SMYRNA, Ga. -- Almost eight years ago, Atlanta developer Halpern Enterprises hoped to remake its aging Belmont Hills Shopping Center in Cobb County.
Plans called for nearly 300 apartments, more than 150 condos, 300-plus townhomes and about 100,000 square feet of office space. One year later the deepest economic recession to hit the United States was underway and plans for the redevelopment were shelved.
Now, in another sign of a rebounding economy, the project is breaking ground Aug. 28 — a 48-acre mix of restaurants, stores, single-family homes and apartments. The site is already home to Smyrna Elementary School, which has more than 900 students and opened last year.
Here is a look back at Belmont Hills over the years and a glimpse of what Halpern Enterprises and other developers will build there today.
