A residential project designed to fill a housing void in one of Gwinnett County’s fastest-growing submarkets is starting to deliver, continuing metro Atlanta’s build-to-rent housing craze along a key arterial road. 

Parkland Residential, an active BTR developer with projects dotted around the metro, has announced the grand opening of infill project Sugarloaf Crest in Lawrenceville. First residents are scheduled to move into the 67-unit community early this month. 

Situated southwest of downtown Lawrenceville, the 3535 Sugarloaf Parkway project is claiming 5.2 acres, with plans for a large town green component between residences and a dog park area tucked behind. 

The deep lot had previously been vacant, apart from a single-story residential structure set far back from the road. 

Construction progress on Sugarloaf Crest in early December. Courtesy of Parkland Communities

Courtesy of Parkland Residential

One perk of the townhomes is walkability to two schools—Richards Middle School and Cedar Hill Elementary School—next door, as officials with Alpharetta-based Parkland have said. 

Plans call for open-floorplan townhomes with two or three bedrooms, plus two and ½ bathrooms and two-car, rear-entry garages. An appliance package with washers and dyers comes with each, per Parkland reps. (One four-bedroom option is also in the mix.) 

Townhome sizes range between 1,600 and 1,950 square feet. 

The range of rent prices at Sugarloaf Crest isn’t publicly listed. We’ve asked for those details and will update this story should they come. 

Beyond the centralized greenspace and dog park, community amenities include a playground and playfield, in addition to a maintenance-free, flexible lifestyle that BTR communities are known for. (Not included: that equity part for tenants.) 

Courtesy of Parkland Residential

The Sugarloaf Crest site in relation to downtown Lawrenceville, Interstate 85, and other landmarks northeast of Atlanta. Google Maps

Sugarloaf Crest marks “an important step in addressing the rising demand for housing in Lawrenceville,” said Jim Jacobi, Parkland Residential president, in a recent announcement. 

“As Gwinnett County continues to grow,” Jacobi continued, “expanding access to high-quality rental homes is essential to meeting the needs of a rapidly growing population, while offering a flexible alternative to traditional homeownership.”

Georgia has emerged as a BTR leader on a statewide basis, with the fifth most units in the pipeline (9,872) in the U.S., a ranking led by Texas (21,812), as of February. When those homes deliver, the Peach State’s BTR housing stock will increase by nearly 87 percent, according to a Point2Homes.com analysis. 

As with other metros, the BTR model has drawn criticism around Atlanta for claiming available land that could have gone to for-sale housing, where first-time homebuyers in particular could start to build wealth via equity. 

Site plans for 67-unit Sugarloaf Crest. Courtesy of Parkland Communities

Conversely, Parkland describes projects like Sugarloaf Crest as missing-middle housing, in that they provide relatively affordable living options without mortgage commitments in amenity-rich areas. The company plans to build many more communities in a similar vein over the next several years, officials have said. 

Other recent projects in the Parkland portfolio include a much larger, multifaceted residential build east of Atlanta in Stonecrest geared toward the thousands of future employees expected at EV carmaker Rivian’s under-construction plant. In the south metro, the homebuilder has also recently started delivering 9-acre Morgan Park in downtown Fayetteville. 

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