Developers propose $400 million overhaul of Mall West End

Developers have unveiled plans for a dramatic $400 million overhaul of The Mall West End site, including offices, retail, and residential.

Elevator City Partners, created by Atlanta BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel and investor Donray Von, released renderings and announced in a media statement that it has secured a $2 million pre-development loan from Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency.

The renderings show the current Mall West End, a fixture in the community since 1973, replaced with an office tower, retail shops, residential space, public art, and greenspace. The Mall property is part of a federal “opportunity zone” that offers tax advantages for for investment in lower income areas. The Mall is in walking distance of the West End MARTA Station, Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail and Atlanta University Center.

In the media statement, the developers said they want to keep the “proud history, culture, and community of West End” and that there would be affordable housing at the redeveloped site, which is a condition of the $2 million predevelopment loan.

– Collin Kelley

The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) has announced that Hala Moddelmog will step down from her post as president and CEO. Moddelmog entered the role in January 2014 as the first woman to lead the organization. MAC’s executive governing committee has appointed a search committee led by Larry Gellerstedt to conduct an internal and external search for the organization’s next president and CEO. “What major American region is purposefully trying to double or triple in size while also becoming more sustainable, more equitable and more transit-friendly? I’ve heard leaders ask this question and, in my view, the answer is clearly ‘Atlanta.’ We can become that city and region,” said Moddelmog. “The Metro Atlanta Chamber has such deep roots in our community and has played a role in almost every major Atlanta milestone across 160 years. Leading this organization for the past six years and working with business and community leaders to birth new initiatives that drive the region forward has been an honor.”

Real estate firm The Allen Morris Company and hotel developer Stormont Hospitality Group have formed a new enterprise, AMS Hospitality, which will focus on the acquiring and building hotel assets, initially focusing on southeast U.S. markets. The venture formally launched with the closing of two new developments in Atlanta: the 176-key Star Metals Hotel, scheduled for completion this fall, and the 205-key Midtown Union Hotel, which is being developed in partnership with MetLife Investment Management.

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What Now Atlanta reports that Richard’s Variety Store will leave Midtown Promenade and take over the former Pier 1 space at Ansley Mall in May. Pier 1 announced it was closing the Ansley and Buckhead locations earlier this month as part of a 50 percent reduction in stores nationwide. Richard’s Variety Store, known for its eclectic selection of merchandise, has been an Atlanta institution since 1951 when it opened its first store in Buckhead. The Midtown Promenade location has been open for more than a decade.

North American Properties has broken ground on Building 500, the new 135,600-squarefoot office building anchored by Jones Day, at Colony Square in Midtown. The six-story building will feature retail space on the first floor, as well as an expansive terrace on the 4th floor overlooking Peachtree Street.

The historic home called The Castle that sits at the corner of Peachtree and 15th streets next door to the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown is for sale again. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the owners, MLAC Castle Atlanta LLC, have filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy. Rose & Rye restaurant in The Castle has closed in the wake of the bankruptcy filing and announcement of the sale. Built by Ferdinand McMillan the early 1900’s, The Castle has been threatened with demolition countless times and was famously called a “hunk of junk” by former Mayor Andrew Young. In previous incarnations, The Castle has served as artist studios, office space and a private club.

With neon lights, zero tellers, two self-serve kiosks and meeting space, the new Engagement Center by Georgia’s Own Credit Union emphasizes technology, convenience and community, and reflects changes in consumer banking preferences. Located near Woodruff Park at the street-level of 100 Peachtree, the center features a meeting room with a large digital screen and an open seating area – both of which are available to members and non-members alike, whether they be budding entrepreneurs or students preparing for a test.

Boardroom Salon for Men celebrated the opening of its newest location in Madison Yards in Reynoldstown. Boardroom included complementary haircuts, food and drinks from local partners and surprise giveaways with attendees. Find out more at boardroomsalon. com.

Noted architect firm TSW recently celebrated its 30th anniversary by establishing the TSW Lecture Series at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture. This annual public lecture will bring prominent architects, planners, landscape architects and others to the university to speak to students and professionals about a variety of design topics. The first lecture is planned for this fall. In January 1990, architects and former University of Tennessee classmates William Tunnell (Bill) and Jerry Spangler joined forces to create an architecture firm in Atlanta. The firm’s name was changed to Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates in 2002 when Landscape Architect Thomas Walsh became a partner in the firm, and shortened to TSW in 2013. Today, TSW consists of 33 professionals, who work in the firm’s three studios: architecture, planning and landscape architecture.