Newport moves forward with first wave of Atlanta's South Dwntn revitalization

Real estate developer moves forward with speculative office and retail for 222 Mitchell Street building in historic Downtown Atlanta neighborhood

222 Mitchell Facade; image submitted

ATLANTA – Newport, a private, international real estate investment firm with US office located in Atlanta, is moving forward with its largest holding in the historic South Dwntn redevelopment project. Newport is in the process of submitting plans for 222 Mitchell the city’s permitting process, including 330,000-square-feet of mixed-use space and a 27,000-square-foot rooftop overlooking the Downtown skyline.

“After years of planning and programming, we are looking forward to continuing the momentum of restoring and reviving South Downtown with the development of our largest existing project within the community, 222 Mitchell Street,” said Newport Senior Vice President April Stammel. “This area is destined to be thriving, diverse and accessible for all Atlantans. We’re grateful for the rich history that exists here, all the stories that have unfolded within these buildings, and are committed to retaining the character of the community. We believe our progress at this time can act as a catalyst, providing jobs and opportunities for new partnerships in South Downtown as we all work to recover from the last four months.”

After sitting empty for more than 20 years, 222 Mitchell will soon be a mixed-use development offering over 217,000-square-feet of large footprint office space and 72,000-square-feet of retail, including a rooftop restaurant and private event space that offers expansive views of the city, including nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Capitol building, Midtown and Atlanta’s southside. Planning and development is being led by Newport’s Executive Vice President, Kevin Murphy, an Atlanta native and Georgia Tech alumni, and Group Director of Development, Heike Martin, who oversees development for the entire Newport Group based in Berlin.

Since purchasing 222 Mitchell in 2018, Newport has worked collaboratively with S9 Architecture and has brought on local talent BLDGS to deliver on the promise to ensure that the building will blend the original mid-century character with the largest Class-A office floor plates in the city and numerous retail opportunities. Features will include office floorplates up to 45,000-square-feet, lobbies for each of the three separate buildings, shared conference and board room spaces, two greenspaces, a retail passageway connecting Mitchell Street and Nelson Street, and updated sidewalks and streetscapes. JLL is representing Newport for both office and retail leasing, while Balfour Beatty will be the general contractor for the work with expected delivery in the second quarter of 2022.

“Work on 222 Mitchell has been our top priority since its purchase, and the team is confident that the character of this space will be embraced by the market to bring new opportunities and unique destinations to Atlanta,” said Kevin Murphy. “We began with uncovering the original details in the buildings and incorporating them into the design with our architects. We are hard at work with our partners readying the site for construction.” Murphy adds, “while carrying no current debt, we have turned our efforts completely to the active redevelopment of our holdings. Our unique position allows us to be intentional in the timing of these projects and responsive to the current challenges in the world.”

“Newport’s decision to go spec on these iconic adaptive reuse projects demonstrates its confidence in not only Downtown, but also in prospective tenants’ desire to have space in buildings with soul,” said Executive Vice President at JLL, Brooke Dewey. “After much anticipation surrounding South Dwntn, Atlantans are soon going to be able to experience the next phase of this transformative project.”

Along with the progress at 222 Mitchell, the historic Sylvan Hotel and Gordon Hotel as part of Hotel Row are proceeding forward with smaller footprint retail and office offerings targeting mid-2021 delivery.

For further information and updates on Newport’s South Dwntn project, visit www.southdwntn.com or follow @southdwntn on Instagram.

About Newport
NEWPORT is an owner-managed project developer and investor with a focus on retail and commercial real estate in Germany, Switzerland, and the East Coast of the United States. Newport targets investments in city centers, well-established, and emerging locations. In 2016, Newport expanded its ventures to the United States, opening an office in Atlanta and purchasing 48 buildings within its South Downtown district. The U.S. team is dedicated to revitalizing the once vibrant neighborhood, by restoring historic buildings for existing and new tenants and developing new mixed-use buildings on vacant parking parcels.

About JLL:
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $18.0 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 94,000 as of March 31, 2020. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated.

Published August 4, 2020