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FLATIRONCITY
Historic building repurposed as 'Next Gen' business hub
Photos by Kelley Raye Photography
Downtown's historic Flatiron Building has been repurposed and reimagined as a hub for startups.
By Clare S. Richie
Atlanta’s oldest standing skyscraper,
the iconic Flatiron Building, just
received a 40,000-square-foot
renovation courtesy of Lucror
Resources, a private equity fund that
partnered with Jim Cumming. Now
called FlatironCity, the redevelopment
includes individual work desks available
monthly, traditional office space with
multi-year options and a street-level
food hall. All tenants will be moved in
by the end of June, with a grand opening
later this summer.
“Our focus is creating Next Gen
office space, which reflects today’s
workforce. Ffence, the lease model
is flexible, thereby not financially
encumbering young companies. The
spaces range from open collaborative
spaces with single desks to private
offices. Companies can also benefit
from economies of scale as they share
common spaces such as break rooms,
conference rooms, lounge areas, et al.,”
Arun Nijhawan, managing principal at
Lucror Resources, explained.
The triangular-shaped building is
located across from Woodruff Park
on the wedge-shaped block between
Peachtree, Poplar and Broad streets, ft
was completed in 1897, five years before
its Manhattan counterpart. Just like in
the early 1900s, FlatironCity is at the
center of pedestrian activity.
The renovation upgraded the
building’s interior space while
preserving its historic integrity to the
delight of their tenants, such as the
nation’s second Microsoft Innovation
Center, the Women’s Entrepreneur
Initiative (WEI), Access to Capital for
Entrepreneurs (ACE), Launch and
Aegex.
“Each of the organizations housed
in or partnered with FlatironCity
have the same mission - build better
businesses. And each of them is
seeking collaboration to do so. Strong
economic opportunities are born when
government, academia, enterprise-
level business and entrepreneurs work
together,” FlatironCity Manager Katie
Ryan explained.
According to Nijhawan, the
Microsoft Innovation Center will
provide access to technology and
workshops to other tenants. And
Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology
Development Center (ATDC), will have
a media cluster, host CEO roundtables
and have a resident serial entrepreneur
with office hours at FlatironCity.
“ACE is thrilled to join FlatironCity
in a shared commitment to support
dynamic small businesses who are
the future of this great city,” ACE
Chief Development Officer Barbara
Richardson said. The nonprofit provides
small business owners with loans and
coaching to help build sustainable
companies.
To foster the Downtown live, work,
play environment, the lobby will house
an Italian eatery and market with several
food stations: 1897 Caffe - an ftalian
coffee bar; Figo City Fast - Figo’s to-go
pasta concept; Juice Squared - fresh
juice; and Kitchen 13 - Italian soups
and sandwiches. Tenants and passersby
will be able to enjoy these offerings in
the open lobby or along the Broad Street
sidewalk.
“They did a great job updating the
building with the latest technology
and beautiful decor, while keeping its
historic charm. And Downtown Atlanta
has so much life and activity that we can
offer our employees rich experiences
inside and outside of the office. Now that
we’ve settled into the 9th floor, we can’t
imagine being anywhere else,” Launch
Creative Director Javier Santana said.
Nearly 120 years ago, the Flatiron
building housed traditional businesses,
individual professionals like doctors
and lawyers, and street-level retail like
groceries, a florist and a tailor. While the
space configurations, leasing options,
technology and food options are
modern, FlatironCity is a nod to the past
and to the idea that Downtown is still a
vibrant incubator for new business.
different work environments on every floor was
a must.
Rachel Peters (Launch) uses one of the many
nooks in FlatironCity. This one overlooks Wood
ruff Park.
“We are committed to the
revitalization of the Downtown
community. There is so much
momentum around this part of the
city and we feel both empowered and
humbled by being a part of something
this big. Downtown represents an
urban lifestyle that resonates with
both our management team and our
tenants. Being in a neighborhood
that encourages transit and values
walkability was an absolute must for us,”
Ryan said. ESI
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4 June 2016 | INtOWIl
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