By Amber Perry via Appen Media

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell city leaders celebrated the grand opening of Southern Post, a 4.28-acre mixed-use development off Alpharetta Highway.

The property features nearly 140 luxury apartments, 95,000 square feet of office space and 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Nearly 100 residents are living on-site in the multifamily portion, Chandler Residences, and around 90 percent of retail space is leased.

The roster features Amorino, Azotea Cantina, BODYROK, Bey Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar, Watch Your Wrist, Sweathouz, Cavina Wellness, Belux Coffee, Silla Del Toro, Grana and Da Vinci’s Donuts.

Roswell Inc Executive Director Steve Stroud introduced a slate of speakers including Shawn Tibbetts, CEO of Southern Post’s owner and developer Armada Hoffler; Kim Scott, CEO and president of Southern Post tenant Vestis Corporation; and Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson.

Tibbetts said the new “vibrant mixed-use community” is a place “where convenience and connection occur.”

“It’s a place where people gather, and it’s a place where memories are made,” Tibbetts said. “This is a true ecosystem.”

One major component of the ecosystem is Vestis, a uniform and workplace supply provider that spun off from Aramark and became a publicly traded company last October.

In March, the business announced it would house its corporate headquarters and Teammate Support Center at Southern Post. It is the development’s largest tenant.

Scott, a Roswell resident, said there had been no doubt that the city would be Vestis’ home.

“Roswell, you’re deciding how our day starts because we’re driving down these roads and we are entering these buildings and we are coming into Southern Post … we are proud to be here,” Scott said. “We are proud to call this place home.”

Mayor Wilson closed out the grand opening, hours before Southern Post was scheduled to host a block party with music, food, cocktails and giveaways.

Wilson said Southern Post transformed a declining economic area into something “vibrant,” alluding to its former use as a plaza built in the 1960s.

“It’s now a dynamic hub and will be for the next 20 years, of activity that blends Roswell’s history with modern design and innovation,” Wilson said. “It’s the perfect example of smart growth and revitalization that the current council and I are committed to bringing to Roswell.”