$350 million plan aims to fill longtime vacant Avondale Estates site

Zoom in: Atlanta-based developer Avila Real Estate and Hedgewood Homes' plan calls for creating two distinct but connected areas in downtown Avondale Estates with nearly 800 apartments and more than 100 for-sale homes.

• Preliminary concepts presented Wednesday to the Avondale Estates Board of Mayor and Commissioners include cottages, townhouses and large apartment buildings along walkable and bike-friendly streets.
• Plans include private gardens, roof decks and a connection to the Stone Mountain Trail. One of the developments will open onto the city's Town Green.

Catch up quick: The tract closest to Avondale's growing Tudor Revival downtown and Town Green has sat mostly vacant for years, creating a dead zone in the city center.

• The other planned development along College Avenue joins the wave of mid-rise apartments taking shape on the western gateway into town.

Yes, but: While the project offers a range of housing at different price points, the project does not include any affordable housing, a spokesperson said.

The big picture: City leaders have long eyed the two areas — a combined 18 acres — as vital for connecting Avondale's traditional core with newer developments along College Avenue.

• Avila and Hedgewood plan to link walkable new streets to existing blocks, integrating the developments into the downtown area.

What they're saying: "I look at that thing and I know it's going to work," Mayor Jonathan Elmore said, according to Decaturish.

• "We are going to have another neighborhood back here. We are going to have new neighbors. It's going to be vibrant. It's going to bring customers to our businesses."

What's next: City officials stressed that the project is in the early development stages and will require zoning changes, Decaturish reported.