Citing Atlanta’s robust talent pool and reputation for financial tech expertise, Visa announced today it plans to open a new Midtown office that will eventually house about 1,000 employees along Peachtree Street.

It’s the latest tech-job win for Midtown—where Google, Microsoft, Airbnb, and other technology companies have all built or announced new hubs—and another notch in Atlanta’s relatively strong office market recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visa’s new offices will constitute about one-third of the 1200 Peachtree building where railroad company Norfolk Southern has long been headquartered, adjacent to the Woodruff Arts Center, High Museum, and Atlanta Symphony Hall.

Cousins Properties bought the building from Norfolk Southern in 2019 as part of a larger deal that included Cousins’ development of the train company’s new headquarters farther south in Midtown.

Cousins is planning an overhaul of the 370,000-square-foot Peachtree Street building—one suited for multi-tenant uses—once Norfolk Southern fully moves out later this year.

Planned exterior upgrades. 1200 Peachtree/Cousins Properties

Visa’s new offices will house a range of company functions, with a focus in tech and client services jobs. Several of Visa’s global and regional leaders will relocate to Atlanta to help build the Midtown team to roughly 1,000 employees over the next few years, the company announced today.

Michelle Gethers-Clark, Visa’s chief diversity officer and head of corporate responsibility, said in a prepared statement that Atlanta “represents an epicenter of financial technology expertise, resilient entrepreneurs, diverse perspectives, and a vibrant community culture” that’s crucial for company growth.

According to Cousins, Visa signed a longterm lease of roughly 123,000 square feet, with initial occupancy expected in late 2022.

Cousins plans to significantly renovate the 370,000-square-foot building once Norfolk Southern fully vacates later this year. 1200 Peachtree/Cousins Properties

Cousins’ renovation at 1200 Peachtree will include both indoor and outdoor amenities such as a new plaza off the street and revised meeting and gym facilities.

The building, as the developer notes, is within a short walk of more than 50 restaurants, Piedmont Park, and about three minutes by foot from Arts Center MARTA station.

• Recent Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)