The popular Avalon development in Alpharetta has landed its Apple store.
The webpage for Apple's North Point Mall store includes a tease about "an inspired move," and invites customers to "Come see us at Avalon on April 13, at 10 a.m."
Developers of the Alpharetta city-within-a-city plan to show off the community's second phase this week for media and special guests. It's been expected developer North American Properties might have a few surprises in store before the official April 13 launch of Phase II.
An Apple showroom would appear to be one of them. On early Sunday morning an Apple spokeswoman confirmed the move.
Mark Toro, a top executive for NAP, tweeted on Saturday an image of the Apple logo on a solid black background covering a storefront on the property. In the text, he wrote: "Look who's coming to @avaloninsider's Boulevard East party," a reference to a charity gala to be held April 12 to benefit City of Refuge in Atlanta.
Two people familiar with the project contacted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday say it’s no April Fool’s joke. The people familiar with the matter declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak.
A representative of NAP had no comment.
NAP's pursuit of Apple at Avalon has been no secret in real estate circles. An Apple store was reportedly discussed during the project's first phase.
An Apple store will only burnish Avalon’s reputation as a top metro shopping hub. Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Brooks Brothers and a number of other luxury retailers, restaurants and a new office tower are slated to open on April 13.
The first phase has 250 apartments, 100 single-family homes, a Whole Foods market, retailers such as Anthropologie, Arhaus and Tesla showroom, and in-town Atlanta eateries such Antico Pizza and El Felix.
The 19-acre second phase will be denser than the first phase and won't include single-family houses.
The second phase will have 276 apartments, a brick and glass office tower with the new regional offices of tech giant Microsoft and more retail and chef-driven restaurants.
In 2018, North American and partners Stormont Hospitality and HEI Hotels & Resorts will open a 330-room luxury hotel and conference center in a joint-venture with the city of Alpharetta. A second office tower is planned.
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