Atlanta's 85 Peachtree revival adds courtyard... and a streetcar
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The breezeway at 85 Peachtree Street will stretch across the block. Photos: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
A nearly 130-year-old dry goods store in South Downtown is being rebuilt into apartments — with a public courtyard carved through the middle and a historic Atlanta streetcar as its centerpiece.
Why it matters: Atlanta's historic building stock is an endangered species. The developer of South Downtown's $28 million near-total rebuild of 85 Peachtree Street keeps a piece of the city's past alive.
Zoom in: Construction crews are uncovering cast-iron columns, long-hidden window openings and forgotten facades as they turn the building into 26 studios and larger apartments overlooking Peachtree and Broad streets.
- South Downtown Atlanta, which is developing 85 Peachtree and dozens of other nearby properties into retail, residential and business incubator spaces, plans to outsource amenities like a gym and commons areas to the community.
- They are recruiting a gym operator and other businesses, April Stammel of South Downtown Atlanta told Axios during an exclusive tour.
The street level includes retail and restaurant spaces that open to a breezeway and public courtyard connecting Peachtree and Broad. The building's original facade frames the entrances.
- The centerpiece of the courtyard: A restored original Atlanta streetcar that will serve as patio space for the nearby restaurant.
What they're saying: "This kind of move, from a development perspective, does not make [financial sense] because you're taking away leasable square footage," Stammel said about the team's decision to build the courtyard.
- However, they believe the courtyard's character will draw people to the building and keep them coming back.
Caveat: The developer demolished a structurally unsound part of the building to create the open space, which would be closed to the public overnight, and give the ground-floor spaces more breathing room.
Catch up quick: Opened in 1899 on what was then Whitehall Street, 85 Peachtree was the home of Bass Dry Goods Store, one of the Southeast's first department stores and a player in Downtown's retail glory days.
Fun fact: Willis F. Denny II, the building's architect, also designed the Victor Kriegshaber House near Little Five Points (now The Wrecking Bar restaurant) and Rhodes Hall.
State of play: South Downtown Atlanta plans to open 85 Peachtree for leasing in early June, shortly before the FIFA World Cup.
- South Downtown Atlanta has not announced rental ranges.