Vision

West End’s Aspirational Next Chapter.

West End Atlanta is the redevelopment of the West End Mall, a 12-acre parcel in a reemerging commercial district one mile southwest of downtown. The site will be connected to the Atlanta BeltLine and sits between an existing MARTA transit station and four historically black colleges and universities – Spelman, Morehouse, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Clark-Atlanta. There is currently $400M in real estate development projects within walking distance of the site, setting the stage for a powerful community investment story at the site of the West End Mall.

West End Atlanta is the first project of Elevator City Partners, a company formed by Ryan Gravel and Donray Von to leverage real estate in ways that open doors for a wide range of development partners.

We understand the historical weight of the West End Mall site. It marks the origin point of Atlanta’s legendary African American middle class – which has delivered countless dividends in the growth of our entire metropolitan area. Our proposal is to build on this storied legacy through a new chapter of inclusive re-urbanization. Our goal is to honor this highly-visible and culturally-significant property by transforming it into a 21st-century model for African American culture and enterprise, creating a bold catalyst for the West End of tomorrow.

West End Atlanta will become the beating heart of a dynamic walking district. It will be designed with civic and cultural spaces, a vibrant street-level retail experience, lifestyle office and co-working, active and mixed-income residential, hotels, and wellness amenities. We anticipate over $350M in development on site, totaling more than 1.5M square feet. Importantly, West End Atlanta will also include a catalyst development fund to ensure local businesses play a major role in the development and growth of the community.

To accomplish this vision, we will engage in a multi-track process for community engagement. One focuses on strategies for including local businesses in the future development. Another track identifies historic and cultural threads to carry forward in everything from the mix of retail to public art, memorials, and place names. Still another addresses regulatory hurdles like zoning and other technical considerations for the project to move forward.

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Proposal

  • Culturally-resonant experience, identity, and vibe
  • Vibrant, walkable retail district
  • Mixed-use, office, residential, hotels, fitness, restaurants, and retail
  • Center of growth opportunity for untapped Southwest Atlanta
  • Powerful community investment story
  • Walkable attraction from historic HBCU campuses

Key Facts

  • Under option by Elevator City Partners
  • In a federal Opportunity Zone
  • In the BeltLine TAD (tax increment finance district)
  • 12 acres
  • Iconic, high-visibility site
  • 5 Minutes from Downtown
  • 1 block to MARTA transit station
  • Direct access to Interstate 20

“Together with the residences and medical facilities Morehouse School of Medicine is developing for the community, these projects animate the Lee Street corridor in a way that invites more creativity and a safer, more vibrant community for local businesses, current residents and the Atlanta University Center community of 12, 000 faculty, students and staff.”

– Mary Schmidt Campbell, President, Spelman College