Many mixed-use projects get the hardware right. They feature a thoughtful mix of uses, beautiful buildings, and name-brand tenants. Far fewer get the “software” right—the pedestrian flow, the plaza experience, the hospitality-level service, and all the subtle details that turn a mixed-use project into something more. These elements transform a development into a vibrant, urbanesque destination—one that delivers on the promise of being a true community gathering place.
The Wharf in the District of Columbia; Legacy West in Plano, Texas; Domain Northside in Austin; and Americana at Brand in Glendale, California, are among the few that truly get it right. Our team has closely studied these properties and others like them, applying what we’ve learned to three Georgia locations—first to Avalon in Alpharetta, then to Colony Square in Atlanta, and now to Medley in Johns Creek.
Since Avalon opened in 2014, the world has changed dramatically. Yet many of the principles we applied there have proved timeless. Today, this 80-acre (32 ha) suburban community draws more than 7.5 million annual visitors—a surprise even to us, considering the project’s location 40 minutes outside of Atlanta. With Medley, our $560 million, 43-acre (17 ha) mixed-use destination now under construction, we’re modifying these ideas further to deliver a much needed third place for Johns Creek, an affluent Atlanta suburb that suffers a familiar suburban plight: no there there.
Cities seeking town centers
Johns Creek isn’t alone in this estimation. Cities nationwide are actively striving to create their own town centers. In many cases, they’re offering incentives to developers to bring these visions to life. Financial ability and ambition aren’t enough, though. Without the right software, these town center projects risk becoming beautiful yet lifeless—places people visit once, but they never return there.
To truly build community—the kind where daily life happens in big and small ways, where people forge lasting memories and feel a deep, emotional connection to place—there must be an intense, unwavering commitment to getting everything right. This rule holds especially true for the elements that don’t come naturally to many of us as real estate developers: the hospitality, marketing, staffing, and community experiences that bring people back again and again.
And it’s not just about the mushy stuff. A mixed-use project that becomes a true community gathering place earns a fortress position in the market, which has a tangible effect on the real estate value. For example, Avalon rents have achieved premiums in all verticals: multifamily is 40 percent above market, the hotel RevPAR index is 240, office is 43 percent above market, retail sales are 25 percent above market, and single-family residential sales are 110 percent above market. But the stat that we are most proud of may be this one: More than 100 marriage proposals have taken place at Avalon, proof positive that it has become the community’s favorite place for special moments.
Eight software learnings
Over the last 15 years, we have studied other communities, tested new ideas, and established our own approach. The following requirements capture some of what we’ve learned along the way:
● Shared mindset: From the institutional investor to the carpenter, everyone involved in the project needs to share the same mindset and core values . . . to believe what we believe. At Avalon, we defined those values long before we broke ground, and every decision was made through that lens. Community, wellness, families, and walkability were just a few of the guiding principles—values that aligned with both Alpharetta and the destination we set out to create. And we did not waver.
● Experience fee: Every nonretail use—office, residential, hotel—pays an experience fee that goes beyond a traditional common area maintenance fee. This fee funds events, marketing, hospitality, and all the details that create an exceptional guest experience. The fee also creates alignment and shared investment across uses—everyone has bought in. At Medley, we’re anticipating an annual experience fee budget of $1 million.
● Seamless connectivity: The ability to easily connect to the internet anywhere on a property is critical to today’s guest experience. At Medley, we are working with a single technology solutions provider for all uses and applications, from Wi-Fi to security cameras, from digital kiosks to audiovisual. Doing so enables a frictionless transition between spaces, meaning that residents, office workers, and hotel guests can work from anywhere on site.
● The plaza as the heart: The heartbeat of the community is the plaza, a central greenspace that is activated with 200-plus events per year. The plaza is anchored by an event stage with a built-in screen for watch parties, concerts, and other big moments. In between the events, the plaza serves as a hang-out space, with shade sails, comfortable seating, and playful furniture inviting people to linger longer. At Medley, we are taking our cues from famous European squares and surrounding our plaza with restaurant patios that foster human energy. Throughout Medley, we are paying extreme attention to the outdoor environment, thinking on a daily basis about umbrellas, fans, radiant heating, and other factors that support a comfortable, year-round experience.
● One brand, one community: Establishing a strong place brand from the start is essential. We don’t allow management companies or partners to display their own branding. Instead, we use cohesive signage and wayfinding to reinforce a unified sense of place. That consistency extends online, as well, with consistent branding across the website, social media, and e-newsletters. We ensure every tenant and partner has access to our brand kits and encourage them to use the project name (not just the city’s) and messaging when describing their locations to further reinforce the visual identity.
● Controlling the story: We make public relations a priority to proactively tell our story to the marketplace and to ensure all stakeholders are telling our story the right way. With dozens of retailers, project partners, and public figures, large-scale mixed-use developments have many spokespeople. Our PR team reviews and issues countless press releases, organizes interviews, leads media tours, and collaborates with all tenants/partners to keep our messaging accurate, on-brand, and top of mind with our audiences.
● Hospitality-level service and concierge: We dedicate the most prominent piece of real estate to the concierge building and train our first-generation staff by using Ritz-Carlton hospitality principles. This resort-inspired mindset is evident the moment you arrive—whether you’re greeted by the valet or you encounter a maintenance team on the boulevard or a member of housekeeping.
● Operational precision: If you do nothing else, invest in the operations team responsible for maintaining the property’s look and feel. Think daily cleanings so thorough you could eat off the floor, spotless common areas, and clear expectations for orderliness. This consistent operational excellence fosters a sense of ease, comfort, and trust throughout the community.
With mixed-use projects, the hardware may draw initial attention, but it’s the software—the everyday experience—that creates a true community and lasting success. Every. Detail. Matters. And developers must go beyond design, construction, and leasing and embrace the role of community curator, thoughtfully shaping the spaces between the buildings, where people keep coming back to their third place to do life together.
