Near Turner Field, Summerhill’s old Georgia Avenue commercial strip could gain new life

Rendering reveals transformed section of former neighborhood retail cluster east of the new GSU stadium

By Michael Kahn Updated Apr 25, 2017, 8:00am EDT

Low commercial buildings, surrounded by activity, with the Stadium in the background. — A rendering showing an enlivened Georgia Avenue.

A row of early 20th Century brick commercial buildings a block east of ~~Turner Field~~ GSU Stadium could be transformed into a vibrant new hub for the neighborhood—at least according to a flashy new rendering that’s being circulated.

During this past weekend’s Atlanta Streets Alive celebration on the Southside route, a fresh rendering was revealed for the revitalization of the strip. The image was shared on Reddit by user jsvh.

The image represents a vision for an enlivened Georgia Avenue, extending from the stadium toward Grant Park. The development would be a small part of the planned overhaul for the neighborhood following the departure of the Braves to SunTrust Park.

Plans for the corridor have been in the works since Carter—the team that’s also behind the reimagining of the parking lots around the former baseball venue—bought up many of the properties highlighted in the rendering last year.

The commercial strip’s revitalization, if realized, could begin to restitch the neighborhood southeast of downtown together.

Before there was a Turner Field, or even an Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, the neighborhoods south of downtown were continuously connected. The construction of stadiums and the interstate dramatically changed the landscape of these communities.

In more good news for area residents concerned about how the new development may impact them, GSU has struck an agreement to ensure the community has a voice in the coming changes.

The AJC reports that after more than a year of wrangling, locals will see benefits—ranging from flood control to low-income housing—when the new development comes.

While transformation of the stadium is underway, the timeline for the rest of the development has yet to be released. But this appears to be the latest vision for what it could look like: