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A view of the downtown skyline at dusk, beyond a grove of trees.
Significant new additions could be in store for the downtown skyline, as seen here from the north.
One Baltimore Place

Mapping downtown Atlanta’s present and planned developments

Nearly 50 projects large and small could fundamentally transform the city’s core in coming years

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Significant new additions could be in store for the downtown skyline, as seen here from the north.
| One Baltimore Place

Development in Midtown Atlanta has been going gangbusters for years, and with land prices at a premium in the district, many developers are turning southward, to downtown.

Across Atlanta’s historic core, more than a dozen projects are active, but these changes could be just the beginning.

More than 30 additional developments are proposed.

Here’s a glimpse at what’s going on now, and what’s planned for downtown:

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North Avenue Presbyterian Church

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Renovations are underway to add a glassy new entry to the church and education building along Peachtree Street where downtown and Midtown commingle. The overhauled building will provide new ministry and worship spaces and take cues from the historic sanctuary, with stone columns and a pitched roof to match the adjacent structure.

The exterior of a church with a glass enclosed entryway and a sloped roof. Trick 3D via NAPC

SpringHill Suites

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Work is wrapping up behind the Georgia Aquarium on a 170-room hotel tower. The building is slated to open this summer after two years of work.

Buildings behind a fence. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Post Centennial Park

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—After two years, work is finally nearing completion on the two-building project that straddles Simpson Street near Centennial Olympic Park. When open, the project will bring more than 400 new residences to the neighborhood.

In the foreground is pedestrian plaza and a street. The street has apartment buildings on both sides. There is heavy fog hanging over the street and buildings.
The two buildings sitting on either side of Simpson Street.
Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Centennial Olympic Park

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—A major expansion and renovation of the park is underway, including a new events building, plazas, park entrances, and an upgraded amphitheater. At last check, work on all new facets of the park was supposed to finish later this year.

Peachtree Center updates

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—After 50 years, downtown’s iconic Peachtree Center is seeing a major facelift. The development’s central courtyard and underground shopping spaces are being transformed into The Hub,” which will include new dining offerings and more outdoor areas. Work is slated for completion next spring.

A rendering of the interior of a shopping center (Peachtree Center). There is a glass skylight with colorful lights. There are people walking on the ground floor. Beck Group renderings courtesy of Banyan Street Capital

120 Piedmont Avenue

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Construction is rolling on a new student housing tower for Georgia State University on the site of a former gas station. Plans call for the 26-story tower, designed by Preston Partnership, to house nearly 700 students when completed for the 2019 school year.

Northside Drive pedestrian bridge

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Despite controversy, a new serpentine bridge is under construction to connect the Vine City MARTA Station to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, across Northside Drive. And despite major cost overruns and a doubling of the budget to more than $24 million, the city granted funding.

Home Depot Backyard

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—With the Georgia Dome no more than a memory, a new greenspace and tailgating area is being constructed just north of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 13-acre lawn will be used for game-day events as well as “arts and cultural events, entertainment, and community activation beginning in 2018,” per officials. 

The new greenspace planned for the Atlanta Falcons new stadium in downtown Atlanta. Home Depot/Atlanta Falcons

Philips Arena renovation

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—While work has been paused for (a putrid) basketball season, the transformation of Atlanta’s arena is underway. Inside, expect a slew of new and unique amenities for Hawks fanatics as well as an upgraded seating bowl.

Candler Building hotel conversion

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—After stalling for nearly two years, crews are back at work transforming the 112-year-old office building into a 265-room boutique hotel.

Hurt Building renovation

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—The century-old Hurt Building is undergoing a massive renovation to restore original details in the ornate lobby and incorporate 21st century technology as part of a $4 million upgrade. After delays, the project is slated to be finished later this year.

The interior of the Hurt Building. The floor, ceiling, and walls are white. There are blue chairs. There is a white lobby desk. Rendering courtesy of Gamma Real Estate

Cambria Hotel

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Work is underway to transform this old commercial building into a 124-room hotel. The Sejwad Hospitality project is estimated to cost roughly $16.5 million, and while permits have been issued, it’s unclear when the job will be complete.

