Alpharetta staff highlights 2025 economic development wins: corporate relocations and downtown building sale

Charlie, the city’s economic development presenter to the Development Authority of Alpharetta, walked board members through a 2025 year-in-review report highlighting business investment, real estate progress and placemaking efforts.

Charlie said Highense relocated its U.S. headquarters to Alpharetta and leased about 55,000 square feet in the Windward District, bringing just over 200 employees previously split between Suwanee and Johns Creek. He said the company’s decision was influenced by Alpharetta’s accessibility for employees. The city also announced that Coner, a construction materials company based in Norcross, plans to relocate about 100 employees to the Continuum project; the company is expected to occupy roughly 30,000 square feet with occupancy anticipated in May.

Charlie noted the Continuum project’s Phase 1 office renovations are complete and cited Continuum’s 20,000-square-foot lease as a step toward filling the building. He reported that the DataScan building in City Center was sold to Howard Capital Management in late 2025 for $16.2 million and that DataScan intends to relocate to Continuum. Charlie said the authority has tracked eight companies that either relocated or expanded in the city since July and that the packet reported more than $32 million in capital investment; the meeting transcript did not provide a clear, specific total for announced new jobs and staff recorded that figure as not specified in the packet discussion.

Board members asked about ownership plans for the DataScan building; Diana said the buyer intends to occupy the building in spring or early summer but that exact plans and leasing strategy were not finalized. Charlie invited board members to use the year-in-review as a resource for commercial brokers and property owners. The authority will meet next on Thursday, April 9 at 6 p.m.