The Den at Eight50 West Under Construction in Atlanta's West End

The Den at Eight50 West, a 305-unit residential development at 850 West End Avenue SW in Atlanta's West End, is under construction. Work began July 1, 2026, with a groundbreaking ceremony October 15 attended by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the presidents of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. The unit count was revised from 290 to 305, while total square footage dropped from 450,000 to 358,000. Madrone Community Development Foundation is the developer, with architecture by Moody Nolan, the nation's largest African American-owned architecture firm.

The project is the first shared residential community for Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, with 793 beds across studio, one-, two-, and four-bedroom units. All 305 units are affordable, with rents projected to average roughly 3 percent below comparable off-campus housing. Completion is expected by the end of 2028.

The $147 million development is one of the largest HBCU student housing financings to date. The Development Authority of Fulton County issued $146,763,475 in tax-exempt and taxable bonds, closing July 1, 2026. Ownership is nonprofit through Madrone-MS Student Housing LLC under a 50-year lease with West End Avenue P3 LLC, a Morehouse-Spelman joint venture. Construction is led by a Clark Construction and C.D. Moody Construction joint venture, with civil engineering by Pape-Dawson.

Amenities include a 24/7 staffed lobby, fitness center, study rooms, lounges on every floor, bike storage, a dog park, outdoor recreation space, and a central green. The site sits across from Morehouse's B.T. Harvey Stadium and previously hosted SpelHouse homecoming activities.