Hidden Oak Grove development to bring new housing, retail to Athens

By Libby Allnatt/What Now Atlanta

Hidden at Oak Grove, a 296-unit residential complex with a Publix-anchored shopping center has gone through various iterations before evolving into a mixed-use project.

"This type of development was conceived several decades ago,” Evan Conder , partner at Venture South Investments LLC , told What Now Atlanta . “Prior to the great financial crisis, several hundred residential homes were constructed. Over time, Venture South Investments and Woodfield Development modified the zoning conditions to deliver a modern, high-quality project that meets the market’s demands.”

In addition to the 48,387-square-foot Publix, the Village at Oak Grove shopping center consists of tenants like Great American Cookie, Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant, Sugar Polish Nail Bar and Great Clips. Conder said the tenant spaces are in various stages of open, opening and under construction. According to Dart Retail Advisors , three tenant spaces are still available, and two are in negotiations.

The Jefferson Road area project first broke ground in 2021, and the shopping center opened in April 2023.

Right nearby is Holden at Oak Grove, a multi-building residential complex with modern garden-style apartment homes and thousands of square feet for ground-floor retail.

“We have delivered five of the 14 buildings. Of those five, we are 90 percent occupied,” Patrick Kassin, partner at Woodfield Development. told What Now Atlanta . “The market is very excited about the project. We will continue to deliver the remaining buildings through the first quarter of next year. It’s about six more months of work.”

Kassin said this is Woodfield Development’s first project in Athens, a city in northeast Georgia that’s about 70 miles from Atlanta.

“Athens is a market that was already growing at a pretty incredible clip,” he said. “With COVID and folks really understanding the work-from-home, work-life balance, it has exploded. It’s seen tremendous growth. There’s really great leadership in Athens, from all levels. High quality of life in Athens, great access to education through the university system and down, and an incredible retail and restaurant scene. That’s attracted a lot of folks.”

Woodfield Development, a Virginia-based real estate developer, was also the team behind 505 Courtland, a high-rise apartment building in the SoNo district of downtown Atlanta.