Atlanta isn’t alone among Georgia cities when it comes to block-altering, mixed-use student housing ventures. 

Vertical construction is well underway on a multifaceted project called Magnolia near the University of Georgia’s campus and the heart of downtown Athens, according to Charlotte-based developer Northwood Ravin, an active player in ITP Atlanta, too. 

The project is replacing The Varsity and its parking lots at 1000 W. Broad St. The storied Atlanta-based restaurant shuttered its Athens location in summer 2021 after nearly a century of operations downtown, and the building sat vacant for several years before Magnolia’s construction kicked off.  

Northwood Ravin is partnering on the Athens venture with Atlanta’s Fuqua Development—the same team behind Old Fourth Ward’s The Bowery project—alongside Greenwood Consulting Group. 

Magnolia’s plans, as designed by Nelson Worldwide architects, call for five stories of a “high-end student living experience” with a Publix Super Market anchoring retail at the base, per Northwood Ravin officials.  

Overview of the five-story Magnolia project in the 1000 block of downtown Athens' Broad Street. Northwood Ravin; designs, NELSON Worldwide

The long-vacated former Varsity property on West Broad Street in 2023, with the bulk of downtown Athens at right. Google Maps

Beyond the supermarket, plans call for four street-facing retail spaces that will aim to create a mix of dining and shopping in blocks west of downtown’s main commercial district. 

An Athens-Clarke County planning department official told Flagpole in 2024 the two-building format at Magnolia calls for an urban-style grocer with similar designs to Atlantic Station’s Target. Magnolia trees that have stood on site along Milledge Avenue for more than a century—a source of concern for Athens environmentalists and residents—are being preserved.   

Scope of the 6.2-acre former Varsity site in Athens, prior to construction on Magnolia beginning. Google Maps

Magnolia is on pace to deliver for the 2027/2028 school year, according to Northwood Ravin, which is promising “a new standard for living, convenience, and connection in downtown Athens.”

The development team also includes W&A Engineering, IMEG, and Windward Engineers and Consultants.

The Magnolia project site (left, in red) in relation to downtown Athens landmarks and UGA's campus. Google Maps

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