Historic Lakewood Heights school will be converted to residential use
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The historic Lakewood Elementary School will be redeveloped into residential and commercial uses. Photo: Kristal Dixon/Axios
A century-old elementary school once threatened with demolition will now become part of a mixed-use development that will bring new residential units to Atlanta's Lakewood Heights neighborhood.
Why it matters: The old Lakewood Elementary School building is on the National Register of Historic Places through its inclusion in the Lakewood Heights Historic District.
- Including the site in any redevelopment plans could help preserve its history for future generations.
The latest: The city said Wednesday that the site at 335 Sawtell Ave. SE will be redeveloped into mixed-use space featuring commercial and residential components.
- Spearheaded by Ali-Graceline Development, the project will include 42,721 square feet of residential space and 12,000 square feet of commercial space.
- The ground lease and development plan were approved Sept. 1 by the Atlanta Board of Education and Sept. 24 by the Atlanta Urban Development Corp. board.
- The AUDC has an intergovernmental agreement with the Board of Education to redevelop unused Atlanta Public Schools properties.
What they're saying: "Public land should work for the public, and that means creating homes, opportunity and stronger neighborhoods for the people who already call them home," Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement.
Zoom in: Ali-Graceline Development is a joint venture between Atlanta-based companies Ali Development LLC and Graceline Partners LLC.
- Omar Ali, founder of Ali Development, told Axios the first floor of the school building would be reserved for commercial use, with a desire to fill that space with a grocery store. The second floor would be converted for residential uses.
- They would also build four additional buildings with residential and retail options.
Catch up quick: The original building opened in 1915 as Lakewood Heights School and was renovated in 1932.
- The renamed Lakewood Elementary School closed in 2004, and residents raised concerns about how the building became blighted and was used by unhoused people.
- APS initially planned to demolish the building, then halted the plan.
Context: Other schools have been adapted into residential uses across Atlanta, including Bass Lofts in Little 5 Points, Schoolhouse Lofts in Inman Park, The Roosevelt in Grant Park, and Academy Lofts in Adair Park.
The big picture: Atlanta Preservation Center executive director David Mitchell told Axios any plan that includes schools in adaptive reuse projects "should set the tone on how we view development."
- "And in the midst of Zoning 2.0, this should be a thumb in the eye to anyone who is afraid to include historic properties and development for [the] fear they might be more expensive … or too complicated to include when they are the very things that define who and what we are," he said.
What's next: Ali told Axios he doesn't expect to break ground until around December 2027.