Atlanta’s original transit-oriented project readies for transformation, starting with a new team and design plan
Since acquiring the 47-acre Lindbergh City Center development in September, Rubenstein Partners, LP (Rubenstein) and global investment firm Monarch Alternative Capital LP have enlisted top talent to execute their redevelopment vision for the nearly 20-year-old mixed-use property anchoring the Lindbergh Center MARTA station.
Cushman & Wakefield, Revel, ASD|SKY and Gensler are playing major roles in reinventing the dated development into a great transit-oriented destination for Atlanta.
Plans involve redesigning the building exteriors to create varied heights and layers; reconfiguring the retail footprint; recruiting a tenant mix of Atlanta’s diverse local retailers, art galleries and restaurants; introducing a better guest experience and exciting community events; and attracting office tenants who value working in a vibrant, highly connected mixed-use destination. With a strong commitment to placemaking, open spaces throughout the property will get new furniture, lighting and event programming. Rubenstein also recently hired new property operations vendors, including a private 24/7 security team.
“While there is much uncertainty in today’s marketplace due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we are confident in our plans to redevelop Lindbergh City Center into a hub for global experiences with the best connectivity in Atlanta,” said Taylor Smith, Regional Director of the Southeast at Rubenstein. “We are investing in public spaces and the design of our buildings, partnering with local organizations, artists and small businesses to host community activations later this year, and re-merchandising the tenant mix to create a unique retail and dining experience that caters to all of Atlanta through the MARTA system and the great neighborhoods around us.”
The Lindbergh Center MARTA station is one of the top five busiest stations in MARTA’s system and represents the convergence of the Red (North) and Gold (Northeast) lines, with the Lenox, Buckhead and Arts Center stations just one stop away. The Lindbergh Center station is one of the most important anchors for the project and a huge amenity for retail and office tenants.
For the first time, the four most senior brokers on Cushman & Wakefield’s 10-person agency leasing team are coming together. Managing Directors Aileen Almassy and Glenn Kolker and Senior Directors Andy Sumlin and Preston Menning have all been engaged to lead the office leasing for the project. Members of this team have experience leasing high-profile Atlanta properties, such as 725 Ponce, Colony Square, Atlantic Station and Tower Place.
“We are honored to have been selected for this important high-impact urban project with a client that has proven its ability to execute on best-in-class properties,” Sumlin said. “Additionally, the opportunity to partner with Aileen, Glenn and Preston is unique, and there is not a more experienced team in the market.”
With AT&T’s relocation, more than 1 million square feet of office space will come online this year. Global design and architecture firm Gensler is leading the interior redesign of the unique 35,000-square-foot office atrium, which will be modernized for today’s workforce and include a coffee and wine bar, game room, and a mix of alternative work spaces that will together create a community hub, unique to Atlanta. That atrium will connect directly to over 80,000 square feet of retail on a reimagined main street.
“These curated amenities are inviting places that engage tenants by providing them with new spaces to focus and collaborate as they work as well as socialize and connect with each other,” said Kevin Songer, Co-Managing Director, Gensler Atlanta. “Our goal is to optimize the tenant experience and enhance the Lindbergh community.”
Retail leasing for the project is well underway. Revel, which specializes in significant and unique retail projects, has been brought on to oversee the redevelopment, merchandising and leasing of the retail spaces throughout the project.
“The neighborhood has long been the geographic center of Atlanta,” said Revel founder George Banks. “But we think we have the opportunity to make it a true artistic and social center as well. We see it as a place for bringing together the best of Atlanta’s various peoples and cultures. We think it will be as unique as our entire city.”
ASD|SKY, a design firm focused on integrated creative solutions is reimagining the pedestrian experience, through thoughtful integration between architecture, hardscape, landscape, art and lighting.
