Plans are moving forward for Village Square, a new live-work-play community at Newnan Crossing. The development is planned to be pedestrian-friendly and will include a variety of private business interests.
According The Trilogy Group, an Atlanta-based realty company, the proposed 41-acre project will feature 270,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of retail space, as well as 300 apartments, 35 townhouse units, and 140 senior adult housing units.
Development plans indicate the construction of a Lidl grocery store, Waffle House, and Taco Bell.
Plans for the development originally included a 21-acre city park, but city officials say the size of the park will be closer to 10 acres.
Developers said the site will be strategically positioned between Summer Grove Golf Club and White Oak Golf Course.
There are eight public schools located within a three-mile radius of the proposed development. A new I-85 interchange is set to be completed in the spring of 2018 just one mile south of the property.
Piedmont Newnan Hospital is located a short distance from the development on Poplar Road, while Southeastern Regional Medical Center Hospital is located 1.5 miles north of the proposed Village Square.
The Newnan Planning Commission recommended against a rezoning request in January after residents raised concerns over increased traffic and impact on local schools. The rezoning request was approved in March.
“The project will introduce new private investment to a high-growth area of our community,” said Hasco Craver, assistant city manager. “The development of a grocery-anchored center, as well as several commercial/retail outparcels, multi- and single-family residential, as well as future memory care services and an office park will undoubtedly increase traffic: both pedestrian and automobile. However, the project will result in less automobile traffic that originally proposed. The project team is delivering a lower density development than proposed over 15 years ago.”
Craver went on to note that Village Square is proposed to be a pedestrian-friendly development with numerous pedestrian facilities which will provide circulation within, into, and out of the site.
The City Council voted 4-2 to approve the addition of a city park with the development, and Craver said the city is currently moving forward with development plans on the park.
“The City of Newnan hopes to engage a landscape architect in 2017 to begin the concept design that will result in the development of 10 +/- acres of park facilities located at the intersection of Diplomat Parkway and Newnan Crossing Boulevard,” said Craver.
Craver also noted that the City of Newnan did not take ownership of the storm water detention facilities located at the area of proposed park.
