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The Certified Professional Home Builder (CPHB) program is celebrating its 10 year anniversary in Atlanta April 24, 2008.

During the celebration, Certified Professional Home Builders who have been with the program for 10 years and five years or more will be recognized for their hard work and dedication to the program.

      “On behave of The Housing Institute, Inc., I would like to thank all of our CPHBs who have been with the program for 10 years and five years or more,” said Kim Jones, Director, The Housing Institute, Inc. “We look forward to another 10 years of professionalism and customer satisfaction in the building industry.”

      From both categories, a total of 161 builders are being recognized at the celebration. The CPHBs who have been with the program for 10 years include: Brock Built, LLC. 

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Ansley Brooks is a Brock Built New Home Consultant at Dupont Commons.  She was choosen as Rookie of the Year for the March 2008 issue of RE Magazine.  From lingerie to licensee, corsets to the closing table, this fireball agent's passion has propelled her to real estate stardom in her very first year.  Check out the full article in RE Magazine and see how amazing Ansley Brooks is. 

Atlanta Peach Magazine published an article in the Winter 2007/08 magazine describing the western front.  With an influx of creative businesses and daring new residents make the Westside one of Atlanta's hottest and coolest frontiers.  The area is along Howell Mill Road, between downtown and I-75.  Check out the article to learn more about the hip area.  Brock Built, a earth craft home builder is currently building Huff Heights in this West Midtown area.  Huff Heights is luxury townhomes with roof top terraces and city views.  This in-town urban community is something that everyone will want to see. Huff Heights has incredible views and minutes from Atlanta Station, Georgia Tech and downtown Atlanta.

A Brock Built builder, Craig Pittman,  helps build a Habitat Humanity house on  February 16th.  Always ready and willing to help out for a good cause!   

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Brock Built Takes Home Four OBIE Awards

ATLANTA – Brock Built City Neighborhoods was awarded Saturday with four OBIE awards for outstanding building design and marketing efforts during the last year. Brock Built received Gold awards in Best Building Design Attached – All Builders, $275,000 - $374,999 for The Commons and Best Developer Web Site. Brock Built received Silver awards in Best TV Ad Spot, 60 Seconds or Less and Best Interactive Media. These recognitions, presented by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, are the highest that can be bestowed upon new home building industry members.
“We are very proud of this recognition,” said Steve Brock, Founder and CEO. “To receive recognition as among the best in Atlanta’s home building industry is quite an honor. These awards are representative of the diligence and commitment of the entire Brock Built team, all of whom I am very proud.”    
The Sales and Marketing Council of the HBA presents its annual OBIE Awards every November. The OBIE Awards began in 1980 and have grown throughout the years to now feature more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories in which to enter. These awards are the highest honor given in the Atlanta housing industry, and winners gain industry recognition and attract promotional opportunities.
The award-winning Commons provide the perfect opportunity to live downtown. The masterfully designed town homes with a brownstone feel are located just two minutes from the Georgia Dome, the heart of Downtown Atlanta and within walking distance to the Atlanta University Center. The three-story town homes are priced from the mid $200,000s. 
Brock Built has been making an impact on the Atlanta residential real estate community for more than two decades. Steve Brock, founder, established Brock Built with a mission to build superior homes at an exceptional value for his customers, while improving on the surrounding community at large. With a focus on the Westside of Atlanta, Brock Built’s goal is not to change existing communities but to recreate them into long term livable environments, where current residents and new homeowners can feel at home. By building new homes and bringing new

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neighbors in to underdeveloped parts of the city, economic development is promoted and these neighborhoods become vital parts of the city. Brock Built neighborhoods offer the convenience and amenities of city living with the charm of a bygone era within the peaceful surrounds of the suburbs where generation after generation can call home. For more information on Brock Built’s communities, visit www.brockbuilt.com or call 404-351-7555. 

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Photo Caption (Left to Right): Brock Built team members, Dupont Commons New Home Sales Agent Valorie Angel, Sales Coordinator Sylvia De La Cruz, Dupont Commons New Home Sales Agent Ansley Brooks and Founder and CEO Steve Brock, celebrate at the OBIE Awards Ceremony.

