DEAR CHRISSY: Are you familiar with the new development that is going in off Old Milton Pkwy - I heard its a new movie theater? ~ Brett, Alpharetta

DEAR BRETT: Actually the site off 1 million square foot site off Old Milton Pkwy and 400 just got approval for a new master planned mixed use development consisting of.....

• Retail space, including movie theater and restaurant, with a maximum of 540,000 square feet plus 240,000 square feet for two anchor stores.
• Commercial space, including "office/hotel/civic," with a maximum of 575,250 square feet, built by Barry Real Estate Cos.
• Residential space, including one complex that allows for six stories and 472 units, and another complex with 230 units and 10 units per acre.

As part of the development, Thomas Enterprises has agreed to build the portion of Westside Parkway that runs along the development, from Old Milton Parkway to Webb Bridge Road. The city puts the road development cost at $8 million to $10 million. City officials have said that Westside Parkway is an important reliever route to traffic congestion on Georgia 400.

The Alpharetta Planning Department made the approval contingent on several stipulations, including:

• Stores should be "high-end" and "comparable to those ... currently located within Phipps Plaza and Lenox Mall."
• The pedestrian path design and architectural design must be approved by the planning department before development begins.
• Several types of businesses and structures are not allowed in the development, including adult bookstores, auto body shops, billboards, fortune tellers, fast food or tattoo parlor.

I have implemented a monthly Client Appreciation Program (CAPs off!). If you have a friend, family member or coworker looking to buy or sell real estate, please refer their name to me and you will be immediately rewarded with a FREE gift bag! You will also be placed in our hat for the GRAND prize drawing! The prize will be rewarded monthly, and you will enjoy gift certificates valued up to $500.00 from participating vendors (i.e., Home Depot, Ann Taylor, Target, Brooks Brothers and more!). Check back daily to see if you're the lucky winner who gets to enjoy a shopping spree on us!!