Densification of Sandy Springs continues as rentals rise among office park

Development marks a change at the formerly all-business-centric district in Sandy Springs.

By Michael Kahn Dec 11, 2017, 10:35am EST

Construction progressing around a parking deck. — The new apartments will partially wrap an existing parking deck.

In Sandy Springs, where Peachtree-Dunwoody Road punches through the Perimeter, sprawling office parks surrounded by parking and park-like settings have been the suburban norm for years.

But now, new residential development is dramatically reshaping the district.

Construction is underway to transform the formerly forested campus surrounding the Palisades office park—just across the street from the iconic King and Queen towers—into more than 400 luxury apartments.

Last year, developer Pollack Shores revealed plans for 425 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space neighboring the Palisades office park. The project will wrap existing parking structures and face a new east-west road, tying Peachtree-Dunwoody Road into Perimeter Center Parkway.

It’s the latest project in the transformation of an area just west of Perimeter Mall.

In the past few years, more than 1,000 residential units have been delivered on the adjacent blocks, with projects such as Citizen Perimeter, 1160 Hammond, and Hanover Perimeter. With such market saturation, new developments are competing for residents, offering up to two months of rent for free—as with new rental communities in other parts of town, from Morningside to Midtown.

Still, the Perimeter development seems to have no end in sight.

An aerial view, showing the apartments wrapping the office park.

Large projects in the area, including the new State Farm campus and the proposed High Street mixed-use development, are slated to bring new jobs and retail to the district.

Plans call for the Palisades project to be complete by next winter.