Decades-empty Atlanta Constitution building gets new life
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143 Alabama Street and 2 Peachtree could add hundreds of affordable units in Atlanta. Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
A historic but beat up South Downtown building that sat vacant for five decades is getting the overhaul it has long deserved.
Why it matters: Developer Gorman and Company plans to turn the former Atlanta Constitution building into Folio House, a mixed-income housing development with rents affordable for service workers, bus drivers and more.
Zoom in: The project's first phase calls for converting the building's upper floors into 50 residential units, 46 of which would serve people living on lower incomes, Gorman southeast market president Joel Reed said at a Thursday groundbreaking.
- The company will also restore the exterior and clean up the ground floor.
- Construction starts Monday. The team plans to finish the phase before the FIFA World Cup kicks off next summer.
Catch up quick: Built in the early 1947, the five-story building was home to the Atlanta Constitution, one of two newspapers that merged to become the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Georgia Power then moved in for a short period before vacating the art moderne building — one of the last of its kind in Atlanta — in the early 1970s. It's been empty ever since.
Reality check: Remediation and abatement work on the building comes first, Reed said.
- "There's a swimming pool in the basement," he said. "It wasn't meant to be a swimming pool, but there is a swimming pool in the basement."
- "There's a green roof up top," he said, referring to trees growing out of the building. "We're going to be modifying that as well."
What they're saying: "All these projects are testaments to the strength of public-private partnerships," Mayor Andre Dickens said Thursday, adding the eyesore always seemed "spooky" to him.
- "These partnerships allow us to turn vacant and underutilized buildings into thriving community serving spaces."
- "We are turning public assets into engines for equity and economic mobility," he said.
Zoom out: The city has plans to convert nearby city-owned properties, including the 2 Peachtree skyscraper and a lot across the street from City Hall, into affordable housing.
- It builds on the momentum in South Downtown, which is expected to see billions of dollars in new development and will likely be a World Cup activity hub.
What's next: A second phase calls for constructing a new 150-unit residential project adjacent to the historic building.