Atlanta’s Historic Auburn Avenue Is In The Midst Of Major Revitalization

The area was home to historic businesses and will be again.

The building that housed Atlanta’s first Black-owned bank, located at 229 Auburn Avenue, will be renovated and repurposed, according to the Atlanta Voice. Auburn Avenue will also be seeing an upgrade in the near future.

The building, also the first chartered Black-owned bank in Georgia, will now be a mixed-use building.

229 Auburn Avenue is a landmark in the city of Atlanta. The building’s revival is the result of the Gorman & Co. developer partnering with the Butler Street Community Development Corporation for the Sweet Auburn Grande initiative.

The redevelopment project is part of a larger initiative called Sweet Auburn Grande, a revitalization effort for the block of historic properties, led by developer Gorman & Co in partnership with the Butler Street Community Development Corporation.

Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue was a staple of Black American culture, housing historic Black businesses and institutions. Many of which are well-known:

The Rucker Building

The building is reportedly the first Black-owned office building. The building was erected in 1904.

Bethel AME Church

Established in 1847, Bethel AME stands as the first major African American church in Atlanta.

WERD Atlanta

The first Black radio station to operate in the city of Atlanta.

Morris Brown College/University

Morris Brown is the first HBCU owned and operated by Black Americans in the state of Georgia.

The future of Auburn Avenue

The Sweet Auburn Grand Initiative is not the only organization working to revitalize the area.

Sweet Auburn Works is also making strides in bringing the location back to its former glory. The organization is dedicated to preserving the history of the area. The goal is to uplift local residents and provide economic infusion to the local economy.

The organization’s stated mission is, “To Preserve, Revitalize, and Promote the commercial and cultural legacy of the Sweet Auburn Historic District.”

Sweet Auburn Works unveiled its newest project, Spark: Ignite Sweet Auburn Innovation, at 228 Auburn Avenue. The innovation lab will be used to help small businesses attain “targeted technical assistance, funding, and community support.” The organization is partnering with the SCAD University community service design studio to help bring the revitalization to life.