New Birth proposes mixed-use "New Birth Village" at 6370 Woodrow Road with senior housing and retail; rezoning, variances set for October hearings

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and its nonprofit development arm, the New Birth Community Development Corporation, presented a proposal on Sept. 11 to rezone land at 6370 Woodrow Road for a mixed-use project called New Birth Village that would include affordable and attainable housing, senior housing, commercial space and community amenities. The church’s chief financial officer, Adolphus Armstrong, said the sponsors seek rezonings and design variances to allow a mix of residential and commercial uses on the property.

The proposal would transform a long-cleared parcel New Birth owns into a walkable district with single-family cottage homes, senior townhomes, multifamily units and about 20,000 square feet of office/retail space. “A dream deferred is not a dream denied,” Adolphus Armstrong said during the presentation, describing the project as a faith-anchored development to expand housing options and neighborhood services.

Why it matters: New Birth Village would add hundreds of housing opportunities and neighborhood-serving retail on land that has been vacant for decades and is adjacent to existing New Birth facilities. Proponents said the project aims to increase homeownership opportunities, create jobs and expand the…