Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) has acquired 2.5 acres of property adjacent to the future Murphy Crossing development on the westside corridor.
Murphy Crossing, now a 20-acre site, provides ABI with the opportunity to “further equity, affordability, and inclusion goals for the City through controlled development, employment and housing options, and transit connectivity,” according to a press release Friday.
The property, at 1089 Allene Avenue, is the former site of the Archives and History Warehouse.
The Murphy Crossing site was once home to the State Farmers Market.
“This is another acquisition that signifies that the City is serious about development south of I-20,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in the announcement.
“The Atlanta Beltline will provide opportunities for connectivity, housing, and jobs, and this site will be key to ensuring economic equity in all parts of the corridor, keeping BeltLine neighborhoods on pace with our vision of One Atlanta.”
The site is adjacent to the Atlanta Beltline’s Westside Trail, a three-mile multi-use corridor that connects Washington Park to Adair Park and was built in preparation for future light rail transit on the Atlanta Beltline.
The trail is in proximity to the Ashby and West End MARTA stations.
Throughout 2016, ABI initiated a community engagement process and commissioned a study to determine best uses for the site based on the area’s need for economic development, transportation accessibility, affordability, and historic preservation.
The process will culminate in a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be released later this year, seeking a developer to activate the Murphy Crossing site based on specific housing and job goals for the area.
More details will be announced with the release of the RFP.
“We are so excited about this purchase because it increases our flexibility with the Murphy Crossing site,” Brian McGowan, CEO of ABI, said in the release.
“This is a chance for development in southwest Atlanta to reflect the existing community’s wants and needs while positioning the area to benefit from the Atlanta BeltLine’s jobs and housing goals and the City’s larger equity and affordability goals.”
The site was purchased by ABI from the Georgia Building Authority for $2.1 million.
