Could the 2026 FIFA World Cup finally be the necessary shot in the arm and saving grace for one of downtown Atlanta’s most enduring eyesores? Invest Atlanta hopes so.
Officials with the economic development agency have set an Aug. 2 deadline for developers to respond to a Request for Proposals regarding the Atlanta Constitution Building, an architectural landmark across the street from MARTA’s Five Points station that’s stood mostly vacant and decaying since before Jimmy Carter was president.
Invest Atlanta repeatedly states in the RFP, which was issued in late June, that a redevelopment team needs to be capable of making significant progress on the 143 Alabama St. structure prior to the start of Atlanta’s month of World Cup matches beginning in June 2026.
A rare example of Art Moderne-style architecture in the city, the original structure was built in 1947 for the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, a predecessor to today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but that operation moved out after just a few years. Georgia Power moved in around 1953 but was gone in the early 1970s, leaving the property vacant ever since. In more recent years, metal shields were placed over windows to prevent homeless encampments. At one point, trees sprouted from the roof.
Prior to millions of World Cup fans descending upon Atlanta for eight scheduled matches, Invest Atlanta is calling for the building to stabilized, with its overall appearance improved, façade fixed, and first and second floors activated for World Cup-related events. Other changes planned for the first phase call for the addition of digital signage and activation of the site’s existing surface parking lots.
“This deliverable is of utmost importance to assist the city’s efforts in preparing to host a global sporting event,” notes the call for proposals.
As seen last year, the 1947 building's facade at the intersection of Alabama and Forsyth streets is a rare local example of Art Moderne design.Google Maps
Previous redevelopment plans for the Atlanta Constitution Building, with the addition of 112 residential units behind it and a rooftop restaurant above. Courtesy of Invest Atlanta; designs, Smith Dalia Architects
The RFP also calls for two historic elements to be returned to the building—Julian Harris’ 72-foot bas-relief art piece, currently housed at MARTA’s GWCC station; and the original Atlanta Constitution medallion in the lobby, located today at the Atlanta History Center—as part of the pre-World Cup restoration phase.
The property in question includes the historic, five-story, 95,000-square-foot building the city has owned for nearly 30 years, in addition to surrounding parcels city officials have acquired from MARTA, the State of Georgia, Fulton County, and other groups to make the site larger and more enticing for redevelopment.
The RFP asks for either a single firm or team of consultants to come forward with a multi-phase strategy for reviving it all.
After World Cup hoopla shuffles out of town, the more complex process of redeveloping idle property and land around the Atlanta Constitution Building into a vibrant mix of uses would begin. According to Invest Atlanta’s RFP, that would include finishing remaining floors in the building (to include a public-accessible roof terrace, possibly with a restaurant, bar, or coffee shop) as well as the installation of a retail space at the main corner of Alabama and Forsyth streets, beneath the curved section of the building’s façade.
Beyond that, any part of the surrounding property where residential development would sprout would have to set aside either 30 percent of all residential units as affordable housing at 80 percent of the area median income, or 20 percent of units at 60 percent AMI, according to Invest Atlanta’s rules.
Proximity to downtown arenas, Georgia State University, Underground Atlanta’s artsy rebirth, MARTA’s Five Points redevelopment (now paused), and the multi-billion-dollar investment that is Centennial Yards is cited as being a perk of the location. South Downtown tech entrepreneurs also have tall ambitions for activating a substantial portion of their growing portfolio before the World Cup a stone’s throw from the Atlanta Constitution Building.
If this all sounds familiar, Invest Atlanta’s quest to remake the Art Moderne-style landmark has made headlines before.
Following a lengthy RFP process in 2017, a new era for the Atlanta Constitution Building appeared to be dawning, as Invest Atlanta agreed to sell the property to developer Pope & Land, with Place Properties on board to erect a new residential building next door. Initially, plans called for completing $24 million worth of construction in 2021, but the deal never closed, and those redevelopment efforts fizzled.
This time around, Invest Atlanta expects to pick its redevelopment partner for the Atlanta Constitution Building the week of August 26. A three-year contract with the chosen group will be subject to an annual performance review, as dictated by Invest Atlanta, the RFP states.
Simply put, it appears to be another example of the World Cup acting as an economic kick in the pants for South Downtown. But what exactly should be there in less than two years?
...
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Downtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)