline has reached 74% of its mandate to create or preserve 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030 within the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD). This is a key milestone that also contributes to helping Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens achieve his citywide goal of building or preserving 20,000 affordable housing units by 2030. Capitalizing on collaboration, the Beltline is working with partners such as  Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Housing, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Development Authority of Fulton County, the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation, and others, to provide comprehensive planning and diversified public funding to advance affordable housing production within Atlanta. 

To view the opportunity, interested parties can register on Beltline’s procurement management website. Interested vendors are instructed to follow the registration instructions to access the RFP and all supporting documentation.  

To view the RFP, click here.  Visit beltline.org to find more information can be found on 425 Chappell Road, including the development.