FEBRUARY 2025 ■ A SPECIAL SECTION
The One & Only Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta’s rediscovery continues with projects and initiatives transforming how residents and visitors live, work, and play. New skyscrapers are topping out at Centennial Yards, historic South Downtown is being revitalized as a tech hub, and millions of dollars in grants are helping to reconnect the community and improve the pedestrian experience. In this special section, Central Atlanta Progress and the Downtown Atlanta Improvement District present the projects and people to keep an eye on as this exciting new year begins.
A Symbol of Progress
Downtown is seeing historic levels of investment ahead of the 2026 World Cup, that not-solittle sporting event that will broadcast the ATL to hundreds of millions of television screens across the globe. And we will be ready!
morning commute. The senior waiting for the bus. And yes, it’s the woman sleeping under a blanket in a vacant parking lot.
Which is all to say, Downtown is unique because it’s a microcosm of our city as a whole. The issues we face are symbolic of those facing the entire Atlanta region. It’s just that here, everything positive and negative is on full display.
It comes as no surprise then that
In addition to all the recent positive development news out of Centennial Yards and South Downtown, and the City's big news of infrastructure investment and the homelessness bond, Representative Nikema Williams has just announced $2.8 million in federal funding to reconnect vital parts of our neighborhood. Divided into two grants, these awards will fund planning efforts to explore how to make streets safer, more walkable, and more accessible for everyone. One grant of $2 million was awarded to the City of Atlanta in partnership with Centennial Yards to advance a pedestrian connection between Forsyth Street and Ted Turner Drive. Sweet Auburn Works also received $800,000 to advance designs that will reconnect the beloved community. I’m proud to say CAP has worked closely alongside Sweet Auburn Works to get to this point, and we’re excited to see how this cherished neighborhood will continue to evolve. These grants follow last year’s announcement that The Stitch, the ambitious project to build a park over the Downtown Connector, would receive $158 million for construction of its first phase. This is the largest federal award in our region’s history and, along with the recently announced funding, is further proof that our neighborhood is on the precipice of a new era.
Just as Downtown has always been the visible soul of Atlanta, it now holds the promise to become a true symbol of our city’s progress.
Centennial Yards is a $5 billion mixed-use development in Atlanta, aiming to revitalize 50 acres of underused land in Downtown Atlanta.
Centennial Yards will offer 8 million square feet of commercial and residential space, including retail, entertainment, offices, hotels, new homes, and outdoor hangout spots for Atlanta residents and visitors.
REVITALIZING THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN
Scan to learn more
The Stitch Is Coming!
Sharon Gay Senior Counsel & former Atlanta Managing Partner, Dentons US LLP
Member of the Vestry and Placemaking Committee, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
I have worked and worshiped in Downtown most of my adult life. I was excited to serve as a member of The Stitch Steering Committee because I believed The Stitch could be a transformational civic infrastructure investment for our City. I was inspired by the vision of creating almost 17 acres of new community park space atop a new, ¾-mile platform spanning the Downtown Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue to link Downtown with Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, English Avenue, and Vine City neighborhoods. And I was intrigued by the opportunity to use this project to implement transportation infrastructure improvements, housing and economic development policies, and community initiatives to support the equitable and sustainable growth of Downtown Atlanta, the heart of the entire region.
Over an 18-month period, the Committee and Central Atlanta Progress worked with consultants and stakeholders to develop the Master Plan. More than
6,000 people were engaged to help inform the recommendations of the Master Plan. Beyond the steering committee meetings and discussions with governmental officials, this process included community pop-ups, focus groups, meetings with downtown resident groups and property owners, student engagement, public workshops, online input tools, and newsletters. We now have a draft Master Plan for development of The Stitch. This is the most comprehensive community development plan I have seen in my decades of work in economic development and public policy. It sets detailed recommendations and goals not only for parks and open space but also
for sustainability, urban design, multimodal transportation, land use, real estate/ economic development, and affordable housing. When fully built out, The Stitch is projected to create $9 billion in economic impact through job creation, new commercial and residential development (including affordable housing), and increased property values and tax revenues. Importantly, this is not just a pretty plan that will sit on a shelf. The Stitch Master Plan outlines three project phases. Phase 1 is funded and ready to proceed! Phase 1 includes 4 - 5 acres of interstate capping from Peachtree Street to Courtland Street plus multimodal street improvements along seven streets in the project area. Phase 1 construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and be completed by 2030. The Stitch will be delivered and maintained via a partnership among a newly-
incorporated Stitch nonprofit organization, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, the City of Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Let us know what you think. Go to www.thestitchatl.com/project/master-plan to review and comment on the Master Plan. Join in the effort to implement this community-driven plan to reconnect the heart of Atlanta.
