MARTA station shipping-container ‘village’ gets the go-ahead

The parking lot of MARTA’s westernmost train station is about to be filled with shipping containers ... and that’s a good thing.

But rather than standard freight, the containers at Hamilton E. Holmes will house about 6,500 square feet of affordable retail and office space. The City of Atlanta recently announced the launch of the project, dubbed The iVillage at MLK. It was first proposed earlier this year.

The temporary installment will provide transit-oriented spaces for entrepreneurs thanks to $500,000 in funding by Invest Atlanta.

Additionally, the project will feature a “sizable lawn and deck areas to host public events.”

Invest Atlanta

According to a statement by Mayor Kasim Reed, the shipping-container development will be the first of its kind in Georgia. But don’t expect it to be around forever.

Ultimately, MARTA hopes to create a permanent development on the site of the parking lots, potentially including housing, retail, and office space.

• Mayor Kasim Reed Announces The iVillage at MLK, Georgia’s First Shipping Container Village [City of Atlanta]
• Shipping containers to provide boutique retail, office space in MARTA parking lot [Curbed Atlanta]