About Fairlie-Poplar
The Fairlie-Poplar Task Force was created in 1992 by Mayor Maynard Jackson to revitalize Atlanta's 20th Century business district, Fairlie-Poplar. Much of the area is a National Register Historic District characterized by classic examples of commercial architecture. The goal of the Task Force is to facilitate the development of a historic vibrant, downtown district that encourages office, retail, residential, cultural, and higher education interest and participation in a dynamic secure environment.

A short walk from Underground Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center, CNN Center, major hotels and office buildings, Fairlie-Poplar is home to a wide variety of businesses -- major corporations to family-operated restaurants -- as well as an increasing number of residents. The district's historic buildings, accented by newly improved brick sidewalks, trees, public art, and streetlamps, create a pedestrian-oriented ambience unique in the City of Atlanta. The area is undergoing a major revitalization effort, and the goal is to develop the area into Atlanta's signature historic urban neighborhood.

Retail Market Study
In August 1999, the Fairlie-Poplar Task Force completed the Fairlie-Poplar Retail Market Study, which is now available upon request. The study identifies retail opportunities in the district and recommends an optimum mix of retail for the district.

Through consumer surveys, Hill Partners, the study consultant, discovered what was suspected, but now is documented. The district is currently underserved, both in price point and types of business.

Moreover, Fairlie-Poplar has the potential to draw customers from Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Grant Park, Candler Park, and Decatur. A survey of these customers indicated that they are seeking to "rent" the urban experience with dining, entertainment, art and cultural uses. The study provides useful goals, guides and resource tools for business recruitment.

The study documents the target market, potential sales volume, opportunities and constraints, a merchandising plan, and recommendations of types of retail businesses and restaurants to recruit.

In summary, the study recommends Luckie Street as a dining and entertainment corridor, Broad Street lined with unique upscale cafes and boutiques, and Walton Street remerchandised with a mix of storefront retail, strategic restaurants, and creative industry businesses.

Historic Preservation
The Fairlie-Poplar National Register Historic District provides a rare glimpse into Atlanta's past, visually illustrating its transition from a fledgling, commercial railroad town in the early 1800s to a modern city of skyscrapers today.

It is the remaining portion of a larger area developed during the early 20th century. Before commercial development claimed the district, Fairlie-Poplar was a mixture of residential, retail and institutional use. As a result, Atlanta's oldest high-rises, which were concentrated in the area, today stand side-by-side with three and four-story buildings typical of the earlier Victorian period.

Nowhere else in Atlanta can one find such a great variety of architectural style, scale and materials intermingled in a charming pedestrian-scaled environment. As a visual illustration of Atlanta's transition from Victorian to the modern era, the Fairlie-Poplar district exudes a distinct sense of time and place