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Fresh map puts $5.2B downtown development boom in perspective Josh Green Thu, 03/13/2025 - 11:11 Does the scope of downtown Atlanta development—both proposed and ongoing—make your head spin? Central Atlanta Progress has an app for that. 

Actually, it’s more of a webpage, but the agency’s updated edition of the Downtown Atlanta Investment Map recently went live online and is also available in print. 

Like a development wonk’s dream, the tool succinctly summarizes projects ranging from towering high-rises to low-slung renovations of old buildings across six districts, spanning from South Downtown to Science Square, the Stitch, and beyond. 

Not every project is solidly in what most Atlantans consider downtown—see: Bank of America Plaza renovations; the stalled Waldo’s; and the four-story, A Ma Maniere condo-retail combo at 479 Edgewood Ave.—but most are. 

The map features 71 projects total, each color-coded as complete, under construction, or planned.  

According to CAP’s tabulations, the finished and proposed developments across downtown total $5.2 billion in investments. 

Expected look of activated patios at The Mitchell building, with Mercedes-Benz Stadium across the street. Courtesy of Centennial Yards; images by Apex Visualization

Of that, 1,800 units of housing have popped up in the past two years, at projects such as Broadstone 2Thirty on Memorial Drive, Centennial Yards’ The Mitchell, and The Grace Residences. 

But that could pale in comparison to what CAP says is coming in the next five years: more than 5,000 housing units in some form of planning or development right now. 

That’s in addition to 1,000 new hotel rooms and what map creators call “vital bike, sidewalk, and park infrastructure projects that connect the private and public realm.”

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Subtitle Where 5,000 housing units (or more) is expected to materialize in coming years

Neighborhood Downtown

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First look: Beltline-adjacent project bound for Southwest Atlanta Josh Green Thu, 03/13/2025 - 07:52 Atlanta urbanists and West End residents who’ve lobbied for residential development to accompany the vibrant former warehouse district that is Lee + White should take note. 

Demolition along White Street signals the beginning of an infill townhome project from Ackerman & Co., the same developer that owns Lee + White and its expanding office, retail, and food offerings. 

Ackerman reps tell Urbanize Atlanta the project will be called Hopkins and White Townhomes—named for the streets it will front—and that it will include 23 new residences eventually.

Overview of the full 23-unit townhome project between the Beltline and a Dunkin' in West End. Courtesy of Ackerman & Co.

Situated across the street from the Beltline’s Westside Trail and Gordon-White Park, just north of the Lee + White district, the properties in question were formerly home to two notable businesses: Best Friends Car Wash, which doubled as an outdoor art gallery for muralists, and Lean Draft House, once celebrated as the first new business to open on the Westside Trail eight years ago. 

As of a Saturday visit, the former car wash was rubble. 

Ackerman reps say the first phase of 13 townhomes is scheduled to be finished in spring 2026. 

The former Best Friends Car Wash on White Street was recently demolished, making way for townhome construction. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

General scope of the properties in question, with the Beltline's Westside Trail shown at left. Google Maps

Each townhome will have three bedrooms and three and ½ bathrooms in 2,056 square feet, with two-car garages at the base and rooftop decks above. 

The community will also feature a fenced-in dog park, according to project officials, who say it remains to be seen if Ackerman will use its name in association with the project.

Price ranges for the townhomes have yet to be determined, according to developers. 

The lone available rendering shows two rows of units, with rooftops emphasizing views of the pocket park and Westside Trail, which is set to be expanded in former rail corridor nearby. 

Maybe it's not the wave of new Beltline-adjacent housing in the area some have called for—but it's certainly a start. 

The former Lean Draft House building stood next to recent demolition Saturday. Google Maps

The site in relation to downtown and SW ATL landmarks. Google Maps

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600 Hopkins St. SW Hopkins and White Townhomes Lean Draft House West End Car Wash West End Development West End Homes West End Construction Westside Trail Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Lee + White SW ATL Southwest Atlanta Ackerman & Co. Ackerman and Co. Atlanta Townhomes Atlanta Development Beltline Homes Beltline Townhomes Atlanta Construction Great Foundations Best Friends Car Wash Gordon-White Park

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The site in relation to downtown and SW ATL landmarks. Google Maps

The former Best Friends Car Wash on White Street was recently demolished, making way for townhome construction. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The former Lean Draft House building stood next to recent demolition Saturday. Google Maps

General scope of the properties in question, with the Beltline's Westside Trail shown at left. Google Maps

Overview of the full 23-unit townhome project between the Beltline and a Dunkin' in West End. Courtesy of Ackerman & Co.

Subtitle West End townhomes near Lee + White district replacing car wash, former restaurant building

Neighborhood West End

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MARTA declares audit results ‘clear win’ in tussle with city Josh Green Wed, 03/12/2025 - 15:12 Atlanta’s transit agency says the results of a second audit into More MARTA sales tax spending are a victory that should green-light the delayed overhaul of MARTA’s largest and busiest transit hub. 

The MARTA Oversight Committee on Tuesday released the findings of global accounting firm KPMG’s independent audit of the More MARTA Atlanta Program. 

That vetting of half-penny More MARTA sales tax spending—approved by Atlanta voters in 2016—shows that MARTA “operated ethically, transparently, and above board,” reads a MARTA media statement issued today. 

