OliverMcMillan Executive Defends Buckhead Atlanta Name

Buckhead Atlanta project manager Hunter Richardson said Thursday morning in a talk to the Buckhead Business Association that OliverMcMillan chose the name to attract international tenants.

When asked about community opposition to the Buckhead Atlanta name, Richardson said that San Diego-based OliverMcMillan decided on the new name for the former Streets of Buckhead because to gain European attention. "In Italy or Paris, you have to add Atlanta to get the international flavor."

He said the Buckhead part connects with the Buckhead Village and the Atlanta component was needed because of Atlanta's global name recognition.

"It wasn't so much about the name as branding so we could market it," Richardson said.

He said the Buckhead part of the name reflects OliverMcMillan's desire to "re-energize and revitalize" the Buckhead Village.

While marketing interntionally, Richardson said the development at the nexus of Peachtree Road, Buckhead Avenue, East Paces Ferry and Pharr Road is aiming for more local restaurants and a broader mix of retail tenants than original developer Ben Carter's vision of the development as the Rodeo Drive of the South.

Along with restaurants, the development will have 100,000 square feet of office space, and 370 luxury apartments. One of the exciting concepts Richardson mentioned in an overview of the project is a "crystal palace" restaurnt in the center.

He said OliverMcMillan is still negotiating with high-end, luxury tenants — hello, Paris and Italy — but also seekig more midlevel retail stores.

"That doesn't mean that there won't be luxury, but we ant to have more things to do for more people," he said.

He said the company is in the midst of negotiating with tenants and that is not yet at the stage to name which companies will be represented.

OliverMcMllan remains on schedule to begin work next spring for a late 2013 opening.

"We very aggressively working toward that schedule," he said. "All the pieces are falling into place for us to do that."