Corso Atlanta is Expanding to Druid Hills

Corso Atlanta, which has become a nationally recognized leader in the development of ultra luxury senior living communities, is expanding. This fall, it’s expected to break ground on a 500-unit community in the Druid Hills neighborhood. The development is to be spread over a 32-acre site owned by Emory University.

The new Corso project is expected to feature the same generous use of exterior and interior space and high level of individual service of its initial Atlanta project on Howell Mill Road. Like that facility, the new project will be built around a continuing care model that allows residents to transition from independent living to assisted care and, if necessary, memory care service without moving from the property.

According to Tim Gary, CEO of Galerie Living, which has developed the Corso properties, a common philosophy guides both of them.

“Whether you’re 8 or 80, happiness matters,” Gary said. “We define happiness as a feeling of belonging, purpose, comfort, independence, and security. It’s in the moments shared around the family dinner table or running into an old friend while getting coffee. Adding chandeliers and Olympic-sized pools will change someone’s surroundings. But finding ways to add connection and joy into an everyday moment – that changes someone’s life.”

The new project is close to several Emory Healthcare properties, including the 853-bed Emory University hospital on Clifton Road and the complex of adult healthcare facilities that have been built near North Druid Hills Road.

Included in the new Corso facility will be the rebuilding of the old Candler Mansion, which was completed in 1922. It’s located near the corner of Briarcliff Road and University Drive, just south of North Decatur Road. The land was a working farm prior to being purchased in 1912 by Asa Griggs “Buddy” Candler, Jr., heir of The Coca-Cola Company.

Over the years, Candler and his wife, Helen, added onto the property, which ultimately included 40 rooms, several greenhouses, two solariums, a ballroom, and even a zoo. The animals were later donated to form an early collection of Zoo Atlanta in Grant Park. The mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Properties.  In recent years, the building has been featured in the Netflix TV series, “Stranger Things,” which explores the supernatural.

The Corso project, which is being built on a long-term lease of the property, is expected to be completed in the next several years, but the company has a new website dedicated to the marketing of the project and has opened a waitlist.

The Druid Hills project is just one of several senior living options that are being developed on the Briarcliff location under the Corso brand. There will be several independent cottages and bungalows, some with private garages, They will feature full kitchens, 10-foot ceilings, and eight-foot doorways, with weekly housekeeping and service options.

Also to be offered are what are called City Homes with a private front door and a private patio overlooking the courtyard of the central building. In the main buildings, luxury independent living homes with European-inspired decor will be offered. These units are among those said to offer a transition to assisted living without a need to move.

Earlier this year, Corso announced a stepped-up plan to replicate the Corso model elsewhere in the country. Currently, there are a total of five new projects either under construction or on the drawing boards, in communities such as Chevy Chase, Md., Tysons Corner, Va., and Philadelphia.

In Atlanta, the Corso project on Howell Mill is adding 100 new residences in an 11-story tower on the south side of the property. New wellness venues, restaurants, and retail amenities are expected to accompany the expansion.

Galerie Living and Capitol Seniors Housing in May agreed to buy Heartis Fayetteville, an independent living, assisted living, and memory care community in Fayetteville, Ga. Galerie will run the 167-unit community as Village Park Fayetteville. It joins four other Village Park properties in the metropolitan Atlanta area that the company owns.

The new growth is likely to put increased emphasis on the quality of senior living and service to residents across the three levels of senior care that are offered. It’s something senior managers, like Joshua Peterson, president of Galerie, is well aware of.

“When you invest in associates and associate development, you’re building more than just talent. You’re building culture.” Said Peterson. “Through that shared culture, every team member, from corporate leadership to our front-line associates, shares an understanding of what great, anticipatory service looks like, and they have the confidence to deliver with authenticity.”