MARTA is considering possibly moving its headquarters away from the Lindbergh Station area, where the transit agency has been located since the 1980s.
MARTA is taking a serious look at a possible move, according to several people familiar with conversations that have been held with the transit agency.
When asked about a possible move of the headquarters, Jennifer Ide, chair of the MARTA board, said no proposal has been presented to the board so far. Jonathan Hunt, MARTA’s interim general manager, said any such discussions would be part of a real estate decision, implying that the agency would not be required to publicly disclose such plans.
Both Ide and Hunt were part of the Rotary Club of Atlanta’s Oct. 27 program, which was moderated by former MARTA General Manager Keith Parker, who is now president and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia.
Jim Durrett, a former MARTA board chair who stepped off the board in October and is currently finishing out his tenure as president of the Buckhead Coalition, confirmed that there have been ongoing conversations.
“MARTA has been approached by multiple parties to consider moving,” Durrett said in a text. “MARTA has been doing extensive analysis of the opportunities. That’s all I should say right now.”
MARTA, which owns its main building caddy-corner to the Lindbergh MARTA Station, also leases substantial office space from the building across the street. That lease is coming up for renewal, so that is prompting the transit agency to consider its options.
If it were to relocate the headquarters, the transit agency could sell its current headquarters building, perhaps sparking the redevelopment of the adjacent Piedmont Avenue corridor.
The two leading entities vying for MARTA’s headquarters are the Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead and the 2 Peachtree building Downtown, adjacent to the Five Points MARTA Station, according to several people familiar with the conversations.
Developers behind the 2 Peachtree building would not comment about any particular development proposals, but they did talk about the merits of their building.
“What’s important to understand is that 2 Peachtree is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” said Rick White, a spokesman for the Integral Group, which is part of the development team.
Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency, purchased 2 Peachtree in 2023, and selected the development team.
“Few buildings anywhere in the region combine its infrastructure, transit connectivity, and scale — qualities that allow large organizations to operate efficiently, attract talent and maintain a visible presence in the economic capital of the Southeast,” White continued in an email. “2 Peachtree offers the opportunity to create a lasting legacy in the heart of the city.”
Atlanta Financial Center’s new owner is Banyan Street Capital.
Taylor White, a principal of Banyan Street, was contacted via text a couple of times, but he had not responded as of press time. We will update this story when we hear from him.
The City of Atlanta, however, did weigh in.
“We believe that 2 Peachtree will be a world-class option for both housing and office space that will help revitalize downtown,” said Courtney English, the city’s chief of staff. “Its position above the largest train station in the SE and the center of the transit system certainly makes it worthy of consideration.”
A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, has been dreaming of the possibility of MARTA being located in the heart of Downtown for decades.
“If MARTA is considering a move, I believe they should take a serious look at returning to Downtown Atlanta,” Robinson said in an interview. “First of all, we are the only place where the lines cross.”
The hub of the MARTA system is the Five Points Station, where its North-South lines and its East-West lines cross. It is the only station that’s accessible to the entire MARTA network without having to get off the train.
Until the 1980s, MARTA was headquartered at the Peachtree Summit building, almost on top of the Civic Center MARTA Station. The agency moved its headquarters to Lindbergh when businessman Charlie Loudermilk chaired the MARTA board. Loudermilk had been appointed to the board by then-Mayor Andrew Young.
Robinson said it would make sense for MARTA to move to the heart of Downtown to be closer to the offices of MARTA’s major stakeholders — the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County, Clayton County and the State of Georgia.
“We have the most stations, the most visitors, the greatest ridership of people going to big events,” said Robinson, adding that the transit agency could provide a needed boost to Downtown if it were to move an estimated 1,500 employees to the heart of the city.
MARTA needs to see itself as being in the economic development business,” Robinson continued, saying that by moving to the heart of the city, the transit agency would have the opportunity of making a major impact on Atlanta’s future. “For decades, I have been dreaming that MARTA will come back Downtown.”
MARTA’s press team was contacted to comment on this story.
“We have no information to provide,” Stephany Fisher, a MARTA spokeswoman, responded in an email.
