The Tower Stands Tall for Seniors

The and Columbia Residential will dedicate The Tower at Dorsey Manor with a reception and ribbon cutting Wednesday at 10 a.m.

The Tower is a converted public housing high-rise at 212 Lemon St., between the and . It provides 80 apartments for people age 62 and older.

The Tower combines with the adjacent , which opened in 2009 with 72 apartments, to form a senior living campus. In addition to housing, The Tower includes a theater, a library, a computer lab, a community room and exercise facilities.

While all 80 apartments are reserved for people age 62 and up, 71 of them also will have annual income limits for tenants, currently $28,740 for individuals and $32,830 for couples. The rent in those apartments will be 30 percent of the tenant’s adjusted gross income.

The other nine apartments have no income restrictions and no rent caps.

“This was an arduous, complicated deal to put together, requiring a lot of teamwork with a lot of parties,” MHA Executive Director Ray Buday said in a news release about the project.

The Tower’s renovation used $7.4 million in low-income housing tax credits from the state Department of Community Affairs, a construction loan of nearly $5 million from JPMorgan Chase Bank, and loans of $1.5 million from the Department of Community Affairs, almost $1.6 million from the Marietta Housing Authority and $800,000 from MHA affiliate Cole Street Development.

“Columbia Residential has proven yet again to be an excellent partner in the renovation of The Tower,” MHA development director Pete Waldrep said in a statement. “They have brought together construction and design professionals to produce outstanding, affordable senior housing in our city, and we look forward to their continued involvement in the day-to-day management of The Tower.”

The Dorsey Manor name memorializes Annie Dorsey, who was a community and housing leader in the 1940s and 1950s.

Speakers scheduled for Wednesday’s celebration include Mayor Steve Tumlin, new and Midtown Atlanta-based Columbia Residential CEO Noel Khalil.

Tenant applications are available and accepted at the property. Call 678-594-0909 for more information.