$155M Mixed-Use Development Underway In Brookhaven

BROOKHAVEN, GA — Brookhaven Development Authority members voted Tuesday to offer $15 million in tax incentives for a $155 million mixed-use development coming to the city's southern gateway.

The development, called Manor at Druid Hills, spans 7 acres between North Druid Hills and Briarcliff roads, the existing location of the Briarcliff Station strip shopping center and a shuttered car wash, city officials said. It's expected to add 270 jobs with an average starting salary of $136,000.

Manor at Druid Hills — under development by Related Group — will include a 140-room hotel; 55,000 square feet of medical office space; more than 1 acre of green space and 550 linear feet of new sidewalks; and 382 multifamily units. Of the 382 units, 10 percent will be dedicated as workforce housing, an an additional 10 percent will be priced to support personnel such as teachers and public safety employees.

The property also includes the construction of a new road that will connect to a new light at Kittridge and North Druid Hills, as well as the planned traffic signal at the Children's Healthcare entrance under construction on Briarcliff Road.

“The City Council has expressed its policy intent to foster appropriate economic investment with requirements for green space, affordable housing, infrastructure improvement, and other amenities and items that improve the quality of life for Brookhaven and DeKalb residents,” Brookhaven Assistant City Manager and CFO Steve Chapman said. “The goal is to ensure that projects that are in Brookhaven reflect the demands of Brookhaven citizens and reflect the needs of those surrounding our community.”

Related Group first applied to the Decide DeKalb Development Authority for incentives to help offset the cost of the $155 million project, but withdrew the application after pushback from county commissioners and DeKalb school board members, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Commissioners and school board members questioned the need for tax incentives for such a high-demand corridor, saying it would limit new tax revenues. The AJC reported they did not change their stance since the proposal resurfaced.

Proponents of the project say it will actually increase tax revenues, even during the reduced property tax (or tax abatement) period. About $15 million in property taxes will be abated over 10 years, but Manor at Druid Hills is anticipated to generate an additional $14-$18 million in net new taxes to the DeKalb County School District, county and city government over the same period, BDA Executive Director Shirlynn Fortson said.

In comparison, the property generated $130,000 in total property taxes in 2020.

This project has been in the works since December 2019, city officials said, and this is the first official step forward. The next steps are for the BDA to vote to approve the issuing of the bonds (or money) for the project.

“If the funding is ultimately approved, and I expect it will be, Brookhaven will reap the benefits of the additional jobs and affordable housing at once, but also a significant influx to the tax base which will benefit the residents of the city, the county and the schools for decades," Mayor Pro Tempore and District 4 Council Member Joe Gebbia said.