Ashcroft Capital, a New York-based fully integrated multifamily investment firm, and SFO Capital Partners, a London-based global real estate investment management firm, today announce their joint acquisition of Elliot Gateway (formerly Discovery Gateway), a garden-style community located in Marietta, one of metro Atlanta’s thriving suburbs. The transaction marks the first joint venture between the two companies.
The community features 388 apartment homes and marks Ashcroft’s sixth community in metro Atlanta, a market the company entered just more than a year ago, and SFO Capital Partners’ 19th acquisition in the U.S. housing sector. Birchstone Residential, Ashcroft Capital’s in-house property management company, has assumed day-to-day management of Elliot Gateway.
“We are honored to partner with such a respected institutional firm as SFO Capital Partners, and we look forward to expanding this relationship in the future,” said Frank Roessler, founder and CEO of Ashcroft. “We are also excited to expand our presence in the Atlanta market. Atlanta is a market with exceedingly positive multifamily fundamentals that bode well for our value-add strategy.”
Mohamad Abouchalbak, CEO of SFO Capital Partners, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Ashcroft Capital on this exciting acquisition in Atlanta, a metro with robust macroeconomic fundamentals, favorable demographics and a clear growth outlook. To date, SFO Capital Partners has acquired over USD1 billion of U.S. housing assets comprising more than 7,500 units located across the nation’s fastest growing metro areas. This has demonstrated our continued conviction in the sector. We are looking forward to growing our successful partnership with Ashcroft Capital.”
Elliot Gateway sits in the South Cobb/Cumberland Galleria submarket in Marietta. The booming submarket is home to a large and growing concentration of office space, a robust inventory of industrial properties, a substantial number of military personnel supporting Dobbins Air Reserve Base and highly regarded public schools. According to census data, the submarket has added the highest number of renter households with a bachelor's degree of any metro Atlanta submarket in recent years, helping drive demand for high-end apartments in the area. The submarket is also home to Truist Park (home of the Atlanta Braves) and the surrounding Battery Atlanta mixed-use development. Fortune 500 companies with offices in the area include TKE, Synovus, Genuine Parts, Comcast and HD Supply.
“This tremendous submarket combined with our renovation plans, our growing ‘boots on the ground’ in Atlanta and the operational expertise of Birchstone Residential all set the stage for Elliot Gateway to excel and become one of the most desired apartment communities in the area,” said Scott Lebenhart, chief investment officer at Ashcroft Capital. “This property and the surrounding area have so much going for them that we could not be more bullish about how Elliot Gateway will perform moving forward.”
In-home improvements, which will be executed by Birchstone’s construction team, will include the addition of quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, tile backsplashes, faux-wood flooring, upgraded plumbing and lighting fixtures, new cabinet fronts with brushed nickel pulls and 2-inch faux-wood blinds. Other improvements will include a landscaping update, the replacement of pool-area furniture, the installation of a package locker system and the implementation of a valet trash service.
Situated at 720 Franklin Gateway SE, Elliot Gateway was built in 1984 (30 of the units were constructed in 2021). The gated property offers one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. Community amenities include a resort-inspired swimming pool, a new clubhouse and fitness center, playground, soccer field, outdoor kitchen and barbecue area.