Land Swap for College Partners Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

Brookwood and Trinity Plus One Consultants formed a joint venture to execute a land swap between the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) and three of the four colleges at the Atlanta University Center (AU Center).

The Housing Authority owned residential property adjacent to the AU Center and was willing to exchange it for nearby properties allowing the creation of a new mixed-income community while providing the colleges with the opportunity to expand their campuses through the swapping and acquisition of properties.

Under the leadership of Dwan Packnett, Brookwood/Trinity created a non-profit entity, College Partners Inc. (CPI), that included on its board of directors representatives from each of the three colleges. The board identified neighborhoods, blocks and buildings to be acquired for campus expansions. The initial 20-acre land acquisition included managing the negotiations, title work, closings, demolition, legal agreements, property management and insurance procurement.  Thirty-four parcels owned by separate families or entities were acquired for the three colleges.

Supplemental services for CPI included design and production of parcel maps, phasing schemes, conceptual land subdivision and building massing of the 20-acre site. The team also assisted the colleges in preparing a $4.8 million proposal for a streetscape and gateway plan for the southern entrance of the campuses.

The team also was retained by CPI to provide planning to illustrate site capacity options and “test fits” for anticipated buildings and uses. This included preparing a zoning analysis and identifying pending nearby infrastructure improvements by the City of Atlanta.

Owner
Morehouse College, Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine

Services Provided
Master Planning, Site Planning & Design