By Deanna Allen
A proposed mixed-use development that will include high-end apartments is in the preliminary stages of the planning and development process with the city of Sugar Hill.
Construction firm Terwilliger Pappas has submitted a letter of intent for the proposed development, which would be situated on 4.43 acres bounded by Hillcrest Drive, Temple Drive, West Broad Street and Nelson Brogdon Boulevard. The development would include approximately 300 apartment units, street-level retail shops and public and private parking.
The property, which is owned by the city of Sugar Hill, is in the Central Business District Overlay. The first step in the planning process for any proposed development in the overlay is a design review. The city’s planning department has recommended the city council approve the design review with three conditions:
- Final designs should substantially resemble the renderings submitted, with final material and color selections subject to approval.
- A public art element should be incorporated into the development.
- Pedestrian crossings constructed at the developer’s expense.
If the Terwilliger Pappas development is eventually approved, it will join the Broadstone development in offering luxury apartment living. According to documents on the city’s website regarding updates provided at the Dec. 29, 2020, meeting of the Downtown Development Authority, the Broadstone apartments are 50 percent pre-leased and 40 percent occupied.
Sugar Hill Mayor Steve Edwards, who moved into a Broadstone apartment three months ago, said the demand for luxury housing has increased.
“… there is a significant demand to reside in a walkable downtown and I think there is a shift away from home ownership and being more mobile without the maintenance and upkeep of owning your own home,” Edwards said. “Part of our master plan is to create a sense of place in our downtown. A shared parking deck, more residential units, commercial shops, and open spaces will help our downtown thrive, morning, noon, and night.
A public hearing on the design review of the proposed Terwilliger Pappas development will be held before the mayor and council during a meeting that will begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, at Sugar Hill City Hall, 5039 W. Broad St.
