TRANSIT TOWN RISING

The Decatur Housing Authority will begin construction next year on a plan to turn much of the sprawling Avondale MARTA station parking lot into a neighborhood of apartments and condominiums. It's the first phase of a 20-year plan to transform a 40-acre warren of industrial warehouses between College Avenue and Columbia Drive on the city's east border into a community of small homes, shops and parks.

The Atlanta Regional Commission has provided $73 million in grants to communities to encourage development around transit stations and walkable neighborhoods. The ARC has earmarked $3.85 million — which includes a 20 percent local match — for the Avondale station. Read more...