Mark Teixeira, former Atlanta Braves first baseman and MLB All-Star, along with Urban Creek Partners Jimmy Barry and Joel Bowman, unveiled plans for Quarry Yards. This one-of-a-kind 70-acre mixed-use development, adjacent to the Bankhead MARTA Station on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, will transform the Grove Park neighborhood and create a lifestyle community connected to nature, fitness and innovation. The development’s 27-acre, $400 million first phase is expected to break ground by the end of 2018. Click here to view the project renderings.

Phase one of Quarry Yards, which is 1.5 miles from Teixeira’s alma mater Georgia Tech, is currently zoned to include 575,000 square feet of Class A office, 850 residential units, a 300-key hotel, and 75,000 square feet of retail and restaurants - from chef-driven concepts to pop-ups – that will create a unique outdoor lifestyle center for the community. Urban Creek Partners also announced it is working with Pollack Shores Real Estate Group on forming a joint venture partnership for the multifamily development and is in discussions with an innovative retail partner on a food hall concept.

“Urban Creek Partners has been in this community for the past 10 years, listening and learning about what our neighbors want in this development. Our plan is to continue to be here for the long haul and create an economic driver that will lift the entire area – one which has been overlooked for far too long,” said Teixeira.

Designed by HKS Architects and Populous, Quarry Yards is being master-planned to become the gateway to Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry, the City of Atlanta’s newest and largest park scheduled to open in 2019. Quarry Yards will have a clear connection to nature and provide a multitude of fitness options, including the soon-to-be-completed Proctor Creek Greenway running through the heart of the site, in addition to multiple access points to the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail.

The building designs will encompass the area’s authentic industrial roots and add an edgy, energetic feel with the inclusion of brick, glass, concrete, metal and iron to the structures and container storage units that will be used for start-up businesses and restaurant concepts. Original stone foundations will be incorporated in specific areas and some existing metal roofs may be re-purposed around the site.

“We are approaching this development with a careful eye toward creating a lifestyle that is sustainable, accessible and affordable. The office buildings will be designed to LEED standards and we intend to incorporate water reclamation and solar features throughout the site. Our multifamily units will include affordable options, and our retail will provide opportunities for the neighborhood to innovate and create,” said Jimmy Barry – principal, Urban Creek Partners. “We are also excited about working with MARTA to expand the Bankhead station to create a true Transit Oriented Development where people can easily access all Quarry Yards will offer – from affordable food options to free concerts to great retail options to the City’s largest park – just steps away from the MARTA station,” he added.

Teixeira and Bowman had the vision to see this neighborhood’s potential and in 2008 began a plan to revitalize the area that would be driven by the residents and natural resources of the community. The two formed the Emerald Corridor Foundation to focus on restoring Proctor Creek and raising funds to initiate and complete the Proctor Creek Greenway to foster a healthy environment and support thriving urban communities. While sections are open now, the Greenway, when complete in April, will create a valuable amenity to residents and visitors of this neighborhood.

“Quarry Yards will turn an area that has been inactive for many years into a thriving community that creates jobs, offers unprecedented connections to nature and provides a range of new experiences for current and future residents, office tenants and visitors to the area,” added Bowman.

Other project partners include Brasfield & Gorrie (general contractor/construction), B+C Studio (landscape architect), Kimley-Horn (project engineer), and CBRE’s Bryan Heller and Peter McGuone who will be the lead project brokers.