It doesn’t show that no More MARTA mistakes were made. 

MARTA shortchanged the program’s capital fund and overcharged operating expenses by $865,000, but that’s far less than City of Atlanta’s auditors claimed MARTA shorted the program ($70 million) in a separate audit last summer, which stoked heated tensions between the city and its transit authority. 

Back in August, MARTA blasted the city’s auditors for using a “flawed methodology,” and KPMG’s findings show they were correct, especially as it pertains to bus service calculations between 2017 and 2019, according to MARTA. 

Some Atlanta City Council members in March 2023 had demanded an audit of the More MARTA program for more transparency on spending, claiming taxpayers were being shorted on transit expansions they were paying for. Three months later, the city hired the Mauldin & Jenkins firm, an independent auditor, to perform an operational review of the program—eventually with MARTA’s blessing.

MARTA called the second audit’s results “a clear win for MARTA, our customers, and the future of transit improvement and expansion.”

A refined preview depicting how the opened-up transit hub could look and function. Courtesy of MARTA

MARTA also reaffirmed its stance that the Intergovernmental Agreement between MARTA and the city that governs the More MARTA program should be restructured to establish clear deadlines and decision makers, along with other changes, that would make the process of starting construction on new transit projects less burdensome.  

“In that spirit,” reads MARTA’s statement, “we would like to use this opportunity to urge [city officials] to expedite the approval of permits for the Five Points Station Transformation Project so that we can begin deconstruction.”

MARTA has claimed the city intentionally delayed the permitting process for Five Points station’s $230 million overhaul to roadblock progress following last year’s audit; city officials, meanwhile, have blamed delays on flaws in MARTA’s applications to begin work downtown, per the AJC's reporting.  

MARTA says the Five Points delays have put the project behind schedule. 

“It is critical,” per MARTA, “that we begin work to deliver this transformational project for our riders, our system, and the downtown area.” 

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MARTA City of Atlanta Five Points MARTA Transit MARTA Audit Mauldin & Jenkins Atlanta Transit Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Atlanta City Council More MARTA More MARTA Atlanta Program MARTA Oversight Committee KPMG

Subtitle Results should green-light transformation of Five Points station, transit agency contends

Neighborhood Downtown

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For reborn CNN Center, new visuals, promo video paint vivid picture Josh Green Wed, 03/12/2025 - 10:22 South Downtown streets and Centennial Yards aren’t the only places brewing redevelopment plans downtown as 2026 FIFA World Cup matches inch closer. 

The former CNN Center—or downtown’s “repositioned commercial beacon” now called simply The Center—has signed a sizable restaurant, inked a partnership with Savannah College of Art and Design, and put together a fresh promotional package as redevelopment moves forward, officials announced today. 

The project, stylized in fresh visuals as “The CTR ATL,” will include a large interactive digital sculpture where the recognizable CNN letters once stood at street level, a variety of custom murals, and other installations within The Center's atrium—all facets moving forward with SCAD input. (A sizzle reel was also released today by owners CP Group that helps bring new and previously released renderings to life.) 

Elsewhere on the property, CP Group has “secured a confidential high-end restaurant tenant” that will claim nearly 10,000 square feet of space, per officials. 

On the art front, CP Group is also partnering with local creatives Neda Abghari and Bem Joiner to help curate Atlanta-specific artworks for the property, to boost its sense of place. 

Plans for The Center's revised Marietta Street facade.Courtesy of CP Group

Courtesy of CP Group; via Vimeo

We’ve asked project officials for more specifics regarding construction timelines and delivery of any aspects of The Center (the World Cup is just 460 days away, after all), and we’ll post any additional information that comes. 

Officials did say additional updates will be released later this year. CP Group is working with architecture and interior design firm TVS, general contractor Holder Construction, and marketing firm Core Twelve for branding of The Center. 

CNN departed the 1.2-million-square-foot building last year and stripped off its branding as its offices were moved to Midtown’s Techwood, ending a four-decade era of the media company being headquartered downtown.  

CP Group announced plans in April to remake the 1970s landmark known for its soaring atrium into a modernized hub of dining, retail, entertainment, and content creation.

Building permit paperwork filed with the city last year indicates the first phase of renovations would see exterior façade improvements at the former CNN Center’s north and south entries.

Courtesy of CP Group

Courtesy of CP Group; via Vimeo

Elsewhere, a new social area called “Hawks Plaza” is in the works for the building’s southernmost entry, nearest to State Farm Arena’s main entrance, according to marketing materials. Connected to that would be a remade atrium and reimagined retail corridors leading to arenas, the recently renovated Omni hotel, and downtown lynchpin Georgia World Congress Center. 

CP Group’s renovations call for 130,000 square feet of retail space, alongside 920,000 square feet of creative office and media production spaces, officials said last year. It’s all part of a massive portfolio the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company has amassed in Atlanta in recent years.   

Find a sneak peek at the latest visuals in the gallery above.

