Ponce City Market’s growth spurt is continuing in highly visible ways across its block in Old Fourth Ward, and officials report the work remains on schedule despite a turbulent labor market and construction supply industry.

As noted on these pages last month, Ponce City Market’s first high-rise, a 21-story apartment building called Signal House, is more than halfway up to its final height along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail at North Avenue. It’s expected to deliver 163 rentals designed for active adults and the 55-plus community, with 24 of those having affordability rent restrictions, by late 2023.

The flipside of Ponce City Market’s main building has also become a haven for cranes in recent weeks.  

That’s where another 21-story tower—a hospitality living concept that blurs the line between short-term rentals and new apartments, with hotel flexibility—broke ground earlier this year alongside a planned boutique office building.

Where excavation for new Ponce City Market parking has mostly wrapped, as two overhead cranes were erected for construction of a 21-story, flex-living tower and adjacent offices at the corner of Ponce and Glen Iris Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Excavation work for the new buildings has largely wrapped, and work is finalizing to prepare a tunnel that will connect with existing, lower-level parking on the western side of Ponce City Market’s property, according to owner Jamestown Properties. Two cranes were pieced together over the site last month.

The flex-stay tower will rise at the corner of Glen Iris Drive and Glen Iris Way, offering 405 residential units and 12,000 square feet of retail with 21-foot ceilings. Catering to “the global nomad,” all units will come fully furnished, and stays will range from single nights to one-year leases, officials have said.  

Called 619 Ponce, the four-story, mass-timber loft office building will be constructed next door; 90,000 square feet of offices are planned, in addition to 23,000 square feet of retail at street level.

The base of the hospitality-living concept that's under construction at Glen Iris Drive and Glen Iris Way. The west-facing facade of Ponce City Market is shown at right. Handel Architects

Additional facets of phase two will include a public courtyard between the new offices and flex-living tower, plus onsite bike lanes, bike and scooter parking, EV charging stations, and designated ride-share drop-off sites. The corner site—near the West Elm entrance and across the street from Mister Car Wash—was previously used for surface parking.

The offices and hospitality tower are expected to open sometime in 2024.   

Jamestown Properties/Ponce City Market

Overall, Jamestown expects PCM’s second phase to cost $175 million on both sides of the former Sears, Roebuck and Co. distribution center. Company officials have said the second phase will generate 550 jobs.

Once the next facets are built and occupied, Ponce City Market will be home to 100 businesses, nearly 6,000 employees, and 800 residences, according to Jamestown. 

Head to the gallery for a closer look at where construction stands—and where it’s headed.

• Recent Old Fourth Ward news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)