College Park advances plans for potential project double the size of Atlantic Station

College Park officials are striving to create nothing short of the south metro area’s go-to destination for walkable living and shopping, with offices, soothing green spaces, and hotel options for airport travelers sprinkled throughout.

The south ITP city took a key step this week in the process of realizing that bold vision.

The College Park City Council approved a masterplan for the “ATL Airport City” concept—a mixed-use hub that could one day double Atlantic Station’s current 2.5 million square feet.

No groundbreaking dates have been set, but Artie Jones III, the city’s director of economic development, enthused in a prepared statement that “Airport City will soon be underway.”

Eventually, it could claim 420 acres, or three times the size of Atlantic Station’s footprint.

The mammoth development site—located just west of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on the north side of Camp Creek Parkway—could ultimately deliver almost 5 million square feet of Class A office space, up to six hotels, and more than 750,000 square feet of restaurants and retail.

Plus, an outlet mall. And new trails for biking and walking, alongside amenities for golfers.

At Monday’s council meeting, a new plan by Atlanta-based Sizemore Group was approved, following the firm’s initial presentation two months ago.

City officials are stressing that the development could spur thousands of jobs and complement key attractions nearby, such as the Georgia International Convention Center and Gateway Center Arena @ College Park.

The latter 5,000 seat venue is scheduled to open this fall, hosting concerts, events, and the Atlanta Hawks’s G-League team.

With stamped approval for the Airport City’s masterplan, College Park will start nitty-gritty infrastructure development alongside Sizemore Group, as a Development of Regional Impact process commences through the Atlanta Regional Commission.

City officials offered this summation in a release:

“The development will blend arts and entertainment with corporate and medical office space to meet all needs of the community. It will also lead the way for upscale housing in the south metro area, with planned space for apartments, senior living residences, single family homes, and townhomes at a range of price points.”

Airport City’s initial phase alone could be valued at $700 million or more, Jones III recently told the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Should multi-phase plans come to fruition, its eventual cost could surpass $1.5 billion, officials have said.