Brock Built City Neighborhoods Participates in Piedmont Park’s Playground Renovation

-New playground will enable children of all ages and abilities to interact, learn and play together

ATLANTA – Brock Built City Neighborhoods is proud to announce its partnership with Piedmont Park Conservancy, WSB-TV, the City of Atlanta, neighborhood groups and the community, in replacing the outdated Saturn playground with a new Boundless™ play area for children and parents of all capabilities.  

WSB-TV will film the entire process for a one-hour, prime time “Extreme Park Makeover” segment that will air during the week of Sept. 2.  Brock Built is supplying free labor for both playground and restroom construction, which will begin July XX.  Construction will be complete by Saturday, Sept. 1, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the new Mayor’s Grove Boundless™ Playground.

“Brock Built is committed to giving back to and improving our community,” said Steve Brock, Founder and CEO of Brock Built. “We are very proud that WSB-TV asked us to participate in this renovation and are eager to begin construction. We are all very excited about this effort.”  

The existing Saturn Playground has approached the end of its lifecycle and will soon need to be upgraded.  Additionally, the current play structure is not accessible to many children who face physical and developmental challenges.

Boundless™ Playgrounds benefit children of all ages, with and without disabilities by providing opportunities for all children to play together side by side. They enable all children, including those with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities, to experience independent, self-directed play, each at his or her highest level of ability.

Brock Built will also be constructing new public restrooms to service this area. In addition to providing easier access for strollers and restrooms, the restrooms will be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. 

The community is encouraged to become involved by spreading the word, volunteering and/or donating to the project.  Visit www.piedmontpark.org or call 404-875-PARK (7275) for more information.

Brock Built has been making an impact on the Atlanta residential real estate community for more than two decades. Steve Brock, founder, established Brock Built with a mission to build superior homes at an exceptional value for his customers, while improving on the surrounding community at large. With a focus on the Westside of Atlanta, Brock Built’s goal is not to change existing communities but to recreate them into more livable environments, where current residents and new homeowners can feel at home. By building new homes and bringing new neighbors in to underdeveloped parts of the city, economic development is promoted and these neighborhoods become vital parts of the city. Brock Built neighborhoods offer the convenience and amenities of city living with the charm of a bygone era within the peaceful surrounds of the suburbs where generation after generation can call home. For more information on Brock Built’s communities, visit www.brockbuilt.com or call 404-351-7555.
 

Brock Built City Neighborhoods honored by The Sunday Paper

-Readers’ Choice Awards name Brock best local developer and best new subdivision

ATLANTA – Readers of The Sunday Paper, a weekly newspaper distributed throughout metro Atlanta, recently honored Brock Built City Neighborhoods in the paper’s annual “Sunday Best Readers’ Choice Awards.” The new home builder is in the winner in two categories: best local developer and best new subdivision – Dupont Commons. Throughout the entire month of April readers were encouraged to vote in more than 200 categories using both online ballots and ballots that ran in the print version of the paper.

“I am honored that the company has received these awards. This, in effect, recognizes the successful efforts of Brock Built’s mission, which is to build a quality product at a tremendous value. We are very appreciative to have received these awards, as they are based on the vote of the Atlanta community,” said Steve Brock, CEO and Founder of Brock Built.

According to The Sunday Paper publisher, Patrick Best, Dupont Commons won best new subdivision by an overwhelming majority. Located just five minutes from Buckhead, Downtown and Midtown, Dupont Commons offers a mix of single-family and town homes priced from the mid $400,000s.  From the welcoming front porches to the spacious back decks, each home is built with care and incorporates quality craftsmanship with fine details. The three and four bedroom homes feature spacious and open floorplans with gourmet kitchens featuring stainless steel appliances and granite countertops; intricate detailing, such as crown molding in the dining rooms and master bedrooms; and luxurious master retreats with jetted garden tubs, separate showers and walk-in closets.

Homeowners enjoy all the privileges of the Dupont Club, a spacious clubhouse with kitchen, fitness center and grand room with double sided fireplace. In addition, summer time brings even more excitement at the club with a swimming pool and zero entry kiddie pool. Residents can also take advantage of all of the greenspace in the community’s nature trails, four-acre park or winding sidewalks. Unique to Dupont Commons, a neighborhood irrigation system provides homeowners with complimentary well water for lawn maintenance – eliminating seasonal watering restrictions.

Brock Built placed in the City Living category grouping.  In addition to City Living, readers also voted for their “bests” in Atlanta Sports, Arts and Entertainment, Food and Drink, Style and Shopping and Health and Body.
 