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CNN Center's vast interiors, as seen in 2018. Shutterstock

Plans for The Center's revised Marietta Street facade.Courtesy of CP Group

Courtesy of CP Group

Courtesy of CP Group; via Vimeo

Courtesy of CP Group; via Vimeo

Courtesy of CP Group; via Vimeo

Courtesy of CP Group; via Vimeo

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CP Group; Healey Weatherholtz Properties

CP Group; Healey Weatherholtz Properties

Subtitle Downtown’s “repositioned commercial beacon” now called The Center inks restaurant, SCAD partnership

Neighborhood Downtown

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Name, fresh details emerge for large-scale Marietta Boulevard project Josh Green Wed, 03/12/2025 - 08:06 A multifaceted project that could reshape three lots in an industrial, growing section of northwest Atlanta continues to move forward, with a groundbreaking potentially on the horizon. 

Atlanta-based Vida, a multifamily and build-to-rent real estate development firm, has coined the 2085 Marietta Boulevard project “GuildHouse at Upper Westside.”

The mixed-use venture in the Bolton neighborhood would rise on a 6.68-acre assemblage of three properties, replacing lots used for bus and truck storage, a café building, and a one-story NAPA Auto Parts store with a range of residential and retail development. 

The properties are situated across the street from Crest Lawn Memorial Park and around the corner from popular Mexican restaurant Nuevo Laredo Cantina on Chattahoochee Avenue.

The GuildHouse site plan calls for a blend of BTR townhomes, traditional apartments, and commercial space for the neighborhood, all situated around a pocket park. 

How retail and apartment facades would look along Marietta Boulevard.Courtesy of Vida

Approximate location of the three parcels in question, totaling about 7 acres. Google Maps

According to Vida president Joe Martinez, the project has completed its seed funding round for what’s called Vida Opportunities Fund I. The $47-million fund—which is seeking qualified investors—would pay for construction of GuildHouse and another multifamily project Vida is putting together in Buford. (The latter project, Carrena at Mall of Georgia, would see 332 apartments take shape at 3172 Financial Center Way.)

“Peak supply of apartments in Atlanta hit in the third quarter of last year, and there is a lack of new deliveries in the next three years to handle the absorption we’ve historically had,” Martinez noted in a release provided to Urbanize Atlanta. “We think this presents a tremendous investment opportunity.” 

Vida’s goal is to break ground on the GuildHouse project in Atlanta this year, as CoStar first reported. 

Plans call for 39 BTR townhomes, each standing three stories with three bedroom and two-car garages. Adjacent to that would be 354 apartments, ranging from 550 to 1,350 square feet, with a parking deck. Amenities call for a saltwater pool, coffee bar, sky lounge, pet spa, and two courtyards, according to Vida. 

The project’s 7,200 square feet of commercial space would face the pocket park. Another perk, as Vida notes, is the next phase of PATH Foundation’s Silver Comet Connector project, which will link the property to adaptive-reuse hub The Works.

Plans for an interior amenities space at GuildHouse at Upper Westside. Courtesy of Vida

How the three facets of new development would be arranged on combined parcels in the 2000 block of Marietta Boulevard. Courtesy of Proxima Residential/Vida Companies; designs, Geheber Lewis Associates/2023

Atlanta-based commercial advisory firm Terra Alma has been brought on to lead retail leasing at the GuildHouse project. According to Martinez, that could include a restaurant and other retail in commercial spaces. 

The sales price for the three parcels in 2023 was $13.05 million, according to the Marcus and Millichap real estate investment firm, the deal's brokers.

Coined “Upper Westside,” the area in question has evolved in recent years from an industrial zone into a brewery and loft-office district with a wave of new housing, located between Atlantic Station and Interstate 285. 

Newer residential developments within a few blocks of the GuildHouse site include Broadstone Upper Westside, Altus at the Quarter, and a more recent mixed-use project called BRYKS Upper Westside, which is delivering 600 more apartments in two buildings. 

Across Georgia, Vida’s other current projects include Verona in Fairburn and Solara in Powder Springs. Previously the company was part of a team working to build a village-like mix of commercial and residential structures on a 7-acre Oakland City site about a block from the Beltline’s Westside Trail.

Planned internal functionality between townhomes, apartments, and retail. Courtesy of Proxima Residential/Vida Companies; designs, Geheber Lewis Associates/2023

Along with large-scale retail and office projects, Vida’s leadership team has developed more than 7,000 housing units worth more than $1.7 billion over the past two decades, according to Martinez.  

Swing up to the gallery for more context and visuals for what could be in store along Marietta Boulevard. 

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2085 Marietta Boulevard 2051 Marietta Boulevard NW Marcus & Millichap Development sites Atlanta apartments Upper Westside Chattahoochee Avenue Atlanta Development Rental Townhomes Rental Trends Marietta Boulevard Infill Development Proxima Residential Vida Companies terra alma GLA Geheber Lewis Associates Vida Carrena Apartments Buford Mall of Georgia

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Courtesy of Marcus & Millichap

Approximate location of the three parcels in question, totaling about 7 acres. Google Maps

The sites in question in 2023, along the eastern side of Marietta Boulevard. Google Maps

Plans for an interior amenities space at GuildHouse at Upper Westside. Courtesy of Vida

How retail and apartment facades would look along Marietta Boulevard.Courtesy of Vida

Courtesy of Vida

How the three facets of new development would be arranged on combined parcels in the 2000 block of Marietta Boulevard. Courtesy of Proxima Residential/Vida Companies; designs, Geheber Lewis Associates/2023

Planned internal functionality between townhomes, apartments, and retail. Courtesy of Proxima Residential/Vida Companies; designs, Geheber Lewis Associates/2023

Subtitle Multifaceted "GuildHouse at Upper Westside" calls for covering 7 acres

Neighborhood Bolton

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Photos: Beltline development opens, lands retail, seeks more Josh Green Tue, 03/11/2025 - 15:42 Having replaced a Beltline-adjacent surface parking lot, a mixed-use project has delivered more than 100 apartments designed to meet affordability standards along two of Atlanta’s more rapidly developing transportation corridors: the Beltline’s Eastside Trail and Memorial Drive.

