AMC demolition to clear way for new mixed-use hub

Axios

7 hours ago

Crews today will begin dismantling and demolishing Atlanta Medical Center, a shuttered hospital that stood as a community anchor in the Old Fourth Ward for more than a century.
Why it matters: The demolition of the roughly 450-bed medical complex clears the way for a new 22-acre mixed-use development and amenities in a prime Atlanta location hungry for housing and basic services.
Catch up quick: In September 2022, Wellstar announced the closing of AMC, one of Atlanta's two Level I trauma centers, citing the high costs of treating an uninsured population and declining revenues.
The decision surprised hospital workers, O4W residents, and city, county and state leaders. Gov. Brian Kemp allocated $130 million in federal emergency funding to help Grady Memorial Hospital handle increased cases.
Not long after, Mayor Andre Dickens issued a moratorium blocking development on the site. Wellstar hired the Atlanta-based Integral Group to oversee the property's redevelopment.
State of play: Crews will slowly dismantle the medical complex, including the circa-1920s Georgia Baptist Hospital. Integral plans to incorporate the building's facade into the new development.
Demolition crews could finish by year-end "with a little luck," said Barry Roberts, founder of Trinity Green and Atlanta Demolition, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The intrigue: Conceptual plans call for market-rate and affordable housing, green space, "local retail that serves [the] neighborhood," offices and "health and well-being resources."
The city's vision for the site — one that received support from Wellstar — would create a Ponce City Market-size destination near Freedom Parkway.
That could include nearly 2.5 million square-feet of housing, shops, restaurants, offices and more, the AJC reports.
What's next: Buckle up for a decade-long project. What exactly the property will become — plus how it looks and who it serves — remains in development.