After more than 15 years of vacant land, a historic Atlanta neighborhood is getting a second chance, and a new name that honors a woman whose legacy helped shape the city.
Atlanta Housing joined Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, City Councilmember Dustin Hills, former residents, community leaders and members of the Bowen family Thursday, Oct. 8, to break ground on the second phase of the former Bowen Homes redevelopment in northwest Atlanta. The ceremony also marked the unveiling of Ariel Place at Bowen, part of a larger effort to transform the 74-acre site into a mixed-income neighborhood with 2,000 homes, new amenities and community spaces.
For Terri M. Lee, president and CEO of Atlanta Housing, the redevelopment is about more than constructing homes. It is about rebuilding a community while preserving its history.
Lee recognized longtime neighborhood advocate Ola W. Reynolds for ensuring that Atlanta Housing followed through on its commitment to former residents and developed the property “with the community and not on top of the community.”
Originally opened in 1964, Bowen Homes housed nearly 4,000 Atlantans displaced by urban renewal efforts, including the demolition of Buttermilk Bottoms. The public housing development became a close-knit community with schools, childcare centers and a rich cultural history before deteriorating conditions led to its demolition in 2009.
Now, Atlanta Housing is working to bring housing back to the site.
The second phase will add 112 residential units, including 34 Atlanta Housing-assisted units, 35 affordable units, 10 workforce units and 33 market-rate units. The development will feature 46 one-bedroom, 45 two-bedroom, 19 three-bedroom and two four-bedroom homes.
The approximately $50.2 million project will also include a community room, co-working spaces, children’s study areas, a fitness and wellness center, outdoor gathering spaces and a playground. Construction is expected to be completed in January 2028.
The broader redevelopment is supported by a $40 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, $10 million in city funding and more than $520 million in aligned public-private investment. Approximately 40% of the planned 2,000 homes are expected to be affordable.
According to Atlanta Housing, the first six phases are scheduled for completion through April 2031, with additional development planned across the property. The long-term vision includes homeownership opportunities, neighborhood-serving retail, workforce development spaces and expanded greenspace.
But Lee emphasized that the project’s impact extends beyond the number of homes built.
“Housing is the foundation and the platform to lift our families to economic self-sufficiency,” Lee said.
Mayor Dickens, who grew up in nearby Adamsville, reflected on his personal connection to Bowen Homes, where he had friends, classmates and teammates.
“We wanted to rebuild one of Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods,” Dickens said.
He also highlighted plans for a new elementary school, connections to nearby trails and greenspace, and additional neighborhood investments.
The redevelopment’s new name recognizes Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen, an educator, musician, writer and civic leader who taught at Tuskegee University under Booker T. Washington before becoming a professor of music at Clark College.
The original Bowen Homes was named for Dr. John W.E. Bowen Sr. and Bishop John W.E. Bowen Jr. The new name also honors Ariel Bowen’s contributions while preserving the family’s connection to the neighborhood.
Additionally, Atlanta Housing has launched an oral history initiative to collect photographs, documents and memories from former residents, ensuring that the community’s history remains part of its future.
As construction continues, Ariel Place at Bowen represents an opportunity to reconnect a neighborhood with its past while creating housing and opportunities for future generations.
For former residents who have waited more than a decade to see their community rebuilt, the groundbreaking marks another step toward bringing Bowen back home.
