Downtown Atlanta landmark eyes future as modernized ‘urban center’

October 12,2017

As the years-long overhaul of downtown’s iconic Equitable Building (aka 100 Peachtree) enters the homestretch, the property’s new owners are optimistic it’ll become Atlanta’s next buzzed-about urban hive.

Chicago-based Zeller Realty Group bought the 32-story tower in May, and now they’ve signed on JLL to lease it, in hopes of creating “an urban center through a speculative office program, building modernization, and on-site programming,” per a press release.

What’s that mean exactly?

The most visible changes should come to 100 Peachtree’s revitalized plaza, located adjacent to Woodruff Park. There, plans call for activating the space by way of public art installations, live entertainment, and other “experiential programming,” thereby blending “the corporate environment into the vibrant Fairlie-Poplar neighborhood,” officials said.

Last month, Zeller also launched an “innovative speculative office program” on the third floor called “Spur,” where four local architects are creating four unique suites “designed to engage the community in a discussion on workplace trends, the future of the work environment, and capture the energy of downtown Atlanta.” Expect construction on that to finish in early 2018.

Elsewhere, the Gensler firm is overseeing renovations and a redesign of the 18th floor amenity center.

Developed in the late 1960s, the tower was heavily damaged by the 2008 Atlanta tornado but has since bounced back, undergoing substantial renovationsfor the past several years.

A positive sign for the building came recently when The Boston Consulting Group announced it will take two floors totaling 40,000 square feet, attracted to the area’s growing vibrancy and walkability—both millennial-friendly traits.

The consulting group’s $9-million expansion at 100 Peachtree is expected to create about 500 downtown jobs over the next decade.