Eight years in the making, a multifaceted development near Roswell’s Canton Street that’s been called transformative and cognizant of historical design is ready for its closeup.

Spread across a former strip mall’s 4 acres, the Southern Post mixed-use project has delivered offices, apartments, and 10 new retailers and restaurants (so far) to 1037 Alpharetta St., as showcased during a grand opening block party this week.

The City of Roswell bought the former 1960s strip mall on site—called Southern Skillet Plaza for a popular restaurant located there—back in 2016 and vetted developer ideas for several years.

Now, the 260,000-square-foot development by Virginia-based Armada Hoffler is situated two blocks east of historic Canton Street, a regional dining destination. It borders two more projects of significant scale (a boutique hotel and shopping center redo) in the Fulton County city’s downtown pipeline. 

Southern Post was designed to be a new social hub and active dimension for downtown, with an aesthetic that blends modern materials with traditional ones such as brick as a nod to city history.

The cleared shopping center site on Alpharetta Street in January 2021.Google Maps

The Southern Post project's frontages along Alpharetta Street today.Courtesy of Armada Hoffler

The scope includes 137 luxury-grade apartments (a few with townhome-style layouts), 40,000 square feet of retail space, and 90,000 square feet of loft-style offices. Elsewhere, 600 parking spaces in a new deck were also included, developers have said.

Leasing across the property was described as “highly successful” in a ribbon-cutting announcement this week.

Ninety percent of the retail space has been claimed by tenants that include Azotea Cantina, Belux Coffee, BODYROK, Bey Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar, Watch Your Wrist, Cavina Wellness, Silla Del Toro, Grana, and Da Vinci’s Donuts, among others.

Meanwhile, the multifamily portion, Chandler Residences, counts about 100 residents in one to three-bedroom units a few months after leasing began, per developers. 

Courtesy of Armada Hoffler

A Chandler Residences communal lounge space. Courtesy of Armada Hoffler

Current rents start at $1,945 monthly for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom floorplan with 699 square feet.

The priciest option is a three-level townhome floorplan (1,719 square feet) with three bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms for $5,599 monthly. Six weeks of free rent is being offered as an incentive.

“We have carefully curated a blend of primarily local retailers and restaurants and premier office tenants, forming an extension of downtown Roswell and a new gathering place for the area,” noted Chelsea Forrest, Armanda Hoffler’s vice president of corporate communications and investor relations.

The location of Southern Post (in red) in relation to Roswell's Canton Street dining district, at left. Google Maps

In the summer of 2019, Armada Hoffler had hoped to begin building Southern Post early the following year, but that schedule didn’t fully materialize. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held just days before COVID-19 lockdowns (and delays) began.

S.J. Collins Enterprises, developer of Atlanta’s Interlock, had been a partner in the Roswell project until Armada Hoffler bought them out in 2020.

Swing up to the gallery for more Southern Post context and images.

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