A 14-story tower could be headed for Ponce de Leon Avenue, and Virginia-Highland neighbors are already getting a sneak peek. Selig Enterprises has started quiet talks with neighborhood leaders about a major mixed-use project that would reshape roughly 1.75 acres along Ponce near Bonaventure Avenue. Early sketch plans shown to residents suggest several hundred apartments over ground-floor retail, plus new greenspace, replacing a familiar row of low-rise storefronts.
According to Urbanize Atlanta, Selig told the neighborhood it has begun discussions about a potential rezoning and redevelopment and that “plans are currently in the early stages, with no construction timelines to announce.” People who attended a recent Virginia-Highland Civic Association planning meeting say the working concept calls for a 14-story building with about 375 residential units and roughly 10,000 square feet of retail space.
Proposal Footprint And Property Ownership
Property records show that an LLC called SEI PONCE now owns the former VESTA Movement site at 774 Ponce De Leon Ave., a roughly 0.26-acre parcel that changed hands in August, according to Crexi. Nearby storefronts at 794–798 Ponce appear in the company’s local portfolio on its own leasing materials, as shown on Selig Enterprises.
Neighbors And The Political Backdrop
Selig brought its early thinking to the Virginia-Highland Civic Association this week. VHCA planning chair Kevin Cronin told neighbors the board is “actively engaged” with the developer, according to Urbanize Atlanta. The conversation puts large-scale infill on Ponce back on the table after Portman Holdings pulled back on its own multi-block vision in 2023, a shift noted by Rough Draft Atlanta.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also reported that longtime Ponce tenant Honey Bubble Tea closed last year after a lease dispute with its landlord, a reminder that development pressure along the corridor is already squeezing smaller businesses even before new towers arrive.
How Rezoning Would Play Out
To actually build a taller, denser project on this stretch of Ponce, Selig would need a formal rezoning. That process starts with a developer presentation to the local Neighborhood Planning Unit, followed by review and a recommendation from the Zoning Review Board, and ends with a final vote by Atlanta City Council. The city’s own planning materials spell out those steps and note that rezonings and special-use permits typically involve public hearings and months of staff review, as described by the City of Atlanta.
Next Steps And Why This Matters
Selig says it plans to collect community feedback before submitting any formal application, and for now the company is sticking to the line that there is no construction timeline to share. The developer’s recent moves elsewhere in the city, including a $245 million refinancing in January for the 1105 West Peachtree office tower, show Selig has been actively reworking its Atlanta portfolio, according to Metro Atlanta CEO.
Whether this sketch on paper becomes a formal rezoning filing will decide how quickly the neighborhood debate kicks into high gear. If Selig moves ahead, residents, nearby business owners and the city’s NPU system will get the first public say on what would be one of the biggest changes to Ponce in years.
