Atlanta, Georgia
Ponce City Market is an excellent example of a successful rehabilitation of a historic commercial building utilizing both State of Georgia, and federal rehabilitation tax incentives. The project leveraged over $50 million in tax credits which helped provide equity for the success of the project and made it one of the largest preservation projects in the nation’s history. At two-million-square-foot, the nine-story building is also the largest building by volume in Georgia. The project included inspecting and rehabilitating all masonry features and the treatment of over 1,000 historic steel windows as it was rehabilitated to include retail and office space, residential units, a central food hall and public outdoor spaces.
HISTORY:
The building was constructed in 1926 as the Sears, Roebuck & Company Southeast distribution center and retail store. The retail store closed in 1979, but continued to serve as a regional office until 1987. The City of Atlanta bought the building and moved the central offices of its police and fire departments there, renaming it “City Hall East.” The property was sold to Jamestown in 2011 and opened to the public as Ponce City Market in 2014.
OUR ROLE:
Ray, Ellis & LaBrie Consulting (REL) was involved in the building’s redevelopment since the project’s inception. Beginning with the preparation of the National Register nomination, a prerequisite for the historic tax incentive program, REL also prepared all required paperwork for both the state and federal tax incentive programs . Before and during the project REL consulted with the owner and architects to ensure the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation were followed so that the tax incentives could be captured. REL also facilitated interaction between the owner, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the National Park Service through correspondence, meetings, and site visits.
