Along SW Beltline corridor, 'landmark' development finally moves forward Josh Green Wed, 04/23/2025 - 08:17
More than three years after it was initially proposed, a large-scale development near the Atlanta Beltline’s Murphy Crossing site that calls for hundreds of new homes and discounted commercial spaces could be months away from breaking ground, officials say.
The block-altering proposal near the Beltline’s Westside Trail—called simply 840 Woodrow for its address—would continue an infusion of housing with quick access to the Beltline loop and job centers in Southwest Atlanta.
Multifamily developers Vida Companies and Woodfield Development have planned since 2022 to build the village-like mix of commercial and residential structures on a 7-acre Oakland City site about a block west of the paved Beltline, adjacent to the historic Murphy Crossing property. The vacant site was most recently used for car and truck storage.
On Tuesday the Develop Fulton Board of Directors approved a bond resolution for 840 Woodrow that agency leaders call essential for bringing the project to fruition. The “landmark” mixed-use venture in Oakland City will boost affordability and inclusion efforts in a part of Atlanta that’s rapidly evolving, according to the county’s economic development authority.
A revised rendering showing how the multifaceted project would front a proposed Beltline spur trail through the warehouse district.Vida Companies/ Woodfield Development; designs, Dynamik Design
The project is expected to cost $76.7 million overall and include 326 new mixed-income residential units, plus affordable commercial space, and other aspects. Plans call for reserving 20 percent of all units as affordable housing—more than the city’s Inclusionary Zoning requirements call for—with 5 percent of those set aside for renters using vouchers.
Develop Fulton officials tell Urbanize Atlanta the project is slated to break ground this summer, with an expected 22-month construction timeline.
The project “will serve as a cornerstone of equitable development in South Atlanta, catalyzing growth and supporting families, small businesses, and local artists alike,” said Develop Fulton chairman Kwanza Hall in an announcement today.
Vida Companies/ Woodfield Development; designs, Dynamik Design
Specifically, development plans call for:
- 66 affordable/workforce housing units with rent limits based on 80 percent of the Area Median Income;
- Repurposed shipping containers that will serve as storefronts, in hopes of supporting area startups and local entrepreneurs, plus other subsidized commercial spaces;
- The adaptive-reuse of a building on site into a headquarters and training facility for a local coffee roaster who’s committed to local hiring;
- Public-art programming and “significant sidewalk and streetscape upgrades,” per Develop Fulton.
The project is expected to produce more than 500 construction jobs and 40-plus permanent jobs. An estimated $1.5 million in brownfield remediation work will be required to ready the site for redevelopment, per Develop Fulton.
840 Woodrow is also forecasted to boost local tax revenue significantly, from about $16,000 in property tax contributions last year to $640,000 during the first year of operation, according to Develop Fulton’s projections.
The acreage in question at 840 Woodrow Street, with the Beltline's Westside Trail and Adair Park at right, and the Murphy Crossing property at top. Google Maps
The 840 Woodrow project joins an influx of proposals in the immediate area that could bring thousands of new homes and considerable new commercial activity to surrounding blocks.
A stone’s throw away in Capitol View, plans that call for a 25-acre, potentially billion-dollar new district with more than 4,000 housing units overall came to light earlier this month. An Empire Communities townhome component of that project is under development now.
The first phase of adaptive-reuse Oakland Exchange is also now gearing up to break ground this year, following years of delays, according to Invest Atlanta.
Meanwhile, planning efforts continue at the area’s best-known redevelopment site—one that overlooks the mainline Beltline loop trail.
Earlier this year, Atlanta Beltline Inc. parted ways with selected developers Culdesac and Urban Oasis Development for the vacant, 20-acre Murphy Crossing property. Beltline leadership now plan to take the reins on planning and development and break ground on the initial phase at Murphy Crossing sometime in 2026.
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840 Woodrow Street SW Woodfield Development Dentons David Pirkle Vida Companies Murphy Crossing Westside Trail Atlanta BeltLine Affordable Housing Oakland City Adair Park West End Beltline Southside Trail Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Dynamik Design Develop Fulton
Images
A revised rendering showing how the multifaceted project would front a proposed Beltline spur trail through the warehouse district.Vida Companies/ Woodfield Development; designs, Dynamik Design
Vida Companies/ Woodfield Development; designs, Dynamik Design
Facades of commercial spaces, apartments, and townhomes. Vida Companies/ Woodfield Development; designs, Dynamik Design
The acreage in question at 840 Woodrow Street, with the Beltline's Westside Trail and Adair Park at right, and the Murphy Crossing property at top. Google Maps
The Oakland City site as of February 2020. Google Maps
These initial concepts for the 840 Woodrow St. project were revised following community feedback. Courtesy of Joe Martinez/Vida Companies
Subtitle Develop Fulton grants financial tool for advancing 840 Woodrow project near Westside Trail
Neighborhood Oakland City
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