Some 47 miles from downtown Atlanta, a mixed-use proposal with a larger footprint than Avalon and nearly three times the number of housing units as The Battery Atlanta has entered the pipeline as the next potential made-from-scratch OTP mini city.

Having drawn comparisons to Alpharetta’s Avalon and Forsyth County’s Halcyon and Vickery Village, the Thompson Mill Village project would span some 100 acres and straddle the Gwinnett and Hall county line, according to a Developments of Regional Impact filing made Friday with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Described as a mixed-use lifestyle community, the VDC Development project would take shape at 6150 Thompson Mill Road, next to Chateau Elan’s resort and winery and a Northeast Georgia Medical Center campus, a jobs hub for the Braselton area. It would be situated on a new state road spanning between interstates 85 and 285.

The site in question spans more than 100 acres where previous development efforts were shelved during the Great Recession. Google Maps

Overview of planned uses across 110 acres straddling Gwinnett and Hall counties. VCD Development

The scope for Thompson Mill Village, expected to come together over the next five years, is staggering: Up to 1,549 residential units (a mix of condos, townhomes, apartments, and senior-living units), a 200-room hotel, and more than 783,000 square feet of commercial space.

For comparison, Avalon spans 86 acres today with much less retail (570,000 square feet) and a 330-room hotel.

According to the DRI filing—a requirement given Thompson Mill Village’s scope and potential regional impact—the project is targeting 2028 for completion.

VDC Development’s Aaron Fampton told The Gainesville Times in September that vertical construction could commence in nine to 18 months given “the great interest we’ve received from prospective builders.”

The bulk of the project—about 70 acres—would be located in Gwinnett, with the remainder in Hall.

Thompson Mill Village's proposed location in Atlanta's far northeastern suburbs. Google Maps

Thompson Mill Village was initially approved by Hall County officials some 15 years ago, before the Great Recession put plans on ice. As The Times reports, VDC’s goal is capitalize on recent growth stemming from both the Gainesville and metro Atlanta areas.

Other significant developments in the area include a sprawling, under-construction venture called Reveille, which is expected to bring housing and commercial uses to a 512-acre site in South Hall County.

As the Atlanta Business Chronicle relays, the population for the U.S. Census tract that includes Chateau Elan swelled by 46 percent between 2010 and 2021—but still included just 6,100 people.

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