The blocks between North Avenue and The Connector have long been a no-man's-land between downtown and Midtown. But that is all changing, and fast, as evidenced by the latest announcement in the Atlanta Business Chronicle spotlighting a new hotel to be constructed on West Peachtree Street, just west of the Civic Center. The four-story building — a former listing on Loopnet offers an original construction date of 1928, though modifications through the years haven't necessarily been kind to the neoclassical structure — that served as the home for storied architecture firm Rosser International will reportedly be demolished, making way for a 175-room, eight-story "upper midscale" hotel.
Until recently, very little of the Midtown development boom had found its way toward the downtown side of the neighborhood, known as SONO (South of North Avenue). Many blame the lack of development in the area on the beleaguered Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter, which the city is studying for possible use as a fire station, though with lawsuits pending, it seems it's here to stay for the moment.
But the tide may be turning despite the judicial gridlock. A new wave of development announcements have followed the release of plans for a massive mixed-use development on the site of the Civic Center, including the rehabbing of the historic Rufus Rose House and the conversion of an aging apartment building into premium lofts to be called "The Byron."
Sellers Marconi Park LLC and Quarry LLC netted $4.4 million for the building and half-acre site on the cusp of The Connector, next to the Civic Center MARTA Station. The implications of the sale and other recent development proposals cannot be understated. Filling in SONO with development would forge a connection between Midtown and downtown, linking the entire length of Peachtree Street into one large urban mass for the first time since The Connector was built in the 1950s.
· Hotel planned for former Rosser International building [Atlanta Business Chornicle]
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