Capitol View Apartments

By Collin Kelley

Columbia Residential hosted a grand opening this week for Columbia at Capitol View, a historic apartment complex newly renovated for affordable housing in Southwest Atlanta.

Located near the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail, the Art Deco-style Capitol View Apartments were originally built in 1948 for World War II veterans and their families. Comprised of 120 one and twobedroom units, the Adair Park property had fallen into disrepair over a 35-year period.

After purchasing the property in 2018, Columbia Residential embarked on a $27 million renovation over three phases in an effort to preserve affordable housing and protect residents from displacement in a neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification.

This redevelopment was structured to preserve affordability for residents earning between 40 and 70 percent area median income (AMI) through partnerships with key stakeholders including the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, Enterprise Community Partners, Atlanta Housing, Partners for Home, Bank of America and through a pre-development grant from The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The renovated apartment homes feature fully equipped kitchens, energy-efficient lighting and fixtures for improved air quality and utility savings, restored original red oak hardwood flooring and ceramic tile baths. On-site amenities include a business center, fitness center, community garden and covered pavilion with grills.

“It takes a village to preserve a village. Columbia at Capitol View is a great example of how public-private philanthropic partnerships should work for the benefit of the community,” Mayor Andre Dickens said during a ribboncutting ceremony.

“Columbia Residential is honored to have been asked to lead the renovation and re-development of Columbia at Capitol View,” said Columbia Residential President Carmen Chubb. “This historic property was on the verge of being sold as a market-rate development and it would not have been possible to preserve affordable housing along the BeltLine and protect residents from displacement without the diligent collaboration of the City of Atlanta, and our community partners. I’d also like to thank our residents for their patience as we worked to minimize displacement and navigate the challenges of the pandemic during this three-phase project.”