Emory University seeks to demolish old Life of Georgia building

A classical office building at West Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue, constructed long ago to house the Life of Georgia insurance company, could soon be demolished by Emory University Hospital.

According to a Special Administration Permit application for the structure at 573 West Peachtree St., Emory hopes to “facilitate timely construction once comprehensive construction documents are completed” on an unspecified new facility to occupy the site.

The vagueness of the wording has left many in preservation circles in Atlanta to surmise that Emory has no specific plans for the site.

The mid-rise classical building, which dates to 1930, sits at the northwestern edge of the Emory University Hospital Midtown campus and has been threatened with demolition before.

However, advocates say the building, with its Beaux-Arts styling and neoclassical details, is the perfect candidate for adaptive-reuse.

Furthermore, preservationists argue, the demolition would leave three of four corners of the intersection vacant. That’s sparked cries that plenty of space to develop exists nearby without having to demolish one of the last remaining historic buildings in the area.

While a timeline for the possible demolition isn’t yet clear, a petition has been started to advocate for the structure’s preservation.

GSU Special Collections via Atlanta Time Machine

GSU Special Collections via Atlanta Time Machine

• Case SAP-17-107: SAP/SPI [City of Atlanta]
• Industrial Life & Health Insurance Company Building [Atlanta Time Machine]
• Save the Industrial Life and Health Insurance Company Building! [iPetitions]