About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2025)
AROUND ATLANTA 30| OCTOBER 2025 ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS Is a community garden becoming the must-have amenity? By Sarra Sedghi Drive or walk past a newer housing community and you’ll notice a new category of green-minded amenities. These days, more people want sustainability, and housing communities are accommodating this must-have by including energy-efficient appliances, organic landscaping, using recycled and salvaged building materials, and incorporating walkability and access to public transit. As more eco-conscious communities gain momentum around the country, amenities such as pools and fitness centers just don’t seem to cut it anymore. Some Metro Atlanta apartment complexes and housing communities are going beyond the traditional amenities, building shared garden spaces and even farms into the residential package. While community gardens aren’t exactly new, the privatization of such an amenity brings fresh context to agrarianism. Rooftop gardens and on-site farms are two types of modern and urban community garden spaces you might find within newer apartment and housing complexes. Pendergrast Farm Community Garden (Provided by Pendergrast Farm) ■ “In - ======= IS HDD Although idealistic in theory, establishing a community garden requires navigating a share of government hang-ups. Even if the plots or bounty are intended for semi-public use, community gardens can only legally exist on private land. Houses of worship and schools sometimes offer private land as a workaround. Take the Leila Valley Community Farm in Southeast Atlanta, for example, which was planted on former housing land that’s currently the property of Valley View Church of God in Christ across the street. Spelman College’s Victory Garden also serves the community and acts as an outdoor classroom for its food studies program, as do community gardens at Emory University and Georgia Tech. Community-run farms didn’t really exist in metro Atlanta 30 years ago. That changed in 1998, with the launch of East Lake Commons, a conservation community clustered around historic farmland straddling East Atlanta and Decatur. Each of the 67 properties within the community owns a portion of the fully functioning, organic, five-acre Gaia Gardens farm, which includes a greenhouse, two high tunnels, a pond, a complete irrigation system, tractors, a blueberry orchard, and a community garden plot for East Lake Commons residents. Five years later, the community took over supervising and running Gaia Gardens. But the community doesn’t manage the day-to-day farm operations. The East Lake Commons Property Owners Association (POA) leases the land to a farmer or pair of farmers for $1 a year. The POA is currently on its sixth contract, in exchange for a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. The CSA model ensures farmer compensation no matter how the growing season turns out. Without this structure, a farmer could go under in a handful of years. Any surplus produce can be sold at farmers markets or via a tent on the property itself, providing added income to the farmer(s). In addition to financial security, Gaia Gardens’ farmers reap Doraville demos buildings for new city center By Cathy Cobbs The City of Doraville had a demolition ceremony of its city hall and municipal building on Saturday, Sept. 27, marking a significant step in redeveloping Doraville City Center into a walkable gathering place for the community. “This site has been the center of Doraville’s civic life for 150 years. As we take down these buildings, we are making way for a reinvigorated downtown that will remain the heart of our city for decades to come,” said Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman in a release from the city. The city hosted a celebration at the demolition site, featuring food, music, family-friendly activities and “a chance to DORAVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT (Photo by Cathy Cobbs) 3, witness history in the making with friends and neighbors,” the release said. The new city center will include “The People’s Building,” a 30,000-square-foot community hub that will house city hall, a public library, creator studios, two rooftop spaces for private events and ground-floor restaurants that open to a large green space. Kaufman Capital Partners is the master development partner for the new city center, overseeing planning, design and development. “The start of demolition is a major step forward in transforming this site into an activated and connected destination that reflects Doraville’s history, spirit and character,” said Garry Sobel, senior vice president for KCP. “We are working in lockstep with the City of Doraville to deliver a vibrant downtown that enriches the lives of those who live and visit here.” The redevelopment spans 13 acres between New Peachtree Road and Buford Highway, adjacent to the Doraville MARTA Station. Plans for the new city center include pedestrian-friendly streets, a central green space activated with events, multifamily housing, and restaurant options. To further enhance connectivity, the site will also link to the Peachtree Creek Greenway and Atlanta Beltline. The team will include architect McMillan Pazdan Smith, Choate Construction as general contractor and Dunwoody- based DASH Hospitality Group to curate the dining and entertainment experience. With demolition now underway, KCP expects to deliver the finished project as well as the green space in 2027. Doraville’s City Hall complex has served as the city’s civic heart for decades, hosting public meetings, supporting local government operations and bearing witness to major milestones that shaped the community, the release said. ITACHI (Photo courtesy of City of Doraville)
