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Health & Fitness

New Apartments Could Be A Win-Win

Could the future complex across from The Forum on Peachtree Parkway become a live-work-play model for the metro area? Only time will tell.

With the possibility of 356 high-end apartments coming to the new development across from The Forum on Peachtree Parkway, it got me to thinking that those units could be a plus for its tenants who could be working in the area. What? Have I gone mad? After all, I'm not one for more development-especially in that congested area.  If it was up to me, I would love to see a park with trails go in across from The Forum.  But here's the caveat: If Fuqua Development, AMLI Residential and Pope & Land Enterprises develops this complex much like what the Facebook company is doing, this could be a win-win for those who could live, work and play in the area. Facebook, the Menlo Park, California company is building 394 studio and three-bedroom apartments on its campus. Employees will have the option of a basic-zero commute. The same idea could work for those very tenants in Peachtree Corners and only those tenants.

Of course with new development comes new problems -- namely for the massive amount of North Fulton, Forsyth County and local commuters who choke Peachtree Parkway with a lot of traffic. This is not attempting to engage in any negativity, but there is no doubt that the Fuqua development will only add to this traffic. Gwinnett's Medlock Bridge Road and Peachtree Corners Circle will also experience added traffic. Certainly added traffic signals might provide minor relief to the situation, but let's not kid ourselves, there will be added traffic. Speaking of traffic signals, a stop light should have been installed ages ago at the corner of Medlock Bridge Road and Peachtree Corners Circle -- maybe 10 years ago.

Will the supposed economic benefit of having these high-end apartments, a hotel, shops, movie theater, fitness club and grocery store be worth the traffic it will produce? Furthermore, could this type of complex be close to the Facebook model? No, it will be far from a replica of the Facebook campus because Peachtree Corners is not its own closed-off village. Still, could companies like Careerbuilder and Fiserv employees move into those type of units? Only time will tell.

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Indeed, the fear of apartment units have been expressed on these pages scores of times and certainly those thoughts will continue. With the possibility of more residents and more students entering into the public school system, the idea of additional apartments does not sound palatable. But that scenario at the moment seems remote. If the apartment portion of the complex operates on the live-work-play model, then it could be a win-win for the area and beyond.  In the meantime, the city council will examine the plans and will take time to approve what the development will look like. At the end of the day, here's hoping that the council will make sounds decisions that are in the interests of the people.

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