The Fight Against the Decaying City

In the years leading  up to the financial crisis of 2008, many large corporations decided to leave their longstanding homes in downtown Atlanta. Moving to midtown, they sought taller, newer, and more attractive buildings, surrounded by an area of town that was equally as posh. Upon this mass exodus to midtown, the downtown sector suffered immensely. Dozens of buildings were left vacated, as most of these old offices were never able to be sold. Soon after, the financial crisis of 2008 doomed the city in a way in which it appeared as if downtown was doomed to become a sea of abandoned buildings, overgrown vines, and empty streets.

 

The year 2009, however, brought forth a renewed sense of hope for the survival of downtown. Sitting in the heart of downtown is Georgia State University, an incredibly successful institution; so much so, that its growth and expansion were not very well accounted for. The abundance of vacant buildings provided the university with the perfect way to expand its campus. President Mark Becker took his place as the leader of Georgia State in 2009. Becker had a vision for downtown that included incorporating the school into most of the downtown area. Many of the things that previously circled Becker’s mind have now come to fruition. By doing so, Becker effectively saved both Georgia State and downtown Atlanta from what could’ve been extreme economic catastrophe.

For those new to Georgia State, it is difficult to imagine a time when the campus did not extend down Piedmont Avenue, when Centennial Hall did not exist, and there was no Willy’s to curb appetites between classes. However, that time did exist, and it was only six or seven years ago that the campus was surrounded by abandoned, crumbling buildings. Piedmont Avenue was previously one of the worst in terms of the level of decay. Now, however, Piedmont is lively, its streets flanked by apartments, dorms, and student amenities, such as the Rec Center. Below is a list of projects done within the last 16 years at Georgia State:

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENTIn the past 16 years, GSU completed the following projects, many after Mark Becker became the school’s president in January 2009:

• Student Center — 124,000 square feet, opened fall 1998
• North Metro Center — 49,720 square feet, opened 2000
• Student Recreation Center — 174,000 square feet, opened 2001
• Aderhold Learning Center — 160,000 square feet, opened fall 2002
• University Lofts (435 beds) — opened summer 2001
• University Commons (2,000 beds with 786-space parking deck) — opened fall 2007
• Library renovation and expansion — completed in 2008
• Patton Hall — 79,777 square feet, opened fall 2009
• Decatur Street pedestrian improvements — completed in 2010
• Piedmont Avenue pedestrian improvements — completed in 2011
• Piedmont North Student Housing (943 beds with 315-space parking area) — opened fall 2010
• Parker H. Petit Science Center — 360,000 square feet, completed July 2010
• Piedmont North Dining Hall — completed fall 2011
• Alpharetta Academic Facility — 45,000 square feet, completed fall 2011
• Outdoor student recreation facility — football and intramurals practice fields, completed in 2012
• 25 Park Place Tower Renovation (five floors) — completed December 2012
• Campus master plan update — completed December 2012
• Sand volleyball courts — completed in 2012
• 100 Auburn Avenue renovation — completed August 2013
• Indian Creek Lodge — 4,900 square feet, completed December 2013
• Humanities Law Building — 200,000 square feet, scheduled completion by July 2015

This chart from 2014  and the map above do not include the current major project underway: the Turner Field renovation. In 2015, the Atlanta Braves announced their planned move to Cobb County after the city of Atlanta refused to fund the construction of a new stadium. Since the team announced its departure, downtown has been in a state of panic, as the Braves offer the city with an abundance of tourism and as a result, an influx of money. In the fall of 2016, President Becker announced that Georgia State would be buying Turner Field, making it into a new football stadium, baseball stadium, and possibly even some new classroom buildings among the massive expanse of land. Because of the work Becker has done in downtown, Georgia State is often looked to when the threat of a messy real estate issue turns up. So far, the university has avoided many real estate disasters by picking up various buildings when vacated. This had benefitted Georgia State greatly in that the previously small campus was no longer able to hold such a rapidly growing student body. Now, however, the university easily accomodates all 50,000 students with relative ease.

 

Source 1: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/education/georgia-state-university

Source 2: http://www.gsu.edu/2014/09/08/growing-together-georgia-state-downtown-atlanta/

Source 3: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/georgia-state-downtown-atlantas-white-knight/nfwR6/

Source 4: https://wdanielanderson.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/downtown-atlantas-georgia-state-university/

Source 5: http://www.mappery.com/map-of/Georgia-State-University-Map