‘It is helping to push the West End to be the new bright spot in Atlanta’
Some of the key members of the Ackerman & MDH Lee + White team
The buildings formerly known as “Warehouse Row” in Atlanta’s West End have been transformed from the days when they served as packaging and distribution facilities for regional grocery stores. Now called Lee + White, the adaptive reuse project encompassing 442,562 square feet now houses popular breweries and restaurants, cutting-edge technology and energy companies, a whiskey barrel house, a climbing gym, co-working space, food manufacturers, charitable organizations – and soon, a 19-vendor food hall and “Great Lawn” gathering space.
The transformation of the property together with its impact on the surrounding community recently earned Lee + White a CoStar Impact Award for Redevelopment of the Year in Atlanta.
Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners acquired Lee + White in 2019, continuing the redevelopment of the property.
The CoStar award judges emphasized that Lee + White is helping to revitalize the West End.
“This development is bringing life to an area that has long suffered. It is helping to push the West End to be the new bright spot in Atlanta,” said Avison Young Research Manager Sara Barnes.
Added Christa DiLalo, Director of Research at C&W: “As a frequent visitor to Lee + White’s experiential and food/beverage tenants, I feel Ackerman and MDH were truly successful in ‘place-making’ and with the addition of high-profile office tenants, they are continuing to drive revenue to the West End.”
The growing tenant roster at Lee + White includes food and beverage favorites ASW Exchange, Best End Brewing, Box Car, Hop City, Monday Night Garage and Wild Heaven West End Brewery.
There are also a wide mix of retailers, experiential destinations and medical service providers such as The Overlook Boulder + Fitness, Beya Salon Studios, A Chiropractic Hub, Team Rehab, Cultured South and Doux South Pickles.
Perhaps the most anticipated part of the project, the food hall will feature an eclectic mix of established and newly launched concepts: Cielito Lindo, Costa Coffee, Crème de la Crepe, Dough Boy Pizza, Gekko, Good Azz Burgers, Honeysuckle Gelato, Mochinut, The Original Hot Dog Factory, Pastaholics, Sakura Sake Bar & Bottles, Sweet Red Peach, Vietvana and World Chicken. The food hall is scheduled to open later this year.
In addition, the 929 Building (which will also open in 2023) will offer state-of-the-art loft office space that will attract additional businesses to this increasingly vibrant hub of the community. Flex Building 1050 has attracted innovative technology companies: Carbice, a nanotechnology company, moved into a 23,367-square-foot headquarters with state-of-the-art production space in the building last year, and renewable energy producer JTEC signed a lease to create an 18,755-square-foot lab and collaborative office space. The expanding mix of businesses and services also include Utility Energy Services, a Michigan-based energy consultant that established a new Georgia office at Lee + White, and The Reinvestment Fund, a non-profit community revitalization organization.