Dunwoody shopping center holding grand opening this weekend

Branch Properties will have a grand opening June 4.

Credit: Branch Properties

Credit: Branch Properties

Branch Properties will have a grand opening June 4.

A new shopping center anchored by a Publix will hold a grand opened Saturday in Dunwoody.

Named “Perimeter Marketplace,” the $38 million development includes the 25,000-square-foot grocery store in addition to several shops and restaurants, according to a news release. The project at 600 Ashwood Parkway was developed by Branch Properties, an Atlanta-based real estate firm, and it’s been in the works for at least three years.

The 68,000-square-foot shopping center replaced several vacant restaurants located on a 10-acre plot that’s less than a mile north of Perimeter Mall. The development also involved crews paving over a stormwater detention pond between Ashwood Parkway and Meadow Lane Road.

As part of the project’s financing, the city approved a $2.3 million tax abatement in early 2020. Michael Starling, the city’s economic development director, previously said it’s rare for Dunwoody to approve a tax break for a retail shopping center, but he said the project might not have happened if it weren’t for the financial incentive.

The grand opening event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, and Branch Properties said it’ll feature food, live music, activities for families and giveaways. The participating businesses include Chopt, Panda Express, Super Chix, Batteries and Bulbs and Restore Hyper Wellness, which all opened locations in the shopping center.