It was likely in our fourth or fifth tour of South Downtown in late 2023. At that moment in time we really had no idea what we were getting into. We had been in the neighborhood a few times, but had only scratched the surface of South Downtown's deep history. The deeper soul of the neighborhood doesn't show its fuller self to the first time visitor; additional layers can only be discovered through multiple experiences and education. For a small example, walking Hotel Row, one can get lost in the architectural beauty, however seeing the gaps in the alleyways while also knowing 1920's Prohibition groups of gentleman constantly ran from the cops jumping in between those same alleyways to stash their alcohol gives a different context. It's a small story but over 150 years of them and you feel them walking the streets.
We were three months in of walking through pre-restored buildings with no plan where I first reheard my grand parents voice (all deceased from decades ago) cheering me on to keep going. Think about it, when was the last time your heard your grandparent's voice?
That's what South Downtown does. It sets perspective. You can get lost in the history, not just from one generation but from Atlanta's history which is America's history. Before and during the Civil War, well through WWI as soldiers marched down Mitchell to the departing train. The Depression, WWII. From MLK's first sit-in at Rich's until his funeral's procession on Hunter Street (now MLK Jr. Drive) to when Frank Stokes, the bouncer of Mitchell Street, saw a man burning money one night (article below) to the World Cup of 2026 in South Downtown.
There is so much to South Downtown. I've spent nearly three years in the neighborhood and I've only just scratched the surface of it's layers.
This neighborhood's soul shines often but I feel it most in the mornings. When it's a bit quieter, the sun not so piercing, there is a feeling you don't get anywhere else. When I get that feeling, I think of W.E.B. Du Bois's poem: "Of the Wings of Atalanta." The first few sentences read:
South of the North, yet north of the South, lies the City of a Hundred Hills, peering out from the shadows of the past into the promise of the future. I have seen her in the morning, when the first flush of day had half–roused her; she lay gray and still on the crimson soil of Georgia; then the blue smoke began to curl from her chimneys, the tinkle of bell and scream of whistle broke the silence, the rattle and roar of busy life slowly gathered and swelled, until the seething whirl of the city seemed a strange thing in a sleepy land. - W.E.B. Du Bois
I like to think W.E.B. Du Bois was thinking of Mitchell Street when writing those sentences.
Here is the mentioned article:
When I think of South Downtown and its history, I also think of today and the future.
In the broader context, South Downtown just received a commercial shock to the system. What was previously documented nearly a year ago in Tenant Wave One of Phase One, has come to fruition.
Below is the current status of openings.
Restaurants and Retail
- Bottle Rocket opened.
- KMM & Co opened.
- Brewhouse Pub opened.
- Broad Street BBQ opened.
- Glide Pizza opened.
- El Tesoro opened.
- Founders Green opened.
- Amazing Atlanta Tours opened.
What had previously been opened before Spring of 2026:
- Village Books opened on Mitchell Street! Details here.
- Crates record store opened last April.
- Spiller Park Coffee
- Tyde Tate Kitchen
- Atlanta Tech Village - Sylvan which has a healthy group of entreprenuers
- Smorgasburg Atlanta
- The Junction opened - watch the video Jasmine and Shafi reopening their shop.
What opened during or after the World Cup:
- Delilah's Everyday Soul
- Brown Toy Box
- Tiendita (pop-up)
What restaurants have yet to open:
- Mule Train - opening soon
- Ida's Kitchen Counter Diner - opening soon
Residential
26 apartments at 85 Peachtree - 6 are currently leased out with only 20 left.
Two two bedroom apartments at 101 Peachtree Street
Two two bedroom apartment at 185 Mitchell Street
Commercial
11 historic office suites with 2 currently licensed out and 9 more left.
Commercial spaces yet to open:
86 Broad Street – also known as HL Greens. That is still under construction now and we're marketing it as an entire office building for the right tenant.
This was the culmination of Project Elle.
The pace and coordination of the construction could never have happened without the World Cup countdown.
