Atlanta’s 6th tallest building slated to include affordable housing
The mixed-use redevelopment of one of Atlanta’s iconic skyscrapers is moving forward with a refined focus on affordable living.
Pulp and paper giant Georgia-Pacific announced the conversion of its namesake 51-story downtown tower will include more than 130 apartments at below market-rate rents.
The specifics were unveiled Thursday evening during a “Future of Downtown” panel hosted by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Georgia-Pacific project lead Suzanne Maynard said 30% of the planned 400 residential units across the tower’s uppermost floors will be reserved at monthly rents between 50% and 80% of the area median income. It mirrors other Atlanta efforts that are converting outdated cubicle space into housing — although few match the scale of Atlanta’s sixth-tallest tower.
Clad in pink granite, the 697-foot-tall Georgia-Pacific Center at 133 Peachtree St. is one of Atlanta’s most recognizable structures. The building with the stair-stepped facade was completed in 1982 and includes 1.3 million square feet of office space.
In September 2024, Georgia-Pacific announced plans to transform underused office space within the tower into shops, restaurants, entertainment space and some of the highest altitude apartments in the Southeast. Less than half the tower’s floor space will remain as offices — 600,000 square feet — which will be anchored by Georgia-Pacific and its private owner, Koch Inc.
The plan also includes the surrounding 6-acre block, which Georgia-Pacific owns. Roughly an acre is slated to become a public gathering plaza with MARTA and Atlanta Streetcar access. A parking deck with more than 2,100 spaces rounds out the site plan.
Maynard said on the panel that Georgia-Pacific will begin pursuing debt and equity partners this summer, in addition to public incentives from the city. The company has declined to disclose the project’s anticipated budget. A groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for late 2026.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
