Some Atlanta Suburbs Craving Walkability Are Coming Around On Apartments
Density is still a dirty word in many suburban cities and towns throughout Georgia. But some cities in Atlanta’s belt of northern suburbs are starting to embrace larger developments with apartments and a mix of commercial units, at times defying NIMBYism, developers said during Bisnow’s Atlanta State of the Market event last week. “Suburban and municipal governments in every northern arc city and county in Metro Atlanta has been afraid of density, afraid of multifamily residential, afraid of anything that threatens their life behind the gates of their golf course communities,” said Toro Development Co. founder Mark Toro, who developed Avalon in Alpharetta while at North American Properties, one of the region’s first urban-like dense mixed-use developments to sprout up in suburban Atlanta. Avalon has more than 500 apartment units, an aspect of the project that was met with pushback during its municipal approval process. But Toro and other panelists at the event, held at The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, said apartment dwellers are critical to the health of the retail and commercial aspects of these popular projects, which rely on sales to survive. “Those sales are driven by density,” Toro said. “If you’re going to fuel downtown, town center districts, you better have a lot of people.” Despite the need for customers — and the ongoing housing crisis in the region — anti-apartment attitudes remain strong in many suburban cities and counties in Metro Atlanta, with a handful of districts imposing new moratoriums on multifamily over the past year. Since 2022, Henry County and the cities of Marietta and Roswell have enacted moratoriums on new apartment development. Stockbridge also blocked accepting applications for any new rental units, including build-to-rent homes, in 2021. Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul vowed to block new apartment applications within the city’s borders for three years during a Bisnow event last summer. But other city leaders have sought out developers willing to build apartments to transform their town centers. Despite some initial pushback, the city of Snellville, 25 miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta, entered into a public-private partnership to create the Grove, an $85M mixed-use city center that includes 250 apartments. The success of the Grove has helped to ease some attitudes toward multifamily in other suburban cities of Gwinnett County, Smallwood principal Greg Bennett said. Duluth, Lawrenceville, Sugar Hill and Peachtree Corners also have approved multifamily within mixed-use projects in recent years. “I think the success of that project is a testament to the sort of breaking the logjam” against multifamily, Bennett said. “People realize they want convenience, they want walkability, they want connectivity. And as long as you provide it, that’s kind of, sort of, what the secret is.” North American Properties received approval last year to develop more than 600 apartment units across two properties in Peachtree Corners, including more than 300 units as part of its revamp of the Forum on Peachtree Parkway shopping center. That approval was not unanimous among all city council members and area residents. North American Properties Managing Partner Tim Perry said apartment dwellers are critical to fueling sales in the retail tenants in these projects, which in turn help to generate more tax revenues to support more infrastructure and school spending, particularly in traditional suburban bedroom communities. “All of these single-family subdivisions don’t pay for themselves. They don’t pay for the wear and tear on the roads, schools or anything else,” Perry said. “It comes down to me on leadership … within these municipalities. They either accept the burden of their elected position and understand that they need to make decisions for the citizens years down the...
read moreAlpharetta City Center Sold to CBRE Global Investors
ATLANTA, GA (September 9, 2019) – MidCity Real Estate Partners proudly announces the sale of the award-winning Alpharetta City Center. CBRE Global Investors is one of the largest real estate investment firms in the world. “Alpharetta City Center is a general asset that solidifies Alpharetta as a premier suburban community.” said MidCity’s President and Founder Kirk Demetrops. Alpharetta City Center is a 26-acre mixed-use property developed in partnership with the city of Alpharetta. After building the new City Hall, Library, and parking deck, the city selected MidCity Real Estate Partners as the Master Developer to create a cohesive vision for the private development creating a true historic downtown street grid complementing the existing buildings. The project includes the DataScan Headquarters (36,000 SF office building sold separately) 42,000 SF of free-standing restaurant space and mixed-use buildings consisting of 45,000 SF of street level retail below 168 residential units and the office building. The project incorporates 2.5 acres of parks and greenspace and 40 single-family homes located at the trailhead of the Alpha Loop. About MidCity Real Estate Partners MidCity Real Estate Partners invests/develops/redevelops Commercial, Residential and Mixed-Use Properties. Projects range from Award Winning Public-Private Town Centers to Vacant Office Buildings. MidCity excels at Value Creation through each phase of the CRE Business Cycle MidCity was founded in 2009 by Kirk S Demetrops, as successor company to The Griffin Company, a 35-year-old full service commercial real estate development and construction company where Mr. Demetrops was President. With a combined 80 years of experience, MidCity offers a full range of expertise including: Acquisition/Disposition, Development and Construction Management, Master Developer, Marketing/Sales/Leasing, Asset Management and Advisory Services. Current projects include The Grove at Towne Center (Snellville, GA), 5616 Peachtree (Chamblee, GA) and NorthPlace (Sandy Springs, GA). Previous projects include Alpharetta City Center, Focus Brands Headquarters, JAS Worldwide Headquarters, & Hammond 400 Office Park. ### If you would like more information about this topic, please call MidCity at...
