Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) new $134 million inland port in Gainesville opens in May, almost sure to spur industrial growth in the region.  

At full build-out, the Gainesville Inland Port will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers. Alliance Industrial is building a 540,000 square foot warehouse complex near the Gainesville Port. Logistics Property is adding 320,000 square feet of industrial buildings to the site.

Direct rail with five days a week service between Northeast Georgia and Savannah gives shippers an alternative to a 600-mile round-trip truck route, reducing trucks on Georgia’s highways and in the Atlanta region. 

GPA’s $1.6 billion renovation of Ocean Terminal in Savannah is progressing. Phase one will open in July 2027. Phase two opens in December 2028. The dock will stretch nearly 2,700 feet, allowing two large ships to dock simultaneously. Ocean Terminal’s renovated container yard will open in phases starting in July 2027 through December 2028.

Branch Properties received unanimous rezoning approval from the City of Gainesville for Lakeshore, the 49-acre mixed-use redevelopment of Lakeshore Mall. Branch Properties will break ground on Lakeshore in late 2026, and completion is anticipated in 2028. Positioned between Lake Lanier and Interstate 985, Lakeshore is anticipated to become Gainesville’s premier town center. Gainesville is a town of just over 40,000 residents NE of Atlanta.

At full buildout, Lakeshore will feature 305,444 square feet of retail space, 652 multifamily residential units and 38,200 square feet of outdoor community greenspace. The redevelopment will also include capacity for a hotel and townhomes in future phases. Anchors Dick’s Sporting Goods and Belk will remain open throughout the transformation, with Dick’s Sporting Goods relocating within the property. Franklin Street’s Len Erickson will work in tandem with Branch Properties on the retail leasing. 

Branch Properties plans to reimagine Gainesville’s Lakeshore Mall into a walkable, open-air destination. The mixed-use redevelopment will retain key retail tenants while introducing new residential and retail elements. The first step in the extensive, multi-year planning process is filing the Development of Regional Impact (DRI), which supports community input. 

Originally opened in 1970, Lakeshore Mall currently comprises 492,798 square feet of retail space. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Belk will remain active throughout the process, and Dick’s Sporting Goods will be relocated on the property. At full buildout, Branch proposes 305,444 square feet of retail space, 652 units of multifamily residential units and 38,200 square feet of outdoor community greenspace. Lakeshore will also have the capacity for a hotel and townhomes in future development. 

Branch Properties acquired the asset in 2022 and plans to break ground on the redevelopment in late 2026. Franklin Street’s Len Erickson will handle retail leasing in partnership with Branch Properties.

DECEMBER 5^th – Next Thursday: Multifamily’s leading investors, owners, developers, forecasters, managers, brokers, lenders, and more doing business throughout Florida and the Southeast U.S. will be at The Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne, FL for this year’sConnect Southeast Multifamily conference! **Jump on the Black Friday Discount, available through this weekend only. Use code BLACKFRIDAY30 at checkout online.www.ConnectSEMF2024.com