An office tower opens in pandemic

But who will occupy 16-story glass building near Perimeter Mall?

Sixteen stories of glass tower over Perimeter Mall and the nearby MARTA line. Inside, modern offices offer views of Buckhead and Downtown, while an “amenity deck” includes a yoga lawn and lounge chairs.

This office tower, three years in the making, has opened in Dunwoody. How will it operate in the midst of a pandemic?

The development at 1224 Hammond Drive — aptly named Twelve24 — is located in a once-bustling business and office district. It provides a glimpse at the challenges of completing development in the era of COVID19, and what a return to the office might look like in the future.

Developers Trammell Crow Company and CBRE Global Investors have already leased out about three quarters of the building to Insight Global, a staffing agency. The firm planned to move into Twelve24 in April and bring 700 employees. But for now, only some executives and sales staff have moved into the building, said Brandon Houston, a principal in Trammell Crow’s Atlanta office. The company does not plan to

move the rest of the employees into the new building until at least next year, Houston said.

“We’re in this weird predicament right now, but once things start to open up ... I don’t think the work-fromhome (model) is going to be as productive as people think,” Houston said, adding that in the long term, “We don’t see office space becoming less important.”

Trammell Crow is in negotiations with another company that would take up two floors, but they would not move in until next summer.

Delaware-based Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant announced last year that it plans to open on the bottom floor of the building. Houston said Iron Hill does not plan to open until next spring.

Though many Atlantans are still working from home during the pandemic, Houston believes companies and their employees will eventually want to get back to the office.

“We’re all creatures of habit,” he said. “I think we’re going to go back to being social and collaborative and wanting to see people and not in our houses all day.”

It’s unclear, of course, when that might be.

In the meantime, Houston said, the pandemic allowed the developers to implement features that reflect what the future of office space might look like: advanced air filtration system, touchless entry and office plans that allow employees to spread out.

The 345,000-square-foot building sits on land along Hammond Drive that used to be a parking lot for Perimeter Mall. Houston said the company initially chose that location because it is close to MARTA, shops and restaurants, and is in a prominent business district on par with Buckhead and Midtown.

The pandemic has left the area without many of its usual weekday office-dwellers, despite a recent development boom. State Farm has built and opened multiple towers down the street from the Twelve24 building. The Zillow Group plans to bring 200 jobs to its new “Southeastern hub” in Dunwoody, with plans to move into an existing 32-story office tower in Perimeter Center.

Along Perimeter Center Parkway, around the corner from the Twelve24 building, developers plan to break ground this year on the $2 billion “High Street” development, which will include a mix of office, residential and commercial space.

The Twelve24 building, which has a sky bridge connecting to the Dunwoody MARTA station, will link to a new 177-room Hyatt Place hotel, which plans to open in September. It also features an indoor/outdoor conference center, outdoor terraces, a fitness center and a gourmet café.