Airabella Lake Oconee partner Kevin Bryant and project manager Abby Port shared an update on the “live-work-play” development during the Greene County Development Authority’s Nov. 12 meeting.
Bryant and Port said the site plan is developing, and dirt has started moving.
They spent time sharing the current plans for the development's residential and commercial components near the intersection of Lake Oconee Parkway and Linger Longer Road.
For the first residential phase, plans include 70 luxury townhomes to be built by Harrison Homes out of Atlanta. Each townhome will be about 2,000 to 4,000 sq. ft. and cost $1.5 million to $2.1 million.
The next residential phase plans for 140 single-family homes, each costing $2 million to $2.3 million, and Airabella developers are working with local builders on designs.
The residential area will also include a clubhouse and pool for homeowners. Plans also include a 150-room Marriott Tribute hotel, with meeting space totaling 10,000 sq. ft., and a nine-hole executive golf course.
Airabella has started marketing the homes through Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee Realty. Bryant said the Airabella Sales Center recently opened and celebrated the sale of its first unit.
For the commercial side, the site plan incorporates 110,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, including 9,000 sq. ft. of office space, 19,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 13,000 sq. ft. of restaurant space, 24,000 sq. ft. in entertainment (consisting of a music venue, brewery, and distillery); and 12,000 sq. ft. in the health and beauty sector.
Of the total 110,000 sq. ft., Bryant said 86,000 sq. ft. is under letter of intent, and he hopes to have leases tendered by the end of the year.
“It’s a great mix,” he said of the businesses coming to Airabella. “It’s some local businesses here in town, some regional businesses, and two or three iconic Atlanta restaurants would like to have a second restaurant here. We’ve been very strategic about [the commercial space].
"We want to be unique … we don’t want to have all chains, but at the same time, we need to have some really good bankable tenants in there.”
Bryant said developers are also negotiating with a grocery store for the north end of the property.
He said a good, appropriately sized grocery partner would be a “game-changer” for the community and hopes to announce it in the first quarter of 2025.
Port noted the central core of the commercial layout will be green space and plazas, with pedestrian-fronted shops lining the plazas. A key focus, she said, will be walkability.
“You park off to the sides and walk into the heart of Airabella,” Port explained. “Once you’re in there, you don’t see cars; it’s all pedestrian. There are big green spaces, but they’re also designed in a way that they can be segmented off into smaller green spaces.
“That is the definition of Arabella. It is the walkability. It is pedestrian-friendly. It is the outdoor area. All the tenants that we talk to talk about the inside-outside. You need to bring the in out and the out in; you need to have that feeling of inclusivity, not exclusivity.”
Bryant said programming would be key at Airabella across residential and commercial components.
He said Airabella will have over 100 events yearly for the Lake Country community, from a Christmas tree lighting to Yoga on the Lawn and festivals.
“We’ve already started thinking about what that looks like over a 12-month calendar to make sure we’re putting together unique, creative, curated events for the community,” Bryant shared. “We want to lift everybody up. We want to be a part of downtown, and we want to be part of Putnam County, and we want to be part of Reynolds. We want to ensure that we’re open to everyone, and that people are coming in and having a great experience just by being there.”
Bryant added that event planners are examining what fits in Lake Country and aim to enhance what is already happening in the community.
“That’s kind of the crux,” he said about the community focus. “We’ll let the construction guys do what they need to do, but we need to focus on, really, what will be the secret sauce of Airabella.”