Greensboro’s first “Live, Work, Play” community is now well underway following last week’s groundbreaking at its site on Linger Longer Road. Christened Airabella Lake Oconee, it is being built on 137 acres off Linger Longer Road and will bring a new housing concept to the Lake Oconee area. Its footprint, bordering Reynolds Plantation, will include a number of housing options, high-scale retail and dining, a nine-hole public golf course, hotel and a new Lake Oconee Brewing location as a primary anchor to the development.
The concept for Airabella is not new. “Live, Work, Play” communities are being built east and west of Atlanta and in some tiny suburbs. These mixed-use developments offer both primary housing and amenities within one local footprint.
It will address an ever-growing housing shortage in the county by offering single-family dwellings, condos and townhomes, all within a shared community space. It is planning 116 single-family homes, 25 cottages and 72 townhomes within its development.
After five years of being Greensboro’s local craft brewery, Lake Oconee Brewing has signed a letter of intent by partnering with Airabella Lake Oconee to offer a second taproom. Its primary location at 202 N. West Street in downtown Greensboro will remain its flagship in the city.
Taylor Lamm is the co-founder and brewmaster of the popular brewery and event space, which offers entertainment, live music, community events and fundraisers and rental venue space. It offers rotating seasonal brews and new varieties of beer offerings have made it a popular location.
“We have become more than just this brewery that makes award-winning brews,” he said. “We have become part of the community, and we are proud of that. This makes sense to expand our growth, and we are honored to have had a seat at the table to be part of Airabella Lake Oconee. We plan to bring the same energy and family-friendly ambiance many have come to enjoy and expect with us.”
Airabella is billing itself as a friendly wonder-filled pedestrian community. It will include walkways, cart-ways, pocket gardens, bridges, and firepits in the shared green space surrounding a town square green.
A smaller Tribute Marriott boutique hotel and potentially a new 45,000-square-foot grocery store will also serve as key anchors to the community.
An Airabella development team heads the project and has worked with the leading architect planning firm, Nelson Worldwide. Nelson has worked closely with both the design team and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to ensure plans are in line with GDOT improvements already underway in the area.
Its single-family homes will be walkable, addressing traffic concerns within Airabella’s parameters and complementing its pedestrian-oriented design.
County Commissioner Ernie Felice, whose District 4 will include Airabella, sought to alleviate concerns among neighboring residents about the development. He met with many residents to ensure the proposal was compliant with all zoning mandates and met with a favorable response.
“After meeting and talking with our constituents, I feel many have become more comfortable with the addition of Airebella Lake Oconee to the area we all live and work in,” he said.
“We are excited to bring this new community to Greene County where inclusivity is valued over exclusivity here at Airabella Lake Oconee,” said Kevin Bryant, a partner in Airabella. “We will be partnering with new retail and dining establishments to bring exciting options to the area. Airabella Lake Oconee will become a unique community gathering space for family and friends, and where people can visit, live, eat and play together.”
The Greene County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the first of the three phases of the development with approval given for 72 townhomes.
Each planned phase will go before the county commission. Earlier, the development was met with concerns about traffic, density and emergency access.
“We appreciate the support of residents and the Greene County Board of Commissioners and look forward to the community having a welcoming destination where they can gather together,” Bryant said. “Airabella will serve the surrounding area in numerous ways, and all are welcome to take advantage of year-long programming, and special events and find new favorite local spots to enjoy again and again.”
Construction is slated to begin in the first quarter of the new year with a projected completion of all phases by 2025.