Toco Hills project near Emory University to feature $300K condos, more

A new upscale residential development, north of Emory University off Clermont Road, is finally coming into focus.

Billed as Parkside at Mason Mill, the Pulte Homes project is slated to soon get underway, following the demolition of a 1960s apartment complex that stood on the 37-acre site. Plans have been in the works since late 2015.

According to the project website, the development will feature three home types, with single-family residences, townhomes, and stacked flats.

The “stacked flats”—which is what they’re calling mid-rise condos—will start somewhere in the $300,000-range and feature access to rooftop terraces.

Townhomes will offer two- to four-bedrooms, while single-family houses will have three to four. The most expensive houses will sell in the $600,000-range.

Residents will share a clubhouse and fitness center, as well as an Internet cafe, parks, and trails that connect with the South Peachtree Creek Trail and Emory University via Mason Mill Park. Plans call for much of the existing site to be preserved, with the old amenities building being rehabbed. Landscape that includes an old stone wall and mature trees is planned to stay in place. And that’s a refreshing change of pace.

Google Maps

Billed as “urban infill,” the 341-residence project is replacing the old Williamsburg apartment community, which contained more than 400 units. Decreasing density in an ITP area is usually not the most urban of moves, but the surrounding neighborhood is comprised of strip centers with sprawling parking lots and suburban-style residences. So it’s not totally unexpected.

Apartments.com

The website is also a bit misleading in that it clearly states the development is in Decatur. While mail for the area can arguably be labeled “Atlanta” or “Decatur,” the development sits decidedly in unincorporated DeKalb, nearly a mile-and-1/2 from the City of Decatur.

On its own, the development will probably be a big improvement over the empty lot that now consumes the parcel, but the marketing material is, at best, a gross overstatement, and, at worst, misleading.

According to a press release, plans will be revealed on Saturday at a neighborhood informational meeting, though no specifics were provided.

UPDATE: Pulte has announced that Saturday’s informational meeting is 11:00 a.m. at Stonehill at Lenox, 2646 Shady Valley Drive, Atlanta.

• Parkside at Mason Mill [Pulte Homes]
• Massive Complex Pitched on Site of Old Druid Hills Rentals [Curbed Atlanta]