Business

Local Developer Purchases High End Office Space in Peachtree Corners

Published

2 years ago

April 11, 2022

Arlinda Smith Broady

Holder Properties cashes in on the city’s trending cachet and significant growth seen within the last decade.

With Peachtree Corners catching the eye of developers throughout the region, it’s no surprise that an experienced and noted company jumped at the chance to acquire commercial real estate in the city. Holder Properties, a full-service commercial and residential real estate development and investment company, recently closed on Davinci Court two adjacent class ‘A’ office buildings located off of Peachtree Parkway (GA-141).

In the last decade or so, Peachtree Corners has become one of the most desirable areas in metro Atlanta for development.

“Peachtree Corners has always been a market that we’ve had our eye on for numerous reasons,” said Billy Cooke, director of leasing for Holder Properties. “I think there has always been a history of success there.”

For an undisclosed price, the company obtained property with ample parking and competitive pricing that is in walking distance of restaurants, shopping and workout spaces.

“You can literally walk outside of our door, get on the new walking trail, get to The Forum or get to the new retail across the street,” said Cooke. “So you have that walkability component that is going to be so important as an amenity in this post-COVID office world that we’re living in.”

With the property being more than 20 years old, Holder Properties has plans to do some renovation which includes enhancing and modernizing the landscaping, adding outdoor activity areas and revitalization of lobbies and restrooms. Although those decisions are still being finalized, Cooke said the buildings will remain office space. The company is leaving the mixed-use development to others but is excited about benefitting from those changes.

‘Feed off what’s already there’

“I think our plan is to really feed off what’s already there and what’s planned,” he said. “We certainly want to be a key cog in that wheel with our office environment. We’ll have a renovated building that offers this amenity set to tenants and tenants’ employees that everyone wants now in this new office world, and then that plays to the kind of the livability that’s already in Peachtree Corners and what’s coming to Peachtree Corners.”

Cooke said Peachtree Corners has the potential to rival communities further north like Alpharetta because of the location and the space for development.

“For one, the location for the northern submarket is easier,” he said. “Peachtree Corners is easily accessible from areas further north and it’s not a bad drive from Hartsfield Jackson. … If you’ve got clients flying in for the day, it’s a little bit closer than having to drive up to Alpharetta, so it’s a little bit more accessible from the airport.”

Cooke went on to add, “But then you get all the other advantages of being a northern suburb or on the fringe the northern suburbs because you can kind of cater to all those neighborhoods up there and it’s an easier market to access from the neighborhoods and from the people that live in those areas.”

At the end of the day, Peachtree Corners checked all the boxes of what developers these days are looking for, said Cooke. And if more property becomes available, it will certainly be on Holder’s radar.

“I think the biggest thing, again, for us is we really want to create an office environment that is centered around a hospitality feel,” he said. “We know that in today’s office world, it’s more than just showing up to an office, working from nine to five, leaving and going home. That day of the office has passed us. “

Cooke added, “Now you have a guy that wants to get in his car drive to the office, have an experience to where yes, he does his work, but then he’s able to go outside, have a walk with his coworkers, be able to have connectivity to the community around him — really have all these experiences like you would envision in a hotel, but now it’s going to be in an office environment.”

ABOUT DAVINCI COURT

Located at 3720 and 3740 Davinci Court, the property consists of two adjacent office buildings and is within walking distance of several hotels, restaurants and over 500,000 square feet of high-end retail at Peachtree Corners Town Center and The Forum on Peachtree Parkway. Davinci Court is 30 minutes from Midtown Atlanta, 40 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and 20 minutes from Buckhead.

To learn more about Davinci Court, go to: davincicourtatl.com/.

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Arlinda Smith Broady

Arlinda Smith Broady is part of the Boomerang Generation of Blacks that moved back to the South after their ancestors moved North. With approximately three decades of journalism experience (she doesn't look it), she's worked in tiny, minority-based newsrooms to major metropolitans. At every endeavor she brings professionalism, passion, pluck, and the desire to spread the news to the people.

Business

BRACK: Peachtree Corners to lose Peterbrooke Chocolatier

Published

5 days ago

April 19, 2024

Courtesy of Elliott Brack's Gwinnett Forum

Scottt Gottuso and Geoffrey Wilson. Photo provided.

Peachtree Corners will soon lose one of its most iconic, popular and tasty businesses.

Peterbrooke Chocolatier, run by Geoffrey Wilson and Scott Gottuso, has been told by Peachtree Forum landlords, North American Properties and Nuveen Real Estate, that its lease will not be renewed. The last day of business will be July 25.

Meanwhile, Peachtree Forum is getting several new stores. They include Kendra Scott, Sucre, and The NOW Massage. Previously announced were Alloy Personal Training, Cookie Fix, Gallery Anderson Smith, Giulia, Lovesac, Nando’s Peri-Peri and Stretchlab. Wilson adds: “We are not in their big picture.”

Wilson has operated Peterbrooke at the Peachtree Forum for 14 years and Gottuso has been there nine years. They have made the chocolatier profitable and doubled sales. Wilson says: “We turned it around through community involvement and made relationships. We worked with the schools, gave donations, did a lot in the community, and made a difference. We produce most everything we sell in the shop, so it’s labor intensive. We make European-style chocolate treats from scratch from the very best ingredients, package it, make gift baskets, and also sell a lot of gelato.”