STEVE BROCK TO SPEAK AT UPCOMING NORTHWEST COMMUNITY ALLIANCE MEETING

ATLANTA – Steve Brock, founder and CEO of Brock Built City Neighborhoods, will share his experiences building in-town, valuable and comfortable homes to the members of the Northwest Community Alliance at the next meeting Wednesday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at the Rising Roll Gourmet Restaurant on Northside Drive in Atlanta.

Brock, who also teaches two residential construction courses at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been making a positive impact in the Atlanta area since 1984, and as of April 1, 2007 each new Brock Built home will be constructed to EarthCraft standards.  Brock Built has committed to build all of their new homes EarthCraft so homeowners can trust their home will outperform most others in terms of environmental friendliness and healthy construction.          

Brock’s presentation will focus on current Brock Built projects, with a question and answer session to follow.

In addition to their efforts to “go green” in home construction, Brock Built also takes careful consideration of the surrounding area to protect the environment as much as possible when building new communities.  Homeowners of a Brock Built home enjoy the various features of their community which include wide sidewalks, large front porches, community green spaces, close proximity to mass transit and parks.  The company has also invested much time and effort in revitalizing the great neighborhoods of yesterday and re-creating those memorable communities.

“Brock Built (space the words) is one of the most prolific builders in Georgia,” said Mike Koblentz, chair of the Northwest Community Alliance. “The NCA has spent a great deal of our meetings focusing on politicians, neighborhoods, commercial, retail and mixed use developers. With Brock Built will be able to focus on a major residential player that has had an enormous impact on Northwest Atlanta.”

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“Steve is currently involved in some developments that will help shape the future of Northwest Atlanta.  Projects such as West Highlands, West Town and The Commons will have a major influence on future growth in the area.  In fact, one of Steve's most recent projects passed the city of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit - D by an overwhelming vote.  It is important to see that neighborhoods and developers can learn to work together when they have certain interests in common.”

Known for building communities that are revitalizing Atlanta’s Westside of town, Brock Built City Neighborhoods recently announced plans to develop the largest residential community to be built in the heart of Atlanta in the past 10 years. Encompassing 43 acres, about a mile west of Atlantic Station, the community, known as West Town, will have 1,450 homes when complete, with 42 single-family homes and hundreds of town homes and condominiums priced from the $150,000s to the $600,000s. Approximately 150,000 square feet of retail/commercial space will also be incorporated in to the community. Development of the community has already started with the current construction of 34 town homes off of Division Street and Huff Heights at West Town, another townhome development with rooftop terraces and city views.

The Northwest Community Alliance holds bimonthly meetings to educate residents, local elected officials and industry leaders on local, current development news and trends and the Alliance’s pursuit of smart growth.

The meeting, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m.  For additional information, call 404-641-6005.

BROCK BUILT SPONSORS WOMEN DOING BUSINESS CONFERENCE

ATLANTA –Brock Built City Neighborhoods recently sponsored the fourth annual Women Doing Business Conference, which was presented by the Atlanta Commission On Women to honor women in business and present valuable business workshops.

“Brock Built decided to sponsor the Women Doing Business Conference because it was a unique opportunity for us to show our support for women in business and for the mission of the Atlanta Commission on Women, which is to make a difference in all aspects of the lives of women,” said Steve Brock, founder and CEO of Brock Built. “This was also a unique opportunity for us to promote Brock Built to the individuals that attended the conference.” 

At the CFO, or $5,000, level, Brock Built received exhibit space, luncheon acknowledgement and tickets to the conference, awards luncheon and VIP reception.

The conference was held at the Loudermilk Center on May 3 in Atlanta and was attended by more than 220 women and a few men.  The conference brought together Atlanta's top business women, decision makers and major companies doing business with the city to learn about the changes in the City of Atlanta Equal Business Opportunity Ordinance and to participate in informative workshops and networking opportunities.

The Atlanta Commission on Women was created in 2000 by the Atlanta City Council with the approval of the Mayor. The Commission supports and advocates for women's issues through research; collection and dissemination of information; review and analysis of city laws; promotion, encouragement and advisory assistance to other women's organizations, women in business and women in the community and studies and holds public hearings to promote access and bring awareness about issues to provide leadership that impacts legislation to protect and support women.

