City officials broke ground Tuesday on a new redevelopment at the site of the former Sylvan Circle Apartments in southwest Atlanta, moving forward with an affordable apartment complex without units at market rate.
Sylvan Hills II Family Apartments are slated for arrival in late 2026 with 233 affordable new family apartments and townhomes, close to the 184 senior units created nearby in 2022, Atlanta Housing’s Chief Housing and Real Estate Officer Dr. Alan Ferguson Sr. said at the event.
Mayor Andre Dickens, who is seeking reelection, attended the morning ceremony at the 10.2-acre site and said the public-private partnership furthers his goals to build 20,000 units over two terms.
The first-term mayor said his administration had already built or preserved 6,800 units, with another 5,000 in the works.
“We’re moving very fast, y’all,” Dickens said.
Sylvan Circle Apartments was built close to the former U.S. Army military base Fort McPherson to provide housing for personnel during World War II, according to the Sylvan Hills Neighborhood Association.
Just north of the Arthur B. Langford Jr. Parkway, Sylvan Hills is a 70% Black neighborhood, according to 2023 Atlanta Regional Commission data. More than 60% of renters are cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the commission.
District 12 Council member Antonio Lewis heralded the development for “providing true affordable housing” alongside new food halls and restaurants.
“Today is our opportunity to activate the housing component of that,” Lewis said.
Rents will range from about $1,150 to $2,100 a month.
The development includes 116 units at 80% of the area median income, which, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is about $73,000 for a two-person household.
The next tier has 93 units at 60% of the area median income, or about $55,000; finally, 24 units will be available for those earning 50% or less, or about $46,000 for a two-person household. Unusually, market rate apartments are not part of the mix as well.
The Atlanta—Sandy Springs—Roswell metro area median income is about $91,000 for a two-person household.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Denise Cleveland-Leggett, Southeast regional administrator for HUD, said the Sylvan Hills redevelopment was an example of the kind of public-private partnership supported by a $1 million HOME grant through the city of Atlanta. HUD awards the grant to state and local governments to create affordable housing for low-income households.
“Developments like Sylvan Hills Apartments are answering the call, providing safe, affordable housing that meets a critical need in our communities,” Cleveland-Leggett said.
Funding for the $52.7 million project includes an FHA loan from commercial real estate agency Walker & Dunlop, as well as financing from Atlanta Housing, Invest Atlanta, the city of Atlanta, and the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, Atlanta Housing said in a May 2025 announcement about the development.
The development team and partners included TCE Development, Radiant Development Partners, EQ Housing Advisors, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, and the Metro Atlanta Land Bank, according to the agency.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
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