Friday’s Plaza Redeveloped into Mixed-Use Project: The Village at Tilly Mill Crossing

Senior Vice President of Kaufman Capital Partners Garry Sobel is featured on the All About Real Estate segment of the Atlanta Real Estate Radio podcast talking about the revitalization of Friday’s Plaza. Sobel chats with co-hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick and shares the real estate firm’s collaborative investment process and its up-and-coming exciting collaboration project at The Village at Tilly Mill Crossing. Originally from New York, Sobel’s career has centered around investments, risk management and changing market cycles. Sobel began his career as a CPA, and later transitioned to commercial real estate. For the past 30 years, Sobel has founded and owned a variety of real estate. In 2013, Sobel joined Greg Kaufman at Kaufman Capital Partners where he works on acquisition, development and management among other functions. Founded in 1994, Kaufman Capital Partners is a real estate development firm that focuses on joint ventures and property investment projects. In Sobel’s current role, his focus is managing the full life cycle of investment projects from identifying opportunities to execution and exit. The firm actively seeks prospects for collaborative projects by finding individuals that share their company’s values. “Finding the right fit for us starts with the people, the property and then we move into the details,” said Sobel. “For us, it’s a collaborating model, we look for good partners that bring something special to the table that we can work with.” Kaufman Capital Partners’ latest collaboration is a redevelopment project named The Village at Tilly Mill Crossing. Located in the area formerly known as “Friday’s Plaza,” the property contains 14 acres which will be transformed to include 320 multifamily units and 3,5000 square feet of commercial space. This new development replaces the aging retail center with a vibrant mixed-use environment. Revitalizing a neglected area, this project is the first new Class A multifamily development in over 35 years on the Tilly Mill Corridor, and Kaufman Capital Partners hopes will be a catalyst for growth. The Tilly Mill project collaboration was formed between Kaufman Capital Partners and its development partner Atlanta Residential. During the beginning stages of the development, the firm worked with the Doraville planning commission and city council over 18 months to discuss overarching goals, objectives, questions and concerns about the project. Through this process, Kaufman Capital Partners and the city organizations were able to develop a well-structured plan that was suitable for both parties. After laying this groundwork, Kaufman Capital Partners went on to work closely with the Doraville Downtown Development Authority to discuss how the city could contribute to the project due to potential financial concerns surrounding development in the property’s disparate location. “It was a great experience, and it goes without saying that we built a very strong relationship with the city of Doraville and a strong partnership with the DDA. COVID added a layer of uncertainty that none of us could’ve dreamed,” said Sobel. ”Without the Development Authority’s assistance on this project, this would not have happened.” This new development at Friday's Plaza provides an incredible location with convenient proximity to some of the region’s biggest job centers at Perimeter Center and Buckhead. The Village at Till Mill Crossing also offers excellent access to the Doraville MARTA Station and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport for considerably easier travel. Local attractions are also conveniently close by at the retail and the restaurant corridor on Buford Highway. On the residential side of the new development, there will be 320 rental units in two five-story buildings which include a mix of studio apartments, one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units and three-bedroom units.