Renderings: South of Atlanta, Pinewood Forest’s central hub aims to impress

Fifteen miles south of Atlanta’s airport, the Pinewood Forest mini-city concept aims to be nothing short of the country’s preeminent “live, create, and play community,” where creative types can spend leisure time among 100 acres of planned green space.

It makes sense, then, that Pinewood Forest developers have enlisted the landscape architecture firm behind some of the region’s most high-profile parks and public-space initiatives in recent memory.

Officials shared the vision today for what’s known as the Central Plaza, a communal hub for the 234-acre project, as designed by Atlanta-based HGOR.

The firm’s portfolio includes designs for Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry, The Battery at SunTrust Park, the Grant Park Gateway, and likely the redo of public spaces outside the Georgia World Congress Center.

“The plaza is designed to be the hub of the community for artist markets, film screenings, performances, and even ice skating,” an HGOR rep told Curbed Atlanta via email. “It’s slated for late 2019 as a rough end-date.”

HGOR has signed on as prime landscape architect for all portions of Pinewood Forest, with intentions to create “an unparalleled pedestrian experience [with] thoughtful design of plazas, parks, trails, roadway intersections, lighting, and even stormwater management,” said HGOR Principal Todd Fuller in a prepared statement.

Phase one of Pinewood Forest’s residential component is partially finished, and its Town Center is rising.

It’s coming together adjacent to Pinewood Studios—the second largest purpose-built studio complex in North America, with its 18 sound stages across 700 acres.

Elsewhere at Pinewood Forest, plans for an eight-auditorium, luxury cinema with a throwback facade were unveiled in December.

Beyond blockbuster films, the theater is designed to handle live performances, broadcasted sports and entertainment events, and corporate gatherings.

Project leaders expect the theater alone to draw more than 240,000 visitors to Pinewood Forest each year.

Rendering courtesy of BoggsVickers architecture

The development’s first Town Center phase is expected to open late this year, alongside the new housing.

Beyond the cinema and plaza, expect a boutique hotel, coworking space, performing arts center, independent retail and restaurants, an integrated wellness center, and an innovative “micro-school.”

Pinewood broke ground in 2016, and its 1,200 homes and mixed-use mini-city is expected to be fully built within roughly the next decade. Officials have said a shuttle linking the development with Atlanta’s airport MARTA station will be provided.

This article has been updated to reflect that HGOR officials shared the information and renderings, not Pinewood Forest officials, in addition to other clarifications.

Pinewood Forest

Foursquare

Pinewood Atlanta Studios

461 Sandy Creek Rd, Fayetteville, GA 30214