A major redevelopment in North Downtown Athens is moving into its next stage. With its first phase complete, construction is now underway for phase two and funding secured for phase three.
The redevelopment is replacing aging affordable housing at the former Bethel Midtown Village with an updated, walkable community designed to meet internationally recognized sustainability standards.
The former Bethel Midtown Village sits on land that was once part of The Bottom, a predominantly Black neighborhood that was destroyed during urban renewal in the 1960s.
The initial master plan, announced in 2019, called for 715 units. Due to rising construction costs and changes to the master plan, the project is expected to have 511 units once the development is fully completed.
According to the Athens Housing Authority, the project began with $40 million in SPLOST funding approved by Athens-Clarke County voters. The AHA partnered with Columbia Residential as the developer and Jonathan Rose Companies as the financing partner.
The priority for the AHA and Columbia Residential is to provide safe, quality mixed-income housing without displacing existing Bethel Midtown Village residents.
“It’s what the community wanted,” said Sheila Crisp, the executive director of the AHA. “They wanted to rebuild that area to not only not displace anyone, but also to build additional units.”
According to Crisp, former residents of the Bethel Midtown Village have the first right to return, and many have already successfully moved into the new units. The AHA is currently working with a small group of residents still residing at Bethel Midtown Village, with the goal of moving them into the new community by the end of phase two.
The first phase, The View at NoDA, was completed in 2025 and fully leased by July, including 40 households from the former Bethel community.
Phase two, The Square at NoDA, is under construction. The 146-unit development is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
This month, phase three reached a major milestone by receiving a 9% tax credit from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. This is a competitive source of financing for affordable housing, and was the only development awarded in the region.
“It was important that we work with Columbia Residential and their expertise gave us that ability to achieve those awards, so that we can keep this project going,” said Crisp. “I know it’s been a long time coming. I’m here now to say I’m going to see this project out to phase four.”
Sustainability Throughout the Community
A large component of the redevelopment is its pursuit of the LEED for Communities Silver certificate.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification rating system. A March 2024 scorecard on phase one of the development lists 54 projected points, placing the project within LEED’s 50-to-59 point Silver range.
The scorecard includes points gained for sustainability measures related to natural resources, transportation, water efficiency, energy, materials and quality of life.
Alfred Vick, a LEED fellow, Georgia power professor in environmental ethics and director of the environmental ethics certificate program at the University of Georgia, said sustainable development goes beyond just energy conserving buildings.
“Individual buildings should be focusing on energy and water conservation,” Vick said. “From a community standpoint [they should focus on], density, walkability, mixed use and green space.”
Some of the features included in the development are an open green space, clinic for routine care and resources for rent assistance programs. These features don’t benefit the physical space, but the quality of life for the people living in the community.
The plan also incorporates continuous sidewalks, transit access and stormwater management. The project’s stormwater strategy includes a pond and vegetated areas intended to manage rainwater and create habitat.
Carmen Chubb, the president of Columbia Residential, said that these extra amenities were the priority of the developers.
“Those that result in lower utility bills or lower usage of resources at the property to protect the environment,” Chubb said.
Vick said the North Downtown location itself supports sustainable development because of its proximity to downtown, transportation and other destinations.
“I absolutely believe it’s [a LEED certificate is] worth it,” Vick said. “But LEED silver is pretty easy to achieve.”
Many former residents of Bethel Midtown Village now residing at The View at NoDA never believed that the initial master plan laid out would actually come to fruition. Chubb said residents she spoke with were pleased with the new housing, working HVAC systems, amenities and resident services.
“Each of them expressed the joy in moving from one situation that was less than desirable to one that is market quality that competes with other rental housing in the community,” Chubb said.
As the development progresses, the project remains focused on providing affordable housing while creating a connected community.
We want residents to feel that this is their home,” Chubb said. “We [all] have different incomes, different ages, different ethnicities, races. It is a community for all.”
