Toro Development's $560 million Medley project in Johns Creek is opening in phases. Trader Joe's already debuted in June 2026. Phase 1 grand opening is October 29. Phase 2 (Encore) adds 408 more residences in 2027.

Johns Creek's Medley Opens in Phases: Trader Joe's Debuts Ahead of October Grand Opening

Atlanta Home Network · Published June 2026

Medley, the $560 million mixed-use development taking shape at the intersection of Johns Creek Parkway and McGinnis Ferry Road, is opening in phases. Trader Joe's debuted at Medley on June 11, 2026, ahead of the project's official grand opening on October 29. A second phase called Encore broke ground in April 2026 and will add another 408 residences in 2027. A 150-key boutique hotel is scheduled to open in 2028.

Developer Toro Development Company broke ground on Medley in early 2025 on the former State Farm Insurance office campus, about 27 miles north of downtown Atlanta. At full buildout across both phases, the 43-acre project will contain more than 880 residences, 145,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 110,000 square feet of office space, the boutique hotel, and a 25,000-square-foot central plaza.

Trader Joe's opened at Medley on June 11. The Phase 1 grand opening is October 29. Encore breaks ground with 408 more residences to deliver in 2027. The hotel opens in 2028.

Trader Joe's opens ahead of the grand opening

Trader Joe's opened at 1000 Medley Blvd. at 9 a.m. on June 11, 2026, becoming the first Trader Joe's location in Johns Creek. The 9,240-square-foot store is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Toro Development and Trader Joe's hired more than 30 staff for the location, with some transferring from other metro Atlanta Trader Joe's stores in Alpharetta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Norcross, and Marietta.

The Johns Creek location participates in Trader Joe's Neighborhood Shares Program, which donates unsold products to community nonprofits.

What is coming at Phase 1

Phase 1 opens October 29, 2026 with the following components:

340 apartments. The first residential wave of Medley. Additional townhomes are part of the project's total 880+ residential count and will roll out over the buildout timeline.
125,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, and entertainment. Anchored by Trader Joe's (already open) and Sephora.
110,000 square feet of lifestyle office space. Targeted at hybrid work and post-pandemic office demand.
25,000-square-foot central plaza. Toro Development has said the plaza will be programmed with up to 200 public events per year.

As of April 2026, Medley was 78 percent leased on retail and 82 percent leased on office, according to statements from Toro Development.

Encore, the second phase

The Encore phase officially broke ground on April 15, 2026, after Toro Development and its Denver-based capital partner Ascentris closed on a $90 million construction loan earlier that month. Encore adds:

408 multifamily units
20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail

Encore is scheduled to deliver in 2027, giving Medley a completed residential count above 880 units across the two phases plus the townhome component.

The 150-key hotel

A 150-key boutique hotel remains part of Medley's full program. According to Toro Development, the hotel is now scheduled to open in 2028, not concurrent with the Phase 1 grand opening.

Confirmed retail and dining lineup

Medley's confirmed tenants now total 37 signed leases across Phase 1 and Encore. The lineup includes national brands, first-to-Georgia locations, and Atlanta-area concepts.

Grocery, retail, and services: Trader Joe's (open), Sephora, Warby Parker, Kontour Medical Spa, Moop's Boutique, Sugarcoat Beauty, Drybar Shops, High Country Outfitters, Petfolk, Burdlife, Hollow Oak, 13 Hub Lane, The Commodore.

Restaurants and food: Shake Shack, Rena's Italian Fishery & Grill, CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar, Fadó Irish Pub, Lily Sushi Bar, STIR and Tonic House, Northern China Eatery, Fogón and Lions, Minnie Olivia Pizzeria, Playa Bowls, Summit Coffee, Five Daughters Bakery, Cookie Fix, Amorino, Knuckies Hoagies, Tabla, The Nest Cafe, CT Cantina & Taqueria.

Fitness and wellness: BODYROK, BODY20, Pause Studio, Clean Your Dirty Face.

Toro Development has said further tenant announcements will roll out before and after the October opening as remaining space is leased.

The Toro Development track record

Toro Development Company, led by founder Mark Toro, developed two of the metro Atlanta area's most cited mixed-use projects: Avalon in Alpharetta (opened 2014) and Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta. Both projects introduced the walkable, event-programmed lifestyle-center format that Medley is built on.

The company is also active elsewhere in north Atlanta. In April 2026, Toro broke ground on Overlook, a 301-unit apartment community at Cumming City Center, with first residences targeted for 2027.

Ascentris, a Denver-based real estate investment firm, is Toro Development's joint-venture partner on Medley and secured project financing across both phases.

What This Means for Atlanta Real Estate

For metro Atlanta homebuyers, renters, and real estate professionals, Medley's phased opening touches the local market in several ways.

Housing supply. Phase 1 delivers 340 apartments at one address in October. Encore adds 408 more in 2027. Combined with townhomes, the completed Medley campus will house over 880 residential units by full buildout. That represents a large share of north Fulton's annual multifamily and attached-housing delivery pipeline at a single site.

Rents and pricing pressure. New luxury supply typically lands at the top of the local rent range at delivery. Where Medley's asking rents land relative to existing north Fulton and south Forsyth apartment and townhome rents will be a story to watch after Phase 1 opens in October.

Retail draw and home values. Trader Joe's is the first Johns Creek location for the grocer, a demand signal that has historically supported nearby home values in metro Atlanta submarkets. The concentration of full-service restaurants and lifestyle retail in a single walkable footprint is the kind of amenity draw that reshapes surrounding neighborhoods over time.

The Avalon comparison. Alpharetta's Avalon, Toro Development's earlier project, has been credited with reshaping the rental and single-family markets around it since 2014. Whether Medley produces a similar effect on Johns Creek over the next decade is the open question. The pattern is worth watching for metro Atlanta buyers, renters, and sellers in the north Fulton corridor.

Sources

Reporting on Medley's phased opening, tenant confirmations, and financing from Urbanize Atlanta, Appen Media, 11Alive, REBusinessOnline (February 2026 tenant announcement), Johns Creek city government announcements, Toro Development Company, Ascentris, REBusinessOnline (groundbreaking), Multi-Housing News, The Johns Creek Magazine, and Hoar Construction.

Atlanta Home Network publishes housing market reports for metro Atlanta counties and cities. Have a tip or correction? Email editor@atlantahomenetwork.com.