Atlanta remains an attractive market, especially because of population growth, and retail follows rooftops. Retailers are especially attracted to major retail destinations and/or mixed-use developments in the ATL. Luxury brands, grocery stores, fast-casual chains and spas all bring new locations to the Atlanta MSA.
Burger chain Shake Shack signed a long-term lease for a new 3,010-s.f. restaurant at Centennial Yards, a $5B mixed-use development underway in downtown Atlanta. CIM Group and affiliate Centennial Yards Co. are transforming the 50-acre site into a high-end entertainment and hospitality destination near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This will be Shake Shack’s first location in downtown Atlanta and is expected to open next year. Other tenants coming to Centennial Yards include a 5,300-s.f. Live Nation entertainment venue and Cosm, an immersive experiential sports and entertainment operator. Shake Shack also opened a restaurant in another sports and entertainment district in Atlanta at The Battery, where it backfilled Wahlburgers.
Three new tenants have signed leases at Stella at Star Metals, the residential centerpiece of Allen Morris Company’s $1.5B Star Metals mixed-use development in Atlanta’s West Midtown neighborhood. Skin care studio concept Skin Laundry, Atlanta-based health food chain Kale Me Crazy and med spa clinic Peachy Studio are expected to open on the ground level of the apartment building later this year. The new tenant additions will accompany Italian eatery Füm and the second location of Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, which fronts the complex. The 22-story building features 25,000 s.f. of ground-floor retail space.
Simon introduces many new retailers debuting at Lenox Square, a 1.5 million-s.f. retail destination located in Atlanta’s Buckhead district. New tenants include Rolex, Burberry, Ferragamo, Levi’s, Good American, AllSaints, Lovisa, Cole Haan, Garage, Panerai, Ray-Ban, Mejuri, Rowan, Kelly’s Cajun Grill and Starbucks. IWC is also set to open later this year. Lenox Square is anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s and includes 250 specialty stores and several restaurants.
BJ’s Wholesale Club just opened a new grocery store and BJ’s Gas station in Warner Robins, Ga., 100 miles south of Atlanta via Interstate-75. The 104,170-s.f. grocery store opened in September, and the 2,204-s.f. gas station opened in late August. The property represents the first BJ’s Wholesale Club store in middle Georgia and its seventh in the state.
