Tax Allocation District (TAD) dollars are helping to preserve some of Atlanta’s most historically significant buildings, supporting restoration projects that celebrate the city’s civil rights legacy while strengthening neighborhoods and business districts.
More than $34 million in TAD grants have been approved by the Invest Atlanta Board to finance various preservation efforts, including the restoration of homes owned by George Alexander Towns and Grace Towns Hamilton in Vine City, Muses Lofts and several adjacent storefronts in Downtown, along with the Odd Fellows Building and Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in the Sweet Auburn District.
“These investments demonstrate how TAD funding can preserve Atlanta’s past while also shaping its future,” says Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “Preservation is not about nostalgia, it’s about promoting continuity, identity and opportunity for Atlanta entrepreneurs.”
Current TAD-supported restoration projects include:
George Alexander Towns and Grace Towns Hamilton Homes
Two historic properties in Vine City will soon be restored with help from a $1.3 million Westside TAD Grant. Combined with a $1 million National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund grant, the funding will allow the Atlanta Development Authority to renovate the homes of George Alexander Towns and Grace Towns Hamilton on University Place.
The homes are the historically designated residences of two prominent civil rights leaders – George Alexander Towns, who founded the Niagara Movement, and his daughter Grace Towns Hamilton, the first African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1966. Once complete, the properties will serve as cultural and educational spaces highlighting Atlanta’s civil rights history.
Muses Lofts and Adjacent Buildings
A $200,000 Westside TAD Downtown Façade Improvement Grant will fund preservation work at the historic Muses Lofts and adjacent retail buildings along Peachtree Street between Walton and Poplar Streets. The project includes restoring seven storefronts, preparing vacant units for occupancy and enhancing spaces currently used by small businesses.
Two of the vacant storefronts have historical significance and will receive additional restoration, including 66 Peachtree – the site of The Crystal Palace flagship barber shop owned and operated by notable Black businessman Alonzo Herndon – and 50 Peachtree, the flagship department store of the George Muse Clothing Company.
Odd Fellows Building
A $200,000 Eastside TAD Downtown Façade Improvement Grant will finance façade preservation work on the historic Odd Fellows Building on Auburn Avenue. The Atlanta Preservation Center is partnering with Georgia Works, Inc., to preserve and restore the façade of this architecturally significant structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic places. This work will complete the exterior restoration of the building after Georgia Works acquired and renovated the building for transitional housing and workforce programs supporting formerly homeless men.
Prince Hall Masonic Lodge
Historic preservation efforts recently culminated in the reopening of the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in Sweet Auburn after an extensive restoration. The landmark building has anchored the Auburn Avenue corridor for nearly 90 years as a center for leadership, community and economic opportunity. Invest Atlanta supported the project through $2.1 million in New Markets Tax Credits, a $250,000 Eastside TAD pre-development loan and a $1.5 million Eastside TAD grant.