Demolition begins in overhaul of Atlantic Station central park

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Barricades went up this week around Atlantic Station’s central park as demolition begins for a major transformation.

Planned upgrades to the area include a curved canopy 45 feet above the street, a fountain and water feature, a new valet stand with dedicated ride-share spots and a large LED television screen that will broadcast live events, ads and the mixed-use development’s social media feeds.

The huge, oval, green area will double in size and be bookended on the east and west by pedestrian-only avenues, news releases said.

On the park’s north end, in the spot where Strip was demolished, Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern will open as a 6,000-square-foot restaurant with a rooftop patio bar. The south end will include three separate buildings of shops and restaurants.

Hines, which acquired the retail core of Atlantic Station in 2015 along with an invest- ment company, chose Atlan- ta-based landscape architecture firm HGOR for the project. HGOR has worked on projects such as The Battery at SunTrust Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Nick Garzia, director of retail leasing for Hines, said the team was challenged to “think outside the box and create the best public space in Midtown.”

“Both office and retail tenants are demanding better public spaces,” he said in a statement. “To better compete for the ever-scarcer retail dol- lars, the park needed to grow up and better reflect its evolving context.”

Atlantic Station opened in 2005. The new park space is slated to open in fall 2019.

CONTRIBUTED Atlantic Station’s new central park, seen in rendering, will have a water feature, new valet stand with ride-share spots and a large TV to show live events, ads and more.