A grocery-anchored, mixed-use development promising both the “largest floorplans” and “biggest backyard” in downtown Athens is entering the home stretch of construction. 

Officials with Charlotte-based multifamily developer Northwood Ravin send word that pre-leasing has opened at Magnolia, a 179-unit student housing venture near the University of Georgia. 

According to Northwood Ravin, Magnolia is being developed in conjunction with Publix Super Market—marking the first national-chain grocery option within Athens’ city limits—and marks the first apartment venture in the area to deliver market-rate, full-size renting options. 

Magnolia 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 last year.  

Fresh rendering showing an overview of Magnolia's infill plans on Broad Street in Athens. Northwood Ravin; designs, NELSON Worldwide

The largest floorplan (1,497 square feet) currently offered at Magnolia. Northwood Ravin

The hyped, oversized apartments currently range from 600-square-foot studios to three-bedroom, two-bathroom options with 1,497 square feet. Rents aren’t currently listed online; we’ve asked Northwood Ravin reps for more information on rent ranges and will post that should it come. 

Northwood Ravin, an active player in Atlanta and Decatur, is partnering on the Athens venture with Atlanta’s Fuqua Development—the same team behind Old Fourth Ward’s under-construction 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 the Publix anchoring retail at the base. 

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. The Publix format at Magnolia reportedly calls for an urban-style grocer with similar designs to Atlantic Station’s Target.

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

Planned aesthetics for a kitchen and living-room combo at Magnolia in Athens.Northwood Ravin

As for that big “backyard,” Magnolia amenities call for putt-putt, an elevated terrace level, an open-air kitchen, a double jacuzzi, a jumbotron, and “a pool deck big enough for the whole building,” per marketing materials. 

The location at Broad Street and Milledge Avenue, according to developers, is two minutes from UGA’s campus, one minute from Greek Row, and a quick walk or bike ride to the Oconee Rivers Greenway, Firefly Trail, and several public parks. 

Construction at Magnolia is scheduled to finish in time for the 2027-2028 school year at UGA. 

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

Swing up to the gallery for more context and visuals. 

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

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