On Tuesday, Atlanta Housing (AH) and its development partner Integral celebrated the groundbreaking of Ashley II at Scholars Landing, Bloomberg’s Steve Potisk reports.

“Located on nearly six acres on the grounds of the former University Homes public housing community, it’s the largest and final rental phase of the Scholars Landing masterplan to close under a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” Potisk explains.

Ashley II at Scholars Landing will include 212 apartments. According to a news release, the more than 200 multifamily rental units are “comprised of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments with sweeping views.”

The ceremony at Ashley II coincided with the openings of Ashley IA/B, and The Vine at Scholars Landing, two mixed-income developments comprised of 135 and 72 units respectively. Several local and national officials were reportedly in attendance at Ashley II’s groundbreaking including President of Integral Vicki Lundy Wilbon, Atlanta Mayor Atlanta Andre Dickens and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Adrianne Todman.

“The groundbreaking of Ashley II and the celebratory grand openings mark a significant achievement in affordable housing development in Atlanta,” officials said in a news release. “Aligning with Atlanta Housing’s commitment to creating inclusive, vibrant neighborhoods that promote diversity and opportunity, over half of these units will be affordable.”

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Mayor Dickens spoke at Ashley II’s ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday and underscored the ways in which the community will foster diversity and inclusivity.

“[This is] an intergenerational community that can comfortably house anyone, from students to professionals to retirees,” The AJC’s Zachary Hansen and Mirtha Donastorg quote Dickens as saying. “That is a full community.”

Echoing Mayor Dickens’ comments, AH President and CEO Eugene E. Jones, Jr. said, “This milestone demonstrates our shared commitment to creating thriving, inclusive communities that offer residents access to safe, quality housing and a brighter future.”

As previously reported, Scholars Landing is located on the former University Homes complex. According to The AJC, the complex was the first public housing project for African Americans in the country. “It was completed in 1937 and stood for more than 70 years until it was torn down in 2009,” Hansen and Donastorg add.

The next year, Integral stepped in, “already having experience with redeveloping former public housing into a multi-generational mix of rental and single-family units,” Hansen and Donastorg explain. “One of the group’s initial projects was the redevelopment of Techwood Homes, the first public housing in the U.S.” Read more here.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution contributed to this story.

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