InTucker Magazine

Economic Development

CONtributed by angela brooks
business outreach specialist

On the cusp of its 10-year anniversary of becoming a city, Tucker is experiencing tremendous growth and development within its small but mighty 20-mile radius.

“When I tell people that I work for the City of Tucker, I get such positive responses,” says Economic Development Director Erica Rocker. “They love Tucker. They live here, or they want to live here, they’ve heard only good things about it.” That’s great brand recognition to have out in the ether, she adds.

Rocker took on her new role in May of 2025, but she brings with her decades of experience in economic development, and she likes what she sees in Tucker. “The City has a lot to offer for residential and business growth and investments.”

Tucker is an excellent mix of old and new, she says. Although the City itself only turns 10 next year, “we boast the bones of one of the nation’s oldest mall developments, Northlake, in our backyard. The 50+ year old property has been the subject of a quite a bit of interest lately from developers from all over the country,” according to Rocker.

Rocker divvies up the City into four main character areas: Northlake, Downtown, Lawrenceville Highway and the Mountain Industrial Corridor. “These cores are uniquely categorized by industry mix and type and contribute to forming beneficial industry clusters,” she says.

The Northlake area represents Tucker’s office and medical core. Lawrenceville Highway is a significant corridor through the City, bridging the industrial, suburban, and downtown retail character. While Mountain Industrial boasts a long-standing industrial manufacturing cluster.

The Northlake area includes neighboring Northlake Festival, Northlake Square, and the Tucker Exchange. Northlake itself is part of a growing national trend where obsolete retail is reimagined as mixed-use hubs. The site has seen incremental change since ATR acquired it in 2016 from Simon Property Group, most notably Emory Healthcare’s 2020 lease of 200K SF in former Sears and Kohl’s space.

Lawrenceville Highway is a busy road with a strong commercial property presence and some residential sprinkled in. It serves as a major corridor with easy access to I-285. Rocker says the City’s Access Management and Beautification Plan for Lawrenceville Highway is aimed at improving the corridor. Focus areas include active transportation, safety, speed management, transit, cost and more. “We’re also excited about the Hebron Hills townhomes currently in development on Lawrenceville Hwy.” Currently under construction are 32 new townhomes at its intersection with Hebron Hills Drive. “This will be an excellent addition to this traditionally commercial stretch, adding rooftops to our economy and answering our need for more housing density,” she says.

The City’s Downtown corridor is experiencing a high volume of activity with new businesses moving in and daily inquiries about leasing or sales opportunities for possible redevelopment. “I get calls almost daily from a developer or agent that wants to know more about what Tucker has to offer, and that’s a great problem to have,” says Rocker.

Also downtown, the City broke ground in fall 2024 for its Tucker Town Green project. The 1.88-acre space is just off Main Street, the heart of downtown. The park and green space will serve as the City’s gathering space for events, concerts, movies and family activities. It will feature meandering water, art sculpture, landscape features and a custom pavilion. “There will also be much needed parking spaces added which can also serve downtown shopping and dining guests when the facility is not in use,” says Rocker. The space is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025.

“Browning Village, a 52-unit townhome community by JW Collection is another housing development that we are super excited about,” says Rocker. Located on Lavista Road just off Main St., this upscale development will bring instant value and more availability to a tight residential market. Construction is underway.

The Mountain Industrial corridor is defined by the long stretch of Mountain Industrial Boulevard that winds through the eastern perimeter of the city. It’s home to many of the city’s manufacturers, both large and small. Manufacturing has been a staple in Tucker’s economy. “The industry grew over 50% countywide from 2018-2022,” says Rocker. “This makes it one of our target industries to focus our strategic planning efforts on. We are working with our employers to address the talent pipeline for years to come.”

Additionally, in partnership with the Tucker Summit Community Improvement District (which services the MIB corridor businesses), the City has a planned project to widen MIB to accommodate dual left turn lanes on the north and southbound approaches and the widening of Hugh Howell Road to make room for a right turn lane on the eastbound approach to MIB.

“This is a heavily trafficked passenger car and big rig area. The goal for the project is to allow for better traffic flow and safety improvements at this intersection,” says Rocker. This is important for our residents, visitors, and manufacturing businesses.

“This upcoming year will bring many opportunities for the City to explore, and I’m excited to be part of making things happen.” In addition to seeing a host of projects come to fruition, the City will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its incorporation. “It’s a great time to be in Tucker,” says Rocker.