Images: Promising 8 acres of mixed uses, Hillcrest project officially a go

North of Atlanta, a large infill project is officially under construction that’s promising an array of commercial spaces and hundreds of more residential options near Sandy Springs’ master-planned downtown. 

Officials with High Street Residential, the residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company, announced today they’ve broken ground on 8.1-acre, mixed-use venture Hillcrest, which is replacing the Sandy Springs United Methodist Church Activities Center. Dallas-based HSR is partnering with Atlanta developer Third & Urban on the Hillcrest project. It was originally announced in June.

Developers report that all portions of Hillcrest are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2027 just west of Sandy Springs’ City Springs, a $230-million social, retail, government, and arts hub that opened in 2018. 

Scott Kirchhoff, a principal at HSR in Atlanta, predicted Hillcrest will become “a premier mixed-use destination that will elevate Sandy Springs and the City Springs area as a top choice for living, dining, and recreation” in a construction announcement today. 

Hillcrest’s blueprints call for 362 multifamily units and 30 luxury townhomes, all of them for rent, according to HSR. 

Elsewhere the project will see more than 18,000 square feet of patio-heavy retail dotted around a centralized, public greenspace and plaza. Overall, designs call for three to five-story buildings terracing down from the intersection of Mount Vernon Highway and Sandy Springs Circle. 

A parking garage with more than 100 public spaces reserved for retail and city events is also included, along with street infrastructure that improves walkability and allows for street parking, according to HSR.  

The Hillcrest townhomes call for two and three-bedroom plans, each with rooftop patios and two-car garages.

The multifamily component will see a rooftop clubroom and pool zone—with “panoramic views of Sandy Springs and Buckhead,” per developers—plus perks that have become standard in new upscale intown buildings: a sauna, movie room, golf simulator lounge, fitness center with a Pilates studio, and WFH space. 

Third & Urban—the company behind ITP projects such as Westside Paper, Armour Yards, Common Ground on the Beltline, and forthcoming Corporate Square in Brookhaven—will be overseeing Hillcrest’s retail facets. Those plans generally call for a wine bar, coffee shop, fitness studio, ice cream option, and a mix of causal and high-end dining spilling into the centralized plaza.

Beyond City Springs, the site is located within a mile of more than 2 million square feet of retail space that includes four grocery stores, per HSR. 

Sandy Springs United Methodist Church had been in talks to offload the property in question for private development since at least 2016. 

Proceeds from the sale will be used to redevelop and upgrade the main church campus, which is situated across Mount Vernon Highway from the Hillcrest site. The sales price for the land in question hasn’t been disclosed, and it’s not yet available in Fulton County property records. 

Hillcrest’s development team also includes Cooper Carry (architect), Square Feet Design (retail consultant and interior designer), New South Construction (general contractor), Citizens Bank (lender), Wesley Community Development (church advisor), and CBRE (retail leasing). 

“City Springs paved the way in creating a downtown experience,” Third & Urban partner Hank Farmer said in a statement. “Hillcrest’s groundbreaking brings us one step closer to expanding the town center, with a community-focused retail component that complements its surroundings.”

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