The GM Plant may not be the only project to be getting an extreme makeover in Atlanta's gateway to ITP. Trinity Development Group is hoping to turn a rundown shopping center on Peachtree Road into a dining and entertainment destination. (All you need is a little elbow grease and imagination... and a substantial amount of money.)

We spoke with Trinity's David Henzlik during the breakfast schmooze of our first ever Atlanta Restaurant Development Summit last week who shared his plans to redevelop Chamblee Plaza—now being called The Blee on Peachtree. The new project could include an open-air food court and a live music venue. Another source says Trinity is in talks with the owners of Eddie's Attic to open a similar music venue at Blee, but David declined to elaborate.

So far, Trinity has inked a deal for a new Starbucks and Adrenaline Fitness to open a gym. The developer also is in talks with a specialty grocer for the project. So, what's the shift in this part of Chamblee (just on the border of Doraville where Integral Group has big plans to redevelop the former GM plant down the street)? “It's just completely been underserved in that area,” David says. There's been a swelling of Millennials in the area who view Chamblee as an extension of Brookhaven. “These people have a lot of disposable income,” he says.

We also met up with The Hilbert Law Firm's Bob Williams and Kurt Hilbert, Roswell Inc's Steve Stroud and Darrel Weaver and HVMG's Mary Beth Cutshell at our event. Steve gave us an update on a lot of economic development wins for Roswell. The GM innovation center now has 940 employees. And Yardi is expanding to 72k SF in Roswell this October with an additional 300 jobs. 

We also connected with Shumacher Group's Harold Shumacher along with Communitas Hospitality's Gilbert Yeremian, a company that runs such eateries as Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern, 10th & Piedmont; and G's Midtown (formerly Gilbert's). Gilbert (yeah, that's the G in the restaurant) is looking to open a fourth restaurant concept somewhere along Piedmont Park, an American casual eatery without a name yet.