Wednesday, June 8, 2004

Renaissance breaks ground

Groundbreaking ceremonies for Renaissance at South Park, which is one of the largest developments in the South Fulton County area, were co-hosted recently by The Knight Group and the South Fulton County Chamber of Commerce.

Located on the original Renaissance Festival property just outside the city limits of Fairburn, the 150-acre site will contain 1,000 townhomes, 350 apartment units, 27 acres of commercial properties, and an impressive amenities package. The main entrance to the multi-use community will be off Oakley Industrial Boulevard, where there will be a 65-ft. clock tower, and there will be two entrances off Ga. Highway 92.

Described by Jay Knight, president of The Knight Group, as the most convenient location in the South Metro area, Renaissance at South Park offers immediate access to Interstate 85, and it is approximately 10 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, approximately 15 miles from downtown Atlanta, and 10 minutes from Peachtree City.

The residential portion of the development will provide numerous choices of floor plans to meet varied needs and lifestyles, including one, two and three-story designs ranging in size from 1,100 sq. ft. to over 1,600 sq. ft. Starting prices of the homes will be from the low to low to mid $100,000s. The community will be pedestrian-friendly, having walking access throughout the townhome community and the retail portion, which is expected to attract interest from major retailers.

Amenities will include swim/tennis, a clubhouse, a meeting center, and numerous parks.

Creative Consultants served as the engineering firm for the development, while architect Boye Akinola of BA Design was the designer of all entrances, park elements, amenity buildings, and townhomes.

More information about Renaissance at South Park can be obtained by calling Mary Wineland, the broker for Knight Realty, at 770-478-4036 or by going to www.southparkinfo.com.

At the groundbreaking event, which had a large turnout, the master of ceremonies was John Boothby, president/CEO of the South Fulton Chamber of Commerce, and the invocation was given by Neil Koelbl, land development manager for The Knight Group.

William (Bill) Edwards, 7th District Fulton County commissioner, told the crowd that he had frequent meetings with Jay Knight during the planning and approval process, and he praised the builder/developer and his company as “wanting to be part of the fabric of the community.” Edwards said the project will be “the model for South Fulton County.”

Betty Hannah, the mayor of neighboring Fairburn, noted that Renaissance at South Fulton “will impact us,” adding that “Jay Knight has always been a friend to us. He is concerned about the people here, and we are fortunate to have Jay Knight and The Knight Group in our community.”

Also giving welcoming remarks was Tim Williams, chairman of the South Fulton Chamber, who said that the chamber is “always on the lookout for quality developments”, adding that the organization is “looking forward to future developments” from The Knight Group.

Jay Knight emphasized that he is just one part of a family business, and he introduced his father Perry Knight, his uncle Scott Knight, and his first cousin Chris Knight. He explained that The Knight Group entered the South Fulton market six and one-half years ago after he had noticed a For Sale sign on property near I-85 when he was driving his children’s carpool to Landmark Christian School in Fairburn. The Knight Group decided to purchase the property, located just down Ga. Highway 74 from the site of the Renaissance development, and it became the builder/developer’s highly-successful Meadow Glen community.

Saying that the experience with Meadow Glen led to further development in South Fulton, he said, “We are thankful to be a neighbor of Fairburn and a part of South Fulton.”

The Knight Group, based in Jonesboro, is currently one of the most active home builders in the South Metro area of Atlanta, building in Clayton, Henry, South Fulton and DeKalb counties. The company’s other developments in South Fulton include Cedar Grove Village, Creekside, Fairhaven, Rivertown Mill, and Lattimore Park.