Serenbe, the nature-infused luxury enclave southwest of Atlanta, is planning its next phases that combined could bring some $1.7 billion in new development to the community.
The developer of Serenbe unveiled new details this week on a slate of expansion projects to span the next decade. Located in Chattahoochee Hills and straddling Fulton and Coweta counties, Serenbe plans to nearly triple the number of residences and add new commercial development over the next 10 years while still respecting its bucolic character.
The developer plans to add 1,100 new residential units alongside a hotel, offices, restaurants, retail and civic and educational facilities by 2035, according to a Development of Regional Impact filing.
The brainchild of famed Atlanta restaurateur and hospitality guru Steve Nygren, Serenbe’s expansion moves forward at a tumultuous time for real estate development. Rising construction costs, economic uncertainty and labor challenges — some of which have been exacerbated by the fast-changing tariff environment — have caused some developers to hit the pause button.
Serenbe, however, has cultivated momentum over the past two decades and attracted celebrity residents, including some splashy multimillion-dollar estates. Monica Olsen, Serenbe’s chief marketing officer, said the next development phases, particularly an “aging-in-place” community, will help build upon Serenbe’s charm as a high-end neighborhood surrounded by nature.
“We’re really excited, especially about the aging-in-place (aspect),” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That will really complement all of the health care and wellness that’s happening in Serenbe already.”
Credit: Courtesy of Serenbe Development
Credit: Courtesy of Serenbe Development
Development of Regional Impact filings are preliminary infrastructure assessments for large projects. The expansion will be split into multiple phases expected to finish construction between 2029 and 2035, according to the filing.
Serenbe currently has about 600 homes and plans to expand its offering to 1,700 residential units over the next decade. By 2035, Serenbe will also feature 235,000 square feet of commercial space, nearly 75,000 square feet of civic space, up to 180 hotel rooms and two new school buildings.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The development will take place across 1,532 acres, most of which is forested land southeast of Hutcheson Ferry Road and Atlanta Newnan Road. Nygren’s team is pursuing new investor partners to begin construction on the first phase, which will include a 97-unit aging-in-place community, an 110-room hotel called the Selborne Hotel, an expansion to the private Terra School and art-related performance spaces.
Real estate services firm JLL was hired to attract the additional financing, which Nygren told Bisnow is needed to accomplish “this scale of development.” He added that construction timelines are “certainly dependent on the market.”
The Development Authority of Fulton County in 2023 approved an $11 million property tax break to assist with financing Serenbe’s hotels and the aging-in-place community.
Olsen told the AJC the school has about 250 students ranging from 8 weeks old through 12th grade, and the new development includes a dedicated high school and gym.
Credit: Courtesy of Serenbe Development
Credit: Courtesy of Serenbe Development
“It’s been really successful, but they’re about to kind of bust out of those (existing) spaces,” she said. “So that next phase is very top of mind for them.”
The Selborne Hotel is planned for a parcel near The Hill at Serenbe restaurant. Plans are also finalized for a 45,000-square-foot office building adjacent to the hotel site, but Olsen said the building won’t start construction until it’s at least 60% pre-leased.
Office leasing, while starting to build momentum in metro Atlanta, has faced challenges in recent years after the COVID-19 pandemic popularized remote work schedules and disrupted office expansion plans.
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