As unyielding demand for industrial space spreads north, a longtime landowner of 19,500 acres is seizing an opportunity.

The Aubrey Corp. — formed by a family who has owned the land for nearly a century — plans to sell its massive collection of agricultural and horticultural land in Northwest Georgia. Jim Ramseur, executive vice president and partner at Lee & Associates, is representing the seller.

The portfolio runs through Bartow and Cherokee counties. It's such a large stretch of land that Midtown Atlanta could fit within it eight times. Individual sales of the parcels could total more than $1 billion, Ramseur said, or a bit less if a single buyer buys all 19,500 acres.

“This area is now in the economic boom of industrial development,” Ramseur said. “All of that industrial corridor going up I-75 is smack-dab on top of this property.”

Atlanta experienced its best industrial year on record in 2021, which is bleeding into this year. Bartow County gives industrial users close access to the Appalachian Regional Port and metro Atlanta's interstate system. It's already home to more than 20 million square feet of industrial space. As undeveloped land dwindles near the Perimeter, developers are seeking out massive plots of land further from the urban core for new big-box facilities.

Major employers in the county include Anheuser-Busch, Shaw Industries and Toyo Tires. Amazon plans to develop a 3.2 million-square-foot sorting facility on Lakepoint Parkway. An increase in consumer spending during the pandemic drove companies to expand their operations.

All of the industrial growth will inevitably drive up the demand for homes and apartments to house workers. The parcels that make up the 19,500 acres could be used for a mix of uses, Ramseur said, such as single-family and multifamily residential, timber or recreational greenspace, commercial, retail or industrial.

A selloff of this many parcels at once is uncommon, Ramseur said, especially in a growth vein like Interstate 75. "We have to tour by helicopter to see it in a day," he said.

Some of the land is leased to the state for the Pine Log Wildlife Management area. The potential buyer will likely keep it as a public greenspace, Ramseur said, and either re-lease it back to the state or to a conservation group.