ATHENS, GA. — Columbia Residential, in partnership with the Athens Housing Authority and Jonathan Rose Cos., has closed on $65 million in financing for development of The Square at NoDa. The 146-unit affordable housing community represents the second phase of a larger redevelopment of approximately 12 acres in north downtown Athens that was formerly home to the Bethel Midtown Village housing development, which was constructed in the early to mid-1970s and demolished in 2021. Phase I consisted of The View at NoDA, a 120-unit mixed-income community that opened in December 2024 and also included a public park and stormwater infrastructure.
The Square at NoDA will include amenities such as a community room, a fitness center, a computer room and a courtyard. The property will offer a range of rental tiers, including some units earmarked as “deeply affordable,” which will be reserved for tenants earning at or below 30 percent of area median income (AMI). Remaining units will be rent restricted at 60 percent of AMI while some units will be offered at market-rate rents.
Construction is slated to wrap by fall of 2027. Once completed over multiple future phases, the larger redevelopment will expand the number of affordable housing options in downtown Athens. In addition to residential units, the project will include retail and community space. Athens-Clarke County voters supported the redevelopment with a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), providing $39 million to purchase the existing Bethel property and support infrastructure for all phases, including enhanced public transportation access, new city blocks and public greenspaces.