Pennrose Properties, Atlanta Beltline Break Ground on 130-Unit Affordable Mixed-Use Development in Lindbergh

Pennrose Properties Properties, Radiant Development Partners and Atlanta Beltline, Inc. broke ground August 4 on Overlook at Garson, a 130-unit, 100% affordable mixed-use development at 579 Garson Drive NE in Atlanta's Lindbergh neighborhood. The project will deliver workforce and low-income housing alongside 10,000 square feet of community-serving commercial space on a 2.94-acre site the Beltline acquired from Wells Fargo in 2021, adjacent to the planned Beltline Northeast Trail and approximately 0.4 miles from Lindbergh Center MARTA Station.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2028. The development is financed through a public-private capital stack that includes Bank of America, Advantage Capital, Atlanta Housing, Atlanta Beltline, Inc., Invest Atlanta, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and Merchants Capital. Public-sector partners include the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Project Details and Unit Mix

All 130 apartments — a mix of efficiency, one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes — are Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units serving households at 50%, 60% and 80% of Area Median Income. The single building features five residential stories over a podium, with a raised amenity deck and two stepped-down levels for structured parking and commercial space.

The 10,000-square-foot commercial component is designed to prioritize affordability, offering subdivided storefronts for local entrepreneurs alongside a larger food-and-beverage tenant with direct Beltline access. The site sits near the intersection of Garson Drive and Piedmont Road and is positioned to connect residents to the broader regional trail network, including PATH400, the South Fork Confluence Trail and the Peachtree Creek Greenway.

Beltline Land Strategy and Public-Private Partnership

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. purchased the Garson Drive site in 2021 as part of a proactive land acquisition strategy to preserve long-term affordability in transit-rich corridors subject to rapid development pressure. The organization's total land holdings now stand at 94 acres. As of April 2026, the Beltline reported it had created, preserved or was actively building 4,425 affordable units — approximately 79% of its stated goal — with roughly 500 affordable units in active development across the trail loop.

"We bought this site in 2021 specifically to ensure Lindbergh's growth included the people who already call it home," said Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. "This project demonstrates how public infrastructure can create lasting economic impact by preserving space for affordable housing, supporting local businesses, and connecting people to transit."

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who also serves on the Atlanta Beltline, Inc. board, noted the sequencing of the project relative to trail construction. "This time, we had the foresight to build affordable housing before we built the trail: 130 affordable homes, 130 families who will call the Lindbergh Community home," Dickens said. "Today's groundbreaking reflects the kind of partnership it takes to deliver affordable housing at the scale our city needs."

Development Team and Financing Partners

Pennrose Properties and Radiant Development Partners are serving as co-sponsors on the project. The broader development team includes Smith Dalia Architects, McShane Construction and Thompson Ehle Company.

"Breaking ground on Overlook at Garson is a proud milestone for our team, project partners, and for the Lindbergh community," said Will Eckstein, Regional Vice President at Pennrose. "This development is about more than housing. It is about ensuring that the growth and opportunity along the Beltline remains accessible to the residents and entrepreneurs who have long called this neighborhood home."

Ivy Dench-Carter, Senior Vice President of Community Revitalization and Public Partnerships at Pennrose, added that the project would give residents direct access to public transit, green space and healthcare. "We are thankful for the support of the local community, project partners, and the City as we preserve affordability in a high-opportunity neighborhood," she said.

Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony also included Terri M. Lee, President and CEO of Atlanta Housing; Commissioner Christopher Nunn of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs; Amon Martin, President of Development at Radiant Development Partners; Sharon Guest, Principal and Founder of Radiant Development Partners; Dr. Eloisa Klementic, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta; Al McRae, President of the Atlanta Market at Bank of America; Atlanta City Council Member Thomas Worthy; and Jamie Olson, President of the Lindbergh Morosgo Neighborhood Association.

Broader Atlanta Pipeline for Pennrose

Pennrose Properties maintains a regional headquarters in Atlanta and is concurrently developing the Herndon Square master plan alongside Atlanta Housing, the City of Atlanta, Hunt Companies and Oakwood Development Group. That project is expected to deliver 379 multifamily units, a 97-unit senior building, 32 townhomes and commercial space in downtown Atlanta.

The Overlook at Garson development reflects a broader pattern in Atlanta's commercial real estate market, where public infrastructure investment — including the Beltline trail system and MARTA rail access — is being used to anchor mixed-income, transit-oriented development in corridors where land values have risen sharply. The deliberate inclusion of affordable commercial space alongside residential units signals continued demand for small-format, community-serving retail in well-trafficked, transit-adjacent locations, even in deals structured primarily around housing affordability.