Thanks to a couple of the fastest-growing subdivisions in the entire metro-Atlanta area, the city of Gainesville is on track for a third year of record breaking residential construction.
According to recent statistics from MetroStudy, Mundy Mill on the south end of the city is the number one selling community in all of metro Atlanta, based on the number of closings over the past year. Cresswind, which is on Browns Bridge Road, is the number three selling community and the number one active adult community, according to MetroStudy.
Gainesville Planning Director Rusty Ligon said in a recent phone interview that the increase in residential building permits in the first six months of this year compared to last year is 9% (230 compared to 211), but he said the numbers really are amazing when compared to just three years ago.
"Compared to 2014 [133 permits], we've seen a 73% increase and compared to 2013, when we issued 73 permits, the increase is 215%," Ligon said.
An overwhelming amount of the residential permitting is for single-family homes, according to Ligon. He said very few multi-family residences are being built.
Gainesville Senior Planner Jason Justice said not only are Mundy Mill and Cresswind growing quickly, there's another development on the east side of the city where building is on the rise.
"Heritage Pointe, which is out in the East Hall area off of Gaines Mill, just opened up another phase, so we're going to be seeing some [increasing] permitting out there," Justice said.
Justice said he thinks developers are being "careful" when it comes to commercial development, but he called the residential development "aggressive." And, he said he thinks the trend will continue.
"Of course, we can't predict the future, but just given the history over the last three years...I'd would say we'd probably continue that trend."
