Five years after North American Properties unveiled redevelopment plans for historically significant but dated Colony Square, the Midtown stalwart has debuted its splashiest public component to date.

As Atlanta food halls go, Politan Row at Colony Square is elegantly modern but still meant to inspire communal, convivial gatherings at the heart of the $400-million redevelopment project.

The Bell-Butler-designed concept is being curated and operated by Politan Group. It’s the New Orleans company’s seventh and largest food hall, and it strives to create an old-school, neighborhood vibe.

An official ribbon-cutting was held last week for Politan Row, with no shortage of recognizable dignitaries in attendance. Below we’ve compiled a few facts you might appreciate knowing before revisiting Midtown’s original mixed-use development, now more than 50 years old:

Courtesy of North American Properties/Politan Row at Colony Square

• Nine independent food purveyors are open now. They are: Belli Pizzeria, Bun Mi Grill, Federal Burger, Gekko, Locale Cafe, Pretty Little Tacos, Tandoori Pizza and Wing Co., Unbeliebubble, and YŌM.

• Two more concepts will round out the Politan Row roster. They’re in the works and will be announced soon, according to project reps.

• Staff called “guest assistants” greet visitors, answer questions, fetch water from a central H2O station, and even buss tables.

• More than half of Politan Row’s square footage is outdoor dining. A 24-foot glass wall can open to help bring the outdoors in.

• Outdoor spaces are broken down into three zones: The Plaza will host more than 200 events annually at Colony Square. The Patio features the covered outdoor seating (plus shuffleboard) and fronts a stage. The Grove, which opened a couple of years ago, has tree-shaded seating and what’s described as the “grand Spanish staircase” that leads up into the food hall.

• The interiors can seat up to 250 guests.

• Bar Politan seats 40 at the center of the food hall, while the Chef’s Table can seat up to 12 with prices starting at $30 per diner.

• A “secret” section, the Blue Room is a private event space within the facility with 40-foot ceilings, a private bar, and an immense, retractable curtain of blue velvet. It can seat 70.

• The food hall is now open daily (until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), and guests get two hours of validated parking.

Head to the gallery for a detailed look around and scenes from last week’s ribbon-cutting gala.

• Recent Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)