In the shadow of some of downtown Atlanta’s biggest tourist draws and most recognizable landmarks, a power substation project has recently kicked off construction despite pushback from residents who worry it could compromise their quality of life. 

But exactly what the block-sized Georgia Power project could entail—and how it might look next to a main north-south traffic thoroughfare on the Westside—remains to be seen.

Site work on the substation began in recent weeks along Northside Drive in Vine City, on a block between Magnolia and Foundry streets that was home to Lot M, an event parking lot, and little else. 

Looking north, construction progress this month at the substation site, as seen along Magnolia Street. Submitted

Rough overview of the Vine City substation construction site in relation to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, GWCC, and other area landmarks. Google Maps

The site is across the street from a main Georgia World Congress Center hall and the new Signia by Hilton high-rise hotel, just north of the Home Depot Backyard greenspace and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Immediately to the west are Vine City residential streets and parks. 

Georgia Power officials confirmed to Urbanize Atlanta the substation project is moving forward and said it will result in a “stronger and more resilient” electric grid that brings power to customer businesses and homes. 

Investments such as new substations and transmission lines “are designed to improve electric service reliability, resiliency, and efficiency, and accommodate rising energy demand from customers across the area,” wrote a spokesperson via email. 

The corner site, with Northside Drive shown at right, prior to construction in February. Google Maps

As seen along Magnolia Street in Vine City, looking east, site work has recently begun on the neighborhood's second power substation. Submitted

Vine City residents and Westside activists cried foul earlier this summer and staged a protest in opposition to the substation project, which would take shape less than a mile from another Georgia Power substation in the same neighborhood. Naysayers argued the substation should be built within the footprint of Centennial Yards, the billion-dollar entertainment and mixed-use zone that Georgia Power has acknowledge the substation will help power, in addition to area homes. 

Neighborhood groups had requested Georgia Power provide a third-party public health and environmental risk assessment for the Vine City site, but that request was reportedly denied earlier this year. 

Georgia Power reps this week could provide no renderings or other visuals, or details on the substation project’s scope, other than to say it will be an enclosed structure—and not a more typical open-air substation. All aspects of design are still being finalized, per the utility provider. 

Fulton County permitting records show no recent activity or submitted designs for the substation parcels in question. 

Georgia Power has said the substation will pause construction during 2026 FIFA World Cup events in Atlanta next summer but is scheduled to be complete in early 2028. 

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