Geosam Capital’s Metro Atlanta Megaproject Approved

One of metro Atlanta’s largest planned developments is a step closer to starting construction.

Henry County commissioners approved a rezoning and development agreement with Florida-based Geosam Capital, greenlighting a 1,278-acre master-planned community dubbed “The Grove,” just off U.S. Highway 41 near EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported. The megaproject includes over 6,100 residential units, 670,000 square feet of retail and restaurants and 1.3 million square feet of office and institutional space.

The community will also feature a commercial hub with a 180-room hotel and a potential Piedmont Healthcare facility, according to earlier filings. Full buildout could take as long as 40 years.

Geosam, headquartered in Ormond Beach, purchased the site in 2022 for $15.3 million. The firm, which has delivered over 90 residential communities in Georgia, intends to include a broad housing mix at the Grove, with 2,760 multifamily units, 2,460 single-family homes, 554 townhomes and 386 age-targeted homes split between small multifamily and single-family.

The plan also calls for 150 acres of green space, 35 pocket parks, 8 miles of trails and land donated for police and fire services.

The first phase hinges on infrastructure upgrades, including GDOT road construction, although cost estimates and how much the county plans to spend to support the project weren’t reported.

Financing the long-range project may be challenging given current rates. But Geosam is banking on patient capital and long-term housing demand in the fast-growing southern arc of the metro. Henry County’s approval came in a 3-1 vote, with one commissioner recusing himself over developer campaign donations.

The Grove joins a growing slate of sprawling exurban developments across the South as land-constrained cities push growth toward the edges — and as developers bet big on years-long runways for absorption.

— Judah Duke