Sandy Springs staff want Trammell Crow Co. to lead City Springs Phase II on 5.5 city-owned acres, with a hotel, shops and 28 homes. The council votes Tuesday.
The Sandy Springs City Council votes Tuesday on the team that would build the next phase of City Springs. City staff recommend Trammell Crow Company as master developer for about 5.5 acres of city-owned land next to the city center.
Three other firms would assist: Third and Urban, DSM Real Estate Partners and Hedgewood Homes. The recommendation is in the agenda packet for the Oct. 20 meeting, item 2026-283.
It is the city’s second attempt. A partner picked in 2023 could not reach a workable deal, and the city ended that agreement in February 2025.
What the council asked for
The council set goals for the site before it went back to developers. The staff memo from Economic Development Director Chris Burnett lists them:
- more local restaurants and stores
- a boutique hotel
- more green space and public gathering areas
- high-quality single-family and multifamily housing
The council also agreed to consider closing the Bluestone Road connector if that helps the project. It would consider a city-initiated rezoning of the parcels as well.
The packet includes concept drawings from the Trammell Crow team. They are labeled as an aerial view of the district, hotel and mixed-use frontage, a central courtyard and green space, and a west view along Hilderbrand Drive.
A Hedgewood Homes site plan dated July 31, 2026, shows 28 single-family homes on about 2 acres. Fifteen are 24 by 46 feet and 11 are 20 by 40 feet. The other two are one each of two narrower types. The plan is labeled “City Springs 2.0 Ext. Parcel C.”
The packet does not give a hotel size, an apartment count or a sale price.
How the city got here
The resolution sets out the history:
- Dec. 18, 2012: the council adopts the City Center Master Plan.
- May 7, 2018: City Springs Phase I, a 14-acre mixed-use city center, opens.
- Dec. 20, 2022: the council adopts a master plan update covering the 5.5 acres.
- June 6, 2023: after three proposals, the council picks a Phase II partner.
- Feb. 7, 2025: the city manager ends that letter of intent. The resolution says “challenging market conditions rendered a mutually acceptable development agreement infeasible.”
- June 2026: the council decides conditions support going back to market.
- July 2026: staff approach 16 metro Atlanta development firms.
- Aug. 6, 2026: eight submit proposals.
The memo says the council reviewed the proposals through August and September. It found the Trammell Crow team’s proposal “best aligns with the City’s vision.”
What a yes vote does, and does not do
The resolution does not sell the land. It would let the city manager:
- sign a letter of intent with the four firms
- negotiate a development agreement or purchase and sale agreements
- negotiate who manages any public parts of the project
- start public engagement for a city-initiated rezoning
The city keeps the right to talk to other firms if the deal falls through.
The memo gives no cost or price. “The City and Developers have significant work ahead to reach and finalize the financial components of this transaction,” it says. A full financial impact review will go to the council once negotiations are complete.
Also on Tuesday’s agenda
The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at City Hall, 1 Galambos Way. Other items in the agenda:
- Property tax hearing. The first of three public hearings on the 4.731-mill rate. Our hearings story has the details.
- Johnson Ferry Road at Peachtree Dunwoody Road. An $882,090 design contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates. A 2021 city study named it the highest-volume and highest-crash intersection in the Medical District.
- PATH 400 trail extension, Segment 2. An inspection contract with AtkinsRéalis for $728,038 and a materials testing contract with United Consulting Group for $479,047.31. Federal money through the Georgia Department of Transportation covers 80% of the inspection contract.
- Lake Forrest Sidewalk Phase 2. Staff want to cancel the Sept. 1 award to JHC Corporation and give the job to Ohmshiv Construction, the lowest bidder.
- Federal block grant. Acceptance of a $500,669 Community Development Block Grant allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Municipal Court. Reappointment of Chief Judge Donald Schaefer and Judges Marci Ernst and Dawn Davis to four-year terms.
Ohmshiv bid $1,091,667.75 but withdrew over what it saw as a gross error in its bid schedule. The council then awarded the job to JHC at $1,504,185. Ohmshiv has since agreed to do the work at its original price, the memo says. That cuts the cost by $412,517.25.
What it means for you
- Nothing is built or sold yet. A yes vote starts negotiations, and the price and the final plan come back to the council later.
- A rezoning would come with public engagement, the resolution says. That is when residents can weigh in on the design. Our permits and zoning guide explains how hearings work.
- You can speak at Tuesday’s meeting or send public comment online.
- Our City Springs guide covers what is there now.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the developer for City Springs Phase II?
City staff recommend Trammell Crow Company as master developer, with Third and Urban, DSM Real Estate Partners and Hedgewood Homes assisting. The City Council votes on the resolution Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.
What would City Springs Phase II include?
The council’s goals for the 5.5-acre site are more local restaurants and stores, a boutique hotel, more green space and gathering areas, and single-family and multifamily housing. A Hedgewood Homes site plan in the agenda packet shows 28 single-family homes on about 2 acres.
Is the City Springs Phase II deal final?
No. Tuesday’s resolution authorizes the city manager and city attorney to negotiate a letter of intent and purchase and sale agreements. The city says a full financial impact review will come to the council once negotiations are complete.
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