Key items include truffles, hand-made caramels, cherry cordials, chocolate-covered cookies and pretzels and strawberries hand-dipped in their own blend of chocolates. (They are all good!) One of Wilson’s and Gottuso’s most iconic products is chocolate popcorn. Once you try it, regular popcorn is tasteless. “We sell a lot of it.” Wilson adds: “Gelato sales have carried us in the summertime, since there are not many chocolate holidays in the summer.”

Peterbrooke now has five employees, and would like to have 10, but it is difficult to hire people with the skills in chocolatiering. A key part of its business is corporate companies, such as Delta Air Lines and Capital Insight. The Peachtree Corners’ Peterbrooke has corporate customers as far away as Cleveland, Ohio.

The operators were surprised when the Forum owners did not renew its five year lease. “The big decisions were made in Charlotte or Cincinnati, not locally,” Wilson feels. “We were no longer in their big picture. They want new and glitzy, shiny, fancy and trendy.”

The operators plan to start their own chocolate company, to be called “Scoffrey,” and initially sell online, plus have pop-up locations during holidays, and possibly have a booth in other merchants’ stores on occasions.

“Whatever we do would look different. We might rent a space somewhere close by so that people can still have the good chocolate experience with us, but we won’t have a regular audience walking by.”

Another element: the price of chocolate futures has spiked this year, with a bad crop production year. Wilson says: “That is key to our business and a huge cost increase. That doesn’t help.”

Wilson adds that the forced closing of the Peterbrooke location “is something like the death of a friend. But you go to the funeral and to the wake, and in six months or a year, It won’t be so bad.”

Have a comment? Send to: elliott@elliottbrack

Written by Elliott Brack

This material is presented with permission from Elliott Brack’s GwinnettForum, an online site published Tuesdays and Fridays. To become better informed about Gwinnett, subscribe (at no cost) at GwinnettForum

Business

North American Properties Revitalizes Avenue East Cobb

Published

1 week ago

April 16, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

North American Properties (NAP) has revamped the Avenue East Cobb shopping center in Marietta, boosting its appeal to suburban residents.

The Andrews Brothers performing at Avenue East Cobb via Instagram @avenueeastcobb

North American Properties (NAP) has revamped the Avenue East Cobb shopping center in Marietta, boosting its appeal to suburban residents seeking a more urban lifestyle. Now, it’s being honored as part of the Atlanta Business Chronicle‘s “Best in Atlanta Real Estate” coverage.

NAP is known for transforming properties like Atlantic Station, Colony Square and The Forum.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the redevelopment involved demolishing part of the main building to build a public plaza with a stage surrounded by restaurant patios.

A new concierge facility was also added, including a canopy for drop-offs. Additionally, smaller retail buildings were created for standalone tenants. The business mix was updated to include names like Warby Parker, Lululemon and Peach State Pizza.

NAP also increased community engagement by partnering with at least 10 local organizations for social events. These efforts have proven successful. Over the last two years, Avenue East Cobb has seen a 36% increase in sales per square foot thanks to a major rise in foot traffic.

More news from North American Properties can be found here.

Business

North American Properties Secures 3 New Brands for The Forum

Published

2 weeks ago

April 11, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

North American Properties (NAP) and Nuveen Real Estate announced three new businesses are planting flags at The Forum Peachtree Corners.

Sucré – A Sweet Boutique

North American Properties (NAP) and Nuveen Real Estate announced three new businesses coming to The Forum Peachtree Corners (The Forum). The new brands include Kendra Scott, Sucré, and The NOW Massage.

“We’re excited to keep expanding our merchandising mix with more experiential concepts that motivate guests to extend their time on property. In addition to these new leases, several tenants are on track to open over the next few months, and we can’t wait to see the impact,” said Brooke Massey, director of leasing at NAP.

Here are the latest deals to be signed at The Forum:

Kendra Scott – Known for its plethora of accessories and customizable Color Bar experience, jewelry brand Kendra Scott blends classic designs with modern sophistication. Kendra Scott jewelry celebrates individuality and self-expression.

The growing brand has also donated over $50 million to local, national and international causes since its launch in 2010. The 2,284-square-foot space, situated next to Lovesac, opens later this spring, marking the retailer’s fourth location in the NAP portfolio.

Sucré – Founded in New Orleans, Sucré is a gourmet patisserie known for its macarons, gelato and other handmade, French-inspired desserts.

The sweet boutique will occupy a 1,718-square-foot space on the north end of the property and is slated to open later this year. Georgia is the brand’s first out-of-state venture, with The Forum being its third metro Atlanta location and eighth overall.

The NOW Massage – This brand is helping people discover the healing benefits of massage therapy.

The customizable menu offers guests three signature massage styles and a variety of exclusive enhancements like Deep Tissue, Herbal Heat Therapy, Hemp Calm Balm, Gua Sha, Gliding Cupping and more. Located near Mojito’s, the 2,414-square-foot massage boutique debuts late summer.

These businesses join:

Alloy Personal Training (opening this month),
Cookie Fix (open),
Gallery Anderson Smith (opening this month),
Giulia (opening this spring),
Lovesac (open),
Nando’s Peri-Peri (coming winter 2024), and
Stretchlab (open).

Since acquiring the property in March 2022, NAP has executed 39 deals with new, existing and temporary tenants alike.

To stay up to date on the latest happenings at The Forum, follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X or visit theforumpeachtree.com.