In late 2020, operations were starting to wind down at a nearly century-old steel mill that had helped forge countless buildings around Atlanta, while providing jobs to generations of Reynoldstown residents. 

Five years later, developers of that former industrial site continue to capitalize on its Beltline “beachfront” location, with nearly three dozen new homes currently under construction and much more to come.  

The Stein Steel project, named in homage of the former metal fabricator, has delivered or is under construction on more than 100 new condos and townhomes where Reynoldstown meets the Beltline’s ever-popular Eastside Trail (or what’s technically called the Southeast Trail now). 

Developer Empire Communities’ plans call for eventually building 276 for-sale residences across the 6.5-acre trophy site, with its 900 feet of Beltline frontage. The Canada-based builder beat out about three dozen other companies that vied to purchase the Stein Steel property five years ago.  

Overview of Stein Steel housing completed adjacent to the Beltline to date. Nearly 300 townhomes and condos are eventually planned. Urbanize Atlanta

How the section of the Reynoldstown property where Breaker Breaker operates looked in early 2021. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta/2021

Demolition at the longstanding steel plant kicked off in early 2021, and construction on the blocks in question took off soon after. 

According to Empire Communities advisor Saba Loghman, 28 condos are currently under construction at Stein Steel, with all but eight of those scheduled to be ready for move-ins next month. Another condo building is projected to be ready for sale in fall next year. 

Elsewhere, eight townhomes in the project’s central section have recently delivered or are under construction. According to Loghman, all but two of those units have been sold.  

Stein Steel prices at the moment start at $313,000 for a one-bedroom condo and climb to $656,000 for a three-bedroom townhome with a rooftop component. 

Square footages range from 640 to 1,853 square feet right now. 

Deconstruction of the site's former metal fabrication facilities in June 2021. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta/2021

Some of the first completed Stein Steel townhomes front Upper Lang-Carson Park, an expanded greenspace for the neighborhood. Urbanize Atlanta

On the greenspace front, Empire finished work last year on the Upper Lang-Carson Park component (a half-acre expansion of an existing park next door) and officially transferred the private land and its infrastructure upgrades to the City of Atlanta. Stein Steel’s lone retail offering, Breaker Breaker restaurant, completed its buildout in spring 2024 by opening upstairs bar Floridaman.

Fun facts: Before it shuttered operations and its owner retired, the Stein Steel company founded in 1923 had recently provided steel framing for Atlanta Dairies’ nearby music venue The Eastern, the Atlanta Hawks practice facility, part of Tyler Perry Studios at Fort McPherson, and Reynoldstown’s Mattie Branch community.

In the gallery at top, find a quick look back and more context from Stein Steel (at street level and high above) today. 

Recent overview of Stein Steel's eventual scope and sales to date. Empire Communities

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