The building at 1447 N.E. Expressway, near North Druid Hills Road and I-85, opened in 1971 as the Executive Park Motor Hotel. In its later years, the building served as a training facility for BellSouth. In the late 2000s, there was talk of a hotel operator taking over the building and renovating it to reopen it as a hotel, but that hasn't happened. There was also talk of an apartment developer redeveloping the property for hundreds of apartments, but again, nothing happened.
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, which already has a significant presence in the area, and more specifically within Executive Park, purchased the property in January, 2013. The roughly 5.5 acre property was purchased for $9.6 million and allow for both additional parking and a tentatively planned medical office building. Although work is finally underway to level the buildings, the replacement facility situation is said to be "fluid," with a number of options being considered.
A press release from July indicates a renovation was considered, but that the decision was made to demolish instead.
"After a thorough evaluation, Children’s determined that renovation was not a viable option for this building. The current structure, with its outdated construction and design, would not be able to serve any potential future needs of the pediatric health care system."
The main tower is currently being cleared of asbestos and is slated to be demolished via implosion next month. The smaller building adjacent to the main tower is actively being demolished. As you can see in the photo, the smaller building was the original property while the larger, 20-story hotel tower was added in 1971.
There is reportedly no firm timeline for completion of the new campus, but I'd expect to see work completed sometime late next year or early 2016.
14 comments:
My first job was as a busboy at the coffee shop and finer dining room there right after it opened. It was a Harry M. Stevens branded hotel. There were also a number of offices there.
There have been some threads on this property and building on Atlantatimemachine's fb page. 'Outdated construction'??? Right, kind of like how that Loew's theater and almost everything else downtown was 'outdated' and properly demolished...
Save the Bellsouth building!
It's kind of disappointing to see this building go after riding past it my whole life every time me and my family went to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza or wherever else in Buckhead.
I would've liked to see the building get gutted and renovated into a new hotel. Call it something like "The Druid Tower" or "The Luxe at Druid Hills" or something like that...
It certainly is unique and a great landmark for the area. Buildings of this age, 40-50 years, are usually unfashionable and at great risk of destruction just as in the 60s and 70s we lost so many great buildings from the 1910s and 20s. Demolition is a done deal and there is no saving this one. I only hope there are plans to build something decent there, and not just another QuickTrip or Waffle House.
I've spent the last few years complaining about this building and what a blot on the landscape it is each time I've driven by it, but now that it's about to disappear I feel quite sad. Pity it couldn't have been renovated.
Why do people complain about the demolition of every building? That building is an ugly eyesore and will be replaced with a newer, nicer building that will help CHOA serve the needs of our city. Just let it go.
Sad to see it go. What's unfashionable today is hip and cool tomorrow. And this building had Lucite coffee tables in each of the four penthouses that were placed over glassed-in openings in the floor for dramatic effect (you can still see the cone-shaped openings on the undersides of the corners). Now, THAT'S cool.
I'm anonymous September 29, 2014 at 2:12 PM.
I would love to have been able to get a tour of this before the implosion, but looks like that will never happen, and the interior is likely stripped.
Around a year ago, I emailed someone with Pattni Real Estate (Indian family that seemed to own the building) to see if it would be possible to have a group tour. He never got back to me. I was curious to see the retro features, as well as what a building looks like after 10-15 years of non-use. Oh well.
I'd like to see it saved--but I can see how the costs of salvaging a highrise are probably much, much higher than salvaging a one or two story building.
I spent over a year of my life in that building when I worked for BellSouth. Sad to see how it deteriorated over the years. It made a great training center for us as we progressed through our phone company careers.
That's America, build it, get bored with it, tear it down instead of finding a clever way to use it, then bitch about corporations destroying the environment. We have NO class.
Highly irresponsible decision on the part of CHoA. Not that I had a favorable impression of them before, but damn. What an insult. It's like I'm back in Mississippi.
Whether or not you are a fan of the dated look of the building it is kind of sad to see the empty skyline. I, like many of the previous posters, have driven past this building for many years and will have to get used to the new look.
Having said that, CHOA made a very responsible decision by tearing it down in a very responsible manner. If any fault should be given it would be to the previous foreign owners who failed to maintain the building allowing it to fall into such disrepair that it could not be saved. In addition to the asbestos throughout the building, there was mold and mildew due to leaving windows open in the suites and busted pipes. Because the previous owners also did not secure the location, there were lots of squatters that inhabited the buildings during that time. They caused some looting and other damage.
Luckily it is owned by CHOA and that means no Waffle House or Quick Trip as they are a class organization.
How can you have a bad opinion about a not for profit children's hospital? The building could not be saved. It was falling apart.
I worked there from 1973-1976. I bussed tables in the restaurant and coffee shop. Later I waited tables in the coffee shop. Finally I was a room service waiter. Lots of memories.
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