Downtown Atlanta Doesn't Just Mean Business

Centennial Yards Rendering by CIM Group; Stitch Park Rendering by Central Atlanta Progress

Atlanta’s Oldest Submarket Rebrands Itself With 3 Exciting Projects

Downtown never quite had the vibrant culture of its neighboring submarkets like Midtown or Buckhead...until now. Atlanta has been a host for the Olympics, the Superbowl and the National Championship Football game, among other events. Recently, the city secured its place as a host for the 2026 World Cup. Clearly, Atlanta has had its share of visitors and more are on the way, so it’s no surprise that Downtown is feeling the need for a facelift.

Multiple projects are in the works to rebrand the Downtown submarket. Here’s a snapshot of the projects to get excited about:

1. Centennial Yards

Downtown Atlanta may soon be home to the largest mixed-use development in the Southeast. Fifty acres of parking lots and former railyards, otherwise known as the Gulch, will be transformed into 12 million square feet of mixed-use development called Centennial Yards. This area will focus on connecting people though food, sports, entertainment, and business, providing ample opportunities for the people, communities, and businesses of Atlanta to prosper and grow.

2. Stitch Park

“The Stitch,” which will span the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector, will reclaim approximately 14 acres of walkable urban greenspace atop a platform structure, spanning the Downtown Connector from the Civic Center MARTA Center at West Peachtree Street to Piedmont Avenue, adjacent to Georgia Powers headquarters. This ¾-mile platform of green will ‘stitch’ Downtown back together in an effort to attract and retain talent. An implementation plan has been created that details the next phase of predevelopment work. The Stitch will embody everything that drives urban real estate today, while generating a significant opportunity to foster transit-oriented development at the Civic Center MARTA.

3. Peachtree Center

Peachtree Center’s plaza and its three-story retail center is expecting a significant increase in foot traffic as it rebrands itself to “The Hub.” In addition to new local and regional dining options and experiential and service-based retail popping up, the courtyard will be remade as a town square to host community events. Upgrades include a glass enclosed staircase, reflective pools and fountains with seating and landscaping displayed throughout, and a suspended canopy of linear lighting elements.

Downtown Atlanta doesn’t just mean business anymore. The developments of Centennial Yards, Stitch Park, and Peachtree Center are just a few projects that illustrate how Downtown is rebranding its look and feel to create a better sense of place for residence and visitors. Unlike Midtown and Buckhead, whose submarkets are undergoing over 4 million square feet of speculative and build-to-suit construction in the next couple of years, Downtown is undergoing a different type of transformation in the absence of a building boom – one that connects all the things that Atlanta does best.