Ponce City Market developer has bought posh Buckhead shopping district. Now what?

Atlanta-based Jamestown has officially added Buckhead’s poshest outdoor shopping hub to its roster of noteworthy retail, which spans from San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square, to Ponce City Market and White Provisions District locally, to Manhattan’s Chelsea Market.

With the acquisition of The Shops Buckhead Atlanta complete, Jamestown officials will be posing a simple question to the public: Now what?

Jamestown is hosting a series of town halls to gauge public opinion, beginning with an hourlong meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the shopping district (Suite B200).

“As local Atlantans, the intersection of West Paces Ferry and Peachtree [Street] has always been a centerpiece of Buckhead,” said Michael Phillips, Jamestown president, in an announcement today that the deal with developer OliverMcMillan has finalized. “We’re excited to be incoming stewards of this community asset.”

Back in 2012, OliverMcMillan stepped in and restarted development where the Streets of Buckhead concept had cratered during the recession.

The posh, six-block district rose from the ashes of what had been Buckhead’s raucous bar scene, offering haute retailers such as Jimmy Choo, Brunello Cucinelli, and Hermès, alongside 370 luxe apartments and office components that include the headquarters of shapewear empire Spanx.

Photo courtesy of The Shops Buckhead Atlanta

The district counts some 60 designer stores and restaurants, with recent tenant wins that include Atlanta’s most upscale coworking concept, the Swedish import No18, but it never quite took off as a destination a la Ponce City Market. Some tenants complained of a lack of foot traffic, a ghost-town feel. A number of storefronts went dark.

The district’s sales price wasn’t disclosed, but Jamestown reps specified the company has bought the 365,000-square-foot retail and office portfolio, along with two parcels for development totaling 2.7 acres.

The goal of the upcoming town halls is to bring the community together for “discussions on the property and its place in Buckhead,” per the announcement.

Anyone interested in attending Jamestown’s first town hall next week can RSVP here. That site includes a survey for people who’d like to chime in but can’t make the Tuesday meeting.

Naturally, the comments section below is available for opinions on this key Buckhead development as well.