Abandoned United Methodist Center Set For Residential Loft Conversion Downtown

Braden Fellman Group recently acquired the property with plans for more than 50 loft-style apartments in the 1960s-era complex.

A former United Methodist Church headquarters, wedged between the Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment site, Georgia Power headquarters, and the proposed Stitch, has been purchased by Braden Fellman Group (BFG), the firm announced in a press release Friday.

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BFG bought the building, at 159 Ralph McGill Boulevard, from American Capital Properties for $3 million on Thursday. Construction is set to begin right away, with delivery expected in late-2021 or early-2022. The transaction includes the chapel and adjacent 6-story office building.

“We plan to create a mix of studios and one-bedrooms ranging from 400-650 square feet, targeting the booming market of young professionals who want to live intown, with a more affordable rent and who love the character of repurposed buildings,” Andrew Braden, Principal at BFG, said in the release.

The former Methodist church headquarters consists of 36,000 square feet of office space and 66 parking spots in an underground parking deck. It was completed in 1966, designed by architecture firm Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild and Paschal (known as FABRAP) and constructed by MION Construction Company. It was built for the Methodist Church headquarters with office space rented to other tenants until the Methodists vacated the building for a new headquarters in 2000.

For many years, after the Methodist Church administrators vacated their downtown headquarters for Norcross, the building sat vacant as an eyesore to the surrounding neighborhood.

BFG has hired architect Dennis Hertlein with Surbur Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects, a firm whose work includes repurposing buildings like Ponce City Market, Common’s at Imperial Hotel, and the Mattress Factory Lofts.

Michael Bleke with Hailey Realty Company brokered the deal.

Founded in 1981, BFG owns and manages more than 1,700 apartment units and 155,000 square feet of commercial space in metro Atlanta. “The group established an early niche in intown Atlanta by redeveloping, managing and repositioning architecturally unique mixed-use properties with a historic flavor like Mattress Factory Lofts,” according to the release. Other most recent notable projects include the Abram’s Fixtures building in Atlanta’s Westside End/Adair Park neighborhood and the Winnwood Apartments in Midtown.

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

6 Responses

  1. I’ve always wondered what this is. Love the crazy circle building. I hope they turn it into a coffee shop or clubhouse or something fun.

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