Development

Obsessed with reinvention since its inception, Atlanta today is witnessing a more piecemeal changeover, as I’ve personally seen over more than a dozen years of covering the city’s physical evolution. Instead of entire districts being flattened, it’s a row of older bungalows, an aging apartment complex, a shuttered factory—all broadly described as gentrification. But is that a gentler way of saying urban renewal never really ended?

The first major project in the ambitious Centennial Yards district downtown is now open. Adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena with 292 rooms, a Southern-French restaurant, and a cocktail-forward bar program, Hotel Phoenix stands as a symbol of the city’s ongoing reinvention.

These are Atlanta's 500 most powerful leaders. We spent months consulting experts and sorting through nominations to get a list of the city's most influential people—from artists to chefs to philanthropists to sports coaches and corporate CEOs. In this section, we focus on architecture and design, commercial contractors, commercial real estate brokers, commercial real estate sponsors, residential real estate brokers, and residential real estate developers.

In the summer of 2023, Atlanta Beltline Inc. designers made headlines by promising that a world-class bike park for all ages and skill levels was bound for the city’s largest greenspace, Shirley Clarke Franklin Park, or what used to be called Westside Park. In a couple of weeks, they’ll start making good on that promise, with a goal of creating an outdoor amenity like metro Atlanta’s never seen.

With a goal of making Georgia State University's campus more walkable, welcoming, and safer, a $100-plus million plan calls to raze the Sparks Hall classroom building and close off part of Gilmer Street to make way for the 15-acre “Panther Quad,” expanding GSU’s new Greenway corridor that weaves through downtown’s grid system. But blueprints for open, pedestrian-friendly spaces also call for the demolition of a century-old building at 148 Edgewood Avenue. A small army of intown historians and activists finds that part problematic.

Overall, Piedmont Park will add more than six miles of new pedestrian paths, upgraded infrastructure, sidewalks and trails for walkers and joggers, dedicated lanes for bikers and scooters, enhanced entrances, seating, restrooms and water fountains and improved maintenance practices.

These are Atlanta's 500 most powerful leaders. We spent months consulting experts and sorting through nominations to get a list of the city's most influential people—from artists to chefs to philanthropists to sports coaches and corporate CEOs. In this section, we focus on architecture and design, commercial contractors, commercial real estate brokers, commercial real estate sponsors, residential real estate brokers, and residential real estate developers.

Will Lulah Hills and its 2.5 million-square-foot campus with 320,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 1,700 multifamily units, 100 townhomes, and a 150 room hotel enrich North DeKalb? Time will tell.

What Newport had toiled for seven years to accumulate took David Cummings less than two months to purchase, through deals with seven different lenders. As of this writing, Atlanta Ventures’ new LLC, SoDo Atlanta, now owns all of Newport’s former holdings, save one. Cummings isn’t disclosing yet what he paid for such a hefty chunk of downtown, but says he’s pleased with the sale price: “You never know what something’s worth, [but] it feels good right now.”

These are Atlanta's 500 most powerful leaders. We spent months consulting experts and sorting through nominations to get a list of the city's most influential people—from artists to chefs to philanthropists to sports coaches and corporate CEOs. In this section, we focus on architecture and design, commercial contractors, commercial real estate brokers, commercial real estate sponsors, residential real estate brokers, and residential real estate developers.