The Housing Authority still hasn’t decided on plans for the 2.8 acres of green space southwest of downtown. The original Allen Wilson apartments, built on the site in 1941, were torn down several years ago.
The land was an occasional topic during the four October candidate forums, with speculation on how the city could best develop the property.
But it’s owned by the DHA, not the city, and remains zoned for condos or rental units. DHA Executive Director Douglas Faust said the plan has always been to develop market rate, high- density housing with 120-150 units, as opposed to building additional public housing. He added there’s always the possibility it could be sold to the city.
“The [DHA] Board is not in a hurry to make a decision,” Faust said this week. “They’re certainly not in a hurry to bring it to market given all the [housing] units hitting [Decatur] all at once.”
The DHA is currently redeveloping the former Gateway Manor Apartments, renamed Trinity Walk, with the first units opening next spring and the second phase opening in 2017. Trinity Walk will feature 121 apartment compared with the old Gateway’s 88.
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