Development

The excitement about new development obscures an awkward fact that the city and developers have to reckon with: Downtown already has more buildings than it has people who want to occupy them. It already has more road, rail, and bus capacity than any eastern U.S. downtown south of Washington, D.C. On weekdays, there are plenty of people there. The problem is that, at 5 p.m. on Fridays, the place clears out. Downtown Atlanta is often filled with a large, diverse group of people, but not many of them are residents.

Darin Givens—cofounder of ThreadATL, a nonprofit advocacy organization that aims to influence city planning and policy—explains why this cross-section of Forsyth and Poplar streets in the Fairlie-Poplar District has it all.

Eviscerating a century-old office building and refashioning it into apartments is no easy feat. Older offices are nonpliable, stubborn things, riddled with secret problems and outdated floor plans. But the hassle was worth it for Centennial Yards Company, the developer behind a 162-unit project called the Lofts at Centennial Yards South, a remake of half of the long-vacant Norfolk Southern Buildings.

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.

The developers behind Atlantic Station and Colony Square are redesigning the Marietta shopping center. Here’s what it will look like.

As land values skyrocket, Atlanta churches are falling for development left and right. But is cashing in and moving on really a sin?

Winners Circle Park, a fusion of dining and basically every sport outside of auto racing and boxing, is expected to break ground in Forsyth County by late summer. The privately funded project is expected to cost upwards of $150 million.

The Atlanta Housing Authority, which purchased the sprawling facility from the city in 2017, has outlined a plan to preserve and update the historic auditorium, while transforming the surrounding complex into a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, retail, and shared public space.

With big, vibey brands like Patagonia announced, Krog Street Market is aiming to become known for more than fine cheesesteaks and buttery pastries.

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.