After breaking ground in March 2022, the Madison Reynoldstown development (alternately: Madison at Reynoldstown) finished construction last year and has begun the push to fill its income-restricted rentals and retail space, according to Beltline officials. 

The $43.6-million project developed by Rea Ventures Group was a joint effort by Atlanta Housing, the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, and Atlanta Beltline Inc.

In the works for several years, it consumed a Reynoldstown block’s full southern end, save the longstanding Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing building, a former warehouse. Today, the complex spans 1.2 acres at the northeast corner of Memorial Drive and Chester Avenue in Reynoldstown, one of intown’s hotter real estate markets for more than a decade.

The project’s architect, Praxis3, has described it as a statement by the city to address the ills of gentrification and scarcity of affordable and workforce housing.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to Todd Semrau, vice president of Oakhurst Realty Partners who’s leading the building’s retail leasing efforts, a women’s fitness concept called Gain fitness has been signed for a 1,300-square-foot space facing Memorial Drive. (Gain’s website states it’s coming soon.) 

That leaves a 1,100-square-foot retail space directly on the Beltline. 

“That’s being earmarked for an art-related use, such as a gallery, workspace, collective, or art special events [space],” Semrau wrote via email this week. 

Exteriors of the remaining Madison Reynoldstown retail space overlooking the Beltline. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to advertised signage posted outside the building, income-restricted rent prices are as follows: one-bedroom, one-bathroom units for $1,521 monthly; two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments for $1,815; and three-bedroom, two-bathroom units for $2,087.

We’ve asked the community managers, CAHEC Management, for more information on floorplans, apartment availability, and rents but have not heard back this week. According to Beltline officials, all apartments are priced for individuals and families earning 30 to 80 percent of the area median income, and more info on applying can be found here. 

The majority of apartments—71 total—are one-bedroom floorplans, and just nine have three bedrooms, Beltline officials have said. 

According to CAHEC Management, all units include EnergyStar appliances, full kitchens, carpet and vinyl-plank flooring, and washer/dryer hookups. 

Communal amenities include a fitness center, outdoor pavilion, a computer/business room, laundry, and access to the swimming pool at the adjacent lofts. Office and maintenance staff will work at the building full-time, per the management company.  

The building’s blueprint included one parking space per unit, the development team has said.  

As developers have stressed, the location will allow families quick access to groceries (Publix and KroBar), entertainment, greenspaces, restaurants, and job hubs such as nearby Madison Yards and Krog Street Market. 

Tucked off Memorial Drive, the pool and courtyard for Madison Reynoldstown and neighboring lofts. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

An Atlanta Housing program called HomeFlex will also provide subsidies for residents of 46 units; those will be dedicated to working families earning up to 30 percent of median incomes for the area, according to project leaders.

Public and private funding sources for Madison Reynoldstown included a $21.5-million, tax-exempt bond from Invest Atlanta, a $2-million grant from the Beltline Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and a $4.4-million National Housing Trust Fund award from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, among others. Atlanta Housing invested $8.9 million in addition to its HomeFlex subsidies.

Initial plans had called for finishing the project in fall 2023, and reasons for the delay weren’t specified during construction phases. 

In the gallery above, find a thorough tour around the unique project as it stands today. 

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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900 Memorial Drive SE Madison at Reynoldstown Memorial Drive at Chester Avenue HomeFlex Atlanta Housing Madison Reynoldstown Cabbagetown Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail Memorial Drive Affordable Housing National Housing Trust Fund Invest Atlanta Rea Ventures Group Praxis3 Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Oakhurst Realty Partners Gain Fitness Beltline Retail CAHEC Management Workforce Housing

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The Madison Reynoldstown building's stance along the Eastside Trail, as seen looking south today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The project’s architect, Praxis3, has described it as a statement by the city to address the ills of gentrification and scarcity of affordable and workforce housing.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the new mixed-use building meets a brick structure to the north. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

People-free balconies at the Beltline-adjacent project this week. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Exteriors of the remaining Madison Reynoldstown retail space overlooking the Beltline. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Breakdown of the Beltline-adjacent retail space (at right) in relation to the rest of the building. Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Beltline-adjacent retail entries, looking north. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Madison Reynoldstown's proximity to existing lofts next door, to the south. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Tucked off Memorial Drive, the pool and courtyard for Madison Reynoldstown and neighboring lofts. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Fronting Memorial Drive, just west of the Beltline, this retail space has been claimed by Gain fitness. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Madison Reynoldstown's southern face over Memorial Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The building's western face, toward downtown, away from the Beltline. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the project meets Chester Avenue. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Garage entry along Chester Avenue in Reynoldstown today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle At Madison Reynoldstown, income-restricted rents deemed affordable start at $1,520 monthly

Neighborhood Reynoldstown

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Public meeting on fate of Murphy Crossing happens this evening Josh Green Tue, 03/11/2025 - 14:10 Two months after Atlanta Beltline Inc. publicly pulled the plug on Murphy Crossing’s closely watched and highly anticipated redevelopment, a step in a new direction is happening today, per the agency. 

