Affordable Senior Housing Project Breaks Ground

ATLANTA—Wingate Companies and Columbia Residential have commenced construction on the City Lights affordable senior housing development being built in the city's Fourth Ward.

Newton, MA-based Wingate and Columbia of Atlanta are developing 80, one-bedroom apartment homes available to qualifying seniors, aged 62 or older, at 430 Blvd. Financial partners in the project include: Community Affordable Housing Equity Corp. and Sugar Creek Capital as well as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and Atlanta's Office of Housing. Construction financing is being provided by Prudential Huntoon Paige.

The new senior community is the first step of a multiphase redevelopment of the Village of Bedford Pine. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held last week. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2016.

“We're grateful for the support of so many who paved the way for this groundbreaking today,” says Mark Schuster, principal of Wingate Companies. “It would not have been possible to create this new senior housing community in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward without the hard work and creativity of our partners. We especially thank Neighborhood Planning Unit M and the Fourth Ward West Neighborhood Association for working with us to achieve this vision.”

Atlanta Councilman Kwanza Hall, whose district includes the City Lights property, says, “This project will add a diverse and mature group of residents who will bring a lifetime of experiences and vibrancy to the Old Fourth Ward. This new development embodies the kinds of improvements that we have encouraged since our master planning process for the Old Fourth Ward in 2008 and, more recently, as part of our 'Year of Boulevard' initiative, which we began in 2012. We hope other developers see City Lights as a catalyst for their investment in new affordable housing, mixed income and market rate housing along Boulevard.”

Amenities at the City Lights development will include a state-of-the-art fitness center, a TV and movie room, a community kitchen, a sun deck, a covered garage, WiFi access and a business center. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2016.