Columbia Residential’s ribbon-cutting celebration for the Legacy at East Lake redevelopment captured significant attention from Atlanta media outlets and industry publications, reflecting the project’s importance as a milestone in the city’s affordable housing efforts.

The September 12, 2025, grand reopening ceremony received coverage from Georgia Public Broadcasting, which aired the story three times and published an in-depth online piece titled “Atlanta reaches affordable housing milestone with Eastside project completion.” Their digital coverage reached an estimated 223,000 readers and was subsequently shared by Rough Draft Atlanta, extending the story’s reach within Atlanta’s development community.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle also published a story covering the business and economic development aspects of the public-private partnership, “East Lake residences reopen after $35 million redevelopment.” 11 Alive featured the celebration on their 4 PM newscast on the day of the event, bringing the story directly to approximately 30,000 Atlanta-area viewers. The television coverage highlighted the human interest elements of the project, particularly the return of 72 original residents who had been temporarily relocated during the extensive redevelopment.

The event also garnered attention from several key industry publications. REBusiness Online provided comprehensive coverage of the redevelopment details and community impact in its article “Columbia Residential Completes $35 Million Redevelopment of Affordable Housing Seniors Housing Community in Atlanta.” Seniors Housing Business highlighted the specialized amenities and services designed for residents aged 55 and older in its article “Columbia Residential Completes $35 Million Redevelopment at Legacy at East Lake in Atlanta.”

Within the local real estate community, Atlanta Agent Magazine published “Legacy at East Lake’s $35M redevelopment completed,” ensuring that approximately 5,000 real estate professionals stayed informed about this significant development milestone.

The breadth of coverage—spanning local broadcast media, public broadcasting, and specialized industry trades—demonstrates how the $35 million transformation of this 1970s high-rise resonated across multiple audiences. The story’s appeal stemmed from several compelling elements: the successful preservation of 149 affordable senior housing units in the historic East Lake neighborhood, the complex public-private financing partnership, and the project’s role in advancing Mayor Andre Dickens’ broader affordable housing initiatives.

About Columbia Residential

Founded in 1991 by Noel Khalil, Columbia Residential is an award-winning Atlanta-based developer, owner, and manager of affordable and mixed-income housing. Celebrating its thirty-four-year anniversary in 2025, the company is on track to manage 10,000 affordable and mixed-income housing units in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee in more than 75 apartment communities by the end of the year. Columbia Residential makes a lasting commitment to each community it plans, builds, and services by providing a continuum of stewardship that powers long-term investments. The company’s unique approach to property management includes an innovative model for resident services, including comprehensive on-site programming along with additional resources provided through strategic partnerships with local entities that foster a strong home life and growth mindset for every resident. For more information, please visit https://columbiares.com.