REAL ESTATE Developers eye Buford Highway adaptive reuse project

By Logan C. Ritchie

Adaptive reuse is inching into Brookhaven, one building at a time.

The concept of turning abandoned office buildings into much-needed housing units in metro Atlanta is not new, but it is increasing.

Tellus Partners presented a plan to the Brookhaven Planning Commission on Jan. 4 to repurpose a seven-story office building at 3 Corporate Square into 165 residential units. The seven-acre property lies between I-85 and Buford Highway. Plans include a dog park, swimming pool, volleyball court, and public art.

The number of units comes in far below density requirements for the area, but a Brookhaven city planner said there’s an opportunity for future mixed-use development. The city’s density requirement in the Buford Highway corridor is 100 to 150 units per acre.

“It does not technically meet the density criteria, but because it is an adaptive reuse we are willing to give a little leniency on that requirement,” said Brookhaven City Planner Samantha Trust.

Tellus is well-versed in the adaptive reuse of office buildings, having converted three buildings in Birmingham and Mobile, Ala.

A second adaptive reuse project was pushed back at the request of LandHill LLC. Brookhaven Planning Commissioners granted a 60-day deferral to a highly anticipated proposal to rezone an industrial (M) property to build 190 apartments at 2751 Buford Highway.

Attorney Henry Bailey, representing LandHill LLC, said his client needed time to redevelop the site plan. LandHill will revisit the Planning Commission on March 1.

Also along the Buford Highway corridor, an iconic car wash on Buford Highway and N. Druid Hills Road may get a facelift. Developed in the 1960s, the property no longer meets zoning requirements.

LUV Car Wash purchased Hi-Speed Car Wash in 2021. Plans for the property include removing the oil change business, renovating the car wash and reconfiguring the entrance/ exit.

Commissioner Sherean Malekzadeh said she’s been washing her cars there for 25 years.

“I am so in awe of 55 years of a family-owned business,” Malekzadeh said. “I just wanted to thank you for your service to the community and your family’s commitment. That’s a high-trafficked, well-loved space.”