Georgia State Launches $107M Downtown Atlanta Campus Revitalization
Georgia State University is set to spend $107M to transform parts of Downtown Atlanta around its campus to create a “true college town,” including tearing down another school building, the university announced Tuesday.
GSU, the largest university in the state by enrollment, received an $80M grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation — the largest single gift the university has received in its 111-year history.
GSU plans to use the funding in part to raze Sparks Hall, the three-story, marble-facade building that is currently home to the school's facilities management department, to expand its public Greenway.
In 2019, GSU tore down Kell Hall next door to Sparks Hall and created the initial one-acre green space, called Greenway, which has become a popular gathering spot for GSU students.
GSU will now turn the additional 14 acres where Sparks stands into a terraced green space that will also connect Gilmer Street — which will be closed off to vehicle traffic — and Hurt Park, creating a cohesive central campus, according to the press release.
GSU plans to fill the $27M funding gap by tapping into the university’s reserves, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports.
Other projects to revamp GSU's Downtown campus include a new glass facade at The Arts and Humanities Building at 25 Park Place and a dining area and updated classrooms at 100 Edgewood Ave.
The projects are set to be completed by the summer of 2026, when several matches of the FIFA World Cup will be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium a few blocks from the campus.
The university's plans are part of a wave of revitalization and redevelopment efforts that look to reshape Downtown Atlanta, many of which are aimed to be complete by the start of the global soccer tournament. CIM Group is underway with its development of the $5B Centennial Yards project in The Gulch, and Atlanta Ventures is pursuing updating 50 South Downtown buildings.
GSU has been engaged in renovating and expanding its campus in recent years, including turning what was Turner Field, the former home of the Atlanta Braves, into Center Parc Stadium for its football team.
“GSU’s plans will be an important part of downtown Atlanta’s next chapter, revitalizing the neighborhood and thoughtfully crafting a more campus-like feeling,” Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce CEO Katie Kirkpatrick said in the release. “More well-maintained greenspace and a more secure environment means a more vibrant environment for students and faculty to enjoy, as well as others who live and work downtown.”
