Terminal South scores Grant Park school, with new restaurant also on tap

The latest tenant signing at a Peoplestown warehouse district turned new food-and-retail destination could go a long way toward boosting everyday foot traffic. 

But it could be another blow to an adaptive-reuse, former social hotspot that’s grappled with vacancies near the Atlanta Beltline in Grant Park. At least in the short term. 

Officials with Stafford Properties, owner and developer of Terminal South, announced today they’ve signed The Nest Nursery School to join the Peoplestown district along Hank Aaron Drive, about two miles south of downtown Atlanta and just north of the Beltline.  

The Nest, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary in August, plans to open at Terminal South in early 2027. 

The early childhood education nonprofit—started by three southeast Atlanta mothers in an Ormewood Park house—has operated since 2017 in a renovated warehouse space in Grant Park, across the street from The Beacon. 

That property is slated to become part of a Trammell Crow Residential development that could stand seven stories and bring nearly 300 multifamily residences to the area, according to filings from earlier this year. 

The Beacon, a 9-acre collection of renovated warehouses, has lost two brewery tenants and hemorrhaged other businesses in recent years, as Beltline construction closed access from the district’s southern side. But the Southside Trail is now complete, and The Beacon’s owner Asana Partners and leasing heads JLL have predicted a community-hub comeback is coming, as evidenced by recent leasing progress. 

Terminal South officials describe The Nest as “one of Atlanta’s most respected early childhood programs, known for its low teacher-to-child ratios, dedicated educators, and child-centered approach to learning,” as inspired by Reggio Emilia, an educational philosophy developed in Italy that encourages creativity.

According to Meghan McNearney, Stafford’s director of marketing, The Nest will occupy a 4,314-square-foot space (Suite 120C) in Terminal South’s Building Two. 

The school will mark that building’s first tenant, though Stafford officials are currently finalizing a lease with a restaurant operator for another suite that spans 1,650 square feet. 

“The Nest will also take over the area that currently houses the Jase’s Lemonade shipping container for use as their outdoor play area, [as] Jase’s Lemonade had a short-term lease that ends this summer,” McNearney noted via email. “[The school] will also have a small outdoor garden space across from their storefront, between the parking area and the adjacent lot.”

According to The Nest’s website, its current facility can house up to about 70 students in four classrooms.

“We're not looking to grow significantly in size,” Melissa Fergueson, The Nest’s executive director, said in statement. “Our families already love walking and biking together, so this feels like a natural extension of who we are.

“We’re especially excited about having spaces like [food-and-beverage component] Switchman Hall just steps from our school,” Fergueson continued. “We can picture families lingering over dinner on the patio after pick-up, children sharing meals with their classmates, and neighbors becoming friends.” 

Situated at the southern end of MARTA’s new Rapid A-Line bus transit system, Terminal South began opening last year and has remade two former warehouse buildings into more than 45,000 square feet of patio gathering areas, retail shops, and local restaurants. Switchman Hall is expected to eventually house 18 unique concepts.

According to Terminal South officials, the Beltline intends to open a switchback entry/exit in 2027 directly across the street that would create smoother access to and from the Southside Trail. 

Until then, they advise Southside Trail users to exit the Beltline at Milton Avenue, head to Hank Aaron Drive (toward downtown), turn left, and enter Terminal South ahead on the right. That’s a distance of about two blocks. 

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