City sells Civic Center to Atlanta Housing Authority for redevelopment

Exterior photos of the Atlanta Civic Center, shot Tuesday, March 25, 2014. KENT D. JOHNSON / KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

Exterior photos of the Atlanta Civic Center, shot Tuesday, March 25, 2014. KENT D. JOHNSON / KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

The Atlanta Housing Authority has closed on its purchase of the Civic Center property, a key step in a planned $300 million-plus redevelopment of the aging performing arts center into a mixed-use, mixed-income development.

Mayor Kasim Reed and Catherine Buell, the CEO of AHA, said 30 percent of future housing units will be designated as affordable. The project also will include office space, retail, a grocery store and green space.

“This project will represent the largest commitment to affordable housing in the city of Atlanta in more than 15 years,” Reed said.

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The city and AHA announced plans in August for the agency to acquire the Civic Center for $31 million, with a planned closing Nov. 1. Joining the housing authority in the project is Weingarten Realty of Texas, the same firm that had been in prolonged talks with the city to buy the complex before Reed pulled the plug in October 2016.

This is a developing story and it will be updated on the premium website, MyAJC.com.

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