DOWNTOWN—The decade-old effort to make downtown’s highway-capping Stitch project a reality has taken a key step forward this week, according to Atlanta Downtown Stitch Inc. officials.
The Stitch’s leadership team has added two members who’ve held prominent positions in the city for years, including with the Atlanta Beltline in its nascent stages. The positions, according to the nine-member Stitch leadership group formed in January, will boost the project’s capacity to advance “design, delivery, fundraising, and community engagement as it moves toward shovel-ready status.” (In January, that shovel-ready status was expected to happen this summer; it’s now projected for 2027.)
The appointments are:
- Lee Harrop, Stitch vice president of design and delivery, who served as the Beltline’s first program director and helped advance it from early planning into design and construction. Harrop “will lead the technical infrastructure and development work necessary to move The Stitch from vision to reality,” per officials.
- Caroline Ballard Leake, Stitch vice president of communications and development. Leake previously served as director of events and sponsorships for the Georgia Department of Economic Development and worked with Georgia Governors Brian Kemp and Zell Miller’s administrations. With experience in sponsorships, high-profile events, and strategic initiatives, Leake “will help strengthen awareness, engagement, and support for The Stitch as the project advances,” per today’s announcement.
Overview of possible scenarios for the Stitch's initial phase (now more compact) downtown, according to project leaders. Rendering: WSP, Hargreaves Jones, Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects ; via CAP/ADID
A retooled, smaller version of Stitch phase one was unveiled in October. Officials say $50 million is secured to move the design phase forward and help create The Stitch Special Assessment District, a measure approved by the Atlanta City Council in spring 2025 intended to help cover the Stitch’s operations, administration, maintenance, and programs costs, as funded by property-owning taxpayers within the district.
Phase one now calls for a 5-acre park spanning the downtown Connector, along with eight miles of streetscape and transportation upgrades connecting the area to the rest of the city.
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ALPHARETTA—Alpharetta is one step closer to building its own version of The Battery Atlanta on the site of a once-mighty suburban mall, following a 4-3 city council rezoning approval (and many hours of recent debate) on Monday. But the entire mini city mega-project hinges on the NHL awarding a franchise to the north Fulton County city, when it appears Houston or Austin will reportedly have first dibs on the 33rd NHL team, with an announcement possibly coming by the end of 2026.
The NHL is also in discussions for planting its 34th franchise in former pro-hockey cities Atlanta and Phoenix, but those talks aren’t as far along as with Texas cities for the 33rd team, as The Athletic reported last week.
In any case, the approved Alpharetta proposal by Ponce City Market developer Jamestown, North Point Mall owner New York Life, and their partners with mixed-use arena experience, Machete Group, calls for a 20,000-seat arena as its anchor.
Refined plan and overview of the nearly 100-acre site and proximity to Ga. Highway 400, at right
Courtesy of Jamestown
Alpharetta leadership has pulled for a component with for-sale housing (and publicly cringed at the thought of more apartments in town), but all of the 1,385 units now OK’d for the site would be rentals, according to a Jamestown announcement. The AJC reports two of the five apartment complexes could stand up to 20 stories, with the others being seven stories.
Should the NHL team materialize, Jamestown (now property manager of the mall) says the development would move forward in phases, opening on a rolling basis. With rezoning in the bag, however, Jamestown plans to kick off the next round of design, planning, and development phases with HKS Architects (master planning and architectural design) and Kimley-Horn (civil engineering and traffic/transportation consulting). Project leaders say the new district would bring $2 billion in construction spending and more than 6,000 new jobs.
Beyond the hypothetical arena, the latest plans call for (deep breath) a music hall and performing arts center (4,000 seats), a communal hockey rink (2,000 seats), a movie theater (1,100 seats), and two hotels (up to 650 rooms).
Additional facets would see roughly 565,000 square feet for retail and dining, 750,000 square feet of offices, and a hotel conference center of 35,000 square feet.
According to Jamestown, more than 20 acres of parks, plazas, and multi-use trails onsite would be open to the public.
What new Jamestown renderings depict as a MARTA Bus Rapid Transit connection and pedestrian bridge leading over Ga. Highway 400 to the North Point Mall redevelopment.Courtesy of Jamestown
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MIDTOWN—A year ago, global professional services firm Ernst & Young revealed it was claiming floors 14 through 16 at Portman’s Ten Twenty Spring building—considered a major win for vacant (albeit top-flight) Midtown office space at the time.
On Monday, the firm celebrated the grand opening of its new EY Atlanta offices, spread across more than 102,000 square feet with city views and perks that include a movie theater and game room.
The theater room at EY Atlanta's new 102,000-square-foot Midtown offices. Courtesy of EY Atlanta
Courtesy of EY Atlanta
EY officials say the company’s roots in Atlanta trace back to the early 1920s, and that the “design and art selected for the office pay homage to Atlanta’s history and local landmarks.” Officials have said the 1020 Spring St. facilities will see roughly 3,000 employees move in this year.
Find a closer look at how those digs came together in the gallery above.
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