A Model of Success: International Village at Chamblee
The Buford Highway is home to International Village at Chamblee, a 30 acre/500,000 square foot, mixed-use development. Designed to be a place where residents can work and play, shop and dine, all within a short walking distance, it features a variety of restaurants, cafés, shops and specialty boutiques. There is even an amphitheatre for musical, theatrical, and cultural events.
Don’t look for it in one neat location, however; the village stretches from Clairmont to Chamblee-Dunwoody Road. Among its many unique offerings is an Asian Square, purported to be the first shopping mall of its kind in Georgia; an 111,000 square foot public market and arcade, housing primarily eateries and pubs from a variety of cultures; an outdoor amphitheatre; a 120-room hotel; an international trade center; and a Mediterranean Village for Italian and Greek cuisines.
William G. Holt, III, a PhD Candidate in the Department of Sociology at Yale University, has researched the impact of such international investments in the Atlanta area. “People from places such as Mexico, China, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Bosnia are now calling the Atlanta metropolitan area home,” Holt said. “These new immigrants range from venture capitalists to small business owners to service workers, all looking for opportunities in Atlanta’s booming economy. Local officials believe that the International Village location represents the ideal of what may be achieved through global trade and immigration.”
While many cities would love to copy Atlanta’s model, Holt says ” it remains to be seen whether the success of the DeKalb County suburbs can be repeated elsewhere.” However, he maintains his optimism that Atlanta’s successes in international marketing and development demonstrate that increased international attention can bring investment, revenue and revitalization to an entire region.
- Beth Rice
