InTucker Magazine

Business Boom -January 2021

Tucker is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising business destinations in the Metro Atlanta area.  Each month, the Business Boom will seek to show different examples of how Tucker’s business scene is flourishing.

Despite COVID and a challenged economy, the Northlake area is continuing to grow and evolve with exciting projects underway, on the horizon or being contemplated. 

Let’s start with what is already on the ground with the Tucker Meridian Shopping Center that opened at Northlake Parkway and Lavista Road in 2017 and now boasts a 98 percent occupancy rate. This busy shopping center showcases a variety of casual eateries, service providers, and retailers including nationally branded companies such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hobby Lobby, Hollywood Feed, Jimmy John’s, Ross Dress for Less, and Sprouts Farmers Market, as well as the family-owned VIP Nails and Spa. 

“I’m very pleased with what I’m is seeing in Northlake,” said Calvin Stephenson, broker and property manager for the Tucker Meridian Center. “We love the location in terms of proximity to the Perimeter, and we’re excited about the apartments opening up across the street. Everything that we pitched to our tenants about Tucker is true – it’s a great city for businesses.” 

Nearby, Northlake Senior Apartments is fully leased. Opened in spring 2019, the 90-unit building is for seniors age 62 and older with both market-rate rentals and subsidized units. This provides an affordable opportunity for our local seniors to remain in Tucker without the hassle of yard work. 

“It’s just a real nice place in a good area with my Target right across the street,” said two year resident Barbara Gibbons. 

Slated to open this month, The Reid apartments will feature a range of studio to three-bedroom apartments. There are three buildings with 245 units in total and amenities including a swimming pool, fire pit, social lounge, and the local landmark Old Hickory House is next door. 

Moving to Northlake Parkway inside the Perimeter,  but just outside of our city limits, a Tru by Hilton is under construction and scheduled to open in June 2021. The 96-room hotel is one of the newer brands under the Hilton umbrella and will be the first hotel built in the Northlake area in more than 20 years. 

The Briarcliff Village Shopping Center and Briarcliff Lavista are long standing mainstays of the community with an anchor tenant of Publix and various retail and restaurants including Panera Bread, Michaels and Blue Ribbon Grill. 

“Regency is proud to be a part of the Northlake neighborhood,” said Andre Koleszar, Senior Vice President with Regency Centers. “The Briarcliff centers are terrific assets for us and our merchants are performing well, despite the challenges faced this year. This is a testament to the strength of this community, and we’re excited to welcome Burlington Coat Factory in 2021.” 

“I’m grateful for our commercial property owners and thrilled to see them reap the benefits of the CID’s projects and its commitment to a connected and vibrant Northlake District,” added Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District (CID) Executive Director Matthew Lee. “The State of Georgia, MARTA, GDOT and others understand Northlake’s significance as a regional activity center. We’re part of their planning processes and it’s exciting to see the transportation, transit, and regional trail projects being developed that will keep Northlake connected in all directions.” 

The centerpiece of this area is the Northlake Mall which is undergoing a transformation with construction underway for Emory Healthcare as a centralized location for about 1,600 of its employees. Scheduled to open in January 2022, the 200,000 SF renovation is just a start for further redevelopment at this location. 

Tony Ruggeri, a partner with Texas-based ATR Corinth Partners, noted that Emory’s presence will quickly inject the area with more life. 

“It’s a winning formula to support retail and restaurants which has worked for us in previous mall redevelopments,” he said. 

Just to the south, Northlake Festival Shopping Center could also be in the offing for major changes. In a competitive process, Atlanta’s Urban Land Institute (ULI) Center for Leadership program chose the Festival as a living case study to evaluate the property for redevelopment options. The 30+ year-old, 367,000 SF center is famously recognizable by the 662-foot tower that rises from the middle of the parking lot. 

“We are excited the Tucker project at Northlake Festival was selected by the ULI Center for Leadership class for this year’s program and are excited to hear what our real estate industry experts propose,” said Marc Brambrut, Senior Vice President of Development at Portman Residential and Chair of ULI’s Center for Leadership Technical Assistance Program. “This site speaks to the untapped potential at Northlake, and we’re excited to crack this open and be a catalyst partner in a reimagined Northlake.”

Setting any bias aside, I would challenge you to find a regional power center anywhere in metro Atlanta with the type of potential that we have in Northlake. The future is certainly bright!

If you are a business owner who would like to receive periodic emails from the City about important updates and relevant business information, send your email address to abrooks@tuckerga.gov.