read moreMidCity Real Estate Partners Nominated for Award from Urban Land Institute
MidCity Real Estate Partners is nominated by the Urban Land Institute as a finalist for the award of “Excellence in Town Center Development” for our work on the Alpharetta City Center. Learn more about the project here.
read moreKirk Demetrops brought Main Street to the suburbs
Like many cities, Alpharetta had to adapt. For decades, the expansion of regional shopping centers stole the vibrancy of its main street. Merchants struggled to thrive, as downtowns became a pass-through on the way to the stores and restaurants at suburban regional malls. Today, it’s a much different story. In the age of Amazon, what once involved driving to your favorite store to shop now takes just a moment on your smart phone or laptop. For Atlanta’s largest owners of retail space such as DDR Corp. and Simon Property Group, it’s been a challenge to keep their projects relevant. For cities such as Alpharetta, it’s created an opportunity for rebirth. People want to spend time again in once forgotten downtowns. Some visit new restaurants popping up on town squares. Others take advantage of new greenways and open spaces. A little over four years ago, Kirk Demetrops, founder of Atlanta MidCity Real Estate Partners, pursued a new project called Alpharetta City Center. Demetrops assembled a development team that included South City Partners, Morris & Fellows and Hedgewood Homes. Today, the project includes 75,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, 36,000 square feet of office, 168 apartments and 42 single family homes — a “mini-town” that brought Main Street back to life. “Demand has been phenomenal,” Demetrops said. “Alpharetta, deservedly so, set a high bar for us. “The partners I brought in really delivered spectacular product. Most of the project is 100-percent leased or owned, including a corporate headquarters and eclectic group of retailers and restauranteurs.” MidCity, which has developed more traditional office projects along Georgia 400, continues to look for more opportunities for downtown redevelopments. Demetrops joins a number of developers, architects and urban designers that are bringing new, walkable projects to the region. What led you to your career? I started my real estate career one month after graduating from undergrad, celebrating 30 years in the business earlier this year. Initially, I thought the industry was compelling by combining business/finance to a hard asset. As my career transitioned to development 20 years ago, I really found that I could use my “visual” strength as person to lead the creation and execution of a development/redevelopment. Who has been your greatest influence in your career or job? In 2000, Joel Griffin met with me (and my partner at the time) and offered to buy our company, Forum Realty. Forum was early in Atlanta, with the idea of redevelopment and going back in town to look at opportunities. Joel gave us the backing and infrastructure, and let us go to work. We did interesting deals all over, from Grant Park to Alpharetta. Joel had many tremendous qualities, but I mostly remember his positive attitude, which was infectious. What has been your biggest challenge? The development business is cyclical, and the Great Recession certainly emphasized that reality. However, I think our biggest challenge is time. The deals we are pursuing are complicated, with many moving parts and partners. Many take two to four years to put together. This adds a significant level of additional risk. What has been your most rewarding moment in your career? As a developer, we get to see our end product and can look back at the steps taken to get there. I really like figuring out the form and function of a development, the right mix. I consider MidCity a “custom” developer that brings a unique solution to the development/redevelopment of a property. In the 1990s, so much development in North Fulton was clustered along Georgia 400. How does the city-center trend in Alpharetta, Duluth, Suwanee, etc. underscore important changes in suburban Atlanta land use patterns? I think everyone wants...
