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Interlock district's swanky rooftop zone lands tenant, eyes reopening Josh Green Thu, 02/06/2025 - 15:35 Following a stab at operating as a pricey, members-only club and then a sudden closure in August, one of the largest and most unique rooftop social spaces in Atlanta has new life on tap.
Real estate investment firm Armada Hoffler announced today it has leased the multifaceted rooftop space atop The Interlock district in West Midtown to Atlanta-based communal hub, events facility, and workspace The Gathering Spot.
The new members-only concept, Retreat at The Gathering Spot, will occupy 38,000 square feet of rooftop space with a swanky pool area and sweeping views from Buckhead to downtown. Other facets will see two full-service restaurants and sections meant for events, workshops, and flexible workspaces. (Find our photo tour of all rooftop spaces just before they opened over here.)
The Gathering Spot, which is expanding from its original location off North Avenue, will also occupy 20,000 square feet of office space at the SJC Ventures development. The new spaces are scheduled to open sometime this summer, officials announced today.
With designs inspired by Mykonos’ garden lounges, Monaco’s cabanas, and even cruise-ship decks, the rooftop portion at Interlock was operated for two years by Slater Hospitality (creators of Ponce City Market tourist-destination The Roof) as L.O.A., or Leave Of Absence.
Katie Bricker Photography
Katie Bricker Photography
Ryan Wilson, The Gathering Spot cofounder and CEO, predicted the new digs will provide “a dynamic environment for business meetings and networking” and “a respite from the day-to-day,” where members can “transition from closing deals to unwinding with friends, engaging in wellness experiences, and enjoying a social retreat that recharges and inspires,” according to a statement.
The Gathering Spot, described by founders as “the largest Black-owned community in the United States,” was started in 2016 at Atlanta’s North Yards Business Park. It now counts two more locations in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. and roughly 12,000 members nationwide.
Membership to Retreat atop The Interlock district will come by invitation only, and candidates must first be members of The Gathering Spot, per officials. Club memberships in Atlanta currently start at $2,100 annually.
Katie Bricker Photography
Katie Bricker Photography
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Fresh Beltline pitstop
In other occupancy news, developer Portman today announced the first Beltline-adjacent restaurant space—a concept from the creator of MF Sushi, Kingo Room, and other restaurants—has begun opening at its Junction Krog District mixed-use project.
Yuji, a Japanese-modern restaurant by Kinjo Enterprise, has started debuting its Kaiseki-inspired menu in an upscale buildout along the Eastside Trail, just west of Krog Street Market.
Courtesy of Portman
Yuji is situated on the ground floor and connected with what Portman calls the “expansive public porch” of its sleekly contemporary, black-painted building. The restaurant includes two outdoor bars, along with a 1,700-square-foot patio for quaffing sake, cocktails, and beer on draft. (A range of mocktails are also offered.)
Another feature is a Yuji walk-up window for to-go orders with a touchscreen display.
Beyond the Japanese concept, coffee and cocktail purveyor Brash Coffee Roasters recently opened at Junction Krog District. Italian concept YEPPA&co is now on pace to open this summer, officials said today.
