Atlanta Ventures heads David Cummings and Jon Birdsong expect to invest at least $100 million, debt-free, into the next phase of South Downtown's revival, aiming to bring housing, offices, shops, and restaurants to the Broad and Mitchell streets corridor before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The initiative, covering 15 acres of buildings and parking lots acquired from German firm Newport in 2023, is codenamed "Elle" for the shape the involved streets form near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A roster of local architecture firms, including Smith Dalia Architects, Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, and Local Architects LLC, is on board, with historic tax credits expected to help fund renovations across the district's building stock.
In Summerhill, the long-vacant former Ramada Plaza Atlanta Downtown Hotel could finally find new life. Atlanta Housing is exploring converting the 16-story structure — the neighborhood's tallest — into 231 affordable senior housing apartments, and is considering a resolution to seek HUD approval to close on the roughly $17.5 million purchase from Atlanta-based Pellerin Real Estate. Pellerin bought the 450 Hank Aaron Drive property at auction in 2020 for just under $14 million. The former 400-room hotel is now surrounded by new development, including Alliance Residential's Broadstone Summerhill apartments and Georgia State University's new convocation center and arena.
Original reporting by Josh Green for Urbanize Atlanta, published June 2024.