The exterior of the Cambria Hotel in Atlanta. The facade is brown brick. There is an intersection in front of the building.

Judicial complex

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION—While technically just outside the boundaries of downtown, the new $122 million State Judicial Complex, located across the Connector from the Capitol Building, will change the surrounding neighborhood.

BP Station offices

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PROPOSED—The BP Station across from The Varsity could see the addition of a second story if the owner has his way. The project would seek to leverage the location by adding office space to the site, above the gas station.

The one-story mini mart and gas pumps from across the street. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Student housing tower

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PROPOSED—Announced last fall, a student housing tower to serve Georgia Tech students is in the works for a site that once housed a senior housing tower. Capstone Collegiate Communities is hoping to fill a large vacant lot adjacent to Bobby Dodd Stadium with residences for around 1,000 students.

An aerial image showing Bobby Dodd Stadium and Georgia Tech dorms along the interstate. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Life of Georgia Building site

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PROPOSED—Less a new development and more a potential loss for downtown, Emory University Hospital Midtown has announced plans to demolish the old Life of Georgia Building at the corner of West Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue. Constructed in 1930, the Beaux Arts structure has stood vacant and neglected for years. The hospital wants to leave it as an empty lot for future development.

537 Peachtree Street NW

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PROPOSED—Long abandoned, the 1901 Rufus Rose House on Peachtree Street is in need of some serious TLC. For nearly three years, owner (and former Atlanta City Council candidate) Liliana Bakhtiari has planned a performance venue, office spaces, and a restaurant to help activate the front yard of the 5,200-square-foot Victorian, though no work has been seen as of yet.

An abandoned mansion with a dark red brick facade. Google Maps

Mellen Lofts

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PROPOSED—Announced back in 2016, Mellen Lofts would see the conversion of an old mechanics’ garage into loft office space. Developer EpiCity promised a communal break room, shared breakout areas, and a rooftop deck with killer views of the downtown skyline.

524 West Peachtree hotel

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PROPOSED—Across from Emory University Hospital Midtown, an old office building has been languishing for years. With a leaky roof, broken windows, and squatters, the classical building needs some serious attention. And while plans have been created for a renovation and expansion for a new hotel, it’s unclear if the project is moving forward.

SoNo on Peachtree

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PROPOSED—Following the closure of the adjacent Peachtree-Pine shelter, plans were filed for a 200-unit apartment building and 100,000-square-foot office building to fill the middle of the block between Peachtree and Courtland streets. The development would require the demolition of one old commercial building, while the Peasant Building would remain.

A rendering of an apartment building. SoNo on Peachtree filing for SAP

The Stitch

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PROPOSED—Hands down the most ambitious project on the table in downtown, The Stitch includes a range of new buildings surrounding a park capping the Connector around the Civic Center MARTA Station. Engineering studies are underway. The billion-dollar plan is long-range and could change Atlanta forever. Here’s a look at the potential site today: https://atlanta.curbed.com/atlanta-photo-essays/2018/2/27/17059266/downtown-atlantas-stitch-highway-capping-park-photos

Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment

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PROPOSED—Technically located at the western edge of Old Fourth Ward, the former Atlanta Civic Center site could hold the key to neighborhood changes at the northeastern edge of downtown. While plans for a suburban-style redevelopment were canceled back in 2016, the recent sale of the land means similarly transformative plans may be alive, with the Atlanta Housing Authority involved.

Generation

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PROPOSED—Developer Kaplan hopes to bring a 336-unit apartment venture to a vacant site just north of Baker Street. The 11-story tower is anticipated to cost around $80 million. While construction was supposed to start this fall, the future of the project is in limbo due to a pending lawsuit about the property.

The Medical Arts Building

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PROPOSED—The long-languishing brick tower at the edge of the Connector should soon see needed TLC as restoration begins. Global X intends to revamp the structure into 85,000 square feet of Class A office space.

One Ocean Place

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PROPOSED—Last year, Atlanta-based Jacoby Development proposed a two-towered project to feature research facilities for marine life studies, event facilities, a theater, exhibition spaces, restaurants, retail storefronts, and a rooftop terrace. It’s unclear if the Georgia Aquarium’s planned expansion closes the door on this proposal.