The first new Junction Krog District restaurant is described as a Japanese-modern eatery with a Kaiseki-inspired menu offering fresh and seasonal dishes.Courtesy of Portman
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1115 Howell Mill Road NW The Interlock SJC Ventures S.J. Collins Enterprises Home Park Rooftop L.O.A. L.O.A. Chil & Co. Rooftop pools West Midtown Atlanta Development Atlanta Mixed-Use ASD|SKY Leave of Absence Atlanta Rooftop Bars Rooftop at Ponce City Market Mykonos Monaco Mandy Slater Slater Hospitality The Gathering Spot Black-Owned 667 AUBURN AVENUE NE Junction Krog District O4W Office Portman Holdings Portman Architecture Studioplex SPX Krog District Krog Street Market Beltline Eastside Trail Atlanta BeltLine Offices Armada Hoffler Properties
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Katie Bricker Photography
Katie Bricker Photography
Katie Bricker Photography
Katie Bricker Photography
The first new Junction Krog District restaurant is described as a Japanese-modern eatery with a Kaiseki-inspired menu offering fresh and seasonal dishes.Courtesy of Portman
Courtesy of Portman
Subtitle Plus, first look at latest restaurant on Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail
Neighborhood Marietta Street Artery
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The Interlock - 1115 Howell Mill Road NW 667 Auburn Avenue NE
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From the Saporta Report:
In a new public announcement, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. leaders laid out a list of problems, including ballooning costs, shrinking plans and delayed development that led to the eventual cancellation of a contract with Culdesac Inc. to redevelop Murphy Crossing. The Jan. 10 cancellation announcement took many by surprise. Atlanta’s highly-anticipated project was set to transform […]
The post Atlanta Beltline faults developers for Murphy Crossing deal cancellation appeared first on SaportaReport.
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From the Saporta Report:
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and city council members were in attendance for a historical marker dedication on Wednesday at Citizens Trust Bank. The Georgia Historical Society and Citizens Trust Bank erected the marker. In 1921, Herman E. Perry, James A. Robinson, Thomas J. Ferguson, W. H. King and Henry Dugas — who became known as […]
The post Historic marker honors Black-owned Citizens Trust Bank and its legacy appeared first on SaportaReport.
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Reporter’s Notebook: New head of ATL cultural affairs, free tax help at Greenbriar Mall, new leadership at local organizations
(saportareport.com)
From the Saporta Report:
Mayor taps former New Haven culture director to lead Atlanta cultural affairs office Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced longtime cultural equity leader Adriane Jefferson will take over as the new Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs on Feb. 28. Previously, Jefferson led the cultural affairs department for the city of New Haven, […]
The post Reporter’s Notebook: New head of ATL cultural affairs, free tax help at Greenbriar Mall, new leadership at local organizations appeared first on SaportaReport.
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Honoring Laura McCarty: A life of grace, leadership and dedication to Georgia’s cultural legacy
(saportareport.com)
From the Saporta Report:
It was one of those phone calls we all dread. A call where time itself slows to such a bizarre pace. The lag allowed me to keep my composure and methodically measure each syllable being said to me in dire hopes that I would hear something else. Alas, in those long seconds it was confirmed. […]
The post Honoring Laura McCarty: A life of grace, leadership and dedication to Georgia’s cultural legacy appeared first on SaportaReport.
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From the Atlanta Daily World:
February 5 1866—Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, one of the great White heroes of Black history, offers his famous amendment to the Freedman’s Bureau bill to use land confiscated from former slave owners as well as some public lands to guarantee each adult former slave “40 acres and a mule.” However, even after the … Continued
The post This Week In Black History Feb. 5-12, 2025 appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
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Rezoning approval moves Lakeshore Mall redevelopment project forward in Gainesville
(saportareport.com)
From the Saporta Report:
Gainesville City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the rezoning of Lakeshore Mall, allowing plans to move forward to redevelop the 49-acre site into new housing, retail locations, and community greenspace. Branch Properties, an Atlanta-based private real estate investment and development firm, intends to break ground on the project, known as Lakeshore, in late […]
The post Rezoning approval moves Lakeshore Mall redevelopment project forward in Gainesville appeared first on SaportaReport.
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From the Saporta Report:
For some, the U.S. feels upside down lately. The unraveling of policies has organizations and the public waiting to see which way is up. A crime no longer appears to be a crime when it comes to Jan. 6. Refugees who were met with compassion and humanitarianism by the U.S. less than a month ago. […]
The post DEI watchlist is the latest unraveling of truth and norms appeared first on SaportaReport.
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Mall's sweeping redevelopment takes step closer to reality Josh Green Thu, 02/06/2025 - 08:11 Extreme makeover plans for a Gainesville mall are moving much more quickly than similar proposals across metro Atlanta.
