Peachtree Corners council approves conversion of 7065 Jimmy Carter Blvd. hotel into 73 apartments for Pathway Home program

Peachtree Corners — The City Council voted to approve a special-use permit to convert a 73-unit extended-stay hotel at 7065 Jimmy Carter Boulevard into a 73-unit apartment building managed by Gwinnett Housing Corporation.

The project, proposed for a 4.68-acre site that includes a 42,000-square-foot, three-story building, is intended to support the organization’s Pathway Home program, which the applicant described as serving seniors and youth aging out of foster care. Planning staff and the planning commission recommended approval with conditions, and the council untabled the item before voting to approve it.

The conversion will keep the same unit count and on-site parking, the city’s planning presentation said. “The applicant is proposing to convert the hotel to a 73 unit apartment building as part of their Pathway Home program,” planning staff member Mr. Adams told council. The staff presentation said the existing 90 on-site parking spaces will remain and the conversion includes a concurrent variance to eliminate the requirement for in-unit washers and dryers in favor of a centralized laundry area.

Julia Maxwell of Mahaffey Pickens Tucker, representing the applicant, said the redevelopment would “create a sense of place and stability” in the Southern Gateway character area and the Holcomb Bridge Road corridor overlay. Leila Pudetcha, CEO of Gwinnett Housing Corporation, told council the property’s residents would be drawn from two primary groups: “we'll have seniors and youth 18 to 24,” and the organization is coordinating referrals and case management with foster-care agencies and nonprofits. Pudetcha said the property will be staffed with a property manager, maintenance staff and “1 or 2 case managers,” with at least two staff positions living on site.

Conditions attached to the approval include preserving northern and eastern portions of the site for the city’s future Crooked Creek Trail segments, maintaining the existing 73 dwelling units and 90 parking spaces, exterior rehabilitation (landscaping, lighting, signage and trim work), and participation in a multifamily housing program noted in staff materials. The council also approved a concurrent variance to allow centralized laundry rather than in-unit washers and dryers, citing retrofit costs for the existing building layout.

The council held the public hearing, heard no in-person opposition, and approved the resolution after untableing the matter from the prior meeting. The record does not include a roll-call vote tally; the mayor called for those in favor to raise their hands and declared the motion approved.

The applicant said the property sits adjacent to the Crooked Creek Trail corridor and that the conversion would include exterior and security upgrades; staff noted the applicant indicated an intent to add gating and additional security measures though the final conditions focus on rehabilitation and program participation.

Planning staff said the units are interior-facing and function similarly to studios; staff and the applicant argued the parking supply (90 spaces) is adequate given the unit types and the program’s tenant profile. The council did not require additional parking but retained the condition that the applicant facilitate preservation of land for future trail segments.

The council’s approval makes way for Gwinnett Housing Corporation to carry out its programmatic conversion and landlord responsibilities; the transcript does not specify a construction schedule or firm dates for lease-up.

Votes and formal motion text are recorded in the meeting minutes. The motion to remove the item from the table and the subsequent motion to approve were both moved and seconded; the transcript records the mayor calling for hands to indicate assent.