An unusual joint workshop meeting of the Roswell mayor and city council and members of the Roswell Housing Authority set the stage for an ambitious plan to redevelop housing units owned by the Authority as well as adjacent neighborhoods around City Hall.

The area, to be known as the Arts Village, is bounded by Oxbo Road, South Atlanta Street, Norcross Street and Hog Waller Creek.

Almost five years ago, it was the subject of another push for redevelopment that quietly died after strong objections from area residents, including tenants of the Authority’s housing units for seniors.

“That was our trial run,” Mayor Jere Wood said at the Monday night workshop. “We learned some things, and the primary thing we learned is we have to be really sensitive to the community. We need to bring them in from the very beginning. I think we now have the right team to make this

happen.”

Participants spoke of an overall vision for the area that includes a mix of affordable and workforce housing, which translates to units for low to moderate income residents as well as market-value units.

Its proximity to Canton Street, the library, Waller Park and the National Park Service’s Vickery Creek unit would all be big selling points for potential homeowners, Authority members and elected officials agreed.

Additionally, the area’s physical layout is conducive to the new urban model for redeveloped neighborhoods, said Councilman Rich Dippolito, council liaison to the community development department.

“The area has an established street grid and would work really well for pedestrians and a live-work-play environment,” he said.

“I think this has the potential to be one of the best neighborhoods in Roswell if it’s done right,” the mayor added.

A charrette process for stakeholders will kick off Tuesday, 4 p.m. in City Hall, with an overview and procedural timeline. Sponsored by the city in conjunction with the Community Choices Program of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the actual three-day charrette is expected to be held mid-summer.

One of the many issues that needs to be explored is whether any new units managed by the Housing Authority should remain on the 14 acres of land it now owns just north of Oxbo Road.

The new goal for the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which regulates subsidized housing units such as Roswell’s, is “deconcentration in terms of income,” said architect Richard Aiken, who is consulting with the Roswell Housing Authority on redeveloping its units.

In addition to being more inclusive, from a practical standpoint, it may be desirable to spread any new units throughout the Arts Village rather than lump them altogether at one site, said Councilman David Tolleson.

“It’s hard to sell a [new] development next to Housing Authority units, no matter how well it’s run. It creates some challenges for a developer,” Tolleson said.