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DEL.ICIO.USThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/06/08
Twenty years ago, W. Harrison Merrill was taking on risky redevelopment projects when redevelopment was not so chic.
His company, Landmark American, refurbished Marietta Station and the Kennesaw House in Marietta, the Buggy Works in East Point and the Odd Fellows Building on Auburn Avenue.
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Landmark American went bankrupt in 1990, but Merrill bounced back as the head of Resort Hotels, Vanguard Properties, and Merrill Trust Communities and Resorts.
Now the 64-year-old Atlanta native is pitching his two most ambitious local projects on 2,400 rural acres in Palmetto and Douglas County.
Representatives of Merrill Trust met Monday with the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority to lay out the company's proposals. Regional approval could come this summer; after that, local governments will have to sign off on the plans.
In Palmetto in south Fulton County, Merrill Trust proposes building 5,400 residences and 1.1 million square feet of commercial space on 1,300 acres. The project would take 20 years to complete.
Merrill's 12-year project in Douglas would have 910 resort residences and up to 2.3 million square feet of commercial space on 1,100 acres.
Consultants hired by Merrill Trust estimate the Palmetto project, called Foxhall Village, would add 30,000 vehicle trips a day to that area when finished in about 2028. The Douglas project, dubbed Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club, would add about 20,000 trips, they say.
The Foxhall Resort site is in the southeast corner of Douglas, bounded by the Chattahoochee River and Capps Ferry Road, which becomes South Fulton Parkway in Fulton County. Access would be restricted to resort guests and residents.
To the east, the Foxhall Village land is in the northwest area of Palmetto, bisected by Cochran Mill Road. That area is designated for village development in the Chattahoochee Hill Country master plan for south Fulton, which calls for clustered development to protect big swaths of green space.
Foxhall Village would have 330,000 square feet of retail space, 770,000 square feet of office space, 1,909 detached homes, 1,231 apartments and 2,232 townhouses and condominiums.
Merrill was out of town Monday and not available to discuss the projects. Two representatives of Merrill Trust met with the ARC and GRTA.
In Rabun County near North Carolina, Merrill Trust owns the Sky Valley Resort and Country Club, where mountain homes and home sites are for sale.
Near Phoenix, "the Trust and affiliated entities have acquired ... over 25,000 acres which has been zoned for over 120,000 lots, making the Trust by far the largest single owner of entitled lots in Arizona," according to Harrison Merrill's biography on the Web site Ugandan American Partnership Organization. Merrill is a board member for the organization, founded by his daughter.
Merrill graduated from the Westminster Schools, the University of North Carolina and Emory University Law School. He practiced law for about three years before starting Vanguard Properties.
He is a member of the Westminster sports hall of fame because of his swimming prowess. He funded the school's natatorium, which opened eight years ago.
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Comments
By Local Resident
May 8, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
Now, lets put more homes into this area, pay higher taxes for the services needed and on top of it all take this into account........
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/05/08/fulton_0508.html
By Janet
May 7, 2008 6:01 AM | Link to this
I just returned to the U.S. from a third world country. They have beautiful landscapes, local markets with fresh locally grown produce, NO Wal-Marts or shopping malls or subdivisions, and everyone has health care...which is more than I can say for this "developed" country! And they ain't too fond of the bossy, arrogant U.S. either!
By greg
May 6, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this
Too Late to fight this. When a developer comes before political boards, it is a done deal!!!! The developers do not spend this amount of money on projects unless they know what the outcome will BE!!!!!!! Georgia politicians will not be happy until we are wall to wall, CONCRETE.
By bjord's
May 6, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this
Once again, referring to developers moving to Florida to their beach homes; you are purely showing your aggression to those who are successful. Face it, you have wealth envy.
Go to a third world country and check out the development and infrastructure- if you like what you see then complain about developers in the US all you want. I personally appreciate all they do.
I stand corrected, developers do not have to supply all infrastructure. I was referring to the basic infrastructure of road, curb, and having most utility work installed. In addition, you might want to check up on the Richards and Foxhall. There were some changes in the ownership very recently- most people would not be aware of the changes- there was private equity involved with it- Richards no longer owns the land.
By Calvin
May 6, 2008 8:34 PM | Link to this
A long with progress comes crime.
By Calvin
May 6, 2008 8:34 PM | Link to this
A long with progress comes crime.
By Road Commish
May 6, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
It's one thing to build a road, it's another to maintain it.
The person who said developers have to build infrastructure you are dead wrong.
Developers DO NOT have to build water plants, they DO NOT maintain roads, they DO NOT have to build and maintain schools. Guess who pays for all of that? That's right...WE DO! Developers should have to pay all the costs associated with their development. As it stands now, we, the taxpayers, subsidize developers bad business model and that's how the developers throw up some houses, make tens of millions, and then they skip town to their beach front home in Florida and stick US with the bills and fallout from their mistakes.
Make 'em pay. Govt. should not be subsidizing developments. No wonder our taxes are through the roof!
By bjord's
May 6, 2008 7:19 PM | Link to this
How sad are all of you ýWealth Envyý people??? This is America- you should love capitalism; because that is one of the reasons that makes this country great and the best in the world! To start off, the individual who commented on developers should have to maintain all roads, schools, etcý The developer has to put a bond down to insure that all of the infrastructure is completed and built to standard. If you want to blame people for infrastructure for not being built- you should complain to your county- they have the right to exercise and release the bond. I live near this proposed development and I love it. I have a capitalistic mindset- I want my property values to go up. Some of you are probably voting for Obama because of his ýChangeý campaign- but when change happens near you- you donýt react. I hope it is just that most of you are wealthy envy people and that you are jealous that someone else has capitalized on their own successes- whereby youýve sat around moaning and complaining that you should get a raise at your worthless job making widgets.
Develop away!
By bjord's
May 6, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this
How sad are all of you ýWealth Envyý people??? This is America- you should love capitalism; because that is one of the reasons that makes this country great and the best in the world! To start off, the individual who commented on developers should have to maintain all roads, schools, etcý The developer has to put a bond down to insure that all of the infrastructure is completed and built to standard. If you want to blame people for infrastructure for not being built- you should complain to your county- they have the right to exercise and release the bond. I live near this proposed development and I love it. I have a capitalistic mindset- I want my property values to go up. Some of you are probably voting for Obama because of his ýChangeý campaign- but when change happens near you- you donýt react. I hope it is just that most of you are wealthy envy people and that you are jealous that someone else has capitalized on their own successes.- whereby youýve sat around moaning and complaining that you should get a raise at your worthless job making widgets.
Develop away!
By Mark
May 6, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
I think that we as Chattahoochee Hill Country/Palmetto area homeowners and landowners unite, get a coalition formed and fight, fight, fight .... as said above, this is the last beautiful area left in metro Atlanta... This development makes me sick to my stomach...its $ $ $ $ $ .....
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