The Dale transforms downtown Avondale Estates with new restaurants, shops and gathering spaces

A new downtown is taking shape in Avondale Estates, bringing restaurants, retail, green space and new development to the heart of the city.

For the business owners opening their doors, the changes represent more than new storefronts. They say the development is creating places for residents to gather, connect and spend time in their own community.

The Dale, a new retail and restaurant development alongside the city's Town Green, is at the center of that transformation.

Brittany Smith, owner of The Book Bird, said her bookstore, coffee shop and wine bar is designed to serve as a gathering place throughout the day.

"We hope that this feels like a gathering space for people and that they're comfortable," Smith said. "They can come in, they can read, they can play with their children. They can meet up with friends."

Smith said she was excited to establish the business early in the development of the new downtown.

"It's really neat to kind of have a footprint early on in a development, especially a growing city," she said.

Meridith Ford, owner of Cremalosa, said the development has already brought more foot traffic to her business, which moved to The Dale in November 2025 after previously operating elsewhere in Avondale.

"The Sunday market that is here, is a huge boon to people all around the area," Ford said. "The farmers market that's on the pavilion every Sunday, it's huge. And we get so much foot traffic from that, just being seen on the street."

City leaders say attracting businesses and creating gathering spaces was intentional.

Dave Deiters, chair of the Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority, said The Dale is helping activate the Town Green and create a destination for residents and visitors.

"The Dale in particular, is a cornerstone to activating our town green," Deiters said. "It's just this beautiful space where we can have events where we can gather and children can play."

Deiters said the development is also having an effect beyond the businesses that have already opened.

"The development is actually catalytic in that it's not only a tremendous development in and of itself, but it attracts other businesses," he said. "We've seen a tremendous uptick in new businesses wanting to invest in our city."

Mayor Jonathan Elmore said the development is part of a larger effort to connect Avondale Estates' residential community with a thriving commercial center.

"Our residents wanted stuff," Elmore said. "They wanted to see buildings occupied. They wanted to see vacant lots built out, you know, they wanted coffee shops and bookstores and all the things."

The development also carries a personal meaning for Ford, who grew up in nearby Clarkston and remembers looking at Avondale Estates as a child.

"I used to think as a little girl, one day I hope I get to live here," Ford said. "Because it's a beautiful place."

Now, Ford is one of the business owners helping shape the city's next chapter.

Smith said the success of the development ultimately depends on creating a place where people genuinely want to spend time.

"If it's done right and it's done beautiful, and it's a place where people want to come and spend their time, I think all those facets of it are really important," Smith said. "If you build it, they will come."

For Avondale Estates, the goal of the revitalization goes beyond filling vacant lots and adding new businesses. City leaders say it is about creating a community where people can live, gather and build their lives for generations to come.