Village of (relatively) attainable Decatur infill housing nears debut - Y'[email protected]
Village of (relatively) attainable Decatur infill housing nears debut Josh
GreenTue, 03/24/2026 - 14:41Construction is underway at a village-style node of
“missing middle” housing near Decatur, and project leaders say a soft launch to
start drumming up interest will begin next week. Cottages at Midway, a
mixed-income community, calls for 18 standalone, for-sale houses built around
shared courtyards and a greenspace. The goal is to turn vacant lots into more
accessible, single-family ITP housing near a major commercial corridor and
downtown Decatur, where median home values have climbed
[https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/decatur-dekalb-ga/] to more than
$700,000. The pocket neighborhood—located at 2883 and 2893 Midway Road in
unincorporated Decatur—is replacing two underused lots totaling 2.1 acres on a
residential street, next to Spirit and Truth Sanctuary church. The site is
tucked off Columbia Drive, near the Belvedere Plaza shopping center on Memorial
Drive (formerly home to Kroger Citi-Center), outside the City of Decatur. All 18
homes will feature two bedrooms in a variety of floorplans, ranging from 800 to
1,200 square feet. All will also be solar-ready. alt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%20map%202.png?itok=7E4R37YD]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%20map%202.png?itok=t33x-mw6Overview
of the Cottages at Midway property in relation to the large Belvedere Plaza
shopping center, where Kroger has closed its anchor Belvedere Citi-Center
location. Google Mapsalt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%202.png?itok=0UNwcsC-]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%202.png?itok=9RbmMdMrCottages
at Midway; courtesy of MicroLife InstituteThe cottages project is being led by
MicroLife Institute, Housing Development Corporation of DeKalb, and Alair
Homes. According to MicroLife Institute executive director Will Johnston, a
planned April 1 soft launch for the project is meant to serve as an initial look
at what’s coming for the general public. “With the soft launch, the focus is
less on hard sales and more on building an early interest pipeline and preparing
buyers—and lenders—ahead of sales opening this summer,” Johnston wrote via
email. “[The project is] designed to hit that ‘missing middle’ sweet spot
between single-family and multifamily.”The mixed-income structure is being
finalized, according to Johnston, but current plans call for six homes being
capped at sales prices for buyers earning 80 percent of the Area Median Income
or less. Another six homes would be sold at 120 percent AMI, and the remaining
six at market-rate, per Johnston. A project announcement in September stated
Cottages at Midway homes would range between $375,000 and $475,000. “On pricing,
we’re still working through final numbers given construction costs and financing
structure,” Johnston said. “The ranges previously discussed publicly are still
directionally helpful, but we’re not locking anything in just yet as we refine
the AMI execution and subsidy layering.“For the AMI units,” Johnston continued,
“we’re working with Decide DeKalb on a silent second mortgage approach to make
the homes truly attainable for income-qualified buyers… who often don’t realize
they could qualify for homeownership in a project like this.”alt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%201.png?itok=Milr-IXg]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%201.png?itok=LyX1DGBJCottages
at Midway; courtesy of MicroLife Institutealt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%203.png?itok=-rNQY6z1]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%203.png?itok=h3xoAU_3Cottages
at Midway; courtesy of MicroLife InstituteMicroLife Institute previously
developed another single-family project with similar goals—Cottages on Vaughn
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/photos-georgias-first-tiny-home-village-complete-and-sold-out] in
Clarkston, considered Georgia’s first tiny home village—that quickly sold out
several years ago. Communal, HOA-managed amenities in Decatur call for raised
garden beds for residents and either a play space or dog park, with pedestrian
walkways throughout.To [http://throughout.To] help move the project forward, the
Decide DeKalb Development Authority board last year approved a $2.25-million
Urban Renewal Fund award for Cottages at Midway, via the Avondale Mall/Columbia
Drive (Avondale) Tax Allocation District. The project is expected to cost $6.8
million overall, per Decide DeKalb. The funding was sourced from a subordinate
acquisition and construction loan ($752,000), a grant ($528,000), and a
forgivable loan ($975,000) meant to support missing-middle homebuyers. The loan
for building more attainable homes will be forgiven at the end of a 10-year
affordability term—so long as the houses remain owner-occupied, per Decide
DeKalb officials. That approach is meant to ensure families have access to
quality homeownership opportunities in desirable locations. And the
least-expensive options are meant to help first responders, teachers, essential
service providers, and other local workforce members achieve homeownership in
the area. Find more context in the gallery above. The project’s website, once it
launches, will be available here [https://www.cottagesatmidway.com/], with an
