The Midtown Development Review Committee (DRC) reviewed a proposal to expand Lutheran Tower at its Dec. 9 meeting.

The existing 15-story Lutheran Tower, at the southeast corner of Juniper and 4th streets, would expand eastward toward Piedmont Avenue, according to a recap of the meeting from Midtown Alliance.

The design includes 172 new senior living units arranged in two offset wings that frame a raised central amenity terrace.

The approximately 92,900-square-foot expansion will step down in height from eight to five stories as it approaches 730 Piedmont Ave., a long-standing residence that will be adaptively reused. The existing two-story parking deck, accessible from 4th Street, will be expanded from 66 spaces to 102 spaces and will receive façade improvements. Back-of-house service areas will be upgraded while maintaining access via the lower-level entrance along 4th.

The committee raised several concerns, including: ensuring all architectural plans are cohesive and unified; preserving the visual character of the residence along Piedmont Avenue; improving the streetscape, building facades, and pedestrian access along 4th, reconfiguring the existing driveway on Juniper, and providing a green buffer southward. Detailed recommendations are detailed below:

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A groundbreaking ceremony was held Dec. 8 for a new senior affordable housing apartment complex on the site of the long-delayed redevelopment of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center site.

The revamp of the Civic Center site in Old Fourth Ward has been nearly a decade in the making, but city officials said Tuesday’s groundbreaking is just the beginning of a $1 billion mixed-use development

The $60-million six-story apartment building will include 148 affordable one-bedroom apartments for senior low-income residents. The development – a partnership between Atlanta Housing, The Michaels Organization, Sophy Capital and Republic Properties – is expected to open in 2027.

The 19-acre Civic Center property will eventually contain 1,500 mixed-income apartments, retail. offices, a hotel, and a supermarket, according to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

On Dec. 3, Mayor Andre Dickens joined city leaders and partners to mark the opening of the city’s third Rapid Housing Initiative project, The Waterworks Village, in Berkeley Park.

Transforming an underutilized Atlanta Watershed property off Northside Drive, the development features two multi-story modular buildings with approximately 100 studio units (250 square feet each) and four office spaces.

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Crescent Communities has closed on a new multifamily community at the site of the former North DeKalb Mall, which will feature an urban marketplace and 303 new units.

NOVEL Lulah Hills will begin construction this month on studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences, along with more than 39,000 square feet of retail space on its ground floor. Crescent, a national real estate investor and developer of mixed-use communities, made the announcement on Dec. 8, with development partners EDENS and NTT Urban Development.

“There’s a real sense of momentum and excitement building around the Lulah Hills development, and NOVEL Lulah Hills will be at the heart of that energy,” Eric Liebendorfer, managing director for Georgia at Crescent Communities, said in a statement.

Upon completion, Lulah Hills will offer over 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurants as well as a new Publix grocery, 1,800 residential units, and multiple green spaces with connections to Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve and Emory University.

NOVEL Lulah Hills will also offer amenities such as “The Den,” “The Rose Room” fitness studio, and “The Gathering Place” diner, intended to  further enhance the sense of community connection for residents, Liebendorfer said.

Japan-based NTT Urban Development, the project’s capital partner, is making its first investment in a metro Atlanta community with NOVEL Lulah Hills. Crescent has developed several properties in metro Atlanta including NOVEL West Midtown, near the future Westside Beltline Trail, and other multifamily communities in Stockbridge, Douglasville, and Lawrenceville.

“This major milestone marks Lulah Hills’ transition to vertical construction, and we’re thrilled to partner with Crescent Communities to bring our vision of a vibrant neighborhood to life,” said Herbert Ames, managing director for EDENS and southeast regional lead. “The opening of NOVEL Lulah Hills will create a welcoming residential experience that further adds to the sense of community we are creating.”

Crescent Communities and EDENS have previously collaborated on Atlanta’s Moores Mill mixed-used community NOVEL Upper Westside and NOVEL Atherton in Charlotte, N.C.

The first phase of this project is slated for completion in late 2027. Retailers for the first phase have not yet been confirmed.

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A not-for-profit senior living community in the heart of Buckhead has been named one of the best in the country.

Lenbrook placed 24th on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities 2026, making it Georgia’s the highest ranked facility.

Newsweek partnered with global data research firm Statista to evaluate life plan communities across the United States based on four data sources: a national online survey of medical professionals, management/administration staff and acquaintances/residents, visitor satisfaction scores, accreditation scores and Google Reviews scores.

President and CEO of Lenbrook, Chris Keysor, says they’re honoured to have been so highly ranked.

“Excellence is something our entire Lenbrook team strives for every day, and these rankings reflect the care, pride, and dedication of our purpose-driven community,” said Keysor in a news release.

Founded in 1983, Lenbrook has different living options for every stage of a senior’s health journey all on one campus, ranging from smaller, one bedroom to expansive two-bedroom with den and penthouse residences, along with a wide variety of amenities.

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Located in the neighborhood of Sweet Auburn, McAuley Station’s second phase will create 97 affordable apartments (95 one-bedrooms and two studio apartments) for adults 55-and-older.

This newest development builds off the project’s initial phase, which added 170 mixed-income family apartments and various amenities.

According to a release, the aim of McAuley Station is to assist seniors (particularly those living on fixed incomes) amidst rising housing and healthcare costs.

86 of the apartments in Phase II will be reserved for residents earning up to 60% of the area median income, with 19 units capped at 50% AMI for deeper affordability. Additionally, eleven units will be unrestricted with “respect to income,” according to a press release.

Located steps from Mercy Care (Atlanta’s only federally qualified health center dedicated to serving unhoused individuals), the development will give residents direct access to healthcare services, in addition to being located in close proximity to transit and the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation and Aquatic Center.

Pennrose — a company that specializes in developing and operating mixed-income, mixed-use spaces — will oversee McAuley Station’s newest plans.

“McAuley’s affordable, amenity-rich apartments, adjacent to vital healthcare resources, stand as a testament to what public-private partnerships can accomplish for the local community,” said Will Eckstein, regional vice president at Pennrose. “We’re proud to work alongside Mercy Care and the City of Atlanta in advancing a transformative development designed to help older adults remain connected, healthy and independent.”

The master plan for McAuley Station began in 2022 with a 36,000 square-foot expansion of Mercy Care’s clinic space and resource center, enabling the nonprofit to serve 3,000 more patients per year, said a release.

“At Mercy Care, we’ve learned that when housing and healthcare are integrated, lives change,” said Kathryn Lawler, chief executive officer of Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care. “This development reflects our belief that compassion is not just a moral imperative, it’s a strategy that works.”

Completion of McAuley Station’s second phase is expected in April 2027.

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