The official grand opening of Ashford Parkside, a 151-unit apartment development for independent seniors, will be held Friday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. Ashford Parkside is located at 3522 Blair Circle, Atlanta, GA, 30319. It’s the first of a multi-phase redevelopment of the former Johnson Ferry East public housing project near the intersection of Ashford Dunwoody and Johnson Ferry Road in north DeKalb County.

The entire 58-acre site, owned by the Housing Authority of DeKalb County (HADC), is being recreated through a public/private partnership as a mixed-use, mixed income community, centered around a central park. Construction will be managed in six phases and the property will include apartments for independent seniors, a restaurant-anchored retail village, luxury mid-rise apartments and high-end single family homes and condominiums.

In total, the new pedestrian-oriented community will be comprised of 816 residential units and 70,000 square feet of retail space. The overall site and the senior housing are being developed by the Norsouth Companies and the Collaborative Firm, both of Atlanta, as development partners of HADC. The retail village is being developed by Atlanta-based Madison Retail, LLC. Other residential components of the project are being developed by Mulberry Development Group, The Housing Group and Peachland Homes, all of Atlanta.

“The redevelopment of Johnson Ferry East meets several HADC goals,” said Sterling Bethea, executive director of the Housing Authority of DeKalb County. “The Authority is committed to transforming public housing and the lives of our residents by providing high quality, mixed-income communities without the traditional concentrations of low-income households. The redevelopment of Johnson Ferry East eliminates the old apartments which were built in 1948 and were sorely outdated. The new community will be an economically and ethnically integrated community, interconnected with the fabric of surrounding neighborhoods, and it will create a vibrant live-work-play environment. Our staff and our partners have worked hard to make this first phase a reality, and we believe that when the site is completed in 2010, it will be a model of what mixed-income communities can truly be.” Bethea said.

The development occupies a prime location just north of Brookhaven and adjacent to Chamblee. Phase Two will bring the completion of Ashford Landing, another apartment community for independent seniors. A second phase of demolition for the original buildings will begin in late January 2008. Construction of luxury mid-rise apartments, townhomes and condos, along with the retail village, is scheduled to start in the summer of 2008.

“It’s exciting to have an opportunity to redevelop such a prime parcel of land inside the perimeter,” said David H. Dixon, development partner at Norsouth Companies. “The goal is to create a true sense of place here, with large, usable green spaces, the conservation of old-growth trees, pedestrian connectivity and the highest quality design standards throughout the development. We have a tremendous and unique partnership with HADC, DeKalb County, the surrounding neighborhoods and our development partners. The response and creativity have been wonderful. I think the result will be a place – a community – where people love to live and visit. Equally important, we’re excited to be doing something that demonstrates the viability of mixed-income housing,” Dixon said.

Ashford Parkside will be reserved exclusively for people age 62 years and over, who are capable of independent living. The community, which adjoins Blackburn Park, has convenient access to public transportation, two supermarket-anchored shopping centers, restaurants, the Ashford-Dunwoody YMCA and nearby hospitals and medical facilities. Apartments will vary from spacious one-bedroom to two-bedroom floorplans with 80 percent offering rental assistance to residents. The two four-story buildings of Ashford Parkside have been designed to luxury standards with elevator access to all above-ground units.

Individual apartment homes feature spacious master bedroom suites, nine-foot ceilings, ample closet space, washer and dryer connections, fully equipped modern kitchens, handicap accessibility, emergency notification systems and wiring for high-speed internet and cable TV.

Although no assisted living services will be provided, the residents of Ashford Parkside will enjoy amenities such as a computer center, beauty salon, arts and crafts center, fitness center, library, community gardens, events room with a kitchen, big screen TV and surround sound, clubroom, outdoor living rooms, equipped barbeque and picnic areas, secured and sheltered access entries and gated parking. A wide variety of recreational, wellness, educational, counseling and assistive services will be available to the residents.

Construction began in September, 2006 and was completed in November, 2007. Residents began moving in during December, 2007. Mercy Services, an affiliate of Mercy Housing, Inc. of Denver, Co., is the property manager.

Members of the DeKalb County Commission, HADC, development partners, residents, neighborhood leaders and others will participate in the Grand Opening ceremony. Speakers will include:

• Carleen Cumberbatch, chairman, HADC Board of Commissioners
• Elaine Boyer, DeKalb County Commissioner, District 1
• Sterling Bethea, executive director, HADC
• Vernon Jones, CEO, DeKalb County
• David H. Dixon, development partner, Norsouth Companies
• Kathy Gannon, DeKalb County Commissioner, Super District 6