West Midtown mixed-use project to move forward at Howell Mill, 14th Street

Georgia Tech is moving forward with plans to develop a sprawling tract of land at the intersection of Howell Mill Road and 14th Street in West Midtown.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, developer S.J. Collins Enterprises was selected to lead the project; the firm is currently working on the construction of a Whole Foods-anchored shopping center in Chamblee.

Aspirations first revealed back in January for the site included offices for start-up companies and affordable housing for researchers, junior faculty, and even graduate students.

The vision has since expanded, with preliminary plans calling for more than 100,000 square feet of loft office space, 70,000 square feet of retail, 275 residential units, and possibly even a hotel.

It has yet to be determined if residences would be for sale or rent.

While the site is relatively vacant, comprised mostly of a vast parking lot, the developer hopes to retain some of the existing industrial elements, to lend character to the project, the newspaper reports.

The project joins a growing list of developments quickly changing the character of the Howell Mill Road corridor. Until recently, the area was dominated by industrial uses.

In roughly the last decade, retail and residences have taken over many tracts of land. But the immediate neighborhood is still underserved by basic necessities like a grocery store, and as the area gains more residents, the need becomes more pressing.

S.J. Collins reportedly hopes to create a workable proposal in collaboration with neighborhood groups and launch construction in the second half of next year.

• $140M West Midtown project moving forward [Atlanta Business Chronicle]
• Georgia Tech casts eyes on West Midtown for mixed-use project [Curbed Atlanta]