Honeywell on Tuesday confirmed its pick of a mid-rise office building in Midtown Atlanta for a new software hub and the headquarters of its home and building technologies business.
Morris Plains, N.J.-based Honeywell said in a news release that it has leased 62,000 square feet or two floors of 715 Peachtree Street, a building near the Fox Theatre that’s undergoing a significant overhaul by an ownership team led by Atlanta-based real estate firm Carter.
The building and Bank of America Plaza, the city's tallest tower, were among the finalists for Honeywell's offices when the company announced its decision in September to expand in Atlanta. In a news conference with Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed at the time, Honeywell officials announced plans to open a global software development center and move its home business to Atlanta in a move that is expected to create more than 800 high-paying jobs.
Honeywell is a maker of thermostats, fire systems, smart building software, aerospace systems, wireless communications and products for energy exploration. Though known for hardware, Honeywell, like GE, has invested aggressively in software development and what’s known as the Internet of Things (IoT), or networked communication through the cloud of machines and sensors.
The company said it will invest $19 million in the new operations center.
The company said the building was selected in part thanks to its location near Georgia Tech and access to transit and Midtown’s amenities.
“We are seeking the best of the best product software engineers from around the world to come to Atlanta,” Krishna Mikkilineni, Honeywell senior vice president of engineering, operations and IT said in the release. “At Honeywell, product software engineers have the opportunity to develop some of the world’s most sophisticated software- and digital-based products and solutions that play a major role in the IoT, helping airplanes, automobiles, buildings, homes, industrial plants, warehouses, and workers stay connected, safe, productive and secure.”
