Atlanta airport calls for investors, developers to build out 200 acres of adjacent land

Slowly but surely, the long-underutilized areas around Atlanta’s airport are showing signs of becoming what local leaders call Aerotropolis.

In 2015, a group of political and business heavies formed the Aerotroplis Atlanta Alliance—now called AeroATL—to spearhead efforts to transform the mishmash of warehouses, restaurants serving airport workers, and hotels for travelers into somewhere patrons of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and locals alike would want to live, work, and play.

As of today, a spokesperson for leasing manager JLL says airport officials are officially seeking developers and investors to reimagine some 200 acres of airport property.

Collectively, that’s larger than Piedmont Park.

Officials are shopping for firms to lease and develop four parcels—on Loop, Godby, and Riverdale roads and Clark Howell Highway—located outside the airport’s secure area.

Details of the request for proposals (RFPs) remain scant, but a news release states: “The airport is looking to vet a myriad of concepts for the properties, including retail, industrial, office, and others.”

Next week, HJIA is hosting a pre-proposal conference where prospective investors and development firms can learn more about the parameters of the RFPs.

Portman Architects, via Majestic Realty

It’s not the only development activity in area.

Next door to the airport, developer Majestic Reality, in partnership with Portman Architects, is developing a 541-key Hilton hotel complex expected to house 50,000 square feet of meeting space, an office building, a second hospitality component, and a 1,150-space parking deck.

This past summer, the City of College Park crafted a blueprint for the potential redevelopment of 420 acres of municipal land, just west of the airport.

The proposed mixed-use development, dubbed “Airport City,” promises millions of square feet of office space, restaurants and retail, hotel rooms, and more.

In other Atlanta airport-related news, the city’s new smoking laws have made HJIA the largest public airport in the United States to ban smoking, according to Forbes.

City of College Park

This story was updated on January 6, 2020 at 3:21 p.m. to indicate that the properties officials are looking to redevelop are located outside the airport’s secure area. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated they were inside that area.