Beltline officials have scheduled a hybrid public meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to discuss next steps for what may become of Murphy Crossing, a 20-acre former industrial site the Beltline owns in Oakland City adjacent to the Westside Trail. 

Registration for attending this evening’s meeting virtually is here. It’ll be held at the Plywood Place events venue at the Lee + White district (933 Lee St. SW), and the registration link to attend in-person is here. 

In January, Beltline officials shocked many Atlanta development observers by terminating Murphy Crossing negotiations and a contract with Culdesac Inc.—an Arizona-based firm known for innovative approaches to infill development—that had been ongoing since September 2022. 

The Beltline’s work with Culdesac and its Atlanta-based partner Urban Oasis Development had lent hope the barren expanse of land and unused buildings might be injected with new life, in the form of commercial space and affordable housing. 

Beltline leaders pointed to slashed residential unit counts, unexplained costs, “ballooned” timelines, and other factors as reasons why the relationship with Culdesac soured.  

In a statement provided to Urbanize Atlanta last month, Culdesac reps said they didn’t wish to engage in a public exchange with the Beltline regarding what went wrong, but they contented that all negotiations were within the scope of a contract signed between the two parties in March last year. The statement also pointed to a land matter involving Georgia Department of Transportation property bordering the site. A follow-up inquiry to Culdesac wasn’t returned. 

“Many of these ‘negotiations’ were to address the issues caused by [Atlanta Beltline Inc.’s] failure to disclose the easements that had been granted to the GDOT unbeknownst to Culdesac,” the statement read, in part. “While ABI has attempted to minimize the physical impact of those easements on the project, which are significant, ABI also fails to recognize the financial and legal implications of those easements. Culdesac continues to reserve and does not waive any of its rights in this matter.”

Trees Atlanta's new headquarters (bottom left), the Murphy Crossing property, and the Beltline's Westside Trail. LoKnows Drones; courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

The most detailed image compiled during the Culdesac period for Murphy Crossing's potential scope and connectivity to the Beltline and MARTA. Culdesac; Urban Oasis Development; Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Beltline leaders said in February that Murphy Crossing remains “one of the largest and most impactful” sites for redevelopment on the 22-mile multi-use trail loop, and a prime location for car-free living. 

By the fourth quarter of 2025, Beltline officials plan to fully entitle the Murphy Crossing site, a process that would include a Development of Regional Impact review at the state level. Planning efforts will continue between now and then, per officials. 

Beyond that, the Beltline’s goal calls for breaking ground on Murphy Crossing’s first phase sometime in 2026. 

Murphy Crossing's 1050 Murphy Avenue site (bottom, left) in relation to downtown Atlanta. Google Maps

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Trees Atlanta's new headquarters (bottom left), the Murphy Crossing property, and the Beltline's Westside Trail. LoKnows Drones; courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

The most detailed image compiled during the Culdesac period for Murphy Crossing's potential scope and connectivity to the Beltline and MARTA. Culdesac; Urban Oasis Development; Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Murphy Crossing's 1050 Murphy Avenue site (bottom, left) in relation to downtown Atlanta. Google Maps

Subtitle Beltline officials encourage Atlantans to attend virtually or in-person

Neighborhood Oakland City

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Report: Past 25 years have fundamentally transformed Midtown Josh Green Tue, 03/11/2025 - 08:10 With the Braves’ Spring Training days upon us, here’s a little perspective: Since the year 2000, the 1.2.-square-mile area that is the Midtown Improvement District has seen the equivalent of nearly 33 Truist Parks take shape in new development. 

Yes, that’d be like 33 new Major League Baseball stadiums wedged into the sliver of Atlanta between Piedmont Park to the east, the Connector to the west, the southernmost blocks of Buckhead, and MARTA’s Civic Center station to the south. 

So SimCity in real life, basically. 

That’s according to a retrospective compiled recently by Midtown Alliance to mark a major milestone—the 25th anniversary, as of this month—of the Midtown Improvement District. As just one eye-popping number, the report found that $22 billion in new development has sprung up since the year 2000 across the area in question.  

The MID, for short, is a self-taxing entity for Midtown commercial property owners that funds public improvements; and according to Midtown Alliance, it’s been among the most crucial catalysts for spurring fundamental changes across an Atlanta subdistrict more synonymous with high-rise growth than any other. (Even Atlantans not around a quarter-century ago may recall a neighborhood more riddled with empty or underused buildings and vast surface parking lots.)

Looking south from Midtown's 14th and West Peachtree streets intersection in 2014, left, and nine years later. Google Maps/Urbanize Atlanta

The foundation of the MID, which is funded by commercial properties owners via a special assessment, was set in the late 1990s, when Midtown residents made clear they wanted a more walkable urban environment with fresh mixed uses that didn’t lose the feeling of being a neighborhood. The result, according to Midtown Alliance officials, was a series of public improvement projects that transformed Midtown, as the MID’s formerly scant residential population is now approaching 30,000. 

