In true Atlanta fashion, the next step in a public-private development partnership between the city and a global tech behemoth will include a big outdoor party. 

The City of Atlanta and its nonprofit housing subsidiary, Atlanta Urban Development Corporation, today announced a community celebration for Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Quarry Yards parcel Microsoft donated to the city in November for redevelopment. 

The Grove Park parcel spans about 22 and ½ acres—roughly 1/4th of Microsoft’s holdings onsite. 

Planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Sept. 12 celebration will aim to commemorate Microsoft’s gift for “community-focused development” at 1401 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, just west of MARTA’s Bankhead station.

According to city officials, the event will detail the next phase of work for redevelopment at the site and celebrate local history while underscoring the significance of Microsoft’s donation, as it relates to “expanded opportunities” for Grove Park residents. Microsoft is considered a redevelopment partner, alongside the city and AUD. 

A higher elevation on the 90 acres owned by Microsoft on Atlanta's Westside, looking east toward downtown.Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips; 2018

The city’s announcement this afternoon provides no new details on what could be built on the 22 and ½ acres (roughly the size of Centennial Olympic Park)—or when work might start. 

Officials did stress that Microsoft’s gift will help advance Mayor Andre Dickens’ goal of preserving or building 20,000 affordable housing units by 2029, while supporting AUD’s mission to turn underused land into mixed-income communities with amenities and long-term affordability. 

“Through this land donation, we’re advancing a shared vision for Atlanta that supports families, empowers students, and strengthens local communities,” said Kia Floyd, Microsoft’s general manager of state government affairs, in a statement.

The Microsoft partnership “represents a significant step toward enhancing the quality of life for residents in Grove Park,” added John Majors, CEO of AUD. “By leveraging public-private collaboration, we can create a space that not only meets the needs of the community but also fosters growth and opportunity.”

An aerial of Microsoft's acreage west of Midtown. Courtesy of Microsoft

The gifted property at Quarry Yards fronts Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and will serve as a link to community resources in the area, including the Kipp Woodson Academy Charter School and the Grove Park Recreation Center, where Grove Park is working to revitalize its commercial core, per officials.

(As of this writing, the general redevelopment of Microsoft’s land in Grove Park is performing well in our new reader poll asking which of 19 large-scale, dormant developments should be restarted soon, with the third most votes to date.) 

Microsoft in 2021 bought out developers for the 90-acre Quarry Yards project—paying $127 million—and ramped up public expectations on the Westside by promising a cutting-edge jobs hub campus where a quarter of land would be reserved for community use, while other sections would see affordable housing and commercial amenities. 

None of that has arrived to date, and all other aspects of Microsoft’s original plan remain paused. 

This early rendering for the Quarry Yards concept—a precursor to Microsoft's planned campus—lends an idea of the property's scale and proximity to Shirley C. Franklin Park (formerly Westside Park and Bellwood Quarry) next door. Urban Creek Partners/Quarry Yards

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