Pollock Commercial has brokered the acquisition of two land parcels totaling 67 residential lots one hour east of Atlanta. The firm’s Michael Dinerman represented Green River Construction, a subsidiary of Monte Hewett Homes, in the purchase of the two tracts entitled for 21 townhomes and 46 single-family homes within the mixed-use Wire Park in Watkinsville, GA.

The townhome and single-family residences will cater to young families, recent retirees and working professionals, including those from the nearby University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens. Residents will enjoy new restaurants and shops, plus live entertainment, at Wire Park, located at 1725 Electric Ave., just a mile east of downtown Watkinsville.

“The residential components at Wire Park hit all the high notes, from fresh, built-in amenities in a beautiful, well-located environment to appealing to a range of consumers, from the suburban, work-from-home demand to the faculty and staff at UGA helping fuel its more than $8 billion impact on the state,” said Dinerman, Pollock Commercial vice president. “Those aspects made it a really prime buy opportunity for Green River.”

Wire Park is the “creative reimagination” of the Southwire industrial park, which served as an economic anchor of Watkinsville for more than 50 years, according to the development website. The revitalization of the former wire manufacturing building and surrounding 60-plus acres takes place through not only a combination of residential, retail and office spaces, but also greenspace and common gathering and event areas. In addition to the residential homes and condos involved in the Pollock Commercial transactions, Wire Park includes a wide variety of curated shops, services and restaurants, a public park, creative workspaces and pristine woodlands.

“We’re not only in the service business, we’re also about value creation, and Michael has done that for the client with his find of these really attractive off-market deals at Wire Park,” said Jeff Pollock, founder and principal of Pollock Commercial. “The mixed-use development being conceptually similar to Michael’s in-progress General Time project in neighboring Athens brought him and the Wire Park developer into the same orbit of opportunity. They put their heads together and mutual benefit was achieved.”

Watkinsville, the largest town and county seat of Oconee County, Georgia, saw the median listing home price increase 7.5% year over year, according to Realtor.com. Housing demand will only increase as the city expands it economic development program.

Watkinsville is one of only four cities in the state to be named to the 2024 RURAL Zone cohort (Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas Legislation), a five-year designation that provides job, investment and rehabilitation tax credits. Located less than 10 miles from Georgia’s flagship university, Watkinsville has also been named one of the 2024 All-America City Finalists based on the criteria of shared vision, civic engagement, inclusiveness and equity, collaboration, innovation and impact.