Wednesday, March 7, 2018

[UPDATE] Former Trust Company Bank Branch Receives Historic Designation

We are pleased to report that The Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday that the Trust Company of Georgia Northeast Freeway Branch has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The property is located at 2160 Monroe Drive and was targeted for redevelopment as a self storage complex in 2016. The property owners sponsored the nomination and Ray, Ellis & LaBrie Consulting prepared the nomination materials.       
The former Trust Company Bank branch was designed by famed architect Henri Jova in 1962.  The building has served a number of purposes following SunTrust's 2000 closure of the bank in the building.  Piebar, a restaurant from Concentrics Hospitality, occupied the space from mid-2005 until late 2007.  A number of less than exciting establishments later occupied the space.   The building is currently home to a restaurant/lounge/daiquiri bar aptly named Cirque.
An advertisement announcing the bank's debut 
"The National Register of Historic Places is our country's official list of historic buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts worthy of preservation. The National Register provides formal recognition of a property's architectural, historical, or archaeological significance. It also identifies historic properties for planning purposes, and insures that these properties will be considered in the planning of state or federally assisted projects. National Register listing encourages preservation of historic properties through public awareness, federal and state tax incentives, and grants. Listing in the National Register does not place obligations or restrictions on the use, treatment, transfer, or disposition of private property."  

That last line seems to indicate preservationists may not yet be safe since being listed as a historic site does not actually provide any protection, only recognition.  
Are you pleased to see this property put on the  National Register of Historic Places?  What other Atlanta area properties do think need to receive similar designation?  What would you like to see happen to the former First Federal Savings once Starbucks moves to its new location in Sandy Springs?

Please share your thoughts below.  

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Always thought that if SCAD needed more space in ATL this building would be perfect.

Ham said...

While I support private property rights it does seem Atlanta and the State of Georgia should seek to maintain this property. Maybe they could eventually purchase the property and lease it for continued use by a private business. I know not every historic building can or even should be saved, but we should seek to maintain some of them.

Anonymous said...

3-2-1... waiting for a storage unit company to knock down another property like this.

RichKnobSales said...

There was an awesome original Frank Lloyd building in awesome condition that was bulldozed by a spiteful owner just because he could.

That was an incredible loss to all of us.

I would miss this old bank, too. I used to do business there.

Anonymous said...

The building will also be protected by a preservation easement and the City is planning on re-initiating their landmarking process, which was delayed to allow the property owners to take advantage of the financial benefits of the easement.

Please reach out to historicatlanta@gmail.com for more information and to be included on our press contact list for more news like this.

Also, thank you to tonetoATL for scooping this story back in 2016 and alerting Docomomo GA to the threat. That got the ball rolling on Docomomo's advocacy efforts which helped lead the new owners down this preservation path.

Unknown said...

I bought Henri's Mother's house in Midtown in 2005. It was in serious disrepair so I spent almost a year completely restoring this wonderful landmark and at the same I was fortunate to meet Henri. I sent him photos of what I had accomplished and his partner contacted me to thank me for saving the house. I couldn't have been happier. I was fortunate when I put it on the market that Architect Bobby MaAlpine purchased my home and took it to a completely different level. I loved that house and the vibe from the very beginning. I'm relieved to read that his bank will not be torn down for a storage (sic) facility. Every now and then Atlanta can do something right

RayAtL said...

This is interesting news. Thanks for sharing it with your readers...

Anonymous said...

Fond memories of this former Trust Co. Branch. Opened my checking account here when I moved to ATL nearly 50 years ago.

Unknown said...

/Users/randallcobb/Desktop/exterior 2.jpg

Anonymous said...

Tear it down. Nothing worth saving here.

Stussey said...

How soon before they tear down a storage place and replace it with another storage place?

Unknown said...

Obviously this building is worth saving based on the fact it represents a style from that era of the 60's. Hopefully the owners will be able to find a profitable use for it. I knew Henri pretty well and he would be pleased I think with this new designation. Henri and his designs were ahead of his time and he certainly understood the business cycle . His firm designed Colony Square which went through some ups and downs. Wish he was still here! Peter Mallory

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...