Georgia State University: save the 148 Edgewood building, don’t demolish it!
Located within the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, this 1926 building is one of the increasingly rare survivors of Atlanta’s pre-World War II urban fabric.
The lovely brick facade of 148 Edgewood
I’m honored to have worked with Maria Saporta to co-write this letter to GSU asking them to preserve the 148 Edgewood Building instead of demolishing it! This building, which dates to 1926 and has a lovely brick facade, is a contributing structure in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Landmark District. GSU plans to demolish to build a new plaza, while (perversely) keeping the neighboring parking lot intact.
This letter calls for GSU to save the structure — it’s sent on behalf of the Atlanta Design Roundtable and it’s signed by a group of local architects, developers, journalists, and thought leaders:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qbHGHr1PMXdkVsC5Crjk3rzTNRdw4_bp/view
Excerpts from the letter:
“Georgia State…has stated that it wishes to create a new public plaza. We support the creation of welcoming public spaces for students and the broader community. But the proposed plan would demolish a century-old historic building while preserving the surface parking lot immediately beside it. That is a missed opportunity.”
“If the objective is truly to create green space, the adjacent parking lot provides an obvious alternative. A plaza could be created there while preserving and restoring the historic building beside it. Rather than choosing between preservation and public space, Georgia State can achieve both.”
“In fact, the resulting space would almost certainly be stronger because of it. Great urban plazas are rarely defined by empty space alone. They succeed because they are framed by beautiful buildings, active uses, and architecture that gives people a reason to gather and linger. A restored historic building would enrich the plaza, provide opportunities for student use, and create a destination rooted in Atlanta’s identity rather than replacing it with another open space where a building once stood.”
“We therefore respectfully ask Georgia State University to:
> Suspend plans to demolish 148 Edgewood Avenue.
> Conduct a genuine evaluation of adaptive reuse opportunities for the building.
> Reconsider locating the proposed plaza on the adjacent parking lot rather than on the site of a historic structure.
> Reengage Atlanta’s preservation, planning, architecture, and urban design communities in a process that meaningfully considers alternatives before irreversible decisions are made.”
You can learn more about the the building at this petition site created by local architect and historian Kyle Kessler.
From the above link, Georgia’s state historic preservation office has determined the building is individually eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and declared that demolishing the building will have a “significant impact on historic properties.”
There’s also information about the building at the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation site, where they write: “Built in 1926 by the Georgia Railway and Power Company, this substation played a crucial role in powering downtown Atlanta. In 1966, it was acquired by Georgia State University (GSU), which repurposed the building for various uses, including as a workspace for the university’s photography department.”
It’s good to see a growing chorus of voices calling on GSU to do the right thing and preserve this structure. Leaders at the university need to be listening!
