For the first time in years, veteran suburban homebuilder David Weekley Homes has returned to a site Inside The Perimeter to develop an 80-unit project called Celesta. The company is set to officially pull back the curtain this month, promising a Decatur address with (relatively) attainable prices.  

Celesta’s grand opening is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 21, with tours of a professionally designed model home on site, project officials relayed this week. 

The community’s goal is to bring a “mix of urban convenience and Southern suburban charm” with home floorplans dense enough to resemble townhomes from afar, though none are attached. [UPDATE: 4:29 p.m., June 6: Project reps send the following note regarding the community's gated status, and this story has been modified accordingly: "Turns out that due to the number of homes that will be front-facing on the main street leading into the community, there will NOT be a gate after all."]

Celesta is located in the unincorporated DeKalb County community of Scottdale, tucked off East Ponce de Leon Avenue, about a mile and ½ due north of Your DeKalb Farmers Market. 

Downtown Decatur’s shops and eats are three miles away by car, while Avondale Estates’ commercial village is two miles south.

A rendering depicting Celesta facades near Decatur and Avondale Estates. Courtesy of David Weekley Homes

The project will echo zero-lot line, high-density homes the builder has put together (and sold out) in other metro Atlanta markets. Plans for the 731 Valley Brook Road site also call for extensive greenspace, walking trails, and a dog park tucked around the community. Several modest single-family homes were cleared from the acreage as infrastructure including streets was put in several years ago.

Project reps tell Urbanize Atlanta prices at Celesta will start in the high $400,000s, and all plans will include four bedrooms, three and ½ bathrooms, and rear-loading, two-car garages. (A few designer-appointed options will also be ready later this month, priced in the low $500,00s, per officials.)  

Two and three-story floorplans currently available range from 1,919 to 2,320 square feet. Expect five floorplans overall. 

Adam Cornett, David Weekley Homes Atlanta division president, said in this week’s announcement that interest in the building type and location has been high. 

“From the moment we announced [Celesta] was coming soon to the Scottdale-Decatur area," Cornett said, "we’ve received a lot of interest from homebuyers."

Examples of two finished David Weekley Homes communities—Belmont in Smyrna, at left, and Hargrove in Decatur—that resemble what Celesta will be. Courtesy of David Weekley Homes

The initial site plan for the 80-unit Celesta community in Decatur. (Homesite placement is correct here, but homebuilders are working to increase onsite park space, per project reps.)Courtesy of David Weekley Homes

The community will be districted to Druid Hills High School, which developers call a selling point. 

Beyond nearby commercial hubs, other perks of the location include proximity to major employers such as Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plus Interstate 285 and Ga. Highway 78, according to the homebuilder.

Owning at Celesta will require HOA dues, but those will cover lawn care. The project's website lists those fees as $1,000 annually, following a $2,800 initiation fee.

Swing up to the gallery for more context and a closer look. 

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