BROCK BUILT CITY NEIGHBORHOODS - BUILDER OF EARTHCRAFT HOMES

ATLANTA – Brock Built City Neighborhoods is pleased to announce that as of April 1, 2007 each new home they build will be EarthCraft – making it the second largest builder of EarthCraft Homes in metro Atlanta. A blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes built to “green” standards, EarthCraft certified homes reduce utility bills and protect the environment. The program is a partnership between the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Southface, and government and industry partners. Moving forward, all Brock Built homes and communities will be built to meet or exceed the standards set forth by the EarthCraft House program.

“Brock Built has always considered the environment when planning our communities,” said Steve Brock, owner and CEO of Brock Built, LLC.  “Large green spaces, walking paths, and close proximity to mass transit are just a few of the EarthCraft standards we’ve incorporated into our community plans for years. As environmentally friendly products become more popular and highly desired, we viewed the EarthCraft certification as a way to incorporate even more “green” building practices into our homes while at the same time ensuring our homeowners they are buying a home that is built to last a lifetime.”

As an EarthCraft builder, Brock Built will build each and every one of their homes with advanced building systems, certified mechanical components and other energy-saving, resource-efficient products throughout the entire construction process.  Utilizing environmentally friendly construction techniques not only will add value to their homes, but it will also aid in the quality of life for buyers because of the healthier construction, and will minimize negative impacts on the environment.  Once the home is complete, homeowners will benefit from the construction by having lower utility bills, and peace of mind that their energy-efficient home is helping to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases.  Home owners of EarthCraft homes have also said that they are more comfortable and can breathe easier because the air quality is so much better.

“As home owners recognize the need to protect the environment and seek homes that can assist with this mission, shoppers view components that improve indoor air quality and energy efficiency as things that will add value to their homes,” continued Brock. “And, environmentally friendly homes are very important in such a rapidly growing metropolitan area as Atlanta. Brock Built merely felt it was our duty to do our part to make each of our homes as efficient and environmentally safe and healthy as possible.”

For a home to be certified as EarthCraft, there are multiple inspections that must be passed during the construction process.  As a result, Brock Built homes will have a healthier indoor environment, lower utility bills, more durability, less maintenance and greater comfort.

Westown a west side whopper
Atlanta Business Chronicle - April 6, 2007
by Lisa R. Schoolcraft
Staff Writer

The largest residential community to be built in the heart of Atlanta in the past 10 years is planned not far from Atlantic Station in Midtown.

To be known as Westown, it would have 1,450 homes, the majority mid-rise condominiums, but also 42 single-family homes and hundreds of townhouses.

The community will be developed by Brock Built City Neighborhoods LLC in the 43-acre area roughly bounded by Fairmont Avenue, Booth Avenue, English Street, Boyd Avenue, Culpepper Street, Huff Road and Ellsworth Drive, about a mile west of Atlantic Station.

It will also include 150,000 square feet of retail/commercial space along Huff Road's intersections with English Street, Boyd Avenue and Booth Avenue. The project's total price tag is about $400 million.

Westown is along the proposed Beltline, near the proposed Culpepper transit line. The Beltline is a 22-mile loop of former rail line that encircles downtown.

Westown would be the largest residential development in the city of Atlanta within the past 10 years, said Eugene James, director of Metrostudy Inc.'s Atlanta division, which tracks residential subdivisions. The next largest development ongoing is Princeton Lakes, a 785-home project being built by Pulte Homes Inc. in the Camp Creek area, he said.

Westown may be eclipsed in size inside the city limits by Miami-based The Related Group's proposed CityPlace at Buckhead, which calls for nearly 3,900 condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, James said.

But Westown shows residential developers believe growing numbers of Atlanta home buyers are interested in close-in living.

Prices in Westown will start around $195,000 for the condos, with townhouses in the high $300,000s and single-family homes in the mid-$600,000s, said CEO Steve Brock.

Brock has built in Atlanta for 22 years and moved into the area west of Midtown, which has been called Westside, Midtown West and Northwest Atlanta, 10 years ago with a project called Adams Crossing.

Brock began assembling property for Westown in 1998 and says it will take seven years to build out.

Targeted buyers are singles or couples just starting families.

"We expect families, but it's not the suburbs where families move for the schools," Brock said.

