The 86-acre “urbanburb” welcomes 20 retailers and restaurants, apartments and office tower
North American Properties (NAP) has officially opened Boulevard East, the second phase of Avalon, the award-winning, experiential mixed-use community in the North Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta. An excited crowd gathered last week at Avalon to celebrate the addition of 20 new retailers and restaurants, 276 luxury homes and a 224,000-square-foot office tower.
“This is a fulfilling milestone for our team of ExperienceMakers, who have worked so hard to bring to life a truly revolutionary, experience-driven community,” said Mark Toro, managing partner at NAP. “Avalon has redefined the industry standard for suburban, mixed-use development, and Boulevard East cements its status as the Southeast’s premier ‘urbanburb’ – a shining example of what happens when a developer, City and community come together to create something new and innovative.”
Boulevard East doubles the size of Avalon and triples the community’s density. Twenty new restaurants and retailers are now open, including chef-driven eateries and first-to-market retail concepts. Boulevard East brings 1,000 jobs to Alpharetta, and several office tenants to the 95 percent committed 8000 Avalon office tower. 8000 Avalon anchor Microsoft, Spaces by Regus, Balbec Capital, Chemence Medical and LS Retail will begin their relocation efforts in the coming months.
Boulevard East will also welcome 350 new residents to Avalon. On the heels of the success of the first phase’s multifamily component, Haven at Avalon, which is 98 percent leased, Veranda at Avalon arrives. The 276 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments above retail command rents well over market, and offer a lifestyle enhanced by unmatched amenities and access to all Avalon has to offer, including world class Concierge services.
In January 2018, The Hotel at Avalon will open its doors as the crown jewel of Avalon and a much-needed luxury hotel and conference center option for the affluent North Fulton market, Alpharetta’s Fortune 500 companies and over 600 tech companies. The $112 million Autograph Collection hotel and conference center, which topped out on April 12, is the result of a public-private partnership between Stormont Hospitality Group, NAP and the City of Alpharetta, with additional assistance from the Development Authority of Fulton County and the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Fifth Group Restaurants will open South City Kitchen Avalon in a street-level space at the hotel early next year, adding yet another excellent Atlanta dining icon to Avalon’s acclaimed restaurant line-up. Starbucks is also slated to open in January with the hotel.
Reinforcing Avalon’s position as a top Atlanta destination, the Alpha Loop path, the suburb’s version of the Atlanta BeltLine, will run through Avalon in front of the hotel, enhancing the community’s walkability and connecting Avalon to downtown and other area amenities like the Big Creek Greenway. Parking will more than double, adding 3,000 new spaces to the existing 2,400 spaces.
“The opening of Avalon in 2014 was a sea change in our community with respect to bringing a new lifestyle option to Alpharetta; one that brought with it the idea of emphasizing the creation of experiences within a commercial setting and raised the bar for mixed-use placemaking, not just in Alpharetta, but throughout our region,” said Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle. “The opening of Avalon’s Boulevard East continues that tidal movement that is raising the bar for quality of life in Alpharetta.”
Wednesday night, April 12, NAP hosted Savor + Celebrate, a ticketed black-tie event that raised $100,000 for local non-profit City of Refuge. NAP matched the gift, bringing the total contribution to $200,000. Thursday, April 13, NAP invited the North Fulton community to Avalon for a 13-hour bash dubbed Celebrate Avalon. Avalon visionary Mark Toro, Alpharetta Mayor Belle Isle and state Sen. Brandon Beach spoke to a crowd of community members at a ribbon cutting Thursday morning, lauding iconic Avalon – which was named Project of the Year by Urban Land Institute Atlanta – for its success in setting a new industry standard for suburban mixed-use development, as well as Boulevard East’s added economic impact on the region.
The retailers now open at Avalon are: Apple, Brooks Brothers, Urban Outfitters, Scout & Molly’s, Levi’s, Williams Sonoma, Hammer Made, Boogaloos, Lucky Brand, Pottery Barn, South Moon Under and Boardroom Salon for Men. Restaurants include: Barleygarden Kitchen and Craft Bar, District III, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Chick-Fil-A, Rumi’s Kitchen, MF Bar and Brine Seafood Shack.
For more information on Boulevard East, visit experienceavalon.com.
About Avalon
Avalon is a new experience in the timeless art of living well. In the heart of Alpharetta, this sustainably designed, 86-acre development with more than 500,000 square feet of retail, a 12-screen all premium theater, planned conference center and full-service hotel, Class A office, single-family residences and luxury rental homes infuses resort-level hospitality throughout a walkable, seamlessly connected community of shopping, dining, entertainment, living and working. It’s more than just another place to go, it’s a place to be — a hub of local art and activity that delivers the luxury of the modern South. At 2.4 million square feet and more than $1 billion, Avalon is one of the largest projects currently underway in the United States. You can find more updates on Avalon at its website, Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter profile.
About North American Properties
Founded in 1954, North American Properties is a privately held, multi-regional real estate operating company that has acquired, developed and managed more than $5 billion of mixed-use, retail, multifamily and office properties across the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Myers, Florida, the company has developed 20 million square feet of retail and 19,000 residential units in 12 states. In the past three years, North American Properties has launched 36 projects totaling $1.1 billion in total capitalization. In Atlanta, North American Properties is developing Avalon, Colony Square and Anthem on Ashley. For more information, please visit naproperties.com.