Georgia Aquarium expansion

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PROPOSED—Plans call for a major expansion of the Georgia Aquarium toward Baker Street and Centennial Olympic Park. Slated to start construction this fall, the project will open in 2020.

Hyatt Place Centennial Park

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PROPOSED—Plans recently emerged for a 174-room hotel to rise across from the Georgia Aquarium. Atlanta-based developer Songy Highroads would construct the building on the former site of a two-story midcentury school.

A rendering of Hyatt Place Centennial Park in Atlanta. The building is white with trees in front. Renderings: SonyHighroads.com

International Plaza

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PROPOSED—Back in 2016, plans were announced for a 25-story development known as “International Plaza.” The building would include a dual-branded hotel with 50,000 square feet of retail and a rooftop bar. Not much recent activity to note.

161 Peachtree Center Avenue

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PROPOSED—A 14-story tower atop an existing parking deck has been proposed to bring more than 300 residences to Peachtree Center Avenue. The development would boast 20 percent affordable housing units, with market rates running from $1,900 to more than $3,100 a month.

SkyTower Thrill Park

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PROPOSED—At last check, the team behind downtown’s Ferris wheel, SkyView, is planning a SkyTower to combine three amusement rides: SkyShot, SkyDrop, and SkyTwist. No timeline has been released.

A rendering of SkyTower Thrill Park in Atlanta. There is a ferris wheel. The park is surrounded by city buildings.

Margaritaville

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PROPOSED—South of Centennial Olympic Park, in the heart of Atlanta’s tourist district, a developer hopes to demolish three old commercial buildings to construct a giant restaurant and entertainment venue. Preservationists have mounted a campaign against the development.

Two-story turn-of-the-century commercial buildings painted beige. Google Maps

Atlanta Central Library

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PROPOSED—Plans are coming together for the renovation of the Atlanta-Fulton County Central Library, a brutalist landmark designed by architect Marcel Breuer. The project will be the culmination of years of battling between the county, citizens, and preservationists, though the final design has yet to be revealed publicly.

The heavy concrete building, sitting on a plaza. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

GWCCA Hotel

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PROPOSED—On the site of the Georgia Dome, plans call for a 1,010-room hotel to rise adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center. The project is anticipated to cost $400 million but won’t start construction until at least 2019.

Grant Building renovation

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PROPOSED—The late-19th century Grant Building in the heart of Fairlie-Poplar is just one of the many historic structures in downtown slated to see upgrades. Denver-based Kramer Real Estate Investments and partner H2 Capital plan “significant building modernization” throughout.

Along with aesthetic upgrades, a renewed retail push is underway at 44 Broad St.—where a photo is seen here—in the heart of downtown. Google Maps

Gulch development

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PROPOSED—A billion-dollar redevelopment of the gash in downtown known as the Gulch may hinge on the selection of Atlanta as the site for Amazon’s HQ2. But a document lodged with the city by CIM Group outlines what more than 10 million square feet of development could look like.

Healey Building Commercial Renovation

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PROPOSED—At the base of the historic Healey Building, Joel and Granot Real Estate and investor Dion Melzer plan to soon begin more than $1 million in upgrades to the 50,000 square feet of commercial space.

Forsyth-Walton Building

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PROPOSED—Threatened with demolition back in 2015, this Art Deco two-story building may just get a reprieve from the wrecking ball. After community uproar about the project’s original plans, the neighboring telecom building has proposed retaining the existing structure as part of an expansion. No word on a timeline.

Auburn Avenue apartments

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PROPOSED—The Integral Group is hoping to bring 92 residential units and 4,000 square feet of retail space to Auburn Avenue, along the streetcar line. The existing parking lot on the site has been cordoned off, but no timeline has been released.

34 Peachtree Street building

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PROPOSED—Atlanta developer Dion Meltzer announced his intentions to bring a 170-room boutique hotel to the upper floors of the building across from Woodruff Park in 2016. Work to convert 12 floors of the building from office space was anticipated to begin in January 2017, but there has yet to be any new annoucement.

