Developer aims to wed the old, new in Norcross
By Matthew C. Quinn
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
11/08/04
Hedgewood Properties, meet Norcross, Georgia.
The Cumming-based builder, known for high-end residential developments
in the northern Atlanta suburbs, is about to launch its first project
in Gwinnett County.
The $10 million development will comprise 17 single-family detached
homes, 103 townhouses and 38 condominiums, to be built on a 12-acre
industrial site on the edge of Norcross' renovated downtown.
Streetscapes, sidewalks, pocket parks and attention to architectural
details will be the hallmark of the new development, as in the company's
other projects along the Ga. 400 corridor.
Hedgewood has been the talk of the 133-year-old town.
"Half want it and half don't," said Bill Luebben, owner
of Northern Star Coffee House, a popular gathering place for
Norcross residents.
"There's a contingent that like it the way it's always been.
There's a group that wants to see Norcross go on the map and become
another Virginia-Highland," he said, referring to a lively
intown Atlanta neighborhood.
But, Leubben said, a middle ground has emerged during two years
of deliberations by the city over a rezoning application and
will hopefully "keep the best of Norcross while getting some
growth."
The development will be pedestrian-friendly and designed to be part
of the existing community, with no walls or gates around it. The
buildings will be stone and brick, with two-car garages facing rear
alleys. Homes will sell for between $200,000 and $500,000.
Don Donnelly, co-owner of Hedgewood with his wife, Pam Sessions,
said the 20-year-old construction firm has been approached by several
Gwinnett County communities hoping to create Mayberry-like downtowns
as an alternative to suburban sprawl. Norcross fits Hedgewood's profile.
The company has a similar project under way in downtown Woodstock
in Cherokee County, and a self-contained 214-acre community in Forsyth
County called Vickery.
"Norcross is a little more urban," Donnelly said. "It's
got the historic buildings and restaurants. What it needs is
people. People want to live there. We want to provide places where
people don't have to drive."
Opinion in Norcross has been divided. The town has grown from
5,900 residents to almost 9,000 in the past 12 years. But the Hedgewood
development would contain the first townhouses — a dirty word
for many longtime residents — in the historic district,
now populated with restaurants and antique shops. A renovated
railroad station houses a cafe.
Tom Day, a retiree who has lived three blocks from the Hedgewood
site for 17 years, said he doesn't buy the argument that Hedgewood
will increase property values. "I'd rather see more expensive
homes," he said.
Last week, the Norcross City Council approved rezoning that will
allow the construction to go forward.
Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb says she's glad the project can proceed.
She came away from a visit to the traditionally inspired Vickery,
Hedgewood's development in Forsyth County, very impressed.
"People will be able to walk and won't have to get into their
cars," Webb said. Property values and city revenues will
be boosted, and the downtown will benefit from a high-quality
development, the mayor said.
"It was a no-brainer."
