ATLANTA — A brand new commercial space is planned for the Peoplestown neighborhood later this year.
The small community has a deep legacy in Atlanta, and now a local developer is hoping her new project, Terminal South, will breathe new life into the area. A groundbreaking was held Thursday for the new development that hopes to revitalize the community.
“This is an adaptive reuse of a couple of derelict warehouses here in Peoplestown. We are transforming them into a commercial hub for this neighborhood. It's going to be home to 35 businesses, 18 of which will be restaurants and a food hall,” said Terminal South developer Melissa Ahrendt.
Ahrendt says the development is being filled by primarily minority and Black-owned businesses and will require tenants to contribute to a scholarship fund. The landlord will also match that funding to help students living in that area.
The project is expected to help stimulate the local economy by providing jobs.
“We will be providing about 250 jobs in this neighborhood. This is a $20 million dollar project,” said Ahrendt.
Darrell J. Johnson runs Dream Builders, a nonprofit that trains at-risk youth in different career paths, including agriculture. He’s working to make sure his clients benefit from the new development as well.
“We are actually trying to do some partnerships with all of the businesses and get some leafy greens sold to them all through the production of our youth,” said Johnson.
The commercial space is also expected to be the last stop on the city’s planned MARTA rapid bus line and will sit just steps away from the Atlanta BeltLine.
Developers say Terminal South is expected to open by this summer.