Westown's nearby elementary schools include Bolton Academy, Boyd Elementary, Towns Elementary and William J. Scott Elementary.

And although it may be more expensive to pay city of Atlanta taxes, a home buyer in Westown is just two miles from Midtown and about 3.5 miles from either Buckhead or downtown, he said, without ever having to get on the highway.

"If you live in the suburbs, you are probably commuting an hour each way," Brock said, which can easily exceed 500 hours a year. "What's 500 hours a year worth to you?"

The logic hasn't been lost on other residential developers. The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) reviewed development plans in 2005 that called for 6,556 more residential units in the city of Atlanta, according to Matt Hennie, the ARC's communications coordinator.

That number jumped to 15,150 in 2006.

At the end of the first quarter, the ARC has already reviewed, or is reviewing, development plans that would add 7,517 residential units.

Developer Marc Pollack, who has his own project in the same area as Westown, says he is amazed at all of the activity going on. "I drive around over there and I shake my head."

Pollack, chairman and CEO of Pollack Partners LLC, is in a $120 million joint venture mixed-use development called 1011 Collier Road, which includes 643 apartment and condo units and 55,050 square feet of commercial/retail at Collier Road and Seaboard Place.

What Pollack likes about the Westside area is "it is close in," he said. "Almost as close to Midtown as you can get with affordable housing or rentals that are made out of wood and are not high-rise concrete."

The west side area is much more affordable than downtown, Midtown or Buckhead, said Gail Raper, CEO of Morris & Raper Realtors.

A high-rise condo downtown will cost $400 per square foot, but on the west side where Brock and Pollack and others are building, a home buyer can pay $200 per square foot for a townhouse or stacked-flat condo "and some of them have views," Raper said. "I think over the next 10 years that will be a hotbed for development. You've got all that industrial space with big parking lots."

Development on Westown is expected to start in two weeks, Brock said, with 34 townhouses on a 2-acre site on Division Street. It will also have 10 acres of green space, trails, a clubhouse and a pool.

In about six weeks, Brock will begin Huff Heights at Westown at Huff and Ellsworth that will have 28 townhouses, with an average price of $450,000, he said. The $13 million Huff Heights at Westown should be complete by the end of 2008.

Developers are "all pretty bullish about that area," Pollack said.

Brock and others are adding to the area, with projects that include:

• Ten Side: A $67 million mixed-use project that proposes 291 apartments and 30,000 square feet of retail space at Tenth Street and Northside Drive, being developed by Tivoli Properties Inc.
• Alexan Cityscapes, A $100 million project that proposes 600 apartments at Jackson and Irwin streets, being developed by Trammell Crow Residential.
• Ellsworth Perennial: A $39.8 million mixed-use project that includes 340 residential units and 14,000 square feet of commercial space at Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard and Huff Road, being developed by Perennial Properties Inc.
• Gables Huff Road: A project being proposed by Gables Residential Trust to build 300 apartment units and 30,000 square feet of retail space at Foster Street and Huff Road.
• West Highlands, 700 apartments and 177 condos/townhouses being developed by Brock Built City Neighborhoods.
• Hollywood Road, 72 apartments and 18,000 square feet of retail space being developed by Alliance Real Estate Ventures LLC.
• Bolton Village, 29,000 square feet of retail and office space being developed by Orinda Corp.
• Moores Mill Crossing, the proposed redevelopment of a shopping center into 345 condos and 110,000 square feet of retail space at Moores Mill and Bolton roads by Edens & Avant of Columbia, S.C.
• Bolton Crossing, 30,000 square feet of retail and office space being developed by Brock Built City Neighborhoods.
• Perry Village, 367 apartments and 38,500 square feet of retail space proposed by Wood Partners LLC at Hollywood Road and Perry Boulevard.

"The next thing that will be fun to watch," Pollack said, "is who can assemble enough land to build a grocery store."

Reach Schoolcraft at lschoolcraft@bizjournals.com

 

BROCK BUILT JOINS WSB TV IN GOING GREEN CAMPAIGN

ATLANTA – With a mission to build superior homes while at the same time improving on the surrounding community at large, Brock Built City Neighborhoods has joined WSB TV’s Going Green Campaign as a sponsor. Known for their craftsman-style home communities throughout the City of Atlanta, Brock Built has been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Atlanta’s neighborhoods, including the historic Westside and the Marietta Boulevard Corridor.