We Congratulate Tom Bell on Receiving the Dan & Tally Sweat Award
Your vision and leadership when we needed it most ensured that everyone who calls Atlanta home can rely on Grady for the care they need and deserve. Thank you for your commitment to helping our community thrive.
A Place of Endless Potential The Only Constant is Change
Bem Joiner
Atlanta Influences
Everything Downtown Atlanta has been the soundtrack of my life, a constant rhythm of sights, sounds, and memories. People talk about Downtown Atlanta's ups and downs, but for me, it's where I grew up—I still remember that day in April '93, when we had to get off the school bus because of the gridlock caused by Freaknik.
There I was, standing in the middle of the street, with Arrested Development’s “Everyday People” blaring out of car windows like an urban symphony.
Downtown was that free Weezer concert, the Sting concert during the NCAA Final Four, the N.E.R.D shows, and that unforgettable $5 Kanye West concert. The 2003 NBA All-Star Game traffic jams, where I sat for hours, and memorized every beat of 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin”.
I remember the thrill of the Downtown Peach Drops at Underground Atlanta, as Outkast’s nailed it in their breakout hit, “Player’s Ball”. The Peach Bowl and the Celebration Bowls at the Georgia Dome and later the Benz—Downtown is more
than a location; it's a collection of stories. It’s Young Jeezy’s “Trap or Die” mixtape blasting from speakers, and Georgia Tech students munching on Hot Fries and Now & Laters. It’s where I got my first gold grill outside of Five Points MARTA Station. The memory of my first Atlanta United pregame Stammtisch in the Gulch and meeting legendary wrestlers Sting and Lex Luger in the CNN Center food court. Then, working Downtown at the Center for Civic Innovation, housed in the historic M. Rich Building working on unifying projects.
So many friends grew up in the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, a place that feels like what Mayor Dickens envisions with his “One Atlanta” and “Draw Circles, Not Lines” ethos.
From the outside, Downtown sometimes seems like it’s stumbling, struggling to find its footing. But to those who know it, it’s a place of endless potential, a living example of how urban development can embrace both the old and the new. This is why Atlanta Influences Everything—it’s a place where the past and future coexist as the heartbeat of the city.
Jon Birdsong CEO, SoDo Atlanta
What happens when a part of your city is rediscovered? Buildings are refreshed with new coats of paint, streets are repaved, and bike lanes are added. For many Atlantans, however, Downtown has long been viewed as a hassle—a place you pass through getting to the Benz, State Farm, the Tabernacle, or the pesky courthouse.
After a generation or two of perceiving Downtown as an inconvenience, we Atlantans minimize our visits, forget the legacy of those who came before us, and lose sight of the very reasons we chose to call this city home.
If 2024 demonstrated anything, it showcased the tides have turned and a new generation of Atlantans are rediscovering our once forgotten Downtown. Centennial Yards $5.5B development sprouted up and topped off their first two major buildings, The Mitchell and Hotel Phoenix. Underground Atlanta hosted over 1 million visitors across their eclectic portfolio of music clubs book-ended
by our legendary New Year’s Eve Peach Drop. South Downtown opened the Atlanta Tech Village - Sylvan, 30,000 square feet of co-working space out of a 115-year-old nationally historic registered former hotel.
At Atlanta Ventures and South Downtown, we have 50+ historic buildings left to renovate. These, along with at least 5 other multi-hundred million projects are in the works. Downtown may have once been the land of broken promises and undelivered dreams, but now downtown has a cadre of local owners—which hasn’t occurred in generations—who are tapping into the depths of Atlanta’s entrepreneurial spirit. The same spirit that made us the commerce capital of the South, earned us the 1996 Olympic Games, and made Atlanta the hip hop capital of the world. The spirit of Atlanta’s hustle is on full display in Downtown. Come by to witness it; after all, the only constant in Downtown is dramatic and transformative change.
