Our News
May 12, 2021
Local Startup Company and Award-Winning Chef Join Lee + White in Atlanta’s Historic West End
Loft office space and expanded retail and restaurant offerings among the improvements currently underway as new and existing tenants expand at Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners’ project.
ATLANTA, May 12, 2021 – As the next phase of redevelopment gains momentum at Lee + White, an adaptive reuse, mixed-use destination in Atlanta’s West End, investment partners MDH Partners and Ackerman & Co. are pleased to announce new lease signings with a locally owned technology start-up company and award-winning chef Todd Richards, who plans to debut his second location of Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ at the project. With construction ongoing, the office and restaurant will deliver in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively. Monday Night Brewery has also expanded its existing space by nearly 10,000 square feet to accommodate increased production capacity.
“Our vision for Lee + White is to create a place where local brands, chefs and passionate entrepreneurs can thrive, while contributing to the growth and energy of Atlanta’s historic West End neighborhood,” said Jeff Small, CEO of MDH Partners. “Our newest office tenant and Todd Richards are both trailblazers in their respective fields, and they exemplify the same ingenuity, drive and creativity shared among all of our tenants.”
A locally owned technology startup will establish its Atlanta headquarters in the re-adapted loft-office Building 1050, occupying 23,000 square feet of space that will include offices and laboratory/production facilities. The space will feature 18-foot ceilings, extensive natural light and a terrace directly overlooking the BeltLine. Cushman & Wakefield Senior Directors Sonia Winfield and Porter Henritze represented ownership and CBRE Vice Chairman Sam Holmes represented the tenant in the deal.
Richards will open his second location of Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ within a 3,990-square-foot space at Building 1020. The full-service restaurant will serve up Southern barbecue favorites, offering indoor seating options in addition to a spacious patio, where diners can enjoy their meals alongside views of the Atlanta BeltLine. Ackerman Retail Senior Vice President Kelly Wilson represented ownership in the lease transaction and Kristie Abney of Full Plate Real Estate represented the tenant.
Known for his contemporary cooking style rooted in Soul and Southern cuisines, Richards is a self-taught chef and a two-time semifinalist for the James Beard Awards. He is the co-owner of The Soulful Company Restaurant Group, overseeing the original location of Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ in the East Lake neighborhood of Atlanta and Soul: Food & Culture inside Atlanta’s famed Krog Street Market.
“Our ongoing redevelopment at Lee + White focuses on broadening the mix of tenants to make this an even more dynamic and multifaceted project that reflects the diversity and the history of the West End community,” said Kris Miller, President of Ackerman & Co. “These new leases demonstrate the overall appeal of Lee + White as a hub for cutting-edge business, as well as unique retail and restaurant concepts. We look forward to welcoming these two minority-owned businesses to the community later this year.”
On the heels of these new deals, MDH Partners and Ackerman & Co. also secured an expansion for Monday Night Brewery – one of the original tenants at Lee + White. Monday Night has expanded its current space by 9,475 square feet, increasing its total footprint to nearly 50,000 square feet. The additional square footage provides ample space for brewing and production. Monday Night has also revamped its 4,500-square-foot exterior courtyard for events and community gatherings. On April 11, the newly renovated outdoor space was activated for an inaugural Porch Party with a live DJ, lawn games, pop-up vendors from local Westside businesses and a satellite bar focusing on the craft hard seltzer brand Narwater.
“Our Porch Party events at Monday Night Garage serve as a fun way to reintroduce the community to our outdoor space, kicking off just in time for warmer weather and a successful vaccine rollout in Georgia,” said Kayla Rumpfeldt, CMO of Monday Night Brewing. “We have a lot of cool ideas for the outdoor event space after a really hard year. The courtyard is perfect for anything from intimate, micro-wedding ceremonies to Sunday Funday events, lawn chairs encouraged.”
Capitalizing on the project’s half mile of frontage along the BeltLine’s Westside Trail, the current phase of redevelopment at Lee + White will provide enhanced access to the BeltLine, while introducing a variety of public spaces overlooking the trail and a path connecting the project’s numerous outdoor spaces.
Acquired by MDH Partners and Ackerman & Co. in September 2019, Lee + White is a redevelopment of the former “Warehouse Row” buildings located at the intersection of Lee and White streets, comprising 11 buildings and totaling 433,204 square feet. Master plans for ongoing phases of development at Lee + White were announced last May. The growing tenant roster at Lee + White includes ASW Exchange, Best End Brewing, Boxcar, Cultured South, Doux South Pickles, Honeysuckle Gelato, Hop City, Lake & Oak Restaurant, Mac Stadium, Monday Night Garage, The Overlook Boulder + Fitness, Plywood People, Wild Heaven Beer
Lee + White is located 0.4 miles from the West End MARTA station and is convenient to all of metro Atlanta’s major interstates, I-20, I-75, I-85 and I-285.
About Ackerman & Co.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ackerman & Co. is a privately held, full-service commercial real estate firm focused on providing quality investment, brokerage, management and development services in the Southeast. The company, founded in 1967, retains an expert team of more than 100 real estate professionals. To date, Ackerman & Co. has developed and acquired more than 37 million square feet of office, medical, industrial, retail and mixed-use space, has 4.5 million square feet under management and maintains an investment portfolio valued at $1 billion. For more information, visit www.ackermanco.com
About MDH Partners
MDH Partners is an Atlanta-based real estate investment company managing its discretionary funds targeting industrial real estate across the United States on behalf of its institutional investors. Founded in 2005 as the successor to a fifty-year-old local real estate development company, MDH Partners has led and/or participated in over $4 billion (75 million square feet) of acquisitions, developments, and asset management as an advisor and investor. For more information, visit www.mdhpartners.com.