From an economic perspective, Midtown Alliance credits more than $170 million raised by the MID for public right-of-way capital improvements with helping attract the area’s roughly $22 billion in development. 

In turn, that private investment has quadrupled the MID’s revenue since it was formed—to about $12 million this year alone. 

Other positive outcomes: Nearly 30,000 jobs in Midtown have been announced via relocation or expansion, and public-improvement projects totaling $21 million are either under construction or scheduled to start in coming months, per Midtown Alliance. 

Beyond the built environment, the MID’s push to hire off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers for extra patrols (the Midtown Blue program) has yielded positive results over the past quarter-century. 

According to Midtown Alliance, between 1998 and 2024, violent crime has plummeted by 78 percent and property crime by 68 percent in the core district.

Another, lesser known program, Midtown Green, has been expanded by way of MID funding for housekeeping duties across the district. Those include litter and graffiti removal, landscaping and watering, and the constant fight that is getting those pesky, toppled e-scooters off sidewalks. 

Midtown Alliance

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• Before/After: Decade of growth has transformed Midtown Atlanta (Urbanize Atlanta)

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Looking south from Midtown's 14th and West Peachtree streets intersection in 2014, left, and nine years later. Google Maps/Urbanize Atlanta

Midtown Alliance

Subtitle Midtown Improvement District has logged $22B in new development this century, per retrospective

Neighborhood Midtown

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Ponce City Market developer to 'reimagine' Inman Park’s commercial heart Josh Green Mon, 03/10/2025 - 17:01 Livelier times could be in store for a mixed-use district that serves as Inman Park’s commercial heart and a bridge between historic homes and the Atlanta Beltline. 

Jamestown, a global real estate management and investment firm best known in Atlanta for developing Ponce City Market, has acquired a minority interest in Inman Quarter, a popular retail and residential hub where three key neighborhood arteries meet, officials announced today. 

The deal means Jamestown has become a joint-venture partner in the 208,000-square-foot property with its longtime owner, multifamily developer and operator TriBridge Residential. 

Jamestown plans to step in and put its experience with leasing, creative placemaking, and property management to work, in hopes of boosting Inman Quarter’s common spaces, creating a program of community events, and filling retail vacancies, per officials.  

“[We’re] pleased to partner with Jamestown to reimagine Inman Quarter through thoughtful programming and new courtyard activation, deepening both our firms’ commitment to the neighborhood,” said Andy Green, TriBridge managing partner, in today’s announcement. 

Developed a decade ago by JPX Works and later sold, Inman Quarter is situated a block from the Beltline’s perpetually buzzing Eastside Trail. 

A section of Inman Quarter's North Highland Avenue frontage. Courtesy of TriBridge Residential

Today, the property counts tenants such as MF Sushi, Little Spirit, bartaco, and Beetlecat among its 40,000 square feet of retail space. Elsewhere, 200 residential units and a parking deck with 515 spaces are included in the Inman Quarter mix. 

Jamestown reps point to Placer.ai stats that show Inman Quarter brings in about 500,000 visitors each year. 

TriBridge operates more than 6,000 multifamily units across the Southeast, including the firm’s most recent development at arts district The Goat Farm. 

Beyond Ponce City Market, Jamestown’s Atlanta portfolio includes Colony Square, Westside Provisions District, and Buckhead Village. The company counts headquarters in Atlanta and Cologne, Germany, more than 650 employees, and $14.2 billion in assets under management across U.S., European, and Latin American markets.  

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• Inman Park news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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299 N. Highland Ave. Inman Quarter Inman Park Development Jamestown Jamestown Properties TriBridge Residential Eastside Trail Beltline Inman Park news JPX Works JPX

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A section of Inman Quarter's North Highland Avenue frontage. Courtesy of TriBridge Residential

Subtitle Jamestown buys stake in Inman Quarter, forming partnership with longtime owner

Neighborhood Inman Park

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New Science Square tower lands major HQ tenant, jobs boost Josh Green Mon, 03/10/2025 - 15:12 After opening last spring, a project that’s been called the Southeast’s premier mixed-use life sciences district and the first spec lab/office building ever erected in Atlanta is celebrating a significant leasing win this week. 

Battery manufacturer Duracell has signed a 59,000-square-foot lease at Georgia Tech’s Science Square Labs tower, part of an expanded district that blends lab space and residential offerings where Midtown meets English Avenue, according to project developer Trammell Crow Company. 

Duracell is relocating its research-and-development headquarters to Science Square Labs, where it will occupy two full floors. 

Brandon Houston, TCC’s managing director in Atlanta, called the Duracell HQ lease “a tremendous win for Atlanta and a testament to the city’s vibrant ecosystem and top-tier talent” in an announcement today. 

Duracell plans to occupy its space at Science Square by summer 2026, moving more than 100 jobs to the area. 

The modernized R&D facility will aim to continue innovation and growth for the Connecticut-based global battery manufacturer. 

As the company’s innovation hub, the Science Square space will include cutting-edge laboratories, advanced tech infrastructure, and collaborative workspaces, according to TCC officials. 

Phase one includes the science building, at left, and The Grace Residences apartments, at right. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

The 16,000-square-foot SkyDeck on the fifth floor delivers skyline views that renderings had promised. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

CBRE represented the landlord, and Partners Real Estate the tenant, in the Duracell deal. 

