Preserving Atlanta

Building a community takes people coming together, and Dorthey Hurst understands that power. Hurst is the committee chair for public safety of the Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) in Atlanta. It was in 2019 when Hurst, along with other members of NPU, met with Wingate Companies about the crime rate on Boulevard North in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood in Atlanta. Wingate Companies, a developer and manager of affordable and market-rate housing, owns property in the neighborhood, and concerned neighbors wanted Wingate Companies to hold their tenants accountable for their actions.

Over the years, NPU and Wingate Companies have partnered on crime reduction through community programs, and their bond strengthened today, on June 3, 2025, with the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Cypress 595. Cypress 595 is a 77-unit affordable housing community developed to provide energy-efficient, family-centered homes for Atlanta residents earning up to 60% of the area median income.

“Affordable housing is truly important in every community because without affordable housing we end up with people on the street unhoused. Everyone is not a millionaire or middle class…we need to support every level of the community.” – Dorthey Hurst

Cypress 595 replaced units from the historic Bedford Pines complex, which was decaying and abandoned. This development was 10 years in the making, and Wingate Companies Senior VP of Affordable Housing, John Tatum, said it’s about more than renovation; it’s about providing safe, high-quality housing. The renovated housing includes stainless steel appliances, durable laminate flooring, ceiling fans, washer/dryer hookups, a rooftop deck with skyline views, a fitness center, a cyber café, a kids’ community area, and a Parcel Pending package management system.

“We need housing in America…we need affordable housing,” said Tatum.

Cypress 595 is the fourth phase of Wingate Companies’ multi-phase City Lights master plan to preserve affordability, deconcentrate poverty, and uplift Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. According to a press release, through a resident-centered approach, original Bedford Pines residents were prioritized for return via a phased relocation and return program.

Wingate Companies CEO Mark Schuster said during the press conference that Wingate Companies doesn’t buy properties to flip them.

“We’re here for the long term,” said Schuster. “We’re here to stay.

Tatum said leasing for Cypress 595 opens in the next two to three weeks. Those interested in living at the Cypress 595, click here.

20,000 Affordable Housing Units by 2030

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was in attendance at the ribbon-cutting where he shared a few remarks. Mayor Dickens has always been very open about his plan to increase affordable housing in Atlanta. He’s currently aiming to create or preserve 20,000 affordable units by 2030 through various initiatives, including updated density bonus programs, funding for rapid rehousing, and partnerships with organizations to develop affordable housing like Wingate Companies.

Mayor Dickens stated during the press conference that they have 6,700 units move-in ready and 5,000 units are under construction.

He recently spoke with some nearby residents who see affordable housing as their top concern, which is a shift from a few years ago when crime was the main issue. By tackling one challenge at a time, Mayor Dickens, along with help from others, aims to bring lasting solutions to Atlanta’s housing crisis.

“I thank you for supporting our efforts to move Atlanta forward together,” said Mayor Dickens.

He added that more development doesn’t have to mean displacement.

“We’re building a type of Atlanta where families can stay rooted in their communities,” said Mayor Dickens.

30 Years of Operation P.E.A.C.E

For some in the community, Cypress 595 represents what can happen when different stakeholders come together for the greater good of the people. Operation P.E.A.C.E (Positive Education Always Creates Elevation) is one of those things that was created for the betterment of the community.

Operation P.E.A.C.E is located in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta and was founded by Edna Moffett and 25 college students as a homework program. According to the Atlanta Magazine, in 1983, Moffett took a job as an assistant property manager with Wingate Companies and was assigned to the Village of Bedford Pines, Wingate Companies’s collection of Section 8–subsidized apartments along the Boulevard corridor. She used her voice and vision to create Operation P.E.A.C.E, which Wingate Companies has been a big supporter of.

The late Moffett was honored at the ribbon cutting, with her sons and Operation P.E.A.C.E Program Director Marcel Benoit in attendance. Benoit was one of the 25 students to originally work with Moffett. Benoit now leads the organization, carrying forward Moffett’s vision for a better Atlanta. In its 30th year, Operation P.E.A.C.E now serves over 600 families through after-school and summer programs. During the press conference, Benoit said Cypress 595 is the fulfillment of Moffett’s life’s work.

“I look forward to being here another 30 years,” said Benoit.