Commissioners review overlay plan for 450-acre mixed-use development

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – County commissioners got their first look Tuesday at the rough draft of an overlay plan for a proposed multi-million dollar mixed-use development that Toll Brothers and Empire Communities hope to build on 450 acres in South Forsyth.

If approved, the project would be located east of Peachtree Parkway, west of Old Atlanta, south of Laurel Springs and north of McGinnis Ferry.

During Tuesday’s work session, developers  Eric White of Toll Brothers and Paul Corley of Empire Communities presented their plan which calls for the  construction of a $20 million four-lane parkway that would connect Peachtree Parkway and Old Atlanta Road, retail shops, townhomes from $400,000 and estates of over one million dollars, 15 pocket parks, 100 acres of green space, an amphitheater, three miles of trails and potentially a new STEAM school.

Project designer Lamar Wakefield said, “We’re looking next month to get Board (of Education) approval for a STEAM school. I can tell you with this student population in Forsyth County, it will be the best STEAM school in Georgia.”

He and developers have held many in-person and zoom meetings with county staff to discuss the project and gather information.

The Board did not vote on the project, but told developers to continue meeting with staff to further refine the overlay plan. The project will then have to be approved by the Department of Community Affairs as a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) before returning to the Board of Commissioners for public hearings and final approval.