The BeltLine Boom

A Q1 2023 report by Cushman & Wakefield details our upcoming move to the Atlanta BeltLine. Download the full report here. 

WESTSIDE TRAIL

The Westside Trail continues to see extensive growth and connects some of Atlanta’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Consisting of multiple segments, the Westside Trail will run 5.5 miles from Huff Road to University Avenue upon completion. The opening of Westside Park in the summer of 2021 welcomed new traffic to the neighborhood while promoting enhanced pedestrian use as Atlanta’s largest greenspace at 280 acres. With construction on the final piece—Segment 4—occurring in early 2023, the corridor has been thriving with the expansion.

The Westside Trail currently houses 900,000 sf of office inventory* and as adaptive reuse projects are plentiful in the area, more creative office spaces are coming to market. Demand is keeping pace with supply as seen with Lee + White, a new mixed-use project represented by Cushman & Wakefield. The redevelopment of former Warehouse Row, finalized in 2022, has already secured a strong tenant base. The most recent deal with JTEC Energy will house the renewable energy technology producer’s corporate headquarters in 18,775 sf, with plans to establish a lab and collaborative office space. The company will join other office users in the complex including Carbice Corporation (20,000 sf) and MacStadium (9,300 sf). Further north along a future BeltLine connector trail, a 224,000-sf creative office building delivered at Westside Paper in late 2022. In parallel with the Eastside Trail’s high desirability, asking rates along the Westside Trail command a premium over the Metro average as tenants will pay nearly 16% more for their office space, at an average of $35.88 psf.

The Westside Trail is transforming into a food and beverage destination with nearly 450,000 sf of retail inventory. Breweries such as Monday Night Garage, Wild Heaven, Best End, and more recognize the area’s history and diversity and create a community experience. With a prime location in the West End Industrial District and with direct BeltLine access, Lee + White owners Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners are currently working on the second phase of the redevelopment set to include a food hall, additional retail, and creative office space. The 14-stall food hall is nearly fully leased to vendors including Costa Coffee, Original Hot Dog Factory, Pastaholics, Sweet Red Peach Bakery, and Gekko. Now a destination, the Westside Trail offers an attractive living opportunity for individuals of the metro, with an inventory of 2,198 multifamily units and an additional 1,015 units currently underway. Despite astonishing rental growth throughout the entire corridor, the BeltLine remains committed to keeping housing attainable for all. In coordination with housing partners, the BeltLine is more than halfway to its goal of providing 5,600 affordable housing units within the BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD). Parkside, an affordable housing project within one mile of the Westside Trail, completed in 2022 with 182 units.

Download the full report here.