New Development in Forsyth County, GA: 2026 Projects to Watch
Forsyth County remains one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, and 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year. New mixed-use town centers, entertainment destinations, and a county-wide rethink of how residential land gets developed are all unfolding at once. For landowners, buyers, and anyone tracking the Cumming market, here's where new development in Forsyth County stands right now — and what it means for the value of land across the county.
The Crossing at Coal Mountain: a new town center in North Forsyth
The headline project in North Forsyth is The Crossing at Coal Mountain, a 140-acre mixed-use development rising at the intersection of Matt Highway and Highway 9, about five miles northeast of Cumming. Developer Atlantic Residential broke ground on Phase One in July 2025, and vertical construction is already well underway.
When complete, the master plan calls for more than 700 residential units — a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments — alongside over 70,000 square feet of retail and more than 20,000 square feet of office space. National homebuilder Toll Brothers is managing 222 single-family homes and 219 townhomes, with the first residences expected to be available in summer 2026.
Phase One centers on a 47,000-square-foot retail plaza, with roughly 60% of that initial space earmarked for food, beverage, and entertainment concepts. The leasing team is also targeting a small-format grocery or market anchor. The first phase of retail and housing is anticipated to wrap by summer 2026, establishing a walkable hub in a part of the county that has historically lacked one.
For a project that has been in planning for roughly seven years, The Crossing is a clear signal that demand for integrated, live-work-play destinations is pushing steadily north up the GA 400 corridor.
Cumming City Center keeps expanding
Closer to the county seat, Cumming City Center continues to anchor the area's long-term growth. The mixed-use district just west of downtown Cumming blends retail, restaurants, public gathering space, concerts, and residential living. A new Garden District is now underway, adding homes with direct, walkable access to the shops and events at the City Center — the kind of for-sale residential product that has been in short supply near a true town center.
Cumming City Center's continued build-out, including recent apartment and housing announcements, keeps reinforcing south-central Forsyth as the county's cultural and commercial core.
Entertainment and major mixed-use on the horizon
Several larger projects are moving from concept toward construction:
A 155,000-square-foot Frankie's Fun Park indoor amusement center is planned near Highway 9 and Bethelview Road, bringing go-karts, arcade games, and family entertainment to Cumming, with work expected to begin in 2026.
The Gathering at South Forsyth, a roughly $2 billion mixed-use development anchored by a planned arena and entertainment district, remains one of the most ambitious projects in the region.
And the county's own administration campus — a 42-acre facility on Freedom Parkway consolidating 17 departments — is expected to reach completion in early 2026, a reflection of just how much the local population has grown.
The residential moratorium: the other half of the story
New development in Forsyth County isn't only about what's breaking ground — it's also about what the county is deliberately slowing down. In May 2025, the Board of Commissioners approved a 180-day moratorium limiting new residential developments, responding in part to a school board request to address overcrowding. A second moratorium followed in June, targeting residential properties that were rezoned before April 13, 2017, but never developed.
Through 2026, commissioners have continued to refine the policy. In early April 2026 the board partially lifted the pause to begin accepting RES1 (low-density residential) rezoning applications, and later that month extended the broader moratorium on residential rezoning through October 25, 2026 — with carve-outs for the RES1, MRD, and MCD districts.
The intent, county staff have said, is to use the pause to update the unified development code, tree and sign ordinances, and the comprehensive plan, while reducing density in areas where roads and schools are already strained. The county has even built an interactive database mapping inactive residential parcels by zoning and district.
For landowners, the takeaway is nuanced: residential rezoning is constrained right now, but low-density residential, commercial, and industrial corridors are exactly what the county wants to preserve and promote. That shift changes which parcels carry the most upside heading into 2027.
What this means for Forsyth County land owners and buyers
Put the pieces together and a clear picture emerges. Commercial and mixed-use development is accelerating along the GA 400 and Highway 9 corridors, while the county is intentionally throttling high-density residential growth to let infrastructure catch up. That combination tends to reward well-located land with the right zoning — and rewards owners who understand exactly where their parcel sits within the county's evolving land-use vision.
If you own land in Forsyth County and are weighing whether to sell, develop, or hold through the moratorium, the current environment makes professional guidance especially valuable. Zoning classifications, comprehensive-plan designations, and corridor priorities all factor into what a parcel is truly worth in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest new development in Forsyth County in 2026? The Crossing at Coal Mountain — a 140-acre mixed-use town center in North Forsyth with 700+ homes, 70,000+ square feet of retail, and 20,000+ square feet of office space — is among the largest, with its first phase expected to open in summer 2026.
Is there a building moratorium in Forsyth County? Yes. Forsyth County has a moratorium on residential rezoning, extended through October 25, 2026, with exceptions for RES1, MRD, and MCD zoning districts. It was enacted to manage rapid growth and school overcrowding.
Where is new development concentrated in Forsyth County? Most new commercial and mixed-use development is concentrated along the GA 400 and Highway 9 corridors, including Coal Mountain in the north and Cumming City Center in the south.
Crawford Lands, LLC is a licensed real estate brokerage in the State of Georgia specializing in land acquisition and sales across Forsyth County. If you're considering buying or selling land in Forsyth County, contact us to discuss your property and the current market.