If youโve walked near Five Points recently, youโve probably passed it without even realizing: a quiet, curved building at 143 Alabama Street that once printed the pages of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper.
But now, this long-standing downtown structure is about to become something newโand something deeply needed.
Last week, Mayor Andre Dickens joined Gorman & Company and Invest Atlanta to officially kick off the transformation of 143 Alabama into Folio House: a mixed-use space that will blend affordable housing, cultural programming, and local business opportunitiesโall in the heart of Downtown.
โThe revitalization of 143 Alabama is more than rebuilding a landmark,โ said Mayor Dickens. โIt is another recommitment to the heart of our city.โ
Phase 1 is already underway. The team will stabilize the building, restore its historic Art Moderne exterior, and open up the ground floorโjust in time to host cultural events and World Cup-related festivities in 2026 at the adjacent outdoor space called The Pitch.
Upper floors will be converted into 50 affordable homes, available to those earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. Thatโs housing for teachers, baristas, artists, retail workersโpeople who make this city go, and deserve to live close to its core.
Next, Phase 2 will expand the site with another 151 affordable housing units, ultimately bringing the total to more than 190 homes in walking distance of MARTA, job centers, and all that Centennial Yards and Downtown have to offer.
โThis is how we turn vacant and underutilized buildings into inclusive, community-serving locations,โ Mayor Dickens said.
143 Alabama isnโt just a developmentโitโs part of a broader effort to breathe new life into the cityโs core through thoughtful revitalization. Projects like 2 Peachtree, 104 Trinity, and 184 Forsyth are all helping shape a new vision for a vibrant, inclusive Downtown.
And while the investment numbers are impressiveโ$107 million leveraged, $130 million in economic impactโwhat matters most is what this means for Atlantans: homes you can afford. Streets that feel alive. Neighborhoods that remember where they came from while looking ahead.
โOur vision for Folio House is to honor Atlantaโs rich history while creating new opportunities for families to live affordably in the cityโs urban core,โ said Joel Reed of Gorman & Company.
This project also received a $3.5 million grant from the Westside TAD Ascension Fund, helping ensure long-term affordability and access for generations to come.
Soon, where printing presses once rolled, new lives will beginโfilled with stories, neighbors, and everyday moments that make a city feel like home.