Near Stone Mountain, 88-acre mixed-use venture wants to be next Ponce City Market

Ponce City Market found success within the hulking shell of a former Sears warehouse and distribution center.

Now, developer Macauley Investments is hoping that magic formula can work outside the context of the city.

According to the Marietta Daily Journal (and DeKalb Neighbor), the developer has revealed plans to bring a mega mixed-use development called “The Rise” to an 88-acre site that formerly housed a large Sears distribution center.

Located in Tucker, a few miles from Stone Mountain, the development could include nearly 200,000 square feet of retail, 88,000 square feet of office space, an elementary school and daycare, and a mix of residential units appealing to everyone from millennials to seniors, officials say.

Renderings literally call for “Millennial Renter Units.”

Also included in the proposal are a 36,000-square-foot grocery store, a brew pub, and even a food hall in the vein of Ponce City Market.

In total, there could be more than 700 residences, not including proposed senior housing and assisted living. A mix of townhomes and cottages would back up to a 22-acre parkspace lining Camp Creek.

Despite its urban ambitions, the proposal was met with some skepticism, due to its sprawling nature and potential to dramatically add to traffic in the neighborhood surrounding Mountain Industrial Boulevard and Hugh Howell Road.

Macauley brought plans before the Tucker City Council last week, after making substantial revisions from a plan that had included a post-production movie studio and hotel. Concerns about infrastructure had resulted in a withdraw of those plans earlier this year, the newspaper reported.

Many details are still to be worked out, but Macauley hopes to begin construction by mid-2018.

Macauley Investments

Macauley Investments

Macauley Investments

• Tucker citizens get first look at revamped mixed-use project [Marietta Daily Journal]