A residential project in Atlanta’s growing northwestern suburbs is officially moving forward with updated designs and a relatively quick construction timeline. 

Athens-based developer Landmark Properties hosted a formal groundbreaking ceremony Monday at the site of off-campus student housing project The Standard at Kennesaw. 

The five-story project at 112 Townpark Drive is slated to bring 656 new student-housing beds less than a mile east of Kennesaw State University, near Interstate 575 and Chastain Road. (New renderings show tweaked exterior color schemes versus earlier plans.) 

Revised exterior color schemes and main entries at the 656-bed Kennesaw project. Courtesy of Landmark Properties; Niles Bolton Associates

The Standard at Kennesaw's 112 Townpark Drive location (in red) near KSU's main campus, to the west. Google Maps

Landmark’s goal is to capitalize on record enrollment growth at KSU—and the fact that no new student residential project has delivered in the market for nearly five years, officials have said. 

Development heads previously said the project would debut in two years; but according to an update this week, the timeline will be quicker, with delivery expected in time for the 2027-2028 school year—or just 12 months from now.  

Plans in Kennesaw call for 157 apartments, ranging from studios up to six-bedroom floorplans, all with in-unit laundry and en-suite bathrooms. The building will also include a 559-car parking deck, though a shuttle bus will be offered to get residents to campus and nearby dining, retail, and entertainment hubs, such as The Village at Townpark. 

The amenity package—described by Landmark as the largest in Kennesaw’s market—will span more than 11,000 square feet. Expect a very non-dorm, resort-style rooftop pool deck with a Jumbotron, a golf simulator, a study lounge with a café, bike storage, courtyards, and a fitness center with a sauna. 

Planned look of The Standard at Kennesaw project from Townpark Drive. Courtesy of Landmark Properties; Niles Bolton Associates

Elsewhere in Kennesaw, Landmark developed a 173-unit, 681-bed project called The Retreat at Kennesaw in 2021, which it sold last year as part of an eight-property deal.

In Atlanta, Landmark Properties’ recent student housing work has included 32-story The Legacy tower near Centennial Olympic Park, 28-story The Mark tower in Midtown, and another high-rise branded as The Standard in Midtown that opened in 2018. The company is also behind a potentially skyline-altering, 40-story tower proposal that has yet to break ground next to The Varsity’s original location on Spring Street. (Note: Our recent inquiries for a status update on The Varsity project have not been returned; permitting records show no recent activity.) 

Landmark bills itself as the top student housing developer in the U.S. The Kennesaw project is a joint venture with Dallas-based private equity manager Paceline Equity Partners. 

Landmark, long headquartered in Athens, also counts offices in New York and London, along with new digs in Buckhead to support growing Atlanta operations. The development team in Kennesaw also includes Landmark Construction (the developer’s in-house general contractor) and Eberly & Associates (structural engineer). 

During this week’s ceremony, Landmark executives also presented a $10,000 donation to Cobb Collaborative, a longstanding child and family-focused nonprofit. 

Developer contributions to the Cobb County nonprofit at this week's groundbreaking ceremony. Courtesy of Landmark Properties

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