May is National Preservation Month — a time to reflect on the spaces that tell our nation’s story and to recognize the people working to protect them. On Atlanta’s historic Westside, preservation is not just about safeguarding the past — it’s about protecting a community’s future.
Westside Future Fund (WFF) was established to help revitalize the historic Westside in a way that is compassionate, inclusive, and rooted in respect for what has come before. That includes restoring homes, reactivating legacy properties, and ensuring that legacy residents and those with deep ties to this community are not left behind as growth accelerates.
Restoration Over Replacement
In neighborhoods like English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center, and Just Us, WFF takes a preservation-first approach: prioritizing the restoration of existing single-family homes and multifamily buildings over demolition and new construction. This method maintains the neighborhood’s historic character while creating new opportunities for those who live, work, and learn here.
Home on the Westside: Rent. Buy. Retain.
WFF’s signature initiative, Home on the Westside, reflects its commitment to community retention. The program connects individuals with live, work, or learn ties to the Westside to affordable housing options — offering pathways to rent, buy, or retain a home in the neighborhoods they love.
- Rent: WFF has restored hundreds of housing units across the historic Westside, offering deeply affordable, high-quality homes for individuals and families.
- Buy: Through a mix of historically-conscious new construction and renovated homes, WFF supports homeownership for residents with community ties. Buyers who meet community retention guidelines are eligible for significant down payment assistance — creating opportunities for generational wealth-building through stable housing.
- Retain: The Anti-Displacement Tax Fund (ADTF) is a cornerstone of WFF’s preservation mission. It covers rising property taxes for qualified legacy homeowners for up to 20 years, helping ensure longtime residents are not priced out of their neighborhoods.
220 Sunset Avenue: A Living Landmark
One of WFF’s most meaningful restoration efforts is 220 Sunset Avenue, the former home of the Jackson family — including Rev. Maynard Jackson Sr. and Dr. Irene Dobbs Jackson, and childhood home to Maynard Jackson Jr., Atlanta’s first Black mayor.
Vacant for years, the home was sold to WFF by The King Center in 2020. WFF fully restored the property, preserving its civil rights-era legacy. Today, through a partnership with Spelman College, it will serve as affordable housing for Spelman faculty. This project is not only a tribute to an extraordinary family, but also an example of restoration as a tool for present-day impact.
The Yellow Store: Preserving a Cornerstone
The Yellow Store — a two-story masonry building located at the corner of James P. Brawley Drive and Cameron M. Alexander Blvd — was once a hub for neighborhood commerce and connection, before systemic disinvestment in the community brought extensive crime to the location. Recognizing its cultural significance, WFF acquired the property in 2019 with plans to expel criminal activity and restore the structure as a community resource.
The building had stood vacant for years, with WFF prioritizing its preservation in alignment with the Westside Land Use Framework Plan. Rather than rushing to redevelop, WFF stabilized the structure and continued to engage residents on how best to return the building to use in a way that reflects neighborhood priorities. Now, new plans are set to mark a new chapter for the building — with the restoration project set to start in the Summer of 2025, the Yellow Store stands as a symbol of what’s possible when historic preservation and community vision work together.
English Avenue Carnegie Library: Honoring Intellectual Legacy
Another vital restoration effort is the English Avenue Carnegie Library — the first branch library for African Americans in Atlanta. Long vacant and in danger of further decline, the building is now being restored by WFF for future use as office space. Its rehabilitation brings new life to a legacy institution while maintaining the architectural and cultural integrity that makes it so significant.
Preservation in Partnership
Preservation on the Westside is powered by people. From large-scale volunteer events like the MLK Day of Service to monthly community clean ups, the WFF Volunteer Corps partners with residents, volunteers, and corporate supporters to care for community landmarks and foster pride in place.
A Future Rooted in History
As we celebrate National Preservation Month, Westside Future Fund remains committed to a revitalization strategy that renews rather than replaces — preserving what makes the Westside historic, while ensuring it remains a place of belonging for those who call it home.
Because preserving the Westside isn’t just about saving the past. It’s about securing the future.