McDonough, Ga., could see a major mixed-use development with over 1,200 units, office, retail spaces and road widening on Ga. 155. Developer Edison Real Estate Partners plans the McDonough Civic Complex by 2030 pending rezoning approval. A DRI review is needed.
A proposed mixed-use development is looking to add more than 1,200 units in downtown McDonough, Ga., south of Atlanta.
Retail and office space also would be part of the project, according a recent article in the Henry Reporter, a local news source that covers McDonough and Henry County.
The city's officials notified the state about the proposed project on March 20, 2025. Because of the project's size, a development of regional impact (DRI) review must be completed before the McDonough City Council can consider it.
Known as the McDonough Civic Complex, the new development would be constructed on a 70-acre property along South Zack Hinton Parkway/Georgia Highway 155 near the city's U.S. Post Office, McDonough High School and Richard Craig Park.
Henry Reporter noted that according to the McDonough zoning map, the property has existing zoning classifications of RM-75 (multifamily housing) and C-3 (highway commercial).
However, the developer, Edison Real Estate Partners in Milton, Ga., is requesting a rezoning request for the mixed-use project. If it is approved, then they are estimating construction would be complete by the end of 2030.
McDonough Civic Complex is proposed to include office, hotel, retail, residential and multifamily housing components. The housing would include 1,050 multifamily units and 190 townhomes. So far, the development group has not made available the square footage of the planned retail and office space.
More specifics about the project should become available over the next couple of months, Henry Reporter noted in late March 2025.
The local news source explained that a DRI review is a state-level planning tool where surrounding jurisdictions can provide comments about a proposed project. Various Georgia state agencies will also review the concept for traffic and environmental comments. Finally, the applicant must complete a traffic impact study for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) to review.
A DRI review, on average, takes approximately three to six months to complete. McDonough officials cannot consider whether to approve or deny the rezoning request until the process is finished.
New Sidewalks, Road Widening Also Planned for Ga. 155
Earlier in March, the McDonough city council hired a design engineer to produce specs for sidewalks in the same vicinity as the proposed McDonough Civic Complex development. The planned walkways would be constructed on both sides of South Zack Hinton Parkway/Ga. 155.
If the proposed mixed-use development receives final approval, then building sidewalks on the new road frontage of the mixed-use property would become the responsibility of Edison Real Estate Partners.
The Ga. 155 widening project extends from Interstate 75 north-northeast to Ga. 42 within the city. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans to start construction on the roadway expansion in 2027.
Currently, there are no plans to widen Ga. 155 from Postmaster Drive to Racetrack Road just to the north of the proposed work's endpoint at Ga. 42, the Reporter noted. The state transportation agency's traffic study along the Ga. 155 corridor will likely look at that, too, as well as other nearby intersections that may need upgrades.
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