32 Acres Near Six Flags Could Become Affordable Workforce Housing

COBB COUNTY, GA — More affordable workforce and senior housing options are coming near Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell.

The South Cobb Redevelopment Authority agreed to sell 32 acres of public land to a private developer that plans to build more than 550 units of affordable workforce and senior housing near the amusement park, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The 32 acres represents over half of the 51 acres the authority acquired in June 2020 to revitalize the area near Six Flags, according to county documents.

The first 294 units would be for families, with the remaining units set aside for seniors — and all would be designated for those making up to 60 percent of the area median income as determined by federal housing guidelines. Rent would range from $970 for a one-bedroom to $1,344 for a three-bedroom apartment.

Doug Stoner, board chair for the SCRA, told the AJC that the entity has always planned on using that land to provide housing, health care and fresh food to the community, all of which are badly needed.

The SCRA is talking with Cobb and Douglas Public Health to use some of the remaining acres of land for a medical campus, the AJC reported, leaving roughly 10 acres to use for a potential grocery store or something similar.

In November, the SCRA board approved a purchase agreement to sell the land for $4.8 million to Dominium, a Maine-based developer, and the Searles Foundation, a local nonprofit — but the sale is contingent on the partnership securing financing for the $140 million development. The project would also have to come before the county commission for final approval.

Dominium is expected to apply for federal low-income housing tax credits in the spring, with construction anticipated to start in early 2023, Stoner told the AJC.