Latest news with #AtlantaConstitution
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Decades-empty Atlanta Constitution building gets new life
A historic but beat up South Downtown building that sat vacant for five decades is getting the overhaul it has long deserved. Why it matters: Developer Gorman and Company plans to turn the former Atlanta Constitution building into Folio House, a mixed-income housing development with rents affordable for service workers, bus drivers and more. Zoom in: The project's first phase calls for converting the building's upper floors into 50 residential units, 46 of which would serve people living on lower incomes, Gorman southeast market president Joel Reed said at a Thursday groundbreaking. The company will also restore the exterior and clean up the ground floor. Construction starts Monday. The team plans to finish the phase before the FIFA World Cup kicks off next summer. Catch up quick: Built in the early 1947, the five-story building was home to the Atlanta Constitution, one of two newspapers that merged to become the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Georgia Power then moved in for a short period before vacating the art moderne building — one of the last of its kind in Atlanta — in the early 1970s. It's been empty ever since. Reality check: Remediation and abatement work on the building comes first, Reed said. "There's a swimming pool in the basement," he said. "It wasn't meant to be a swimming pool, but there is a swimming pool in the basement." "There's a green roof up top," he said, referring to trees growing out of the building. "We're going to be modifying that as well." What they're saying: "All these projects are testaments to the strength of public-private partnerships," Mayor Andre Dickens said Thursday, adding the eyesore always seemed "spooky" to him. "These partnerships allow us to turn vacant and underutilized buildings into thriving community serving spaces." "We are turning public assets into engines for equity and economic mobility," he said. Zoom out: The city has plans to convert nearby city-owned properties, including the 2 Peachtree skyscraper and a lot across the street from City Hall, into affordable housing. It builds on the momentum in South Downtown, which is expected to see billions of dollars in new development and will likely be a World Cup activity hub.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Long-endangered Atlanta building getting new lease on life
A historic building that has been vacant for decades Downtown is about to get a new lease on life. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens celebrated the start of the 143 Alabama revitalization project on Thursday. He was joined by Joel Reed, Southeast Market President, Gorman & Company, and Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO, Invest Atlanta. The building, constructed in 1947, once housed the Atlanta Constitution and Georgia Power. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Phase 1 of the project will restore the historic structure and make the first floor ready for commercial use. It also includes converting the upper floors into 50 affordable housing units available at 30 to 80 percent of the area median income. Phase 1 plans includes 5,575 square feet of commercial space. Plans for Phase 2 include new 151-unit affordable housing building on the surrounding property. Once complete, the site is expected to add more than 190 affordable housing units to Downtown Atlanta. The 143 Alabama renovation plan is part of a larger effort set to transform 2 Peachtree, 104 Trinity, 184 Forsyth and other sites in Downtown. TRENDING STORIES: Former Spalding football coach sentenced for strangling his girlfriend Man accused of depositing check meant for GA county commissioners into personal account 'That's problematic:' Woman accused of taking money from homeowners instead of cutting down trees 143 Alabama, considered an Art Moderne structure, has withstood nearly 50 years of neglect, as well as demolition proposals, the The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation said. The historic building advocacy group said 143 Alabama was known as 'The Heart of Atlanta' because of its proximity to downtown Atlanta's historic railroad junction. Atlanta Constitution occupied the building from 1947 until the paper consolidated with the Atlanta Journal in 1955, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation said. Georgia Power moved into the building in 1955 and moved out in 1972. The building has been unoccupied and neglected since then. The building was added to the 2003 List of Endangered Buildings. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
90 years later, Sarazen's double eagle at Masters remains 'Shot Heard 'Round The World'
90 years later, Sarazen's double eagle at Masters remains 'Shot Heard 'Round The World' "The stocky figure in the brown sweater took a look at the flag, waving there, 220 yards away. He squared himself and squinted again." On April 8, 1935, those words appeared on the front page of the Atlanta Constitution. Columnist Ralph McGill had followed Gene Sarazen for 14-plus holes and stood on a knoll with Bob Jones as the Squire played the par-5 15th at Augusta National Golf Club in the second Masters Tournament. Trailing leader Craig Wood by three strokes with four holes to play, Sarazen struck his second shot, while Jones said to McGill, 'He hit a great spoon there.' The two watched in disbelief as the ball bounced twice and disappeared. Jones quickly amended his statement, now telling those nearby, 'That was the most magnificent shot I've ever seen.' It's been 90 years since 'The shot heard 'round the world,' and no player has double-eagled No. 15 since. Craig Wood and his wife, Jacqueline, were celebrating their first wedding anniversary that Sunday in 1935. Playing ahead of Sarazen, Wood had posted 282, and was receiving congratulatory handshakes as the miracle occurred on the 15th hole. Jacqueline, stunned by the turn of events, turned to the wife of competitor Frank Walsh and asked, 'Why don't they do something?' 'Wait a few years,' Mrs. Walsh replied. 'You'll get used to it.' Jacqueline and Craig Wood stood on the clubhouse veranda as Sarazen played his final hole. The stocky figure in the brown sweater parred 18 to secure a 36-hole Monday playoff against Wood. Jacqueline hugged her husband and said, 'We'll get him tomorrow.' 'She'll always remember that first anniversary,' wrote Ralph McGill. 'A cold, dark day at Augusta when the little chunk of a bulldog kept hanging on.' When asked about the spoon, Sarazen told reporters, 'Well, the crowd paid $2.20 each and they deserved some entertainment.' Following the round, Bob Jones went to the BonAir Vanderbilt Hotel, where he published an article about the events. It was the second edition of Jones's annual contest, and the tournament creator understood the significance. 'I have never seen anything like it before,' Jones wrote. 'I don't blame the crowd for becoming a bit pop-eyed, and I could not help feeling sorry for Craig Wood.' Jones never forgot what Sarazen's shot meant to the Masters Tournament. In 1955, 20 years after the double-eagle, a stone bridge was constructed on No. 15 to commemorate the event. Jones coined the day, 'Gene Sarazen Day' and marked the spot on No. 15 fairway where the double-eagle was struck. Forty-three of the 1955 entries tried to duplicate the result, with Fred Haas coming closest — 4 feet, 1 inch from the pin. During the bridge dedication ceremony, Craig Wood was asked to share his memories from that fateful afternoon. 'Had they been having a ceremony here the day after the 1935 tournament,' said Wood, who avenged his playoff loss by conquering the 1941 field, 'I would have thrown Gene in the lake.' Then Sarazen took the microphone. He first reflected on arriving at No. 15 tee box. 'There was only a gallery of one,' Gene recalled. 'He was Joe Williams of the New York Telegram. Well, someone came running up to say that Wood had finished with 282.' According to Sarazen, Williams looked at Gene and his playing partner, Walter Hagen, and said, 'I've seen enough of you two bums. I'm headed up there.' Sarazen then spoke about the 38th hole of the 1923 PGA Championship, where he was also paired with Hagen. 'I sprayed a drive that hit a house and disappeared,' Gene said. 'Well, the ball was found on the green and the Haig declared that the ball went into the kitchen of the house, where I had relatives who threw it onto the green.' The Augusta crowd broke into laughter, as Sarazen pivoted back to 1935, and his spoon that carried over the water and into the cup. 'You know, I didn't have any relatives in the lake,' Gene said.
