The north Fulton County city of Roswell has attracted headlines recently (including national ones) for its legislation to limit and now ban construction of standalone apartment communities. It's an effort to encourage more mixed-use development (and limit growth) despite concerns over a lack of affordable housing in the area.

Nonetheless, an apartment community in East Roswell is moving forward with more than 300 units, with the mixed-use component expected to come later.

The $101-million Averly East Village project, a joint venture by ECI Group and Phoenix Capital, will replace a vacant shopping center at 2640 Holcomb Bridge Road. Demolition has begun at the commercial hub once home to a Super Target, Marshalls, Rack Room Shoes, Dollar Tree, and other retailers, according to project reps.

The project's central greenspace will be accessible to the public, per developers. Noland Creative; courtesy of ECI Group

The site is located east of Ga. Highway 400 within Roswell city limits, about five miles southeast of Roswell’s historic downtown. The Gwinnett County line is just east of the site.  

As designed by Rule Joy Trammell Rubio architects, Averly East Village calls for 335 one-, two-, and three-bedroom luxury apartments with interiors, architecture, and landscaping that ECI Group describes as “resort-quality.”

Developers say it’ll be part of a larger mixed-use project called East Village that seems more appealing than a nondescript, drive-to shopping node. Plans call for 74 townhomes and 75,000 square feet of retail arranged around a public-accessible, central greenspace with a pavilion.  

The development site (in red, at bottom right) in relation to Ga. Highway 400 and downtown Roswell. Google Maps

Averly East Village amenities call for an outdoor gym (and an indoor one), pool deck with cabanas, two outdoor kitchens, café-style coffee lounge with WFH spaces, a requisite dog spa and park, among other perks.

Jimmy Baugnon, ECI Group’s chief investment officer, said Averly East Village will help address a housing shortage in Atlanta’s northern suburbs that are “experiencing explosive growth in jobs and residents,” per a media release.  

The development will include a live-work component. Noland Creative; courtesy of ECI Group

The company’s development manager, Joe Miller, said live-work units will be included in the multifamily mix to help integrate the project with nearby retail, while the central green is designed to be a focal point for East Roswell. Andrew Scott of Phoenix Capital acknowledged that “opportunities in Roswell are rare,” making the project “especially exciting.”

Averly East Village is expected to open in late 2024. Head to the above gallery for more context and renderings.

• Renderings: Roswell's historic district lands upscale, boutique hotel (Urbanize Atlanta)