1940s Midtown auto shop razed for modern, high-end apartments

A more than 70-year-old former auto shop in Midtown has bowed to the wrecking ball to make way for Atlanta’s next apartment building.

Built in 1945, the Mellen Parts Company garage had been sitting vacant at 126 Renaissance Parkway, between Courtland Street and Piedmont Avenue, before it was demolished earlier this month.

Now, a new rendering by Norcross-based real estate investment firm Dezhu US has emerged online, showing a modern apartment building that promises Class A units.

The project is also slated to include street-level retail and rooftop gardens, according to the developer’s website.

Curbed Atlanta

Midtown’s Design Review Committee praised the proposed building’s design in November, and the City of Atlanta approved a Special Administrative Permit for the project in December, per Dezhu.

A few years ago, the old garage was supposed to be converted into loft offices by developer EpiCity, but those plans didn’t materialize.

Across the street, an empty lot encompassing more than an acre is being marketed for redevelopment in what’s been called “SoNo,” where Midtown and downtown meet.

Dezhu is also part of the team behind the upcoming luxury condo project J5, a 150-unit development scheduled for a spring debut, along with at least four multifamily builds in the works in Old Fourth Ward.