Games of Atlanta’s Legacy (GOAL) is a special journalism project through the Atlanta Way 2.0 Future of Journalism Initiative led by Atlanta journalist Floyd Hall. To deepen public understanding of Downtown Atlanta’s cultural, business, transit, and community infrastructure—past, present, and future—particularly in the context of major global events such as the 1996 Olympics and 2026 World Cup, while centering community voices and civic belonging. Join us as we explore the impact of pivotal sporting events on Atlanta’s rich culture and community, highlighting stories that unite us all through soccer.
By Floyd Hall, Journalist & Cultural Producer
With the start of 2026 FIFA World Cup just days away, it’s easy to see the visible signs of change all across Atlanta, from the airport to the interstates, and in particular the areas adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium—South Downtown, Centennial Yards, and The CTR (formerly known as the CNN Center). One of the most likely-frequented stretches for sports fans will be along Mitchell Street, in particular the corridor from Ted Turner Drive to Shirley C. Franklin Avenue near Atlanta City Hall.
SoDo Atlanta, LLC, the company at the heart of the changes in South Downtown, oversees see a portfolio of 58 buildings across 16 acres in the area that are being reimagined and refreshed for now and after the World Cup. While the company holds properties that include the M. Rich Building that housed the original Rich’s department store and later smaller business like Creative Loafing and the Center for Civic Innovation, the storefronts along Broad Street and Mitchell Street are probably more accessible to Atlantans and continue to see the biggest visible changes at the moment, sparked by new locations of familiar small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Village Books, CRATES record shop, and El Tesoro restaurant are all recent extensions of Atlanta-based brands/entrepreneurs, joining Tyde Tate Kitchen and Spiller Park Coffee as anchors in the area alongside the legendary Friedman’s Shoes. Meanwhile, restaurant Bottle Rocket has relocated to the area from the nearby Castleberry Hill neighborhood.
In addition to many of the consumer-facing food and retail outlets in the area, Atlanta Tech Village opened its second location, named ATV Sylvan, in South Downtown in January of 2025, hoping to inject a new wave of entrepreneurial enthusiasm to the neighborhood along with activating approximately 30,000sf of office space. When SoDo Atlanta leadership David Cummings (Founder) and Jon Birdsong (CEO) acquired the company’s portfolio in 2023, a handful of the current storefront occupants were already in place, but over the past couple of years there’s been renewed emphasis in attracting entrepreneurs who already have a strong local following.
According to April Stammel, who oversees leasing for South Downtown, “We have a couple phrases we like to use, and first one is ‘unique, boutique and local,’ highlighting people who offer an experience that feels very Atlanta, and that is championed by Atlantans.”
“We have got beautiful historic architecture, really great scale that houses stories of entrepreneurs that have made Atlanta what it is today, and are going to house stories of entrepreneurs way into the future,” Stammel continues about the neighborhood. “It’s connection to transit; it’s the epicenter of both government and education. When you think about the AUC, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, it’s in the middle of our city, it’s connected to sports and entertainment. There are just so many other reasons why this neighborhood is so special, but our building stock is by far and away our most secret weapon that we hope doesn’t stay a secret for long.”
This portion of downtown is one of the older parts of Atlanta and still maintains an adjacency to the city’s origins as a railroad hub, with nearby active trains lines still providing a sonic reminder of that past-still-present. As such, the district has enjoyed several starts, stops, and iterations over the recent decades. For now, the area seems to be primed to experience a resurgence of awareness, just in time for the wave of sports tourism that kicks off this summer and is likely to continue through the professional and college football seasons in the fall and the 2026-2027 NBA season. As more visitors discover and rediscover the area over the next several months, the team at SoDo Atlanta believes its mix of commercial businesses and location can be a catalyst for a unique nexus of Atlanta social groups.
“It starts with our tenants,” says Stammel. “And I think the way that we’ve cultivated that mix of unique boutique local tenants, that community—the tenant community—is going to be what catapults us and holds us together moving forward.”
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