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Preservationists scorn GSU decision to bulldoze 1920s downtown building (atlanta.urbanize.city)

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Preservationists scorn GSU decision to bulldoze 1920s downtown building Josh Green Tue, 08/05/2025 - 08:34

A statewide historic preservationist group is lambasting a decision by one of Atlanta’s leading universities to demolish a century-old building on Edgewood Avenue downtown.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation issued a statement today calling Georgia State University’s decision to raze the historic former substation at 148 Edgewood Ave. unfortunate, “short-sighted,” and an “avoidable loss.”

According to the preservationist agency, the Edgewood Avenue property—currently listed on Georgia Trust’s 2025 Places in Peril—remains structurally sound and ripe for adaptive-reuse redevelopment for another purpose, one that keeps architectural heritage in place while serving students. Subtracting the structure will diminish neighborhood character and negatively impact the integrity of the historic district, Georgia Trust leadership insists.

GSU intends to raze the building and replace it with greenspace for a Fraternity and Sorority Life Plaza that’s part of its broader College Town Downtown initiative. Per the university, bricks from the building would be incorporated into the plaza, and a mural on an adjacent wall of townhomes would pay homage to the demolished structure. (See a rendering of the proposed plaza over here.) That’s despite months of pushback from preservationists and alumni. A petition to save the structure has gathered 1,500 signatures.

The 148 Edgewood Ave. structure's location just east of downtown sky-rises. Google Maps

The facade of 148 Edgewood Ave. today, situated between Hurt Park and the downtown Connector. Courtesy of Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

According to preservationists pushing to save the building, the demolition would contradict GSU’s 2014 Campus Historic Preservation Plan that pinpointed the structure as being worthy of investment and long-term preservation.

“Georgia State’s decision to destroy this building… is mystifying,” said Georgia Trust president and CEO W. Wright Mitchell in a statement. “This is especially true since GSU simply intends to use the area for greenspace. By removing this building from the landmark district, GSU will erode the significance of the district and eradicate a tangible link to our city’s past.”

Situated just east of revitalized Hurt Park, the 148 Edgewood Ave. structure was built in 1926 as a Georgia Railway and Power Company substation and once played a key role in powering downtown Atlanta, according to the preservationist agency. It’s part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Register District, which the statewide preservation organization also considers threatened.

GSU acquired the property in 1966 and has used it for a number of academic purposes, including as the home of its photography department.

Courtesy of Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

In other Edgewood Avenue news this week, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens' office says more protective bicycle lanes could be coming to the corridor as part of safety and infrastructure upgrades following a recent spate of gun violence.

**“**Plans are being evaluated to convert temporary bike lanes into permanent infrastructure, improving pedestrian safety and reducing congestion,” reads a Monday announcement from the city.

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