A metro Atlanta developer has announced plans to build a mixed-use community in the Braselton area that would encompass more than 500 acres on the Hall-Jackson County line.
The Atlanta River Walk is the vision of Peachtree City Developer Jorge Duran who has been working on a waterfront development idea for Atlanta similar to the popular San Antonio River Walk and Oklahoma City's Bricktown.
“Atlanta doesn’t have a lot of water front destinations. People love being near a river, a lake or an ocean,” said Duran, the principal of ARW Group LLC, in a press statement. “We will create a one-of-a-kind destination by constructing a man-made feature similar to a river and surrounding it with world-class mixed-use development.”
Duran said he looked at the Chattahoochee River and other local waterways but environmental regulations prohibited the kind of development he wanted to build.
He said he found the solution on 508 acres on the Hall-Jackson County line about a mile from Chateau Elan and Road Atlanta.
Duran said the man-made “river” will flow through the Atlanta River Walk District and will feature a large water art installation, the “Tree of Life.” Around the water way, ARW Group will develop an International Village with restaurants which would be complimented by entertainment venues and retail shops.
In addition, a large component of the project would be residential development, including town homes, zero-lot-line homes, mid-rise apartments, single-family homes and active living communities for seniors. The Atlanta River Walk would also have office spaces with a corporate and technology park, as well as hotels.
Duran said the project is expected to generate $700 million in new construction.
Other elements of The Atlanta River Walk include a boutique hotel, movie theater and major supermarket as well as an outdoor amphitheater and a conference center. The project will be completely surrounded by 30 acres of green space featuring art installations, walking trails and a multi use path.
The development requires approval first by the Hall County Planning Commission. The next meeting of the planning board is scheduled for May 16; an agenda for that meeting has not been published.
