DEL.ICIO.USFormer Ford plant site nears Phase 1
Hapeville spot to include office space, hotels, retail, restaurants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
For now, tall mounds of recycled steel, concrete, tin, copper and asphalt dot the site that once housed the old Ford Motor Company plant in Hapeville. All the buildings have been torn down, and the developer says the remediation work that started last June is basically done.
Over the next few weeks demolition equipment will rip up the concrete slabs on the 128-acre site along I-75. Recession aside, work appears to be on track to redevelop the Hapeville site, to be called Aerotropolis Atlanta, into a mixed-use project adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Johnny Crawford/crawford@ajc.com
Work is under way to transform the site of the former Ford plant into Aerotropolis Atlanta, which will be a mixed-use project adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Before Phase 1 begins in the fall, demolition teams will clear out concrete slabs on the 128-acre site along I-75.
By fall, Phase 1 — light industrial and parking construction — is expected to be under way. Jacoby Development Inc., the developer that turned an old steel mill into Atlantic Station — a live-work-play mini-city in Midtown — is the developer for the $1.5 billion project. Aerotropolis Atlanta is zoned for office space, hotels, retail, restaurants, a light industrial business park and a 4,000-space airport parking facility. Buildout is expected to take 10 years.
Finding tenants is the real challenge in a recession that has seen many developers abandon construction plans as businesses continue to shrink their workforces and demands for space. Proposals have been floated for the old General Motors plant in Doraville, and plans are being drawn for the redevelopment of Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson once those Army bases close in 2011. But few major projects are moving forward right now.
“We’re optimistic,” said Scott Condra, senior vice president of development for Jacoby. “It may take a little longer than we had hoped. But we’re optimistic because it’s a unique piece of real estate,” given its proximity to Hartsfield.
More than 90 million passengers passed through Hartsfield last year, the world’s busiest airport. Aerotropolis Atlanta will be “a direct connection” to the international terminal under construction, Condra said. The terminal will be located just across Loop Road from the Jacoby property. Plans call for shuttle service to be offered on Loop Road, so travelers can eat and shop during layovers.
The Ford plant employed more than 3,000 people. Aerotropolis is expected to add more than 10,000 jobs to Hapeville through buildout, Condra said.
Hapeville Mayor Alan Hallman says while the economy might slow the completion date, the project is moving ahead.
“I really think the reason this project is doing well when others aren’t is our proximity to the airport,” he said. “The location is a big, big selling point.”
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