Cousins Properties received its land disturbance permit this week for the old Callaway Building tract in downtown Decatur, and should begin site work next month. The developer is planning a mixed-use project that includes 329 apartments and a 40,000 square foot, four-story office/retail structure. Decatur hasn’t had a new downtown office building since 1991.
Assistant City Manager Lyn Menne said that on the current timetable the complex should open in spring 2019.
Last fall Cousins received a letter from DeKalb County saying the county sewer system lacks adequate capacity for theirs and a number of other projects. The county is still in the early stages of figuring out just how serious its sewer problems are. But Menne said Tuesday that, although she doesn’t have details, the county and Cousins “have come to some agreement” regarding the Decatur project.
Decatur bought the five-acre Callaway property from DeKalb County several years ago for roughly $5 million, then sold it to Cousins last August. The city had been working to acquire the Callaway site since 2003. Demolishing the 40-year-old Callaway Building was finally completed last month.
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