The initial phase of Science Square’s expansion included the 370,000-square-foot life science building that stands 13 stories with a modern-industrial aesthetic. Next door is The Grace Residences, a 14-story residential tower (with a smaller, adjacent standalone building) that began opening for renters a year ago. 

Designed by Perkins + Will, Science Square Labs aims to attract state-of-the-art lab and clean-room space for companies that value modern amenities. Unique aspects include a 38,000-square-foot solar panel array atop the parking garage, which has infrastructure for 158 EV charging stations. It’s a candidate for LEED Gold and WELL Gold certifications, officials said this week. 

Other facets of the building include a lounge-like, 16,000-square-foot SkyDeck on the fifth floor with skyline views, a fitness center, a tenant lounge and event space called The Commons, and a conference space.

Science Square Labs features a Konvekta energy recovery system, which extracts energy from exhaust air and returns it to the building’s HVAC system to reduce CO2 emissions and energy costs.Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Previous leases announced to date include 33,000 square feet on the 10th floor claimed by Portal Innovations, a life sciences venture development engine. TCC has also built out 33,000 square feet of furnished “graduator” spec office suites and lab space meant for growing life sciences companies.

Find a closer look at the expanded campus in the gallery above. 

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• Georgia Tech news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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387 Technology Circle NW Science Square The Grace Residences Technology Enterprise Park Cherry Street Energy Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Atlanta apartments Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures Trammell Crow Company High Street Residential Atlanta Housing Hunt Herndon Square Herndon Homes Westside BeltLine Connector Brasfield & Gorrie Brasfield and Gorrie Perkins & Will Perkins&Will Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio Office Space Atlanta Metropolitan College Ángel Cabrera Science Square Labs Lab Space Bankhead English Avenue Aerial Innovations Aerial Innovations Southeast CBRE The Grace Residences at Science Square SRS Real Estate Partners Partners Real Estate CBRE

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Phase one includes the science building, at left, and The Grace Residences apartments, at right. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Social spaces allowing for fresh air. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

A tenant lounge that's part of the building's amenities package. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Science Square Labs features a Konvekta energy recovery system, which extracts energy from exhaust air and returns it to the building’s HVAC system to reduce CO2 emissions and energy costs.Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Walls open in a Science Square tenant lounge to blur lines between indoors and out. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

The 16,000-square-foot SkyDeck on the fifth floor delivers skyline views that renderings had promised. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

A main entry to the solar panel-topped parking garage between both Science Square new buildings. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

The Science Square Labs building's north face today. Photos by Garey Gomez; courtesy of Trammell Crow Company

Subtitle Duracell headquarters to occupy two full floors at 18-acre Georgia Tech district

Neighborhood Georgia Tech

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Georgia Tech - Science Square

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Two-pronged downtown project aims to uplift coastal Georgia city Josh Green Mon, 03/10/2025 - 08:23 When it comes to coastal Georgia cities, Savannah isn’t the only place seeing an influx of investment and development momentum right now. 

With its historic downtown dotted with new restaurants and watering holes—and newfound status as the busiest U.S. port for automobiles, besting Baltimore—Brunswick has been working to establish itself as an economic comeback story and walkable, linger-worthy destination that’s more than a pitstop along Interstate 95. 

A key, two-part component of that comeback recently gained full approval from the Brunswick Historic Preservation Board, clearing the way for construction, according to its development team.  

Plans put together by Caliber Capital and Atlanta-based architecture firm Terminus Design Group call for turning an idle corner diagonal from Brunswick City Hall into an adaptive-reuse hotel and retail spaces, with a ground-up new apartment building claiming a surface parking lot behind it. 

Caliber’s founder and principal owner, Danny York, says the project in the 500 block of Gloucester Street is expected to cost $16 million. Totaling 25,000 square feet, the two-story, former SunTrust Bank branch would see a boutique hotel on the top floor, with retail below. Behind that, the residential component would include 50 units. 

The project’s name, at least for now, is Brunswick Square, though York says that “could change at some point if we come up with something more creative.”  

The Brunswick corner and former bank in question, at left, as seen in November. Google Maps

Adaptive-reuse plans for the corner of Gloucester and Reynolds streets in downtown Brunswick. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

A gym has committed to leasing 7,800 square feet of the retail space, while the remaining roughly 3,500 square feet will go to either a restaurant or salon. The boutique hotel will be priced at “significantly more affordable” rates than another downtown option, The Kress, according to York. 

York says Brunswick Square will mark the first ground-up multifamily development in downtown for many years and that demand is high for quality living options. By his team’s calculations, the full project could generate 200 to 300 daily visits to the area and around $5 million annually in downtown spending.

“I think this [project] will be a major catalyst for the continued success of downtown,” York wrote via email. “Not only will the project create 100 full-time residents, but the gym we’re adding to the project will be the premiere workout facility in Brunswick, offering the best classes, equipment, and personal training in the city and should generate 50 to 100 daily visits.”  

How the residential component of Brunswick Square would transform a large surface parking lot. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

The 500 block of Gloucester Street in the grid of downtown Brunswick. Google Maps

Chris Hunkele, Terminus Design Group principal, described the mixed-use concept as “urban infill in a relatively small town that hasn’t blown up yet but is seeing considerable investment.” And Hunkele would know, having grown up in Brunswick and attended school a few blocks from the site. 

