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GM plant’s second life in the ATL: Think smaller

A demolition company has chopped, smashed and crushed most of the 3.6 million square feet of buildings at GM’s former assembly plant in Doraville. The scrap is being shipped out on the very same rail tracks that once carried in new auto parts. MATT KEMPNER / AJC
A demolition company has chopped, smashed and crushed most of the 3.6 million square feet of buildings at GM’s former assembly plant in Doraville. The scrap is being shipped out on the very same rail tracks that once carried in new auto parts. MATT KEMPNER / AJC
By Matt Kempner
June 12, 2015

The next time you're on I-285's northern arc, take a gander at the smudge left after demolition crews vaporized one of metro Atlanta biggest job magnets.

It’s where the Atlanta Falcons contemplated putting a stadium. Others proposed launching Georgia horse racing there.

And one guy wanted it to become home to the Seven Wonders of the World, built out of Coke cans. Really.

Instead a developer's plans raise larger questions about what to do with one of metro Atlanta's most connected sites. But first, I got to see what happens when demolition crews are let loose on more than three million square feet of auto central.

Check out my column, and a plethora of photos showing demolition 101, on MyAJC.com.

Reminds me why I loved Tonka trucks as a kid.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

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