Photos: First tower to sprout from Gulch reaches (almost) max height Josh Green Mon, 08/12/2024 - 14:33 The Gulch’s transformation from a soulless urban void into magnet for investment is becoming more and more obvious as Atlanta’s dog days of summer drag on.

As throngs of cowboy hat-wearing concert-goers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium may have noticed this past weekend, a section of the first ground-up new tower at Centennial Yards appears to have reached its maximum height, according to project renderings.

The building in question is an 18-story, glass-clad apartment tower that now overlooks The Benz from directly across the street, following a quick ascension throughout the spring and summer months.

Centennial Yards reps tell Urbanize Atlanta the project is very close to reaching its max height, “but technically the topping out is not completed.” Updates regarding naming and other details are expected to be revealed next week.

Centennial Yards’ first ground-up apartment building’s north and western facades today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 304-unit apartment building stands where Centennial Olympic Park Drive meets Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Vertical construction is also continuing on its sibling project, the 292-key Anthem hotel, with its curving base levels having rounded into shape across the street.

Both new buildings will stand 18 stories between The Benz and active railroad tracks below, marking the most tangible evidence to date the Centennial Yards megaproject is starting to become real. A joint groundbreaking was held for the projects in late 2022.

Centennial Yards Company leadership has said both buildings are scheduled to deliver sometime in 2025. An update on opening timelines wasn’t available today.

View of the Centennial Yards tower projects from the east, across the Gulch. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Planned look of the Anthem hotel (left) and apartment building at Centennial Yards, as seen from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Just east of the towers, Centennial Yards has also broken ground on an 8-acre, mixed-use entertainment hub anchored by a Cosm entertainment dome with a fan plaza at the center.

Those buildings are scheduled to be finished in time for eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches set to be played in Atlanta, beginning in June that year.

The Gensler-designed project would also include another Centennial Yards hotel (14 stories) on a new platform wedged between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and MLK Jr. Drive, adjacent to both State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Collectively, phase two is being referred to as the project’s Entertainment District.

Developers with Centennial Yards Company, a division of Los Angeles-based CIM Group, hope to not only complete the Entertainment District in time for the World Cup—but to have two-thirds of the 50-acre, $5-billion project either complete or under construction by then.

How the next Centennial Yards phase is expected to meet Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (left), with active rail lines separating it from the Anthem hotel tower (back left) and The Benz. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Eventually, Centennial Yards is expected to create a dozen city blocks, with about 750,000 square feet of retail in the mix, all backed by a nearly $2-billion tax-incentive package, a record for Atlanta.

In the gallery above, see where Centennial Yards’ construct progress stands today, versus its pre-World Cup future, should plans come to fruition.

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Images

As viewed from the north, the 18-story apartment tower now overlooks Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Centennial Yards’ first ground-up apartment building’s north and western facades today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress on base levels of the 18-story Anthem hotel project, situated just north of the apartment tower. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

View of the apartments from the Gulch-spanning Steele Bridge for pedestrians, which replaced the Nelson Street bridge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the first new tower appears to have reached its top story. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

View of the Centennial Yards tower projects from the east, across the Gulch. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The building’s stance along Centennial Olympic Park Drive today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Planned look of the Anthem hotel (left) and apartment building at Centennial Yards, as seen from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Street-level view of the Anthem apartments. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

How apartment amenities will overlook active rail. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Signage that will face The Benz. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

How the entertainment district is expected to meet Centennial Olympic Park Drive, near State Farm Arena. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Main entry point to the entertainment district along Centennial Olympic Park Drive. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Subtitle Glass-clad Centennial Yards apartment building overlooks Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Neighborhood Downtown

Background Image

Image A photo of a large glassy building that's topped out with a crane above, with another rounder building under construction next door.

Associated Project

95 Centennial Olympic Park

Before/After Images

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