A group of people stands outside The Lawrence Hotel entrance under a black awning. — The Lawrence Hotel opened Aug. 28 on East Crogan Street, adding 120 guest rooms and two dining options downtown.

This article is part of our ongoing 2026 Development Update series examining how public projects and private investment are reshaping North Atlanta.

A new hotel is open on East Crogan Street, a 63-home neighborhood is planned west of downtown, and Northside Hospital Gwinnett is putting new clinical space into service. Lawrenceville’s next round of construction will also bring raised downtown intersections and water-line work stretching into spring 2027.

Other projects are further out, including a proposed greenway connecting neighborhoods, parks and downtown.

This installment of North Atlanta Star’s 2026 Development Update series looks at what has opened, what is coming and where residents can expect construction.

The Lawrence Opens Downtown

The Lawrence Hotel opened August 28, adding 120 guest rooms at 120 East Crogan Street, near the Lawrenceville Lawn and Arts Center.

The Tapestry Collection by Hilton property also brings two dining options. There’s food with Southern and Mediterranean influences, as well as cocktails, casual food and courtyard seating.

More than 6,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space accommodates weddings, meetings and other gatherings. For visitors attending downtown performances and celebrations, the hotel puts an overnight stay within walking distance of restaurants and venues.

Northside Opens New Hospital Space in Phases

Northside Hospital Gwinnett continues to bring departments into service as part of its tower expansion on Medical Center Boulevard.

A new interventional radiology suite opened in March, with two procedure rooms sharing a movable CT scanner. The department also doubled its availability of procedure, preparation and recovery rooms.

Hiring continued into September, when Northside held an experienced-nurse recruiting event as it added acute-care units.

The hospital employs more than 7,700 people across the campus. That total includes its existing workforce, not just positions added through the expansion.

Sixty-Three Homes Planned on West Crogan

Kittle Homes is developing Grove Park Village, a 63-home neighborhood at 534 West Crogan Street, across from Central Gwinnett High School.

Designed by Stephen Fuller, the two-story houses will have porches and traditional Southern architectural details. Floor plans range from approximately 2,600 to more than 4,000 square feet, with three or four bedrooms.

Some plans offer main-level owner’s suites, terrace-level garages, optional finished basements and elevators. The neighborhood plan includes a dog park and green spaces.

Advertised prices start in the $700,000s. The builder is targeting spring 2027, adding a higher-priced single-family option near downtown.

A two-story house with white brick, shutters and a covered front porch. — Grove Park Village is planned as a 63-home neighborhood west of downtown Lawrenceville.

Transitional Housing Reuses a 1957 Building

An older apartment building is serving residents who need temporary housing.

Lawrenceville and nonprofit Impact46 converted the property into the F.I.R.S.T. Housing Center, which opened in October 2025 with eight private transitional units, including an accessible apartment.

The city owns the building, and Impact46 operates the program through the Lawrenceville Response Center. Residents receive short-term housing, case management, counseling and help connecting with employment and other services.

From January through July 2026, the center housed eight men. Two found housing independently, according to a September program report.

Federal HOME-ARP rehabilitation funding administered through Gwinnett County, along with local resources, supported the conversion.

Raised Intersections Coming Downtown

Lawrenceville plans to raise two downtown intersections to slow traffic and improve pedestrian crossings: Clayton Street at Pike Street and Crogan Street at Perry Street.

The project design lifts the roadway approximately six inches, bringing it closer to sidewalk level while preserving as much surrounding sidewalk and brick paving as possible.

Construction requirements call for weekday overnight work from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Traffic is to remain moving through the intersections, with pedestrians redirected around work areas.

The city’s construction schedule lists a November 2026 completion target for Clayton and Pike. Work at Crogan and Perry is scheduled for February through June 2027.

Water-Line Work Runs Through March

Residents in Forest Hills and Windsor Farms can expect intermittent lane closures as Gwinnett’s Department of Water Resources replaces approximately 1.9 miles of aging water main.

Crews are installing eight-inch ductile iron pipe in four phases, with restoration of disturbed areas included in the work.

The traffic alert covers Hickory Lane, Pine Forest Drive, Maple Wood Drive, Forest Valley Road, Pineview Drive, Summit Ridge Drive, Windsor Court and Windsor Farms Drive.

Lane closures are expected between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on business days. Full road closures are not anticipated. Traffic impacts began August 25, with completion scheduled for March 2027.

Redland Creek Greenway Remains in Design

The proposed Redland Creek Greenway would add approximately 2.6 miles of walking and cycling connections between neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses and downtown.

The planned route runs from the Lawrenceville Highway corridor toward Langley Drive. An initial phase would connect Discovery Park to Langley Drive, with later extensions reaching additional trails and destinations.

Plans include boardwalks, bridges, lighting and accessible paths. Residents had an opportunity to review the proposal at public information meetings in September.

The greenway remains in planning and design.

October Sessions Will Help Set City Priorities

Residents have another opportunity this week to weigh in on Lawrenceville’s next five years of investment.

The city is holding strategic-plan listening sessions at the Lawrenceville Arts Center’s Cabaret, 125 North Clayton Street, on October 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and October 7 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m.

An online survey and Ideas Wall remain open through October 10. Residents, business owners, utility customers and others connected to Lawrenceville can participate.