Underground Atlanta is located at the heart of the city of Atlanta. Since its construction of the MARTA station in the early 1980s, the area is connected to the Five Points Transit Station. However, the district’s location connected to the station is one of the factors setting for its failure because the people who purely rely on public transportation are middle and working class minorities. Although, the majority of the minorities are those of the African American population. Also, there is the suspicion that lower class status of African Americans are associated with violence and crime.

However, its dark interior and surroundings have caused tourists to avoid going through the area. The area is surrounded by abandoned buildings as well as struggling and homeless individuals. Its dark and dimmed interior on the lower levels of Alabama Street has created a sense of fear that have made most visitors feel uncertain and unsafe about the area. Although the district has attempted to make it appear as a family-friendly environment on the daytime and a nightlife scene in the night, it still appears as a dead zone with barely any lifeforms circulating in it.

However, the area still holds onto hope by redeveloping the area by adding in apartment complexes and grocery stores to the mall to bring in a new form of lifestyle in the historic area. In a way, one can assume that the area is attempting to be remodeled after Atlantic Station set in Midtown Atlanta. J. Scott Trubey (2016) of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has written that new renderings of the project by South Carolina developer WRS show two glass and steel towers and mid-rise structures over a grocery store and existing tiered downtown shopping mall. Kasim Reed, the major of the city of Atlanta, has announced in the past recent years that Underground Atlanta was sold to the South Carolina developer for nearly $26 million in attempt to revamp the area once again. This time, the developers plan to construct apartments, improve retail along with adding a downtown grocery store stating the area sorely needs one. Although the project has been in the works for two years, locals have expressed their feelings towards the blue print sketchings of the design of the “new” area.

A drawing of the proposed tower, showing the preserved historic storefronts. WRS Real Estate

A drawing, dating from 2014, which is causing a stir. WRS Real Estate

A section through the proposal at Underground. WRS Real Estate

Although, in attempts to revamp and redesign Underground Atlanta has occurred in order to bring in newer feels and lifeforms into the historic site throughout the years, the incidents of violence and crime that have occurred in the area have also steered audiences away from visiting as well as wanting to live near, let alone in the area.