Here comes the future. What has long been the tree-lined vista of the South Fulton Parkway has begun a transformation at Ga. Highway 92 that is only the beginning of commercial, office and residential development in Union City’s 6.5-mile area of the parkway that will extend far into the future. The initial approved development will bring approximately 1.66 million square feet of retail, up to 2,900 residential units and 1.65 million square feet of warehouse space.

Currently underway on the northeast corner of the parkway and Hwy. 92 is grading for Parkway Village, a 419,000 square-foot shopping area that will feature a Publix grocery store and other retail outlets and, immediately to the north, a Home Depot. Parkway Village is the only one of the current approved developments that is not located within the newly annexed limits of Union City.

The remainder of the approved development, located sporadically along a 6.5-mile stretch of the parkway running just west of Hwy. 92 and extending east in the area of Welcome All Road, is now located within Union City, said Union City Community Development Director Ann Lippmann. Now located inside Union City, the development projects had gained initial approval by Fulton County prior to the annexations that came during 2006. Those developments include 1.65 million square feet of warehouse space and nearly 2,000 homes, townhomes and condos and up to 950 apartments. Union City retail development along the parkway includes another 1.25 million square feet of retail beyond that included in Parkway Village, for a total of 1.66 million square feet of retail.

Currently under construction north of the parkway and along Welcome All Road are two warehouse distribution facilities totaling 1.635 million square feet. The facilities are part of the Majestic Airport Center II development.

In the works further west along the north side of the parkway is Parkway Village subdivision, a planned single family development expected to include 319 homes on 78 acres. Continuing west are plans for The Gables at Stonewall, a development featuring 308 apartments, 196 townhomes and 300,000 square feet of retail, office and institutional ventures.

Continuing further west, other developments are planned for the area south of the parkway and east of Hwy. 92. One of those, South Wind subdivision, is expected to include 1,068 single family homes and townhomes located in the golf course community. The average home size is 2,926 square feet, according to plans submitted to date, with the largest floor plan at 4,885 square feet, Lippmann said.

Located west of South Wind at the intersection of South Fulton Parkway and Hwy. 92 is a retail center planned for approximately 485,000 square feet. Diagonally across the intersection on the northwest side is the site of another retail center of approximately 460,000 square feet. Future plans for the site also include the potential for constructing 350 apartments.

Located directly across Hwy. 92 and northeast of the Home Depot location is the site for development of a 130 single-family home subdivision. And located a short distance to the east is another approved subdivision, expected to include 295 apartments, 113 single-family homes, 155 townhomes and 94 ranch-condos. The site is also expected to contain some office and retail space.

In total, the approved residential additions along the parkway and in other areas would bring the city to 10,075 residential units either built, being built or planned, Lippmann said. Once completed, those additions are expected to expand the city’s currently population of 18,000, nearly doubling it to approximately 35,000.

Union City is in the process of developing a corridor plan for its portion of the South Fulton Parkway. The Request For Proposal submission ended in late January with the approval of a bidder expected this month. The firm selected will have a $160,000 contract ceiling and a July 27 study deadline. The corridor plan will include participation by city staff, area stakeholders and the public, according to the RFP document.

login to post comments