During the adrenaline-fused fall of October and November of 2023, we were around the model, the same model we've toured thousands of Atlantans since, and all of a sudden the World Cup got mentioned. There was a light bulb moment of, "Oh, the World Cup is coming. That's right. It'll be here in two and a half years."
That was the first time the idea of having the World Cup as a mile marker was thrown on the table. We didn't know what we were going to do, but we knew the World Cup would be an amazing mile marker.
To get caught up on where we are in the journey read:
1) The Brutal Economics of Reviving Atlanta's South Broad Street
2) Housing Downtown and the Crazy Expensive Math Behind It
3) Tenant Wave One of Phase One
4) Defying the Odds
The Days to the World Cup countdown clock started well into the high 800's when we put it up in January of 2024.
It took us months to shore up all the buildings the Germans left us and come up with a game plan for the World Cup and beyond. We focused on the core arteries: Mitchell Street between Ted Turner and Peachtree Street and Broad Street between Trinity and Alabama Street.
Come hell or high water, we did it. The insanely talented and dedicated team created a neighborhood all Atlantans can be proud of offering a unique feel in our downtown. The timeline ended on June 13th, 2026 the day before the first World Cup. We went to the depths of our resources to get the liquor licenses for five different establishments that day, knowing the next day was the first World Cup game. The City delivered. APD delivered. The State delivered. Atlanta truly shows up when it's game time.
What did the Summer of South Downtown look like in 2026? It was the greatest grand opening party we could have ever asked for. See for yourself:
The World Cup was so much more than just eight games. Atlanta was on stage for hundreds of thousands of people.
What worked well:
- APD and other agencies kept the city safe
- The fan Marches
- Founders Green as a community hangout
- The exposure for locals to rediscover their downtown
- The turbo boost in revenue for tenants (just a boost; not a "year maker" month)
- The deadline of June 13th and the coordination among all of Atlanta.
- The Group Project nature and neighbors helping neighbors
- The cleanest downtown I've ever experienced
- MARTA over delivering on safety, cleanliness, and operational excellence
- The machine of Downtown Atlanta holds major events very well.
A tremendous and heartfelt thank you to the officers for a safe and problem free summer.
What didn't work well:
- Leasing out a massive block of residential. This was not the Olympics. Visitors came and went.
- Summer leases in our white boxed spaces. We got a few open but the idea of every available space on Broad Street leased out did not happen.
- The economic impact for tenants was helpful but not needle breaking.
- The day after the World Cup several unhoused individuals came back into downtown.
- Parking expectations. Because MARTA worked so well, the demand for cars was much lower than orginally expected.
By far and away the best asset the World Cup offered downtown was the coordinated urgency across every organization. The City, the State, ATL DOT, MARTA, APD, Downtown ATL, AMBSE, Invest Atlanta, Permitting, and many more all had the World Cup double underlined on their calendar to have everything wrapped up before the first game.
The Future
When folks ask, "what's next for South Downtown now that the World Cup has come and gone?"
The answer is simple: leasing, programming, and parties!
We are currently organizing a shin-dig, block party this Fall where we invite anyone and everyone who has taken part of the journey. We didn't even have time to celebrate or throw a welcome party for Atlantans due to the World Cup. Date and details coming soon.
Outside of what is in our control, South Downtown has been around long before any of us were born and it will be around long after all us are gone. Several buildings in South Downtown just had major renovations and they are being filled by Atlanta's most talented and bold.
Now it is a people and foot traffic marathon.
We have product offerings in the market ranging from residential, retail, restaurants, and commercial, now we must listen to the market. Our assumptions are being tested in realtime every day. It happens on every tour we give to a new resident / business owner or through a new customer walking into one of the restaurants in the neighborhood.
The table has been set in South Downtown, now Atlantans (and visitors) can feast off of it.
The "seething whirl of the city" that Du Bois talks about it revving back up in our downtown core. It will take years but let the marathon sprint begin.