Check Out the New Developments in Columbus, GA

Projects are integrating business and leisure in this West Georgia city.

By Brianna Williams on January 20, 2024

Jeff Adkins

When Christopher Woodruff started his development firm The Cotton Companies five years ago, his main goal was to create better communities, one building at a time.

“If you think about most of suburbia and those developments, it’s not geared around bringing people together – it’s geared around bringing people to commerce, and that’s fine, but humanity has grown because of community,” Woodruff says. “And where community is built, communities can thrive.”

Now, The Cotton Companies is working on two new developments in Columbus, GA, that are centered around that very idea: Highside Market and Midcity Yards.

Highside Market is an adaptive reuse project that sits at the epicenter of Columbus and features two historic buildings, one new building and outdoor green spaces. The development brings together shops, restaurants, offices and event spaces.

Midcity Yards, named after its strategic location between the downtown and midtown sections of Columbus – an area that for a while, was practically “no man’s land,” says Woodruff – has a goal of being an active destination point between the two. Visitors can bring furry friends to Fetch Park, enjoy food from Moe’s Original BBQ or grab a beverage from Scofflaw Brewing Co. while gathering with people in a casual atmosphere. 

Intentional Living Spaces

Other developments, such as W.C. Bradley Co.’s The Rapids at Riverfront Place, seek to be a community hub by providing a space for people to work and live in a shared space.

Positioned on the Chattahoochee River, the community development will boast various eateries, retail space, and close proximity to local parks and river life once completed in early-to-mid 2024. 

“While we are in the business of real estate, it’s really about creating environments that are aesthetically appealing and inviting for those who use them,” says Kaitlin Moore, the developer’s marketing coordinator. 

CoStar

Perfect for Remote Workers

Farther northeast from the downtown area, the 88-acre repurposed Midland Commons development in Columbus is working to create a “mini-community” in a more underserved area.

While the entirety of the development still has a few years until completion, Midland Commons is already home to several retail shops and restaurants including a Publix grocery store, Culver’s and Jersey Mike’s, among others.

The Lofts at Midland Commons, which features one- and two-bedroom apartments, is also located nearby. “If you were able to work remotely, you might not ever have to leave the development,” says developer Chris Wightman. 

Though all of these developments may have similar outcomes of bringing people together, Woodruff says that their differences are part of what makes Greater Columbus so exciting.

“No two developments in Columbus are the same,” he says. “Without one, you can’t appreciate the differences of the others.”