Thompson Thrift Unveils Atlanta-Area Luxury Project
Inside the developer's third project in the Peach State.
Thompson Thrift is expanding its presence in the Atlanta region with the planned development of Autry at Tulip Grove, a 300-unit luxury multifamily community located in Buford, Ga., in Gwinnett County. The company expects completion by January 2027.
Property highlights
Located at 1325 Laurel Crossing Parkway NE, the 10-acre community will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in four-story, elevator-serviced buildings. Units will have quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, glass-top ranges, tile backsplashes and hardwood-style flooring. The residences will also have walk-in closets, walk-in showers, full-size washers and dryers, patio and balcony options, private yards and detached garages.
Community amenities will include two fitness centers, a heated swimming pool, courtyards, an outdoor pavilion with a gas fireplace and seating, grilling stations as well as an outdoor game area, golf simulator, billiards and a 24-hour social hub. The property will also feature a dog park and pet spa with grooming stations, an Amazon package hub, high-speed internet access and EV charging stations.
Employment, shopping options
The property will be adjacent to The Exchange, a 100-acre master-planned development that will offer residents access to a variety of retail, entertainment and restaurant options such as Sprouts Farmers Market, Pickle and Social, Andretti Indoor Karting and Games and TopGolf. Autry at Tulip Grove will be close to Interstate 85 with connectivity to downtown Lawrenceville, downtown Atlanta, Mall of Georgia and Sugarloaf Mills.
Major employers in the region include Publix Distribution & Manufacturing, Primerica and Northside Hospital, which is building a 17-floor expansion slated for completion next year. The project is expected to generate an additional 5,000 jobs. Rowen, a 2,000-acre mixed-use development that could eventually create 100,000 jobs upon completion, is 2.5 miles from Autry at Tulip Grove.
Strong suburban market
Autry at Tulip Grove is located in one of Atlanta’s strongest suburban markets. The population has grown nearly 32 percent over the last 15 years in the three-mile radius of the property. That outpaces both Gwinnett County and the Atlanta MSA, according to Thompson Thrift. The firm notes 97 percent of the total workforce within Gwinnett County is employed and the average household income is $114,000.
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The Atlanta multifamily market recorded steady performance during the first half of the year. Yardi Research Data reported there were gains in the second quarter of 2025, with average advertised asking rents up 0.1 percent on a trailing three-month basis through June, to $1,646. Rents for the Lifestyle segment were up 0.2 percent to $1,761 on a trailing three-month basis to June, the fourth straight month of increases. The Renter-by-Necessity rents were unchanged for the fifth consecutive month at $1,400. The occupancy rates in stabilized properties increased 30 basis points year-over-year through May, to 93.1 percent.
There were more than 7,500 units delivered in the Atlanta market through June and another 25,952 units were under construction.
Active developer
This project marks Thompson Thrift’s third ground-up development in Georgia as the firm continues to expand its national footprint. The company held a ribbon cutting in May for The Pullman, a 276-unit, garden-style community in the Atlanta suburb of Union City. The firm broke ground on the Class A project in November 2023. It was the company’s first multifamily development in Georgia. In July 2024, Thompson Thrift announced it was building The Levi, a luxury 212-unit community in the Atlanta suburb of McDonough. Leasing is now underway at the Henry County property.
Thompson Thrift, a national full-serve real estate development company focused on multifamily, ground-up mixed-use and commercial development, has invested more than $6 billion into local communities. The firm, which has offices in Phoenix, Houston, Denver, Indianapolis and Terra Haute, Ind., broke ground on The Gilmore in April in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert, Ariz. The $225 million, 35-acre mixed-use development includes a 300-unit, luxury apartment community will deliver in early 2027. It will also include a hotel and about 200,000 square feet of grocery, boutique restaurant and retail space.
In March, the developer closed on The Thompson Thrift 2025 Multifamily Development, L.P., a limited partnership offering that raised more than $255 million and will be used to develop a portfolio of Class A communities in states including Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Kansas and Indiana.