“As Atlanta continues to grow, new home builders must take responsibility for the rapid rate of progression in and around the city,” said Steve Brock, owner and CEO of Brock Built, LLC.  “Brock Built’s mission has always been to improve the surrounding communities where we are building – and using “green” methods of building supports this goal. Going green consists of the materials and products used in construction to the way the land is developed. At Brock Built, we support this method of building as well as WSB TV’s outreach to the residents of Atlanta, and we are proud to now be a sponsor of the program.”

WSB TV created Going Green Georgia with the support of local sponsors and not for profit organizations, which have committed to improving the environment in Georgia.

The Web site, www.wsbtv.com/goinggreengeorgia, was launched in order to provide a one-stop information databank of anything related to Green in Georgia. On the site, visitors will find a comprehensive list of links divided into categories to give them the quickest method to search for and find the information needed about environmental issues, topics and information.

Westside Village built near Atlanta University Center
Published on: 03/12/07 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution www.ajc.com

WHAT IS IT?

Historic Westside Village, now under construction, is a mixed-use development just west of downtown Atlanta featuring townhomes, condominiums, restaurants and retail. The project, a joint venture of Brock Built, the Trammell Crow Co. and H.J. Russell, is a short walk from the Atlanta University Center, MARTA's Ashby rail station and a Publix grocery store. The 60 townhomes are being built in a brownstone style, each with two bedrooms and a third room downstairs that can be used as an office or bedroom. Units start in the mid-$200,000s and will have 9-foot ceilings, hardwood floors on the main floor, two-car garages and large back porches. The larger condo building includes one- and two-bedroom units, with French doors, balconies, a pool and fitness center.

Work on Historic Westside Village is scheduled to last for two years.

WHAT IMPACT WILL IT HAVE?

The project could help jump-start a hard-pressed part of town that has struggled to turn around. The developers are seeking to attract urban professionals who work at the nearby colleges or downtown. The project also could help MARTA, which is seeking to attract more development around its rail stations.

WHEN WILL IT BE DONE?

Several townhomes are complete, but it will be two years before the entire project is built out.

— Paul Donsky

Unique Princeton Village is new College Park neighborhood
By Daniel Silliman
dsilliman@news-daily.com

There’s a new neighborhood in College Park.

Tucked between the downtown historic district and the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, on streets shaded by old oak trees, a set of pastel-colored houses went up recently. Soon, 65 single-family houses and 35 townhouses will form the new community declared by a nearby sign: Princeton Village.

“We build neighborhoods reminiscent of 1920s architecture,” said Lee Hauser, spokesman for Brock Built City Neighborhoods, the company building the houses off of Princeton Avenue in College Park. “With the historic College Park approach, we fit into the mold of what they’re looking for.”

The city is looking for is a special blend of housing stock, according to William Johnson, College Park city manager. With approximately 100 new building permits approved every year, the city looks for developments that reflect the diversity of the area and combines the old and the new.

“The overall plan is to maintain the historic look, but also blend that with the newer styles,” Johnson said.

Last Saturday, a band assembled their instruments in the quiet graveyard across the street and a team of masons with trowels scurried around the front of a half-built Princeton Village house. The masons moved stacks of bricks onto a frame of a stairway leading up to a wide, white porch.

The porch is a key to the community, Hauser said.

“The porch is the main thing,” he said. “For me personally, I think what’s so appealing is that it brings back the true feeling of a neighborhood community. It’s a place where kids play on bikes, neighbors gossip at the mailbox and a barbecue makes Saturday seem to last forever... It’s the way we design the houses. When you walk out of the houses, you’re on the sidewalk. Your neighbors are actually next door,” said Hauser.

In addition to the porches, Brock Built designs neighborhoods in an historic and nostalgic style by putting the garages in the back of the house, off of an alley. That design makes the house the centerpiece of each lot instead of the driveway, Hauser said.

The idea of creating the neighborhood feeling in an urban environment has been gaining popularity, the company believes, as congestion increasingly frustrates the residents of more suburban developments.

“I think there’s starting to be a trend there, just because, in Atlanta, the commute is starting to be a bear for a lot of people,” Hauser said.

That makes the neighborhood — and College Park — an attractive location, Johnson said, with easy access Interstate 85 and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority line.

The houses are starting at about $260,000. The townhouses start at $230,000.