KDC, State Farm Break Ground for 17-Acre M-U Project in Dunwoody, Ga.

By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

KDC has begun construction on Park Center, its new 17-acre master-planned project in the Perimeter Center area of Dunwoody, Ga.

The full site plan includes 2.2 million square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail, and a 200-room hotel. KDC plans to achieve LEED Silver certification for the project, which will be built in phases over the next decade.

State Farm will lease 585,000 square feet in the development’s first office building and will lease additional space as the project unfolds.

“This positions State Farm for the future as we grow to meet changing customer needs and expectations,” a State Farm spokesman told Commercial Property Executive. “The Dunwoody area is a growing area, with a population whose skill sets match our customer’s needs. We wanted to expand in an area where we already have a strong presence of experienced, skilled employees.”

The first office building at Park Center will consist of a 13-story building situated on a seven-level parking structure with ground floor retail space. The Class A building is located on a nearly four-acre site at Hammond Drive and Perimeter Center Parkway, adjacent to the Dunwoody MARTA station.

The transit-oriented development will greatly improve connectivity to Dunwoody Station by extending the platform to provide direct access to the State Farm office building and the adjacent properties.

“We are honored that State Farm entrusted KDC to develop another office campus for its highly valued work force,” Steve Van Amburgh, KDC’s chief executive officer, said in a company release. “We plan to create an environment that offers employees direct access to residential, shopping and dining, in a pedestrian-friendly environment.”

According to the spokesperson, in the coming years, State Farm will have approximately 8,000 employees in the Atlanta metro area. State Farm plans to use these facilities in Atlanta, as well as hub locations in Dallas and Phoenix, as operations centers to serve its customers.

“These hub sites are attractive locations to both existing and prospective employees. These areas are growing and meet our criteria for preferred locations in order to retain and attract top talent,” the spokesperson told CPE. “In selecting the hub locations, we also looked for representation of different time zones to serve customers at their convenience. These locations complement existing operations centers throughout the United States.”

The office tower is slated for late 2016 occupancy.