United Way Building conversion

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PROPOSED—Office tenants have been vacating the midcentury office building facing Hurt Park for the past several months, with reports indicating that plans call for the tower to be converted into student housing. Developer Gilbane has applied for permits to start work on the 18-story building.

The modern building, seen with the downtown skyline beyond. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Atlanta Constitution Building adaptive-reuse

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PROPOSED—Abandoned for decades, the streamlined Art Moderne structure that originally housed the offices and printing facilities for the Atlanta Constitution is slated to become part of the reinvention around Underground Atlanta. Plans call for the building to house 67,000 square feet of loft office space—half of which is slated to be occupied by the City of Atlanta Planning Office, while a new housing building would be developed adjacent.

Hurt Park upgrades

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PROPOSED—A triangular park in the heart of GSU, along the Edgewood Avenue streetcar line, Hurt Park has long suffered from neglect. Plans in 2016 revealed intentions to fix up the park and the fountain on the grounds, but no news has been revealed since.

Sweet Auburn Ballroom

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PROPOSED—Announced in 2016, the Sweet Auburn Ballroom is slated to fill an outdated YMCA building on Jesse Hill, Jr. Drive off Auburn Avenue. Live Nation, who also runs the Tabernacle downtown — roughly more than double the size of the Ballroom — will develop and manage the venue, per plans. No new information has bubbled up since the announcement.

Kell Hall Demolition /GSU Greenway Mall

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PROPOSED—Georgia State University is planning to move forward with the demolition of one of their oldest buildings, Kell Hall, built as a parking garage nearly 100 years ago. The replacement? A greenway through campus.

Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

The Avery at Underground Atlanta

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PROPOSED—As part of the reinvention of Underground Atlanta, Prestwick Development Company plans to construct a $36.7 million, four-story, 180-unit workforce multifamily development. The project would face the Alabama Street pedestrian plaza at Pryor Street.

Underground Atlanta

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PROPOSED—Developer WRS is gunning for a massive overhaul of Atlanta’s historic core, proposing residences, retail, offices, and a grocery store to drive density around Five Points. The full buildout will take years, and plans are still evolving, but phase one construction is very much underway.

Norfolk Southern adaptive-reuse

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PROPOSED—After languishing for years, the century-old, two-building complex along the Gulch in South Downtown is slated to be transformed into residences. Drawings by Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein show a 246-unit project with streetfront retail and surface parking in the Gulch.

South Downtown development

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PROPOSED—The Gulch isn’t the only site of epic redevelopment plans in this district. Developer Newport US hopes to transform a large swath of South Downtown through the adaptive-reuse of dozens of buildings as well as the construction of new projects to infill parking lots. Existing streets will be turned into pedestrian-friendly corridors as the project comes to fruition in coming years, developers say.

A pedestrian plaza surrounded by various buildings. Newport

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North Avenue Presbyterian Church

UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Renovations are underway to add a glassy new entry to the church and education building along Peachtree Street where downtown and Midtown commingle. The overhauled building will provide new ministry and worship spaces and take cues from the historic sanctuary, with stone columns and a pitched roof to match the adjacent structure.

The exterior of a church with a glass enclosed entryway and a sloped roof. Trick 3D via NAPC

SpringHill Suites

UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Work is wrapping up behind the Georgia Aquarium on a 170-room hotel tower. The building is slated to open this summer after two years of work.

Buildings behind a fence. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Post Centennial Park

UNDER CONSTRUCTION—After two years, work is finally nearing completion on the two-building project that straddles Simpson Street near Centennial Olympic Park. When open, the project will bring more than 400 new residences to the neighborhood.

In the foreground is pedestrian plaza and a street. The street has apartment buildings on both sides. There is heavy fog hanging over the street and buildings.
The two buildings sitting on either side of Simpson Street.
Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Centennial Olympic Park

UNDER CONSTRUCTION—A major expansion and renovation of the park is underway, including a new events building, plazas, park entrances, and an upgraded amphitheater. At last check, work on all new facets of the park was supposed to finish later this year.