Just two months after it was announced, the 49-acre, mixed-use redevelopment of 1970s-era Lakeshore Mall has received unanimous rezoning approval from the City of Gainesville, according to Atlanta-based developer and real estate investment firm Branch Properties.
As revealed in late November, Branch Properties’ multi-phase plans call for transforming the mall into an open-air, walkable destination that functions as a residential hub and communal gathering place. The new district will be called, simply, Lakeshore.
Once fully built, that will include 652 multifamily residences, 38,200 square feet of public outdoor greenspace, and a whopping 305,000 square feet for retail. (For context, Ponce City Market counts about 350,000 square feet dedicated to retail.) The site will also have room for townhomes and a hotel in future phases, per officials.
Situated between Lake Lanier and Interstate 985, about an hour northeast of Atlanta in the Hall County seat, the nearly 500,000-square-foot Lakeshore Mall originally opened in 1970 along Dawsonville Highway, a main Gainesville artery. Branch Properties bought the mall in 2022.
In its current state, the mall continues to operate but “looks like a ghost town at times,” as local newspaper The Gainesville Times recently put it. The mall’s directory lists 25 stores and restaurants as currently operating, including anchors Dick’s and Belk.
Branch Properties officials called the rezoning approval a “significant milestone,” but don’t expect to see bulldozers on site and full closure of the mall soon.
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Groundbreaking isn’t scheduled until late 2026. But once it’s started, the mall redo should move quickly, with project completion forecasted for 2028, according to Branch Properties.
Plans call for keeping the mall’s anchor tenants Belk and Dick’s Sporting Goods open throughout the development process, though Dick’s will eventually be relocated on site.
With its inclusion of residential, the project echoes other metro mall redevelopments moving forward at North DeKalb Mall, Mall West End, and Gwinnett Place, among others.
Closer to Atlanta, Branch Properties is behind such recent projects as Hugh Howell Marketplace in Tucker (completed in 2022) and Publix-anchored Summerhill Station.
Elsewhere in Gainesville, the company is also developing a 14-acre shopping center called Limestone Marketplace, which is also anchored by Publix.
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Lakeshore Mall's 150 Pearl Nix Parkway location, between Lake Lanier and Interstate 985. Google Maps
Franklin Street has been tapped to work with Branch Properties on retail leasing at the Gainesville mall makeover.
“Gainesville has undergone significant growth, with the population increasing by 15 percent in the past five years, fueled by the draw of Lake Lanier and migration from Atlanta suburbs,” said Jesse Shannon, Branch Properties’ president, partner, and chief investment officer, in a Wednesday announcement.
“The transformation of Lakeshore will establish Gainesville’s new community heart,” Shannon continued, “an inviting destination that cultivates connection and community through thoughtfully designed public spaces and expansive greenspace.”
Find more context and imagery in the gallery above.
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• Gainesville news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
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150 Pearl Nix Parkway Lakeshore Mall Branch Properties Gainesville Development Gainesville Growth Atlanta Malls Mall Redevelopment Malls Dick’s Sporting Goods Franklin Street Belk North OTP OTP Hall County DRI Development of Regional Impact
Images
Lakeshore Mall's 150 Pearl Nix Parkway location, between Lake Lanier and Interstate 985. Google Maps
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Courtesy of Branch Properties
Google Maps
Subtitle At Gainesville’s Lakeshore Mall, plans call for hundreds of residences, communal greens
Neighborhood Gainesville
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Ahmaud Arbery’s Parents, Ben Crump React After Judge Dismisses Charges Against Jackie Johnson
(atlantadailyworld.com)
From the Atlanta Daily World:
Nationally renowned civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and S. Lee Merritt and the parents of Ahmaud Arbery, Wanda Cooper-Jones and Marcus Arbery, released the following statement on the dismissal of charges against former District Attorney Jackie Johnson in connection with the handling of their son’s case: “We are deeply disappointed by the court’s decision … Continued
The post Ahmaud Arbery’s Parents, Ben Crump React After Judge Dismisses Charges Against Jackie Johnson appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
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