A vacant 1.7-acre lot on Main Street in north downtown East Point is planned for a 57-unit mixed-income apartment project after developer Vecino Group received a state housing tax credit award tied to the site. Called Libertad East Point, the project is just south of Arthur B. Jr. Parkway near a BP gas station and a couple of blocks from MARTA's Lakewood-Fort McPherson station.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs selected Libertad East Point for a 2026 housing tax credit award following a competitive review, according to East Point officials cited by Urbanize Atlanta. City officials said the federal and matching state credits are expected to generate about $17.1 million in private investment at the site. In a separate LinkedIn post, East Point official Frank Whitfield cited an 86.5 score and $1.35 million in annual housing credits, which he said could amount to more than $17 million in support for the project overall. The figures describe related but different measures of the award and its anticipated financing.
Whitfield credited both the city's Georgia Initiative for Community Housing group and the East Point City Council for backing the plan. Per Urbanize Atlanta, East Point's Georgia Initiative for Community Housing group selected the Libertad project and the City Council formally endorsed it. Whitfield celebrated the news on LinkedIn, writing that “Mixed-Income Quality Affordable Housing is coming to East Point,” and adding that he was “so proud of the East Point GICH Committee and the City Council for supporting this affordable housing development by Vecino Group.”
What's Planned for the Main Street Site
Vecino Group's proposal calls for 57 apartments and street-level commercial space along Main Street, according to Urbanize Atlanta. The developer submitted tentative facade plans to city officials in April, and its proposal included a Main Street-facing building with commercial-ready space on the ground floor. Neither the developer nor city officials have announced a construction schedule.
Of the 57 planned units, 45 would be reserved for income-qualified households, according to Urbanize Atlanta. A Vecino presentation cited by the outlet placed the targeted income range at 30% to 120% of area median income, or roughly $24,000 to $96,000 annually for a one-person household. The project does not yet have a publicly announced construction timeline or final project visuals.
How the proposal fits East Point's housing plans
The proposed mix of apartments and commercial space is consistent with the city's broader planning framework. According to the City of East Point's Comprehensive Plan 2022-2023 Update, the Main Street Corridor is intended to support compact mixed-use, mixed-income development with improved pedestrian, bicycle and transit access to MARTA stations. The city's draft Housing Needs Assessment and Neighborhoods Revitalization Plan says community input identified a need for more diverse housing options and a mix of price points and housing types. It also identifies affordable rental and for-sale housing for working families as local needs, providing context for the range of incomes targeted by Libertad East Point.
A Possible Second Phase and Vecino's Track Record
Vecino Group has told East Point city officials that a second phase could take shape next to the 57 planned units, depending on market conditions, per Urbanize Atlanta's reporting. Libertad is described as Vecino Group's family-oriented development brand, and the company brings a local track record to the East Point project.
The developer previously partnered with East Point's housing authority on the renovation of Aya Tower, a project that cost $24 million, according to the outlet. Vecino Group also completed Intrada Westside in Bankhead, which includes 143 affordable housing units and reserves 25 apartments for formerly homeless residents under Atlanta Housing's HomeFlex-Haven program. The company is additionally a partner in the 219-unit Trinity Central Flats project near Atlanta City Hall. Urbanize Atlanta reports that Vecino Group has committed to continued community engagement as the East Point project moves forward.
