National multifamily heavyweight Alliance Residential Company is building or has recently delivered a half-dozen large apartment communities across metro Atlanta, from Summerhill to Sugar Hill.

The biggest of them all—354 units across three buildings—is starting to rise up in Kirkwood, marking the most visible signs of change at the Pratt Pullman District since state officials offloaded the historic property four years ago.

Officials tell Urbanize Atlanta the project—formerly known as Broadstone at Pullman Yards—is nixing the “yards” moniker that’s become ubiquitous on Atlanta’s post-recession development scene, from Atlantic Yards to Madison Yards and the proposed Artisan Yards.

Henceforth, the Kirkwood apartments are simply “Broadstone Pullman.”

Facades of apartment buildings facing Rogers Street, top and bottom. Framing of the two-story section at bottom left stands now. Alliance Residential Company; designs, Brock Hudgins Architects

Following extensive site prep in the waning weeks of 2020, Broadstone Pullman is beginning to take shape along Rogers Street as the district’s first residential offering. A mix of studios, one, and two-bedroom rentals is expected to open in early 2022, with an industrial aesthetic (think: brick walls and exposed steel) meant to pay homage to the former rail depot and factory’s past.

The 27-acre property, wedged just south of DeKalb Avenue between two MARTA stops, could become a $100 mixed-used development anchored by movie and TV production facilities, a rarity for Atlanta’s core neighborhoods. The Georgia Building Authority sold it to film production group Atomic Entertainment in early 2017 for $8 million.

Alliance Residential bought the southernmost 5 acres from Atomic for $16.5 million last year.

The Pullman site activated for an open-air chef's market in September.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Atomic cofounder Adam Rosenfelt, a longtime movie producer, said this week that ongoing construction at the site has kept his group busy, but that two planned restaurants at the site’s northern end should open by this summer.

Those concepts include current pop-ups The Abbey Singer and Kamayan ATL, plus a restaurant called Bellsmouth and 3 Heart coffee shop, the latter two planned by 8Arm owners Nhan Le and Skip Englebrecht and artist George Long.

Rising concrete elsewhere on site. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Alliance Residential has been active across metro Atlanta in recent years. Five projects under construction or recently finished include Broadstone Summerhill (276 units), The Irby in Buckhead (277 luxury apartments), Broadstone Upper Westside (314 units), plus Broadstone communities near the town centers of Norcross and Sugar Hill in Gwinnett.

In Kirkwood, Alliance’s plans call for a resort-style saltwater pool, a demonstration kitchen, a lounge with views across the tattered Pullman landscape, plus (and this might be a new one) a “one-of-a-kind leasing office featuring statement amphitheater seating and a light art installation."

• Wildly colorful Kirkwood townhomes are selling from the low $300Ks (Urbanize Atlanta)