Forsyth’s 135-Acre, Mixed-Use Big Creek Greenway Sets Open Date

FORSYTH COUNTY, GA – The official opening date of HALCYON, a 135-acre mixed-use development rising on Forsyth’s Big Creek Greenway, will be March 23, 2019, according to an announcement made Friday by RocaPoint Partners. The development will be located directly off Georgia 400’s Exit 12 on McFarland Parkway.

“Spring is the perfect time to open a development like HALCYON, where tenants and visitors will want to walk outside or from the Greenway and enjoy all we have to offer, from the stylish boutique retailers to the variety of restaurants to the CMX dine-in cinema,” said Phil Mays, principal at RocaPoint Partners. “As we continue to add exciting new tenants to the mix and see the full picture of what HALCYON is capable of being, we can all feel a palpable excitement in the air here in Forsyth County.”

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There is a growing list of restaurants and retailers that will soon call HALCYON home, including three distinct eateries from renowned chef Marc Taft: CO-OP Community Table + Bar, FEED Fried Chicken + Such and a burger concept. In addition, Hog Island, MidiCi Neapolitan Pizza, Cocina & Taqueria, Butcher & Brew, Never Enough Thyme and Cherry Street Brewpub have all claimed space, and the Market Hall will feature tenants such as Kilwins, TOCAYO, Sweet Tuna, Gu’s Dumplings, Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee and Pita Mediterranean Street Food.

“HALCYON’s leasing momentum goes hand-in-hand with the growth and expanding vibrancy of Forsyth County as a whole,” said Steve Yenser, executive vice president of retail development and leasing at JLL. “Retailers today are seeking space in bustling, mixed-use destinations, and HALCYON certainly offers tenants a wonderful live, work, play setting in one of the most affluent and fastest growing counties in the U.S.”

Joining the restaurant and retail tenants are soon-to-be-announced office tenants and CMX, an affiliate of Mexico-based theater giant Cinemex, which has signed on to open a 10-screen, 38,000-square-foot cinema. CMX recently acquired Cobb Theaters, which owns CinéBistro and other luxury theatres, making it the eighth largest in the country with 342 screens. Two hotels, including a 152-room upscale option for Forsyth County – Embassy Suites by Hilton at HALCYON, and 690 residential units, including two multifamily buildings developed by Greystar, are also included on-site. HALCYON is developing an extension to the Big Creek Greenway, a 12-foot wide multi-use trail that currently spans 9.6 miles through Forsyth County. The expansion includes a new paved and lit parking lot, restrooms and a trailhead.

“We are so pleased and honored to join the RocaPoint team, along with Wakefield Beasley, to build the vertical portion of Phase 1 of HALCYON,” said Brent Reid, CEO of Winter Construction, the company that has officially been selected as the General Contractor for the vertical commercial stage of Phase One of the development. “We look forward to leading the vertical construction of the buildings and parking deck that are part of the transformative mixed-use development. Our retail, office, parking, and hardscape experience perfectly aligns with the vision for HALCYON, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Impressive progress was made in 2017, including delivering the infrastructure necessary for the community, as well as securing 100 percent of the Market Hall tenants and having 70 percent of the first phase retail tenants committed. There was also significant construction progress, including 650,000 cubic yards of dirt moved, 7,700 linear feet of curb installed, 53,144 linear feet of silt fence installed and 87,119 square feet of retaining walls constructed.

RocaPoint Partners and New York-based The Georgetown Company make up the development team. JLL teams are managing leasing efforts for HALCYON, and JLL Southeast Central’s Project Development Services team is managing construction. Wakefield Beasley & Associates is the architect for the development. Monte Hewett Homes and Edward Andrews Homes will bring single family and townhome options to the development.

Photos courtesy RocaPoint Partners