Christian City, the nonprofit organization with a 500-acre, multigenerational campus south of Atlanta, has teamed up with a world-class architectural and engineering team to design a mixed-use village at the corner of Hwy 138 and Peters Road in Union City. The development will feature neighborhood retail, medical office, townhomes and loft residences over retail, self-storage facilities and community amenities, such as an Early Learning Center and public greenspace that can host movie nights, wellness classes and a variety of other events. 

The development is designed to be highly walkable and enjoyable for pedestrians with a roundabout and parallel parking that slows down cars. It will also connect with Union City’s new multi-use trail and a golf cart path to Christian City. 

Given its focus on helping children thrive, the Christian City team is especially excited about the Early Learning Center, which will be operated in partnership with the YMCA. Additional community amenities are under consideration, such as the potential for a library. Christian City received zoning approval from the city last month and looks forward to continued collaboration.  

“With its location on the city line, this project has the opportunity to be a new gateway for Union City - a place for the community to gather, congregate, play games and connect with one another,” said project director and architect Jeff Floyd. “Our design strategy is organic, intriguing and adventuresome, so there’s always something around the corner beckoning people to keep exploring. When completed, this place will feel like a living room for the community to hang out and spend time together.”

A graduate of Georgia Tech and longtime Atlanta resident, Floyd has more than 50 years of experience providing innovative planning, architectural and development services. His background includes strategic planning and the shepherding of complex projects for more than 100 campus, church, healthcare, civic and corporate clients in the U.S. and internationally, representing a portfolio of $6 billion. Notably, he helped lead the planning and design of some of metro Atlanta’s most popular community gathering places, such as Centennial Olympic Park for the 1996 Olympics and Smyrna Market Village, which now serves as Smyrna’s beloved downtown. 

Floyd is working alongside real estate expert Millard Choate of Choate Construction and the Christian City leadership team to bring forth the project. 

“We recruited some of the brightest minds in real estate to design a place that would serve the greater Union City community and benefit our residents,” said Keith Horton, President and CEO of Christian City. “Everything we do is in the spirit of being a good neighbor, and we see great potential for this property to become a joyful neighborhood destination.”

Christian City is actively expanding its capacity to house and care for people of all ages. Most recently, the organization opened four THRIVE cottages for young men and women aged 18-24. The THRIVE program provides critical needs for youths including housing, life skills and career training as they transition into adulthood.

Christian City’s 500-acre, multigenerational campus provides housing, healthcare, crisis intervention and a supportive, loving community to children, youth and senior adults. The nonprofit organization serves people of all faiths – or no faith – and currently houses more than 1,000 residents. 

To learn more about Christian City, please visit https://christiancity.org/.