“Lindbergh has so much untapped potential and we are extremely excited to be a part of the team. Through selective demolition, thoughtful architectural additions, signage, wayfinding, art and landscape, we are activating the site and creating a place people will choose to be. The result will be a textured and compelling street experience,” said Michael Wirsching, Principal at ASD|SKY. “For instance, we are carving up spaces for outdoor patios so that dining spills into the sidewalks and lobbies and punching out office balconies to create unique spaces for the future best-in-class tenants.”
Adrenaline Agency is leading the branding for the project, which will have a new name and logo in the coming weeks. As one of the project’s early adopters, Adrenaline occupies a 25,000-square-foot office space at the mixed-use development.
About Rubenstein Partners
Rubenstein Partners, founded in September 2005, is a private real estate investment management and advisory firm with operations throughout the United States. The firm is led by its founder, David Rubenstein, and a group of senior real estate executives, and is focused on directing and managing office real estate investments in the U.S. Rubenstein Partners' predecessor company, The Rubenstein Company, LP and affiliates, founded in 1969, was one of the largest private owner operators of Class A office real estate in the Mid-Atlantic, owning and operating a portfolio of assets valued at approximately $1.2 billion at the time of its disposition in 2004. Since 2005, Rubenstein Partners has, on behalf of its investors and clients, invested in more than 22 million square feet of office real estate assets throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.rubensteinpartners.com.
About Monarch Alternative Capital LP
Monarch Alternative Capital LP is a global investment firm founded in 2002 with approximately $5 billion in assets under management. Monarch focuses primarily on opportunistic credit and distressed situations across corporate debt, real estate, special situations, and other pockets of dislocation across various asset classes and industries. Monarch has invested over $40 billion in its strategy while maintaining a consistent and repeatable approach. While disciplined in approach, Monarch's dynamic sourcing enables the firm to capitalize on overlooked and niche areas on a global basis. Monarch draws on the skills and experience of 69 employees, including 23 investment professionals, across its offices in New York and London. Monarch has a long and successful history of investing in opportunistic real estate focused on areas that leverage Monarch's core tenets. In addition to significant internal resources, Monarch has substantial relationships with operating partners and advisors that it works with to help create value.
About MARTA
MARTA was established in 1979 as a combined bus-and-rail transit system to provide safe, convenient and affordable public transportation for Atlanta area residents and visitors. Since then, MARTA has grown to become the ninth largest public transportation system in the United States providing more than 430,000 daily passenger trips. MARTA's funding is sourced primarily from a 1 percent sales tax in Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties and the City of Atlanta. MARTA is a significant part of the regional and state economy contributing an estimated $2.6 billion in economic activity every year and supporting an estimated 24,000 jobs. To find out more, visit www.itsmarta.com.
About Gensler
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 50 locations and more than 6,000 professionals networked across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Gensler’s Atlanta office opened in 1993 and is organized into three studios that focus on Workplace, Brand, Digital Experience Design, Hospitality, Retail, and Commercial Office Buildings – and lead these practice areas throughout the Southeast region. Our experience includes working with great organizations like The Coca-Cola Company, Mercedes-Benz USA, Delta, NCR, Inspire Brands, Lowe’s, ZARA, Elevator City Partners, Verizon Wireless, Plywood People, and Hard Rock Hotels. Led by Managing Directors Kevin Songer and Tory Winn, our office is committed to the community and building our local practice with our knowledge from around the globe. https://www.gensler.com/offices/atlanta Instagram: @gensler_atlanta
About ASD|SKY
ASD|SKY is a creative firm committed to integrated and contextual design. Our work spans across disciplines including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, land planning and graphic design. Established in 1963, ASD|SKY provides Integrated Creative Solutions on a local, regional, national, and international level from our 12 locations. Headquartered in Atlanta, additional office locations include San Francisco; Tampa; Washington, DC; Richmond; Charlottesville; Nashville; Los Angeles; Raleigh; Greenville; Birmingham; and Jacksonville. We are committed to translating the needs and functional requirements of our clients into the built environment. www.asdsky.com // @asd.sky
