The trend that has been building for the last several years has gained new momentum as the housing industry in the city and its environs awaken from its recession-era slowdown. New downtowns and areas where homeowners can live, work and play in close proximity are mushrooming around the metro area as an alternative to isolated subdivisions.
Some suburban cities have taken the lead in re-establishing downtown cores. In Gwinnett, Suwanee and Duluth have built green spaces, fountains and revitalized shopping districts to form new gathering spaces that also offer a sense of community identity. Nearby Sugar Hill is following suit. In Cobb, a revitalized Smyrna centers around its re-designed heart, complete with housing, community buildings and retail zones. Leaders in Kennesaw are redrawing the face of Main Street with a $38 million mixed-used development with residences, shops and restaurants. At the Ga. 400 interchange at Old Milton Parkway, the $600 million Avalon project will add another destination where northsiders can dine, shop and live.
Some area cities are drawing new homeowners by sprucing up already intact, and in some cases, historic, downtowns. In DeKalb, Decatur has long been a magnet for those who want to live in its vibrant center that also offers accessibility to MARTA. Roswell’s historic district along Canton Street is another walkable and vibrant town center. In Marietta, Cobb’s county seat boasts a busy center square, lined by courthouses, offices, restaurants and stores, where weekends are highlighted by festivals, a farmer’s market or concerts.
Having a core community or destination nearby is an added amenity for new-home projects underway on nearby available land. Marietta’s square was the attraction for Traton Homes, currently building 45 houses at Montgomery Park off Cherokee Street. When completed, the development will have 45 3- and 4-bedroom homes, priced from the $300,000s.
“We found a lot of people are downsizing from larger homes, and at the same time, trying to get closer to the square,” said Josh Hilscher, Traton’s vice president of sales and marketing. “I think both the Marietta square and Roswell’s downtown are two of the best suburban downtown areas. Marietta has a lot of charm, with the old architecture, theaters and nice restaurants on the square. The culture you can get there is different than anywhere else.”
Most important for Montgomery Park buyers is getting to all those attractions easily on foot.
“Our buyers want to be able to walk up and have a drink, have dinner and see a show,” said Hilscher. “That’s a lot of the charm to it.”
Not far from the Traton project, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is also offering residential properties a short stroll from the square. The 107-unit Meeting Park is a mix of single-family and townhouse plans, priced from the $200,000s to $600,000s. The 4-story townhouses feature terrace level recreation rooms; single-family designs have rear garages. All line sidewalks that meander through pocket parks and a recreational area with a pool. But the main attraction is the nearby square, said agent Stacie Williams.
“We’re one block from the square, and that’s why people are coming in,” she said. “We’re even 175 steps to the library. I’ve counted.”
Wieland is creating a similar concept at Turnbury Gates, a townhouse community from the high $300,000s located close to the Town Brookhaven center, where shops, restaurants, fitness centers and entertainment options await. Along with a pool and gated entrance, the property features units with 2,100 to 3,100 square feet, optional elevators, walled terraces and upgrades such as free-standing tubs and gourmet appliances. When completed, the Gates will also be close to another town center project.
“I think Brookhaven started this bubble that’s spread to Chamblee, where there’s a new mixed-use project going up within walking distance,” said agent Tina Wiggins.
Another suburban town that’s paid considerable attention to its downtown district is Woodstock in Cherokee County. In the mid 2000s, the community drew residents to a major mixed-use development downtown, but with the economic downturn, progress on the residential side slowed, and new developments around it were put on hold. But work has picked up again as the demand for new properties near the heart of town has risen.
“For a long time, downtown was a work in progress, but now it’s pretty much complete,” said Dusty Talbert with Smith Douglas homes. “Now, they often have concerts, events and festivals going on. There are lots of restaurants and shops. It’s always nice to have those things at your fingertips.”
Smith Douglas’s Woodstock Village, the developer’s second project in the area, is drawing those buyers to 3- and 4-bedroom, 2-car garage single-family homes selling from the $150,000s.
“What makes this area so attractive, and the reason we’re here, is that we’ve seen a lot of growth in this area,“ said Sarah Noel, marketing director of Smith Douglas Homes. “When we completed Cornerstone Estates, our first project, we saw there was a niche for us here. A lot of people want to move out to the suburbs and have a large home near a downtown that’s very charming but also close to I-575 and I-75.”
Woodstock has become a magnet for the Ashton Woods building group as well. The company currently has two projects underway: Both Woodstock Knoll and The Overlook at Woodstock Knoll give homeowners easy access to the town’s center. Houses at the two properties start in the $300,000s and include a neighborhood clubhouse, fitness center and swimming pool. The development company is also building close to the Town Brookhaven complex: Townhouses at the Savoy at Town Brookhaven are priced from the high $400,000 and offer 3-story plans with 2,000 and 3,000 square feet, as well as a community pool and controlled access gate.
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