Featuring the perspectives of:

Brad Cooper and Michael Cooper
Managing Principals, Blue River Development

Brian McGowan
President, Centennial Yards

Clif Poston and Chris Poston
Principals, Traton Homes

Will you add inventory in 2025? Can you tell us about your plans?

Brian McGowan: Centennial Yards is full steam ahead and set to achieve significant development milestones in 2025. The Mitchell, our first ground-up residential tower, topped out in August and is projected to open next year. Additionally, the hotel located across the street is scheduled to top out this December, and both towers will be up and running by late 2025.

We also look forward to the upcoming groundbreaking of Cosm, a 70,000-square-foot, three-level immersive entertainment venue adjacent to a renowned 5,000-seat music venue located in the heart of the entertainment district. Additionally, we plan to introduce a hotel and further retail and dining options as part of our ongoing projects scheduled for the 2025 pipeline and beyond.

Clif Poston and Chris Poston: We’re committed to maintaining available spec inventory across our communities to meet the needs of buyers. While inventory levels may vary by product type, we recognize the importance of having standing inventory in the Atlanta market.

Brad Cooper and Michael Cooper: We have 23 new deals year to date. Our business plan calls for a minimum of 24 new deals in three or four major markets across the Southeast. We’re on track with projections to meet and beat this year’s goal. With the lack of supply being a factor in all markets we are in, Blue River will continue to be bullish in the next couple years and expect tailwinds from future rate cuts and a more transaction friendly economy in 2025.

Will agents be important to your plans in 2025? If so, how?

Poston and Poston: Yes, agents will be crucial to our plans in 2025. They serve as trusted advisors to buyers, helping us connect with a broader audience and enhance customer experiences. By building strong relationships with agents, we aim to drive traffic, boost sales and remain competitive in our markets.

Cooper and Cooper: Absolutely. The brokerage community is vital to us, and we look to continue prioritizing those relationships.

McGowan: We are thrilled that Heather Moon has recently joined CIM as vice president of leasing. As we enhance our leasing initiatives, we anticipate increased engagement from agents touring our residential and hotel tower and discovering the potential of the entertainment district. We also invite all agents to visit Centennial Yards and explore the QR codes displayed throughout the project, which provide a virtual tour of Centennial Yards’ future.

Which type of new-construction housing (condo, town home, single-family) do you expect to be most in demand in 2025?

Cooper and Cooper: With the ongoing issue of affordability, townhomes will be in most demand and thrive in certain markets. Blue River’s imminent pipeline includes a combination of single-family detached and townhome products throughout our major Southeast markets.

McGowan: All these housing types are expected to remain in high demand, but we expect a major increase in the number of apartments and condominiums. We are seeing conversions of office spaces to residential, and that trend will continue. We predict that people will eventually return to working in offices, but they’ll prefer newer, high-quality buildings with clean air, top amenities and cool places to hang out.

Poston and Poston: We believe there will continue to be strong demand for single-family detached and attached homes in 2025.

Which Atlanta suburbs and intown neighborhoods will see the most new development in 2025?

Cooper and Cooper: Bartow, Barrow, Henry, Rockdale and the intown neighborhoods of Chamblee/DeKalb.

Poston and Poston: The demand for affordable housing continues to drive the expansion of the Metro Atlanta market, fueling growth into new areas to meet this need.

McGowan: As Centennial Yards continues to grow, we can expect to see more new buildings in downtown and nearby suburbs. To make downtown more vibrant, we need more people living there, creating more safe places to live.

Centennial Yards is proud to have already contributed to this effort by offering more housing in the downtown area. Our apartment building, The Lofts at Centennial Yards, has already welcomed many new residents, filling all 162 units in just 45 days. Wild Leap Brewery is also located at Canyon of The Lofts, making downtown a more appealing spot for visitors coming for events like games or concerts.

Check out this year’s other predictions below!