An updated proposal for the 20-hectare (50-acre) master site plan for the Centennial Yards site in Atlanta provides increased walkability and access, and is designed to blend with adjacent communities in style and scale.
The project is part of a US$5 billion transformation of parking lots and former railyards, an area known as The Gulch, into an experiential and inclusive mixed-use development. Taking a cue from the historic city grid of the surrounding neighborhoods, the public realm is formed by pedestrianized routes, shared surfaces, and landscaped plazas. Foster + Partners is collaborating with Perkins+Will in further refining the plan. The Centennial Yards Co., formed as a partnership between an affiliate CIM Group and a group led by Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler, is leading the project in the role of master assembler and developer, according to The Architect’s Newspaper.
Centennial Yards is one of the largest sports- and entertainment-anchored developments in the country, surrounded by attractions including the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium — home to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United — on the east, as well as MARTA stations connecting the site with the rest of the city.
The plan seeks to complement these locations with a series of people-focused spaces and walkable urban blocks. The plan anticipates 1.1 million square meters (12 million square feet) of office space, 1,000 units of mixed-income housing, retail, hotels, and food service outlets.
A 2.4-hectare (6-acre) section of the Centennial Yards South district is completed or under construction, planned to deliver 12,077 square meters (130,000 square feet) of office and retail space along with a 162-unit apartment complex located within the former Southern Railway headquarters building and depot.
For more on this story, go to Foster + Partners and The Architect’s Newspaper.