This story has been updated.

Decatur, GA — Avondale Estates residents will soon have a grocery store closer to home. Construction is underway on a mixed-use development at East Ponce de Leon and North Arcadia Avenue in Decatur. The project is set to be completed by spring 2022.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that a company affiliated with developer Toll Bros. Inc. purchased three acres East Ponce de Leon and North Arcadia Avenue in Decatur for about $7 million.

Toll Bros. Inc is also working with Alliance Realty on the project.

The developers are building about 290 apartments and a Publix grocery store will anchor the project. Decatur Planning and Economic Director Angela Threadgill told Decaturish in June that there have been no changes to the approved plans.

“At the time of the project approval, 289 dwelling units were proposed, with some flexibility to increase,” Threadgill said. “However, one of the conditions of approval by the City Commission was that of the actual units constructed, 65% would be one-bedroom units; 30% two-bed-room units and 5% percent three-bedroom units.”

The project, named Notion, will feature six stories on the site near the Avondale MARTA station. Smaller commercial spaces are also planned to be on the site. The project will offer rentals from studios to two-bedroom units, as well as coworking booths, an exhibition kitchen and a 24-hour game lounge, according to Urbanize Atlanta.

Threagill said she doesn’t have specific information on whom the tenants will be.

Public art will also be added to the project, and the city plans to partner with the Decatur Arts Alliance to manage a public art program using funding from Alliance Realty.

“As part of the development agreement, Alliance Realty Services will be contributing $250,000 to the City of Decatur to further support the City’s efforts to expand public art on the development site, especially the portion along E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, one of the eastern gateways into the city,” Threadgill said.

In a rare split vote in June 2018, the City Commission approved annexing the parcels and rezoning them to allow for the development. The project was rejected by DeKalb County before the developers approached the city about annexing the property into Decatur.

The City Commission’s vote came after the city’s Planning Commission had recommended denying the rezoning request from Alliance Realty Services for the 11 parcels on east Ponce de Leon Avenue and Grove Place.

Business owners near the proposed project objected to it prior to the annexation vote, saying the project encroaches on industrial uses in the area. In another strange occurrence, three county commissioners also objected to Decatur’s consideration of the annexation petition and rezoning request. The commissioners spoke out against it during public meetings.

Editor Dan Whisenhunt contributed to this story.

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