According to people close to the situation, it is possible the MARTA board will take up the matter at its next board meeting on Nov. 13.
MARTA will do anything but make their buses and trains more frequent and reliable.
They are short on conductors because they don’t train them up. You have to already know what you’re doing before you try to operate MARTA trains. So it’s hard to get new conductors.
A move downtown looks smart and good for development of both areas. With the cat out of the bag, it’s silly for MARTA board to claim the real-estate exception to open records and open meetings laws, but I’m sure they will anyway until the last minute, ensuring some folks will suspect a conspiracy.
With everything going on in Atlanta and across the country, THIS is what you’re reporting? Might as well retire if this is what you spend your precious time on earth writing about.
How about moving their HQ to a new TOD development at Murphy Crossing or Krog Street? The money they pay for a new building could also fund an infill station.
Those are worse locations than Lindbergh and not near an existing MARTA station.
Lord don’t let it be Buckhead
Marta is a sub par organization on many levels.
Moving its headquarters will not improve its operational efficiencies.
This is not the changes needed to restore confidence in this agency
Improved smaller buses, clean rail cars, secure stations, zoned fares etc etc
That will restore public confidence
All hands on deck, a collaborative effort by significant stake holders, decision makers could yield huge benefits for all of us. Downtown Atlanta “One Peachtree” is where many transportation ideas began during the mid 1800’s, (a lot of noted history about this period). I did the demolition of this entire block, Thirty Years ago, pedestrians, and different modes of transportation were non stop 24/7. Fast forward “TWO PEACHTREE” is the place, best suited, for MARTA’S New Office Headquarters! It would be beautiful and functional for it to be in the heart of our city! This location will be herald by businesses, governments, public users, and visitors to our city. The essence of land transportation, it’s rich history, this new place will be central in our minds, and hearts. The decision to locate MARTA in the heart of our city is a given! Enhanced protocols, top management of existing staff and transportation subject matter experts could balance the equation and make it happen.
Lindbergh has a story to tell – How bad off economically the city of Atlanta really is now and how wrongly they’ve managed their affairs. You couldn’t have a better place for a transit authority than on top of that development. But, in Atlanta the opposite is often what is true. If Delta and the other corporates were more thank talking heads they’d make use of the two towers. But talk is all this town has.
Always a shiny new thing in Atlanta lol..
Those office towers at Lindbergh are largely empty because AT&T reorganized itself years ago and moved functions out of Atlanta. More recently, it’s because the owners of the towers are charging premium rents for a non-premium location (which is why I suspect MARTA wants out of there).
Look at how/why all that was built in the first place. This “city” and I say that loosely because it’s a terrible expression of the term, is like a person so busy impressing “the world” it doesn’t want to look at the fact it can’t pay its bills. It’s own suburbs are trying to pull away from it faster than the warp speeds on that space show.
Marta do anything but run on time , they have transit police at the stations to make sure ppl pay , we need that same energy when them old trains always broke down and them busses always late
I really enjoy reading this blog. More, please!
If MARTA had to move its HQ, Downtown next to Five Points at the hub of its system would make far more sense than moving to a worse location (access wise) elsewhere in Buckhead.
I have always wondered why MARTA left the Peachtree Summit Building and why it has been vacant…supposedly, real estate near MARTA train stations is desirable – so why is this building empty?
MARTA left Peachtree Summit because their 10-year lease they signed in the mid-70s (when the building was nearly empty) was expiring in 1987 and their rent would more than double what they were currently paying. At the time, they felt it would be more cost-effective (which it was) to build a new HQ on their property. Unfortunately, their current HQ is nearly 40 years old and is pretty worn-out/inefficient. It’s also too small to contain all of their functions, hence the Uptown lease in which they’re paying very high rent (which may also explain why those towers are still largely empty).
Peachtree Summit was bought by the feds soon after and is now home to a ton of federal offices (not sure of that vacancy rate).
MARTA should be building new train stations and not new headquarter building for the executives – they need to be building for the communities in the metro.
Did you actually read the article? MARTA would move to an already existing building.