Atlanta Seeks Developer for Housing Plan on Old School Site

Atlanta is seeking a developer to transform a long-vacant elementary school into a residential and neighborhood-retail hub as part of its expanding push to repurpose public land for affordable housing.

Officials released a request for qualifications on Friday for the redevelopment of the former Lakewood Heights Elementary School at 335 Sawtell Avenue, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported. The 2-acre site has sat empty since the early 2000s and is one of eight Atlanta Public Schools properties included in a 2023 agreement with the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation to unlock nearly 50 acres of idle public land.

The agency’s concept calls for 55 apartments, most with two or three bedrooms, and 8,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space tailored to the surrounding neighborhood. At least 30 percent of the units would be rented below market rate. The project is also expected to preserve the 1932 school structure, a turnaround from earlier district discussions that considered demolition. Submissions are due Aug. 25.

Local developer Omar Ali, who previously converted a nearby church into a mixed-use retail center, plans to submit a proposal. Years ago, Ali pitched a similar concept for the site that included lofts and retail in the hopes that revitalizing blighted properties in Lakewood could be a catalyst for public safety and community cohesion.

The Lakewood initiative is part of a broader effort by Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration to create or preserve 20,000 affordable units by 2029. Atlanta Urban Development, a subsidiary of Atlanta Housing launched in 2023, has been tasked with redeveloping a range of city-controlled sites into mixed-income housing and community-serving uses, including a downtown office building, a Midtown fire station and the Mall West End.

The Lakewood Heights Elementary project would mark another step in Atlanta’s strategy to turn public assets into housing pipelines, particularly in neighborhoods at risk of displacement or disinvestment.

— Judah Duke