Underground Update

Hotel, nightclub and apartments announced for Downtown redevelopment

By Collin Kelley

WRS, Inc. has announce three major signings for its four-block redevelopment of Underground Atlanta, including a hotel, an LGBTQ+ nightclub/ restaurants and apartments.

Located at the northwest corner of Pryor and Upper Alabama and adjacent to the Five Points MARTA Station with direct tunnel access into the station, YOTEL will be located on 1.90-acre site Block One. The hotel brand, which has properties in London, Paris, New York and other international cities, offers compact luxury “cabin” spaces at more affordable prices (See the sidebar for more details).

At the southwest corner of Pryor and Alabama on Block Four, Keith Young and Hoosh Mishu have signed a 10-year lease for Future, a night club and restaurant geared toward LGBTQ+ patrons. Atlantabased drag queen, Phoenix, who competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will lead the cabaret show. The 14,000 square-foot, two-story space will be open for lunch and dinner and available for private rentals for functions and events. Walix Construction has demolished the existing retail spaces and will construct the new venue. Axis will lead the architecture efforts and Planning Interiors, Inc. will take charge on the design front.

Prestwick Companies will develop apartments on Block Three, a 3.09-acre site at the Southwest corner of Central and Alabama. The housing will feature a mix of street-level retail focused on the needs of the neighborhood and Georgia State University students. The development, known as The Avery, will have around 130 units with one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom options. Approximately 104 units will be affordable for families earning 60 percent of the area median income or below, while 26 units will be unrestricted market units.

YOTEL will offer short and long stays

International hotel chain YOTEL will build a 351-room property as part of the redevelopment of Underground Atlanta.

The new hotel will feature 234 “cabins” designed for short stays (YOTEL) and 117 “PADs” for longer stays (YOTELPAD). Construction of the hotel is set to begin in summer 2020, with an anticipated opening date of Autumn 2022.

The “smart hotel” will feature selfcheck-in kiosks, adjustable SmartBeds, outdoor pool and terrace, rooftop bar, “GRAB+GO” cafe on the ground floor and KOMYUNITI, a combination restaurant and co-working space.

“We’re excited to have found the right hotel partner that is unique to Atlanta. YOTEL values a forwardthinking environment and designs their hotels with independent and tech-savvy travelers in mind. It’s perfect for Underground’s location in the heart of Downtown and close proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,” said T. Scott Smith, President and CEO of WRS, Inc., in a media statement.

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Anchored by the shopping mall, a fixture at Peachtree and Lenox roads for 50 years, additions will include Nobu Hotel and Restaurant, a 90,000 square-foot Life Time fitness club and a new office building.

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The hotel will have 150 rooms, rooftop pool, spa and corporate conference space. The restaurant, which will feature Japanese cuisine, will operate in a 10,000 square foot space. The new 13-story 350,000 square foot Class A office building, One Phipps Plaza, will include a three-story parking garage. An outdoor greenspace will also be part of the redevelopment.

Using a construction crew of approximately 400 workers, the Beck Group is serving as architect and general contractor for the redevelopment, with a phased opening beginning in early 2021. The demolition phase included razing the former Belk building and removing a three-level parking deck.

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M I D T Ow N O F F I C E

Business Briefs

►Jamestown, the Atlanta-based real estate investment and management company behind Ponce City Market, has bought The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. The 356,000 square foot development – which includes office, retail and dining space, and two undeveloped parcels totaling 2.7 acres – was built in 2014 by Oliver McMillan and is situated across six blocks in Buckhead. This transaction was brokered by JLL Capital Markets. The property is home to international luxury brands such as Hermès, Spanx’s Global Headquarters, health and wellness studios and a variety of dining options.

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N OW O P E N N OW O P E N N

◄Meet At Ponce, a boutique-style meeting and office space solution, is open at 620 Glen Iris Drive across from Ponce City Market. With free on-site parking and Wifi, the more than 5,000 square foot renovated space includes private offices, meeting rooms and a training room which can also be used for special events. For more information, please visit MeetAtPonce.com.

Atlanta Urgent Care will move their Druid Hills location to the Clairmont Road and Briarcliff Road intersection near I-85 by the end of summer. The new address will be 2738 Clairmont Road. All of the progress and updates will be posted on the website at atlantaurgentcare.com.

Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana will open its first Atlanta store at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead in time for the holiday shopping season. The store will feature women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections and will be located next to the recently-announced Tom Ford store.

The Pop Up Spot, a 10,000-square-foot space available for bookings for a day, week or even months, has opened at Atlantic Station. The Pop Up Spot creates a unique retail experience, allowing local artists, out-of-town brands and other exclusive tenants the opportunity to plant temporary roots the city. The space is located at 260 18th Street NW, Suite 10110, between LOFT and francesca’s. Visit AtlanticStation.com for more information.

Code Ninjas has opened a new location at Emory Point, 1520 Avenue Place, Suite B1-110. Utilizing a curriculum centered on video games, Code Ninjas teaches children ages 7 to 14 computer coding and problem solving skills. For more information, visit codeninjas.com.

Candle-making shop Candlefish is now open at Ponce City Market in Old Fourth Ward. Candlefish specializes in creating scent experiences through a fragrance library of 100 unique scents as well as hands-on workshops. For more information, visit candlefish. com. JJ’s Flower Shop, a local floral company delivering custom arrangements and flowers, will open its first brick-and-mortar kiosk inside PCM later this summer. For more information, visit jjsflowershop.com.

WeWork, the coworking office space provider, has leased 35,000 square feet of office space in downtown Decatur, at 120 W. Trinity Place. The three floors will be able to provide workspace for more than 540 members.

OODAZU (pronounced OO-da-zoo), an LA-inspired play and yoga space for kids, has opened at 800 Miami Circle. The space includes yoga programs, scaling towers, climbing walls, cargo nets, slide, trampoline basketball and more. For more information, visit oodazu.com.

DS Smith, a leading London-based packaging manufacturer/recycler, has opened its new U.S. headquarters in Atlanta. Located in Buckhead at 3475 Piedmont Road, the facility will serve more than 50 employees in DS Smith’s sales, marketing, finance, legal and technical departments.