Marietta projects moving foward

By Jon Gillooly
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer

MARIETTA — Across the nation, the market has strained developers to the breaking point, and while many Marietta projects have slowed, development is occurring, if not at the speed city fathers would like.

“With the work we have done and are continuing to do we should be in a great position to take advantage of the eventual upswing in the economy. We have many excellent developments ready to go with plans approved and utilities installed. This will put us six to 12 months ahead of the rest of the region when the building industry regains momentum,” city manager Bill Bruton said.

Atlanta-based Winter Properties, which is developing the $125 million mixed-use Meeting Park development near the Marietta Square, adjusted by extended its timeline up to a year.

Winter purchased the 12- acre site at Waddell and Waterman streets for $8.4 million from the Marietta Housing Authority in April 2006. The site once housed the 132-unit Clay Homes complex, built in the 1940s for workers at the Bell Bomber plant.

Winter was originally approved to build a five-story, 70-unit condominium building. Amid changes in the housing market and customer requests, the firm obtained approval earlier this year from the city council and housing authority to build three 30-unit condo buildings with office and retail space on the first level. The third phase would replace 17 townhouses along the northwest side of the site.

The first units will be available this June, Winter officials say. The first units of $12 million Manor Park development, a 4.6-acre site on Cole St./Hunt St. that includes 26 town homes and 10 single family homes near the Square, will be available this summer as well. Developed by the Columns Group, Manor Park units range from the mid-$400s for the single family units and late $200s for the town homes.

Developer Roger DeBoy’s $18 million Emerson Overlook, a mixed-use building on Roswell Road by the Square containing 30,000 square feet of retail and office space and 37 residential condominiums, will also be open this summer.

The Marietta Housing Authority put the brakes on Montgomery Park, the site of the former Lyman Homes, a 125-unit public housing complex near Cherokee and Montgomery Streets, which the Housing Authority demolished. The eight-acre site will be redeveloped and sold to a builder to develop single-family detached homes. The project includes 45 single-family homes with no details yet on square footage, according to city development director Brian Binzer.

The $5 million Hunter Walk, developed by JAKL Development, is an 11 single family home and town home infill project with lots on Coryell Drive and Waterman Street. Two 1,650 square foot three bedroom, 2.5 bath town homes are complete. Single-family homes are under construction. The units range from the mid- $400s to the mid $500s. The sixth single-family unit is nearing completion on Waterman, Binzer said.

The $100 million Manget at Historic Marietta, developed by Hedgewood Development, is planned in two phases, with 265 residential units including condominium flats, town homes and single-family detached homes. The project includes 74 single-family homes — 29 in Phase I — ranging from 1,850 to 2,500 square feet and 113 town homes ranging from 1,500 to 2,400 square feet. The units range from the mid-$200s for the condos, mid $300s for the town homes and $400-650s for the single-family units. To date eight condo units are nearing completion, 12 town homes in varying degrees of completion, with at least 3 occupied, and one used as the model, while eleven single family detached units are in varying stages of completion, with at least 2 occupied, Binzer said.

The $50 million Marietta Walk, on the site of the former Johnny Walker Homes, is being developed by Myrick Company and Whitehall Homes. The project includes about 50,000 square feet of retail and office space and 45 residential condominiums in two mixed-use buildings located along Powder Springs Street with 58 town homes and 18 single family detached homes on the remainder of the 10-acre site. The first residential units are expected to begin late 2008 or early 2009, with the commercial beginning right after, Binzer said.

Already completed is the $6.5 million Kennestone East Office Park, developed by McWhirter Realty, and located near Kennestone Hospital. It is comprised of two buildings, totaling approximately 55,000 square feet. Building A consists of primarily office tenants and leases have been signed with a community bank and a psychiatric practice. Building B is designed for medical office users. A plastic surgeon has recently signed a lease for the majority of the fourth floor. The grand opening was held in January.

To top it off, a Starbucks on Church Street Extension is expected to open this summer, Binzer said.

jgillooly@mdjonline.com