McCarthy + Barnsley Celebrate the Grand Opening of Georgia’s First Mass Timber Municipal Building

McCarthy + Barnsley, A Joint Venture, is celebrating the official grand opening of Brookhaven City Centre, the first mass timber municipal building in Georgia. Located just north of Atlanta at the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and Peachtree Road, the new city hall is a major milestone for Brookhaven, serving a populace of nearly 60,000 people and marking the first purpose-built city hall since the City of Brookhaven was incorporated in 2012.

Brookhaven City Centre is the only government facility in the state of Georgia built primarily using mass timber, featuring exposed wood throughout the upper levels and concrete for the parking garage. The building exemplifies a growing national trend in sustainable development as the material offers durability, carbon sequestration benefits and reduced construction waste. 

“Brookhaven City Centre will be an incredible asset to the people who have long invested in the city’s growth, and McCarthy + Barnsley is proud to contribute to its future,” said Justis Brogan, senior vice president and Atlanta business unit leader at McCarthy. “Our team's experience with mass timber positioned us to meet the project’s unique requirements efficiently and effectively. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary in Atlanta, we’re proud to have played a role in a development that represents both innovation and community investment.”

Spanning 58,250 square feet, approximately 60% the building is dedicated to public use, including community gathering spaces, a rooftop garden, a multi-purpose event hall, a catering kitchen, a coffee shop, rentable meeting rooms, public restrooms and an Explore Brookhaven visitor store. The remaining 40% houses administrative offices for city operations such as the Mayor and Council offices, City Manager, Finance, Human Resources and more.

The new city hall required a skilled labor force specialized in mass timber construction to assemble the engineered wood panels into a finished structure. The team expertly navigated various nuances of the construction that differ from concrete and steel, including maneuvering the large pieces of timber within a tight space and unloading and reloading logistics.

"Brookhaven City Center establishes a new standard for municipal design in Georgia, and we're proud to have helped realize this vision," said Rob Schulten, Barnsley Construction Group. "The project's use of mass timber—the first for a city building in Georgia—demonstrates our commitment to sustainable and efficient construction practices, allowing for a faster build and a smaller environmental footprint."

Designed by the Sizemore Group to achieve WELL Gold and LEED certification, the building prominently features a three-story atrium with a skylight that is positioned in the center of the structure.

“We are proud to have collaborated with McCarthy + Barnsley in the construction of our new City Centre,” said Christian Sigman, Brookhaven city manager. “Their commitment to sustainability, innovation, safety, and project schedule was a driving force in our decision to partner with them for a permanent building that will be a landmark for Brookhaven, the region, and state for years to come.”

McCarthy + Barnsley, A Joint Venture, is a partnership formed in 2020 between McCarthy Building Companies and Barnsley Construction Group, a women-owned firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Brookhaven City Centre is the sixth project to be launched by the joint venture. The construction team’s full scope of work includes the relocation of existing utilities and sewer lines, model-based estimating, trade partner coordination and VR visualization of interior spaces. 

McCarthy is a leading general contractor firm in the Southeast, having quickly expanded its footprint in the region since launching its Atlanta office in 2005. This year marks the firm's 20th anniversary since opening their office in Atlanta, a milestone that reflects two decades of innovation, hard work and meaningful partnerships. Notable projects in the firm’s Atlanta portfolio include multiple projects at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Georgia Tech Engineered Biosystems Building, the Centers for Disease Control Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Georgia State College of Law, and an expansion of Emory University Hospital. 

For more information about McCarthy’s Atlanta office, please visit https://www.mccarthy.com/locations/atlanta. 

About McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (McCarthy) is the oldest privately held national construction company in America. With more than 160 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients, McCarthy is committed to delivering superior results and creating great experiences for everyone. McCarthy approaches every job with the mindset of a true builder. By self-performing critical scopes of work, McCarthy delivers accountability and consistency from start to finish. Through industry-leading design phase and construction techniques, combined with value-add technology, McCarthy drives smarter solutions and maximizes project outcomes. 

Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 15th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2025). With over 8,000 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis; Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Chandler, Ariz.; Las Vegas; Denver; Austin, Channelview, Dallas, and Houston, Texas; and San Diego, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.