A Perimeter Center hotel years in the making expects to open in coming weeks and bring the growing subdistrict its first rooftop lounge, with views stretching to Atlanta’s skylines.

Located across the street from Perimeter Mall, the 156-key AC Hotel Atlanta Perimeter was first proposed in 2017 but delayed by requested modifications to its design.

Those plans now include a seventh-floor bar that Michael Starling, Dunwoody’s economic development director, calls a first for the city. Like an adjacent lounge, it’s expected to be a year-round gathering place for drinks and tapas-style cuisine for both travelers and nearby office workers.

The AC Hotel's location just north of Perimeter Mall and Interstate 285. Google Maps

The AC's location where Perimeter Center West meets Perimeter Center Place. Marriott/Vision Hospitality Group, via Discover Dunwoody

Marriott, which partnered with Chattanooga-based Vision Hospitality Group on the hotel project, has previously said the rooftop space will offer panoramic views of Atlanta. It’s expected to open for guests in September.

Dunwoody’s AC Hotel will also include a market with local items, a fitness center, and a library stocked with a curated selection of novels.

Starling said the outdoor spaces and dining options are “addressing the need for gathering spaces in [this] growing community of young professionals,” according to a city announcement this week.

Meanwhile, the tired 1970s strip mall that is Dunwoody Village is getting a facelift.

A scene from Dunwoody Village in 2015. Shutterstock

A first phase of Village redevelopment is expected to wrap this fall. It’ll add a 30,000-square-foot courtyard and a Bar(n) concept—described as “a unique day-time café that transforms into a wine bar at night”—to the mix.

Eventually, the Village redo will include five new restaurants total (a Jimmy Buffett-inspired seafood house, barbecue, Mexican, and Mediterranean concepts) with the bulk of those scheduled to open in 2022. Plans also call for greenspace and an outdoor stage and screen for music and events. (Atlanta magazine has a more detailed look at restaurant concepts and renderings here.)

Dunwoody city leaders recently reported that office vacancy rates have dropped below the regional average to 20 percent. Since early 2020, five new businesses and corporations have leased large blocks of existing buildings in the Central Perimeter city—most of that during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—while a national staffing company has claimed the entirety of the new MARTA-connected Twelve24 office tower.  

“This is an exciting time for Dunwoody,” said Starling, “as we continue evolving into a place that’s really focused on creating a special feel for the local community, including those who come here each day for work.”

• Images: State Farm's massive, MARTA-connected project is nearly finished (Urbanize Atlanta)