Food hall at center of $200M development has officially opened

Four years after plans first came to light, a major eastside housing development has finished construction, as its centerpiece food hall has officially arrived. 

Perennial Properties officials tell Urbanize Atlanta the Vela Park Food Works project opened to the public Thursday as the latest, multi-tenant ITP food-and-beverage district, located just south of East Lake Golf Club. 

The food hall delivery caps an investment of roughly $200 million around East Lake in recent years for the veteran Atlanta developer. 

Spanning 5,000 square feet, the food hall at the Vela Park community includes a large patio connected to a 40,000-square-foot greenspace that’s open to the public. As first reported on these pages in April, it’s a new concept by Robert Montwaid, the founder and creator of New York City’s famed Gansevoort Market, in addition to Atlanta’s Chattahoochee Food Works and the CTR Food Works downtown. 

Vela Park Food Works features six different chef-driven concepts, alongside craft cocktails. Marketing materials have described the food variety as “wood-fired Italian classics… bold Latin street food… fresh Mediterranean plates… flavorful Asian favorites, all-American comfort eats, and sweet dessert indulgences.”

The food hall “is being built with the community at its center,” said Montwaid, founder of Gansevoort Companies, in an announcement this week. “We believe food has the power to connect people, and our vision is to create a destination that neighbors can enjoy throughout the day—from morning coffee and lunch meetings to festivals, art, and evening gatherings.”

The food-and-beverage addition is part of what Perennial officials call a broader effort to create a vibrant and walkable new district, located in unincorporated Decatur near East Lake. 

Vela Park—situated about two blocks south of East Lake Golf Club’s Hole 13, along 2nd and Alexander avenues—consumed 12 long-vacant acres previously known as the Bag Factory Site. 

It broke ground in early 2024 and now includes 328 units total, with 43 of those being rental townhouses. Floorplans range from studios to three-bedroom options. Two months of free rent is being offered as an incentive in some cases. 

Around the corner on Glenwood Avenue, next to Publix Super Market at East Lake's entrance, Perennial also developed a four-building, mixed-use project called Ella several years ago. 

As part of the Vela Park development, Perennial is including an eight-foot-wide walking path on the north side of their property to link 2nd Avenue with Fayetteville Road and the Publix, officials have said. 

Find more Vela Park context and images in the gallery above. 

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• East Lake news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)