The Bethel Midtown Village and College & Hoyt communities represent a significant master planning opportunity on the north end of Downtown Athens. The combined redevelopment area is envisioned as a phased transformation into a healthy, mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood that expands both the supply and quality of affordable housing, while allowing for future commercial, residential, and mixed-use development on adjacent parcels. The master plan establishes a long-term framework to guide incremental implementation over multiple phases, promoting coordinated growth, enhanced connectivity, and neighborhood-scale placemaking that supports existing residents, surrounding neighborhoods, and the broader Downtown Athens area.
North Downtown Athens Master Plan
Project Details:
Client:
Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, Athens Housing Authority
Location:
Athens, GA
Project Data:
- 222 units
- 12.0 acres
Challenge
The North Downtown Athens Master Plan needed to reinvest in the Bethel Midtown Village and College & Hoyt communities by replacing aging housing with high-quality affordable homes, while ensuring long-term affordability on a prominent edge-of-downtown site. The plan also had to balance reinvestment with existing community needs and future mixed-use growth.
Solution
JHP led a multi-year, community-driven planning effort to establish a flexible, phased redevelopment framework. The approach uses LIHTC financing to deliver modern, efficient affordable housing alongside new market-rate residences, neighborhood-serving commercial uses, and community amenities, all organized to support connectivity and incremental implementation.
Impact
The framework expands housing choice, reinforces long-term affordability, and creates a cohesive, mixed-income district that functions as a strong northern gateway to Downtown Athens–supporting existing residents while accommodating coordinated future growth.
