Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul has a golden retriever that loves rolling in mud, and the old Morgan Falls Dog Park always had plenty of it. "There was plenty of mud for my golden here for a long time," Paul said at the October 14 ribbon cutting, as Rough Draft Atlanta reported. "We worked hard to fix the drainage issues here."
That drainage fix is the clearest finished piece of a larger pattern on the north end of Sandy Springs. The city is putting its money and attention into the Chattahoochee edge, starting with the dog park, the Overlook Park boathouse and the athletic fields. Roswell Road's big change, the North River Shopping Center redevelopment, was a partly demolished lot as of late summer. The trail extension that would tie the river to Roswell Road is still waiting on a grant. If you live between Abernathy Road and the river, the changes you can use this November are down at the water.
Where each north-end project stands in early November
- Open now: Morgan Falls Dog Park at 100 Morgan Falls Road, renovated and reopened after the October 14 ribbon cutting.
- One date left: The final Sandy Springs Night Market of the 2026 pilot season, Thursday, November 5, 5 to 8 p.m., at River Springs Shopping Center.
- Expected soon: Expanded kayak storage and a new dock at the Morgan Falls Overlook Park boathouse, which the city hoped would arrive "this fall."
- Scheduled: Artificial turf on all 10 Morgan Falls athletic fields, with work hoped to start in mid-2027 and finish around 2028.
- Waiting on money: Springway Segment 2C, the extension from Morgan Falls Overlook Park toward Roswell Road.
- Partly demolished as of late summer: North River Shopping Center at 8830 Roswell Road, slated for apartments, townhomes, retail and a small public park.
What the drainage work changed at the dog park
The Morgan Falls Dog Park is the only public dog park in Sandy Springs. Before the renovation, Rough Draft Atlanta described it as "a muddy floodplain along the Chattahoochee River." The city's announcement lists the upgrades: grading of a drainage channel, shade structures, seating and picnic tables, waste and wash stations, drinking fountains, and boulders for dogs to jump on. The park also now has ADA access, a dedicated ADA parking space, new sod and fresh mulch.
The park covers about 3.4 acres, with separate fenced areas for small and large dogs. Georgia Power owns the land next to its hydroelectric dam. It leases the site to the city and allowed a water meter for the new wash station. Recreation and Parks Director Brent Walker explained why that station matters on a riverside site:
"If your dog likes to get in the river or gets dirty out there, you can actually hose them off before you take them home."
To find it, take the gravel road along the Springway Trail. The park sits across from a Georgia Department of Natural Resources boat ramp. The city's dog park page doesn't post hours, so check the city's page for the park before an early or late visit.
The rest of the riverfront is next in line
The dog park was the first finished project in a run of city work along this stretch of the river. Walker told Rough Draft Atlanta that the city renovated the restrooms at Morgan Falls Overlook Park earlier this year. The boathouse is getting more kayak storage and a new dock because kayak use there is so heavy. Walker said the parts were still being built in mid-October:
"We're just waiting on it to be manufactured and floated down. So, [the new dock] could show up any day now. It'll happen, hopefully this fall."
Kayak and paddleboard rentals at the Overlook are run by Murph's Surf, which the city's park page sends visitors to for hours. The operator's 2026 schedule lists Morgan Falls rentals Wednesday through Sunday. It also says service can close for weather or staffing, so check the booking calendar before you drive over with a paddle in mind.
The bigger riverfront project comes after the dock. Walker said all 10 fields at the Morgan Falls Athletic Complex are due for artificial turf, new parking and stormwater work to prevent flooding. The work has to be scheduled around Sandy Springs Youth Association games, so the city hopes to start in mid-2027 and finish around 2028. That's the same flooding problem the dog park had, on a much bigger site. Fixing the water comes before the new surface.
The trail that would reach Roswell Road is still a grant application
Walking from the river to the shopping centers on Roswell Road is the missing link on the north end, and Springway Segment 2C is the project meant to fill it. The Sandy Springs Conservancy, in a newsletter covered by Rough Draft Atlanta, has described a 1.6-mile addition starting at Morgan Falls Overlook Park. It would follow a Chattahoochee tributary east through mature forest, past rock outcroppings and waterfalls, and connect to Roswell Road. That would grow the Morgan Falls loop from 1.8 miles to about 3.4 miles, toward a planned continuous loop of roughly 5.6 miles.
The October 6 City Council vote moved the project forward but did not pay for it. Rough Draft Atlanta reported that council voted 4–2 to apply for a $3 million state grant for Segment 2C. The segment is estimated at about $14 million and is reported to be 60% through design. It would run from the Overlook toward Adair Lane and Grogans Ferry Road. Residents raised concerns about design, parking and construction. The same report noted that the route would be hard to change once funding was awarded, and that the state review was still pending.
For neighbors on Adair Lane and Grogans Ferry Road, this is the north-end project with the most direct effect on their street. For everyone else on the north end, it would decide whether the river and Roswell Road connect on foot.
Roswell Road's gateway was a demolition zone by late summer
Drive south over the river from Roswell and the first thing you pass is the North River Shopping Center at 8830 Roswell Road. Sandy Springs Economic Development Director Chris Burnett told Rough Draft Atlanta that Woodfield Development's plan for the site would be the "first major development project in the North End in decades." He called the site "the gateway, really, as you come down from Roswell across the river."
The city's August announcement describes the plan: 336 apartments, 85 for-sale townhomes, retail and restaurant space, and a 0.71-acre public park with play areas, open turf, seating, restrooms and room for community events. Burnett also said the project would include 70 public parking spaces for shoppers and park visitors.
In late August, the southern part of the center was partly demolished. Dollar General was the anchor, next to a mostly empty parking lot and several empty storefronts. Woodfield was expected to buy the property in October, with the tax abatement and the land purchase closing at the same time. Before construction can start, all tenant leases have to end and the 13-acre site has to be fully cleared. The North Atlanta Star reported the same October timeline in September and said demolition had begun in parts of the center.
So the north end's new public park on Roswell Road is a 0.71-acre plan on a site that, in the September reports, still had to be cleared. The dog park by the river covers about 3.4 acres and is open now.
The last Night Market of the season is on Roswell Road
The one north-end event this season happens on Roswell Road, a short way south of North River. The final Sandy Springs Night Market of 2026 runs Thursday, November 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. at River Springs Shopping Center, 8610 Roswell Road. The city announced the market in August as an evening version of its Saturday morning market. It's set "on the north end of the city," with more than 30 farmers, food producers, artisans and specialty vendors selling produce, handmade goods and prepared food.
The Georgia Sun described the series as a pilot the city launched this year to see whether residents want a regular Thursday evening market. No 2027 dates have been announced. The city's Night Market page has the event details and links to a vendor map.
At the river, the city has worked in order, with drainage before shade and a wash station, and the dock ahead of the turf. Roswell Road gets its version through a private redevelopment and a trail that both still need money and time. The November 5 market is the city's trial run at a weeknight reason to be on Roswell Road, until the North River site and Segment 2C are built.
The north end of Sandy Springs is changing in steps, and the timing affects what a home near Morgan Falls or along Roswell Road is worth to the next buyer. If you live here and want to know how the reopened dog park, the North River plans and the proposed Segment 2C route might affect your property, The Mike Price Team can talk it through with you. Get Your Free Home Valuation to see where your home stands this fall.