Brunswick’s historic squares, alleys, and English-grid street patterns are identifying elements that were part of General James Oglethorpe’s original plan for the city—echoing the Georgia founder’s designs for Savannah an hour to the north. 

“Historically—in my lifetime anyway—Brunswick has been boom and bust and took a big hit during the recession,” says Hunkele. “It started to recover just before COVID, and there’s been a considerable amount of investment from the local community since then.

“It’s exciting to see old buildings coming back to life,” Hunkele continued. “There’s a great stock of historic Main Street-type buildings, and there’s a ton of value to be had.”

Demolition of a small bank teller building will clear space for apartment amenities and communal greenspace "to establish a connection to the network of historic squares which define the character of Downtown Brunswick," per architects. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

Each component of Brunswick Square has proper zoning in place, and developers aren’t seeking any variances, though plans still need to be finalized before paperwork for building permits is filed, says York. 

York says the goal is to break ground on Brunswick Square in June—and to deliver the hotel and retail component eight months after that. The multifamily residential component could also be finished quickly, opening in summer 2026, pending delay, he says. 

York moved to nearby St. Simons Island in 2021 and bought his first investment property—situated next door to the former bank—the following year. That property “performed extremely well,” lending him confidence to seek another bet downtown, he says. 

“Brunswick has a lot going for it,” York notes. “The Port has grown significantly over the past few years, we got a Buc-ee’s, it’s a great launch point for Jekyll [Island], St.Simons, Cumberland, and Sea Island—all solid tourist options. It’s close to beaches, rivers, and fun waterfront activities.” 

Find more context and imagery for the Brunswick proposal in the gallery above—no gas money required. 

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• OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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510 Gloucester Street Brunswick Square Caliber Capital Terminus Design Group Georgia Coast Coastal Georgia City of Brunswick Brunswick Historic Preservation Board Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Infill Jekyll Island The Kress BuilldWise Georgia Georgia Development Georgia Cities

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The 500 block of Gloucester Street in the grid of downtown Brunswick. Google Maps

The Brunswick corner and former bank in question, at left, as seen in November. Google Maps

Adaptive-reuse plans for the corner of Gloucester and Reynolds streets in downtown Brunswick. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

Backside of the commercial building as a future hotel and retail. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

How the residential component of Brunswick Square would transform a large surface parking lot. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

Demolition of a small bank teller building will clear space for apartment amenities and communal greenspace "to establish a connection to the network of historic squares which define the character of Downtown Brunswick," per architects. Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

Terminus Design Group; courtesy of Caliber Capital

Google Maps

Subtitle Brunswick Square calls for repurposing old bank, swapping parking lot for rentals

Neighborhood OTP

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Photos: Georgia Tech installs shimmering landmark as ode to female alum Josh Green Fri, 03/07/2025 - 16:00 When it comes to public spaces on Georgia Tech’s urban campus, recent years have seen additions that include a towering sculpture by legendary alum John Portman and the EcoCommons, a 7-acre greenspace that confronts an ugly racial past in the area. 

But the campus has never seen anything quite like this. 

Georgia Tech’s newest permanent art installation—a sweeping piece with important, evolving messaging near the John Lewis Student Center—is scheduled to be officially unveiled Monday, as Women’s History Month 2025 unfolds. 

Titled Pathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women, the shimmering mosaic includes 3,000 mirrored tiles, pathways, and functional seating with a backdrop of campus structures and Atlanta skyscrapers.

An overview of the Georgia Tech installation, as shown in a rendering. Courtesy of Georgia Tech

As seen today, an aerial of the project by Merica May Jensen, GT MGT 2008, M. ARCH 2011.Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

The work is by Merica May Jensen, a Georgia Tech alumna and lead project artist-architect and a founding creative director at New York City-based design studio Gray Matters. 

The reflective piece (symbolically and not) aims to honor decades of Georgia Tech women’s achievements—and to inspire and inform students on campus today. Input from current faculty, staff, and students helped inform the design, as Georgia Tech reps tell Urbanize Atlanta. 

On the official opening day, the installation will feature 168 tiles with stories and brief passages from the inaugural female honorees. More stories will be added on an annual basis. 

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

The project, spearheaded by alumna Andrea Laliberte, includes a large mosaic ribbon that rises from a local silver cloud granite table and ends in granite from Barre, Vermont, where Laliberte was born. 

“There are, and have been, amazing women here, but no one knows about them,” said Laliberte in a recent announcement. “My hope is that their stories inspire the next generation.”

In the gallery above, see how the artistic tribute turned out—from up close and high above. 

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

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• Georgia Tech news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Georgia Tech Atlanta Public Art Public Art John Lewis Student Center Pathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women Merica May Jensen Gray Matters Andrea Laliberte Georgia Tech news Parrish Ruiz de Velasco

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An overview of the Georgia Tech installation, as shown in a rendering. Courtesy of Georgia Tech

As seen today, an aerial of the project by Merica May Jensen, GT MGT 2008, M. ARCH 2011.Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

Photo by Parrish Ruiz de Velasco, courtesy of Gray Matters

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Georgia Tech

Subtitle Permanent, evolving piece near John Lewis Student Center to commemorate Women’s History Month

Neighborhood Georgia Tech

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