The Chamblee Downtown Development Authority on Thursday approved a third amendment to its purchase and sale agreement with Greystar Development East LLC, clarified remediation cost-sharing and site-plan descriptions for the planned City Center development, and voted unanimously to approve two administrative payments for ongoing projects.

The board’s chair said the buyer completed its due-diligence period and that an initial $250,000 deposit “has gone hard,” meaning the payment is nonrefundable under the purchase-and-sale agreement unless the buyer and seller otherwise agree. “That money is non refundable,” the chair said.

The amendment updates legal descriptions, clarifies who pays for remediation, and reconciles the previously stated site-plan minimum of 30,000 square feet of retail with the applicant’s submittal of roughly 29,000 square feet of ground-floor retail plus approximately 8,000–9,000 square feet of second‑floor patio space. The amendment also adjusts the bond‑approval period tied to closing.

Why it matters: the actions move a long‑planned redevelopment closer to construction by resolving technical discrepancies in the sale paperwork and documenting which party is responsible for clean‑up costs. The project will occupy multiple parcels and is the largest, most complex site plan the DDA said it has seen, with a mix of retail, public green space and 340 residential units.

Board members were told the developer team has completed a site‑plan package and presented it to Chamblee’s Design Review Board as part of the Development Community Impact (DCI) review. The chair said the DRB recommended the project go forward to the city council for final approval, with a public hearing anticipated Nov. 13 and a council vote anticipated Nov. 18. If approved by the council and after land‑disturbance permitting, the chair said the DDA expects closing “probably no later than June or July 2026” and that construction would begin after permits are secured.

The board heard that remediation work on the site is largely complete but exceeded earlier contingencies after crews uncovered an additional small tank (described in the meeting as an oil separator) and removed additional contaminated soils while mobilized on site. The chair said the DDA expects a finding of no additional remediation required from the state environmental regulator. (Transcript referred to the state agency as the “Georgia Department of Environmental Affairs”; the correct state agency is the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.)

Financial context: the DDA’s finance update noted roughly $638,000 in pending administrative payments out of an $834,000 budget. Board members also noted a balloon debt payment due Dec. 1 of roughly $700,000; the chair and finance staff said they are tracking receipts and have contingency plans if incoming payments are delayed.

Votes at a glance

- Third amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement with Greystar Development East LLC: Motion to “approve, authorize, ratify, and confirm the entry of the DDA into the third amendment to the agreement for purchase and sale of real estate … and authorize the chair to execute related documents.” Motion moved by the chair; second not specified in the transcript. Outcome: passed unanimously (5 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain; 2 absent). Key points: clarifies remediation cost sharing, legal descriptions, and revises the retail square-footage description to reflect 29,000 sq ft of retail plus second-floor patio space.

- Administrative payment for The Oliver (Greystar project at 5193 Peachtree Boulevard): Motion to approve the 2025 administrative payment in the amount stated in the packet, $234,626.25. Motion moved by a board member; second not specified. Outcome: passed unanimously (5 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain; 2 absent).

- Administrative payment for SLX Northland (5211 Peachtree Boulevard): Motion to approve the 2025 administrative payment. The transcript contains inconsistent figures for the amount (see clarifying details). Motion moved by a board member; second not specified. Outcome: passed unanimously (5 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain; 2 absent).

Discussion and context: Board members described a high level of broker and tenant interest in the retail component; the chair said the retail partner, identified in the meeting as Vantage Realty, and the residential partner, Greystar, are aligning retail spaces to tenant needs as leases are penciled in. The chair and staff emphasized that, while approval steps are underway, closing and full project delivery remain contingent on council approval, permitting (land‑disturbance permit), and successful leasing and financing.

Remediation details and next steps: staff said additional remediation invoices exceeded contingency and that a revised invoice will be presented to the board next month for formal approval. The chair said Greystar is satisfied with the remediation. If the city council approves the site plan and Greystar secures the LDP, the DDA expects closing in mid‑2026 and prompt initiation of construction.

Ending: With those votes, the DDA adjourned with no public comment and no executive session scheduled. The board did not set a public release date for developer marketing materials; members noted city staff and the developers would coordinate any formal communications once city approvals are finalized.