One of Virginia-Highland's busiest stretches is in for a serious makeover. Atlanta developer Third & Urban is moving ahead with a plan to refresh roughly 61,000 square feet of retail along North Highland Avenue under a banner it is calling the "Atkins Park Collection." The effort will focus on storefront facelifts, upgraded lighting, and streetscape improvements, plus a new indoor-outdoor courtyard at 780 North Highland. Construction is expected to kick off in late spring, with Bridger Properties handling retail leasing while Third & Urban budgets more than $3 million for the building and streetscape work.
What the developers are proposing
Third & Urban is treating several blocks of North Highland as one coordinated project, rolling out a design that ties existing storefronts together to draw more daytime foot traffic. As reported by CityBiz, the company is branding the effort as a multi-block retail assemblage and says it will put more than $3 million into building upgrades and streetscape work. Renderings show a reworked 780 North Highland with multiple retail suites wrapped around a landscaped courtyard that the firm hopes will attract neighborhood-focused food and beverage tenants.
Leasing, parking and timing
On the leasing front, Bridger Properties has signed on as the project's retail partner. Its leasing flyer lays out the available suites, parking details and contacts for prospective tenants, according to Bridger Properties. One key policy shift is already in place: the Atlanta City Council signed off last September on a resolution that removes parking meters in the Atkins Park commercial zone, a change local business leaders say is intended to make quick visits less of a hassle and boost retail activity, as outlined by the Atlanta City Council. Construction on the Atkins Park Collection is slated to begin in late spring, according to the project's announcement and local reporting by Urbanize Atlanta.
What neighbors and small businesses can expect
Third & Urban is pitching the project as a tune-up rather than a teardown for the existing retail mix. “Many of these businesses are homegrown with roots planted deep in the community, and we want to see them continue to thrive,” said Hank Farmer, a Third & Urban co-founder, in the firm's announcement. The developer says it plans to coordinate with the Virginia Highland District nonprofit on safety and activation efforts and to recruit tenants that complement long-standing operators instead of crowding them out, according to CityBiz. The stated goal is to bring in more daytime foot traffic while keeping the neighborhood character intact instead of displacing existing small businesses.
Timeline and addresses to watch
Some work has already appeared on the street. At 842 North Highland, upgrades include new signage, updated railings and a mural by local artist Janice Rago. The 780 North Highland block is set to be the centerpiece, with the new courtyard and reconfigured retail suites taking shape there. Leasing materials show suites ranging from roughly 1,200 to 3,100 square feet and map the Atkins Park Collection across the block between Greenwood and St. Charles avenues, according to Urbanize Atlanta. Expect more visible permit filings and storefront rehabs as construction activity ramps up later this spring.
Third & Urban’s local track record
Third & Urban laid the groundwork for this revamp with a January 2025 retail acquisition along the same strip. The firm reportedly paid about $13.75 million for multiple buildings in the corridor, giving it the footprint it is now reworking, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The company leans on adaptive reuse and neighborhood-focused projects across the Southeast, and its past projects and stated philosophy are central to how it says it will try to refill long-vacant storefronts while keeping the area recognizable, per Third & Urban.