option for joining an “interest list,” per Johnston. **…**Follow us on social
media:Twitter [https://twitter.com/UrbanizeATL] / Facebook
[https://www.facebook.com/UrbanizeATL]/and now: Instagram
[https://www.instagram.com/urbanizeatlanta_/] • Decatur news, discussion
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/neighborhood/decatur] (Urbanize Atlanta)Tags2893
Midway Road [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/2893-midway-road]Cottages at
Midway [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/cottages-midway]Decide DeKalb
Development Authority
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decide-dekalb-development-authority]Decide
DeKalb [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decide-dekalb]MicroLife Institute
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/microlife-institute]Housing Development
Corporation of DeKalb
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/housing-development-corporation-dekalb]Alair
Homes [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/alair-homes]Urban Renewal Fund
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/urban-renewal-fund]Lorraine Cochran-Johnson
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/lorraine-cochran-johnson]Affordable Cottages
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/affordable-cottages]Cottage Court Ordinance
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/cottage-court-ordinance]Affordability
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/affordability-0]Decatur Affordable Housing
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decatur-affordable-housing]Affordable
Housing [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/affordable-housing-0]Single-Family
Homes [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/single-family-homes]Tiny Homes
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/tiny-homes-0]Atlanta Homes for Sale
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/atlanta-homes-sale]Decatur News
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decatur-news]Decatur Housing
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decatur-housing]Decatur Homes for Sale
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decatur-homes-sale]Spirit and Truth
Sanctuary church
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/spirit-and-truth-sanctuary-church]Belvedere
Plaza [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/belvedere-plaza]Memorial Drive
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/memorial-drive]Columbia Drive
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/columbia-drive]Pocket Neighborhood
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/pocket-neighborhood]Pocket Neighborhoods
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/pocket-neighborhoods]Missing Middle
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/missing-middle]Missing Middle Housing
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/missing-middle-housing]Decatur Home
Construction [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/decatur-home-construction]For
Sale in Decatur [https://atlanta.urbanize.city/tags/sale-decatur]Imagesalt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%20map.png?itok=erIxXsxp]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%20map.png?itok=jQ6ALS7KThe
single-family home project’s location at 2883 and 2893 Midway Road, tucked off
Columbia Drive. Google Mapsalt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%20map%202.png?itok=7E4R37YD]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%20map%202.png?itok=t33x-mw6Overview
of the Cottages at Midway property in relation to the large Belvedere Plaza
shopping center, where Kroger has closed its anchor Belvedere Citi-Center
location. Google Mapsalt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%205.png?itok=-H7cUoQh]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%205.png?itok=skD_tf8cThe
Cottages at Midway project site (at right) in relation to Spirit and Truth
Sanctuary church next door. Google Mapsalt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%203.png?itok=-rNQY6z1]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%203.png?itok=h3xoAU_3Cottages
at Midway; courtesy of MicroLife Institutealt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%201.png?itok=Milr-IXg]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%201.png?itok=LyX1DGBJCottages
at Midway; courtesy of MicroLife Institutealt
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/950w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%202.png?itok=0UNwcsC-]https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/1140w/public/2025-09/Cottages%20at%20Midway%202.png?itok=9RbmMdMrCottages
at Midway; courtesy of MicroLife InstituteSubtitleDeveloper: Cottages at Midway
targets "‘missing middle’ sweet spot between single-family and
multifamily"NeighborhoodDecatur
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/neighborhood/decatur]Background ImageImageA
rendering of a large village of standalone homes under blue skies with a large
green courtyard in the middle and porch, with people on bikes and a shopping
center nearby.
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/sites/default/files/styles/480x270/public/background/2026-03/Cottages%20at%20Midway%201.png?itok=Ic55ZAvX]Associated
ProjectCottages at Midway
[https://atlanta.urbanize.city/project/cottages-midway]Before/After
ImagesSponsored PostOff #Atlanta #UrbanizeAtlanta #theATLBot