Construction has begun on a new grocery-anchored shopping center in DeKalb County that is moving ahead with the support of public financing. The project, known as Candler Crossing, is planned as a retail-focused redevelopment and is designed around a new Publix supermarket that will serve as the anchor tenant for the site.
The centerpiece of the development will be a 50,325-square-foot Publix grocery store. In addition to the anchor space, plans call for an 11,200-square-foot retail building configured for multiple tenants, adding complementary neighborhood-serving retail to the site. Together, the two components are part of a ground-up project that is intended to expand shopping options in the immediate trade area.
According to reporting from The Atlanta Business Chronicle, the overall development budget for Candler Crossing is approximately $28.9 million. The shopping center is being constructed at the intersection of Glenwood and Candler roads, a location that positions the project at a well-known local crossroads and on an existing commercial corridor in DeKalb County.
A portion of the project has been structured to support local businesses through dedicated affordable retail space. Roughly 2,000 square feet within the center will be reserved for local retailers, who will pay about 60% of market rent during the first five years of their occupancy. This component is intended to lower occupancy costs for smaller operators while the project stabilizes.
The redevelopment capital stack includes public incentive dollars in the form of a tax allocation district grant. The Decide DeKalb board approved a $3.82 million tax allocation district (TAD) grant to help fund the project. Under the TAD structure, new property tax revenues generated within a designated area are set aside to finance projects and improvements inside those same boundaries, rather than flowing into general tax funds.
Venture South Investments assembled the site prior to the start of construction. The firm acquired the approximately 7-acre assemblage in June 2025 for nearly $5 million. The company has prior experience delivering Publix-anchored shopping centers across the Southeast, and is applying that platform to the Candler Crossing redevelopment in DeKalb County.
Timeline expectations for the anchor tenant are already established. Publix is projected to open and take occupancy at Candler Crossing in October 2027, providing a target date for completion of the grocery component and signaling the anticipated activation of the center around that time.
