Tucked away from public view, redevelopment work is barreling ahead around a historic mill property long cherished by Atlantans for its creative, indie vibes and relatively ancient architecture.

A remake of the Goat Farm Arts Center in the southern fringes of Blandtown—an institution for artist studios and performance spaces—has been in the offing for more than three years. Early expectations for the $250-million overhaul called for finishing the project, with a fusion of new development and adaptively reused, circa-1880s buildings on site, sometime this year. But then, a global pandemic.

But demolition, site-prep, and now vertical construction has ramped up over the past year across the Goat Farm’s roughly 12 acres.

Permitting details from 2021 indicate developer TriBridge Residential is moving forward with a 210-unit, mixed-use apartment build flanking the former textile mill’s cornerstone brick structures. (Fifteen percent of the rentals are being capped for households at 80 percent of the area median income or below, with studio apartments expected to start in the $1,150 range.) About 35,000 square feet is being dedicated to non-residential space with that component, according to permit filings.

How the Goat Farm project looked in October 2022.

Aerial rendering of the center's layout once finished. via Goat Farm Arts Center

Also under construction is the new 25,000-square-foot home of The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, which is currently located in Buckhead but needs additional gallery space and room to grow in coming years.

The long-term outlook for the Goat Farm’s redo also calls for more studio space than before (80,000 square feet), a boutique hotel, coffee shop, and community spaces.  

We’ve reached out to officials with developer TriBridge Residential and the Goat Farm for updates on where construction stands today, what exactly the first phase of redevelopment will entail, and when. We’ll update this story with pertinent details that come. Until then, head to the skies and have a look for yourself in the gallery, as captured from a drone’s perspective this week.

• Recent aerial development tours around the city (Urbanize Atlanta)