Just under two years ago, we were celebrating the groundbreaking of Haven at South Atlanta, a mixed-income, multi-family development featuring 84 rental units.
On Monday, April 10, we came together again to celebrate again with a joyful ribbon cutting ceremony. Haven is officially open to welcome residents!
Guests at the ceremony included Mayor Andre Dickens, District 1 Council Member Jason Winston, Invest Atlanta President and CEO Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Price Middle School Principal Luqman Abdur-Rahman, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Christopher Nunn, Senior Vice President of Network Member Supports at Purpose Built Communities’ Katie Delp, and many others eager to see Haven and applaud this step towards securing an equitable, mixed-income future for neighbors.
Yet despite these big names, the two guests that most clearly communicated the gravity of the day and the depth of South Atlanta’s richness were BeLinda McMichael and Elyse Logan. BeLinda’s family had owned the property upon which Haven sits, 57 Hardwick Ave SE, from the 1880s through the mid-1990s. They donated it to a church, hoping it would one day be used to help others family thrive.
“This development is exactly in line with what my family stood for – strengthening the community and serving other people,” BeLinda said. Her father, Robert McMichael, was a trailblazer for Black Americans in law enforcement and served as one of the first Black U.S. Marshals in the nation. He passed away in 2021.
Elyse, who moved into one of Haven’s units, was moved to hear the story. “Because of your family, I have a home. I love where I live,” she said before the two women embraced.
These two women, both born and raised in Atlanta, remind us that this work is only possible because of the generosity, kindness, and determination of our neighbors. It is our honor to come alongside them to see everyone in South Atlanta thrive for generations to come.
Your support is essential in making it real.
