Following a pause of more than a year, construction has restarted at a 17th Street site where hundreds of new residences will replace land that’s long been empty despite its proximity to shopping and primo skyline views.

UrbA ATL, as the project is called, has recently “remobilized” at 480 17th St. NW, according to Augusta-based project developer Southeastern. 

The 7-acre Loring Heights site—situated across railroad tracks from IKEA, just west of Atlantic Station—was most recently a large parking lot for office buildings along Northside Drive. That was cleared about eight years ago as Fuqua Development’s suburban-style chain hub, West Midtown Center, took shape next door.

Mary Senn, Southeastern’s vice president, tells Urbanize Atlanta the construction pause was planned from the outset. The company’s strategy was to first complete UrbA ATL’s garages and site work, which were funded through equity, and then gauge interest rates, construction costs, and the broader market. A construction loan is expected to close any day, per Senn. 

“We were timing it out between some other project starts and our loan closing,” Senn wrote via email. “We are very excited for this project.”

UrbA ATL; Southeastern

As seen looking northeast, the 6.9-acre property in question, in relation to IKEA and Atlantic Station. Google Maps

UrbA ATL’s scope is unchanged; it calls for 321 luxury apartments and roughly 27,000 square feet of space for shops and restaurants, according to Southeastern. 

The retail and restaurant spaces are planned for ground floors, facing existing retailers next door. Above all that, designs call for a rooftop pool, large deck, and clubroom.

Senn said construction schedules call for opening the first UrbA ATL units in fall 2027 and finishing the project by the end of next year. 

Southeastern broke ground on UrbA ATL as part of a larger, UrbA-branded network of properties in May 2023. Infrastructure including parking structures was completed before work abruptly stopped late the following year, sparking concern among nearby residents. 

Elsewhere, the consulting, brokerage, and development firm counts projects in its portfolio from Washington State to Florida and Pennsylvania. 

At UrbA ATL, the building’s rooftop amenities will frame unimpeded views from south Buckhead to downtown, according to project renderings. 

UrbA ATL; Southeastern

Projected look of UrbA ATL's north face, with 17th Street at left and an aesthetically generous rendition of Fuqua Development’s neighboring project at right. UrbA ATL; Southeastern

Other building amenities will include a large coworking space, an e-sports gaming room and lounge, a large elevated dog park, rooms for bike storage and repair, and EV charging stations, along with what’s described as “multiple outdoor zen and activity gardens” and “a state-of-the-art gym with on-demand fitness,” according to Southeastern. 

Building permit records indicate UrbA ATL will include two separate, five-story apartment buildings, each with a parking deck. 

Earlier plans for the site called for a new intown Amtrak rail hub and grocery store, but those ideas failed to materialize. Kroger had previously owned the property before selling in 2022 to developers. 

Swing up to the gallery for more UrbA ATL context and images.

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