Atlantic Station

Atlantic Station is a mixed-use development on the Northwestern edge of Midtown Atlanta, GA. It is the largest urban brownfield redevelopment in the United States, the first LEED certified campus in the world, and helped lay the legislative framework for Georgia’s current Brownfield legislation.

Atlantic Station is built on the 138 acre former site of the Atlantic Steel mill. In 1997, Jacoby Development (JDI) contracted the site and undertook an extensive multi-year remediation and redevelopment of the site along with partner AIG. The remediation and construction of Atlantic Station took eight years and involved the removal of 165,000 tons of soil and the development of a ground water sewage treatment system. JDI had a vision of building a green, efficient mixed-use development, which would connect Atlanta and serve the community while benefitting the environment. This vision resulted in a 3 billion dollar mixed-use community with 6 million square feet of office, retail, and housing, leaving another 6million square feet for future development on the site.

Atlantic Station is built on the 138 acre former site of the Atlantic Steel mill. In 1997, Jacoby Development (JDI) contracted the site and undertook an extensive multi-year remediation and redevelopment of the site along with partner AIG. The remediation and construction of Atlantic Station took eight years and involved the removal of 165,000 tons of soil and the development of a ground water sewage treatment system. JDI had a vision of building a green, efficient mixed-use development, which would connect Atlanta and serve the community while benefitting the environment. This vision resulted in a 3 billion dollar mixed-use community with 6 million square feet of office, retail, and housing, leaving another 6million square feet for future development on the site. The 17th street bridge, also known as the “Gateway to Atlanta,” was a contentious item due to concerns from the EPA about the environmental impact of building the bridge and how much additional car traffic it might create. JDI crafted a solution and recruited C.W. Matthews, a renowned bridge builder, to create a bridge that was useful and environmentally friendly. One of the keys to make the bridge “green” was to create a traffic flow pattern that would reduce the number of detours and effectively alleviate congestion in one of the busiest parts of Atlanta.

The plan for Atlantic Station was to combine residential units, office space, as well as retail and entertainment venues into one place, thus creating a walking community. The area is split into three distinct sections: the District, the Commons, and the Village. The slogan “Live, Work and Play” encompasses the holistic approach Atlantic Station takes to life: the possibility to live, work, shop, feed, and entertain an entire family within a walkable, safe, and pleasant area that is also easily accessible by mass transit and car.

The District is where most of the retail and shopping space is located. It opened on October 21, 2005 and now includes a 16-screen Regal Movie Theater, retail shops with two to three stories of condo space above them, three high-rise office buildings, the Twelve Hotel and Residences Atlantic Station, and a central park area featuring a space for concerts and special events. Additionally, underneath the district is a 7,200 space parking garage. The Commons is home to many low-rise condominiums, apartments, townhomes, and a large storm water retention pond. The Village is located on the westernmost portion of Atlantic Station along 16th Streetand comprises of two apartment complexes and IKEA. This IKEA store opened in 2005 and has become the busiest IKEA in the country. Atlantic Station became a textbook example of a successful public/private partnership as JDI worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Georgia. The EPA was attracted to Jacoby’s dedication to building green, and their partnership lead to the creation of Project XL. Project XL was a program that allowed state and local governments, businesses, and federal facilities to develop and test strategies to achieve greater protection of environmental and public health. Concurrently, the EPA issued regulatory, policy, program, or procedural flexibilities needed to conduct the experiments. Some of the strategies tested were focused on: accelerated brownfield cleanup, use of existing infrastructure, green space preservation, mass transit connection (17th St Bridge), and pedestrian orientation.

Jacoby’s vision had a significantly positive impact on the environment: • Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) decreased by 61% • Nitrous Oxide (NOx) emissions decreased by 42% • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased by 60% • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions decreased by 780% • Mass transit use increased by 360%

Today Atlantic Station stands as the foundation of Jim Jacoby’s vision for green, healthy communities. Atlantic Station is responsible for thousands of new jobs, tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue, and untold economic benefits for midtown Atlanta due to the construction of the 17th St bridge and the increased patronage it has brought to the area’s surrounding businesses.