Developers: Big changes bound for Virginia-Highland’s retail row

Virginia-Highlands’ historic retail row has long been pockmarked with vacancies, a depressing and perhaps strange reality given the demographic goldmine around it. 

But according to a local development firm with projects dotted around metro Atlanta, a significant portion of Va-Hi’s retail tide will soon begin to shift. 

Officials with Atlanta-based real estate company Third & Urban announced rescue plans today for a 61,120-square-foot section of the retail district they’ve dubbed the “Atkins Park Collection.”

Third & Urban is planning more than $3 million in building and streetscape upgrades to multiple properties spread across three blocks along one of Virginia-Highland’s primary commercial corridors, North Highland Avenue.  

The most significant changes, as illustrated in new renderings, could come at the largely vacant 780 North Highland Ave. section, where renovation plans call for an indoor-outdoor courtyard enlivened with a variety of new retail. Third & Urban’s leasing partners plan to target “community-focused food and beverage tenants that enhance the neighborhood” for that component, according to an announcement today. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in late spring. 

Elsewhere, Third & Urban recently finished upgrades at the 842 North Highland building. Those include new signage, railings, upgraded light fixtures, and a new mural by local artist Janice Rago on the Intown Hardware side of the building. 

Third & Urban purchased the first phase of the Atkins Park Collection (35,370 square feet retail along North Highland Avenue and St. Charles Avenue) in December 2024. The firm scooped up the second phase (including Neighbors bar, City Church, and other infill storefronts on the block between Greenwood and St. Charles avenues) in September. 

Third & Urban is working with nonprofit Virginia Highland District on the retail and safety enhancement efforts, with a goal of attracting more daytime traffic and boosting existing businesses. 

“Many of these businesses are homegrown with roots planted deep in the community, and we want to see them continue to thrive,” said Hank Farmer, a Third & Urban cofounder and neighborhood resident, in today’s announcement. “By refreshing the streetscape and buildings and filling the vacant space with new life, our goal is to provide lasting value to our neighbors and visitors who care as much about the area as we do.” 

Bridger Properties has been brought on to handle retail leasing in Virginia-Highland. 

Third & Urban’s investment won’t be the only recent attempt to breathe new life into the Va-Hi commercial strip nearest to Ponce de Leon Avenue. 

Following complaints from business owners and nearby residents, the Atlanta City Council in September unanimously approved a resolution to make parking on all city streets in the area free. The goal was to create more uniform enforcement, reverse the tide of retail vacancies, and lure more customers back to the district’s shops, eateries, boutiques, and bars. 

Elsewhere in metro Atlanta, Third & Urban was behind adaptive-reuse projects Westside Paper and Common Ground along the Beltline and the planned $600-million makeover of Corporate Square in Brookhaven. It's also a partner in the 8-acre Hillcrest project that broke ground last fall, promising a new facet for downtown Sandy Springs. 

Third & Urban also acquired the six-building Dunwoody Park offices last year at the Perimeter, which are currently being leased while developers weigh long-term redevelopment possibilities. Another suburban office bet for the company is Alpharetta’s Georgia 400 Center, part of the firm’s 1.2-million-square-foot portfolio across the Southeast. 

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