read moreAlpharetta City Center Wins Development Of Excellence Award
Alpharetta City Center, the public-private partnership redevelopment in the city’s core, was honored Friday with a 2018 Development of Excellence Award by the Atlanta Regional Commission. The project won the award in the category of Exceptional Merit for Context-Sensitive Town Center Development. The awards, given during the agency’s State of the Region Breakfast held Nov. 2, recognize the developments and places that are improving quality of life in the 10-county Atlanta region. Alpharetta City Center’s walkable 26 acres are home to Alpharetta City Hall, a Fulton County Library branch, as well as restaurants, retail, offices, luxury apartments, single-family houses, and 2.5 acres of green space. The project is a result of a public-private partnership whose groundwork was laid 15 years ago when the city first set forth its goals to build a true downtown through its LCI program. In the years since, it has worked steadily to create City Center from mostly underutilized commercial spaces around the intersection of North Main Street and Academy Street. The transformation is dramatic, as the project has replaced an assortment of empty lots and underused buildings with a unified building design that blends seamlessly with the surrounding historic downtown, including a network of bike-ped paths that connect housing to schools, retail, and other amenities. The development is designed around five major green spaces. At its center, the Town Green connects the new City Hall to the restaurants and shops of Main Street. City Center has attracted a great deal of development, including chef-driven restaurants and residential, retail, and offices — including DataScan, whose headquarters now fill a 26,000 square-foot building. The development has important green touches, too. Pervious surfaces — which help reduce storm-water runoff — make up more than 10 of its 26 acres. This was accomplished by replacing old streets and parking lots with greenspaces that house freestanding buildings. In addition, pervious materials were installed wherever possible to mitigate storm-water, and an underground system filters storm-water runoff before it reaches the property’s detention pond. The top award, the 2018 Development of Excellence, went to La France Walk, a residential community in Atlanta’s Edgewood neighborhood that features varied housing options and price points to encourage greater diversity and walkability. ARC also presented its Great Places Award to The Aerotropolis Area, a dynamic part of the Atlanta region that includes communities around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Other awards recognized: the city of Chamblee and Mercy Park senior housing and healthcare facility, and Constellations, a lovingly restored workspace in downtown Atlanta that honors the building’s history and the civil rights legacy of the neighborhood. This article was first published by Patch on November 2nd, 2018 and was written by Kristal Dixon. To see the article as it was first published, click...
read moreARC’s Developments of Excellence Awards Recognize Community-Enhancing Places
Alpharetta City Center is the beating heart of downtown Alpharetta. Its walkable 26 acres are home to Alpharetta City Hall, a Fulton County Library branch, as well as restaurants, retail, offices, luxury apartments, single-family houses, and 2.5 acres of green space. The project is a result of a public-private partnership whose groundwork was laid 15 years ago when the city of Alpharetta first set forth its goals to build a true downtown through its LCI program. In the years since, it has worked steadily to create City Center from mostly underutilized commercial spaces around the intersection of N. Main Street and Academy Street. The transformation is dramatic. The City Center has replaced an assortment of empty lots and underused buildings with a unified building design that blends seamlessly with the surrounding historic downtown, including a network of bike-ped paths that connect housing to schools, retail, and other amenities. The development is designed around five major green spaces. At its center, the Town Green connects the new City Hall to the restaurants and shops of Main Street. City Center has attracted a great deal of development, such as chef-driven restaurants and residential, retail, and offices — including DataScan, whose headquarters now fill 36,000 of a 45,000 square-foot building. The development has important green touches, too. Pervious surfaces — which help reduce storm-water runoff — make up more than 10 of its 26 acres. This was accomplished by replacing old streets and parking lots with green spaces that house freestanding buildings. In addition, pervious materials were installed wherever possible to mitigate storm-water, and an underground system filters storm-water runoff before it reaches the property’s detention pond. This article was first published by the Atlanta Regional Commission on November 2nd, 2018. To read the original posting of this article, click...
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