We’re Improving Our Bus Network
We’re Improving Our Bus Network
Learn how MARTA is redesigning its bus network to meet the needs of our valued riders and growing region.
Learn how MARTA is redesigning its bus network to meet the needs of our valued riders and growing region.
the needs of our valued riders and growing region.
Business Leaders on the Future of Downtown
We asked two of Downtown’s most influential executives their thoughts on what makes our city center great and where they see it headed.
Anna Roach Executive Director & CEO Atlanta Regional Commission
What makes Downtown special?
employment centers. It’s home to topnotch higher education and medical facilities. And Downtown is a top tourist destination, boasting world-class museums, major sports and entertainment venues, and convention meeting space – amenities that other regions certainly envy.
Downtown Atlanta has a vibrancy that is second to none in our region. It is so energizing to see the diverse mix of people who bring downtown to life each day: college students heading to class, office workers grabbing a bite to eat, tourists craning their necks to see the skyscrapers. The Atlanta Regional Commission has proudly called Downtown home for our headquarters for many decades. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. Why is Downtown so important to the region?
To
Every successful region needs a successful urban core. You simply can’t have one without the other. Metro Atlanta’s Downtown is thriving today because it plays such a hugely important role in our region. It remains one of our largest
Chris Womack Chairman, President & CEO Southern Company
What makes Downtown special?
As a region, we have collectively committed to unleashing Atlanta’s economy and have continued to succeed as a result. We haven’t wavered from that commitment for 165 years. And now, we need to double down on that legacy.
Not only is it the right thing to do, but there’s also a clear business case for investing in our community, in our people. The math here is simple. A thriving community fosters a thriving economy where the next generation of talent wants to live and work. At Southern Company, our commitment to our communities is steadfast. We believe in making communities better, more resilient because we are a part of them.
What do the next 5 years look like for Downtown? I couldn’t be more excited about the future of Downtown Atlanta. There is so much going on here. Outside my office window, I can see Centennial Yards blossoming into a major regional destination, and headlines abuzz with news of a tech scene emerging. Nearby, visionary developers are making a big bet on a transformation of historic South Downtown into a vibrant live-work-play neighborhood. Downtown will be easier and better to navigate, thanks to expanded bike-ped infrastructure and transit investments like bus rapid transit lines a renovation of the Five Points MARTA station. The future of Downtown is indeed bright amidst this perfect constellation of both public and private investment and attention.
Atlanta—we need to stand together, reimagine and act.
Why is Downtown so important to the region?
Downtown Atlanta is the front door to metro Atlanta. It’s our region’s central core, the heart of the economic engine of Atlanta, and the cultural and political hub. We need to revitalize it to keep accelerating our momentum.
In the face of Hurricane Helene's unprecedented destruction, we stood together, offering our resources and support to those who needed it. And that’s exactly what we need to do now as a region when it comes to the challenges and opportunities we’re seeing in Downtown
What do the next 5 years look like for Downtown? It means investing in infrastructure. Safety. Cleanliness. It means reimagining Downtown Atlanta to work for everyone—whether you’re a student, professional, small business owner, visitor, or resident. We need to create a neighborhood where everyone belongs. This is no small feat and will require an abundance of resilience. But together we will get this done. I have no doubt we will accomplish our mission. We will see this dream come true. If I seem bullish about this, it’s because I am. When we work together, we multiply that impact—driving transformative change across this region we all call home.
Zenobia Haynes
Julie Bryant Fisher
Keyoshe Wilson
Equal opportunity begins with education.
Georgia-Pacific supports education across the U.S., helping equip teachers and students to learn and grow. From investing in STEM to expanding teachers skills to scholarships, apprenticeships, and workforce development, Georgia-Pacific helps individuals discover their potential.
At Georgia-Pacific investing in people and technology leads to fulfilling roles. Leveraging technology like AI, virtual reality and 3D printing has transformed the way we work helping make the workforce safer and creating value for society.