Westside Future Fund Breaks Ground on 280 James P. Brawley, the Organization’s First New-Construction Development in Vine City
Westside Future Fund (WFF), joined by City of Atlanta leaders, community partners, and residents, broke ground today on 280 James P. Brawley — an 18-unit multifamily development marking the organization’s first ground-up, new-construction project in the Vine City neighborhood.
Built on land that has sat blighted and vacant for years, the multistory development will deliver 18 new high-quality, affordable homes serving legacy families with live, work, and learn connections to the historic Westside community through Westside Future Fund’s signature Home on the Westside program. The project reflects WFF’s commitment to restoration without displacement, converting underused land into permanently affordable housing that allows legacy residents to remain and new neighbors with ties to the community to put down lasting roots.
“Vine City is the last place Dr. King lived with his family. The land at 280 James P. Brawley is emblematic of the decades of disinvestment this historic area has endured. After sitting vacant and blighted for years, today it enters a new chapter.,” said John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund. “Through our commitment to restoration without displacement, this site will now provide high quality, permanently affordable housing ensuring that residents with deep roots here can stay and help build a community Dr. King would be proud to call home.”
The $6.7 million development is made possible through a combination of corporate, philanthropic and public investment, including $1 million in supporting investment from the Westside Tax Allocation District (TAD). Together, this braided funding demonstrates how public tools and private, philanthropic capital can support “restoration without displacement” in historic neighborhoods like Vine City and English Avenue.
Designed by Atlanta-based Kronberg Urbanists + Architects and developed by BlackOak, the multistory project has secured its building permits and is positioned to begin construction Q3 2026 with anticipated completion Q2 2027. The development continues the momentum of WFF’s Home on the Westside initiative, which pairs new and restored affordable housing with homeownership resources and property tax relief for legacy residents.
“I’ve spent my career in real estate, but my heart has always been on the Westside, the neighborhood that made me who I am,” said T. Dallas Smith, Board Chair of Westside Future Fund. “This historic first new-construction project in Vine City shows what happens when we value a neighborhood’s future as much as its history. By building opportunity right here on James P. Brawley, we are ensuring that legacy residents and those returning home can thrive together on the Westside.”
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from:
- Mayor Andre Dickens, City of Atlanta
- Councilman Byron Amos, Atlanta City Council
- John Ahmann, President & CEO, Westside Future Fund
