On Nov. 3, Microsoft announced plans to donate 22.5 acres of its Quarry Yards property to the City of Atlanta, paving the way to create a community hub in the Grove Park neighborhood.
The tech company will donate a chunk of its 90-acre property in summer 2026 to the city through the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation, or AUDC. The nonprofit arm of the city’s housing authority will spearhead the housing-oriented development.
The move comes after a long-delayed plan from Microsoft that would turn the 90-acre property into a massive corporate campus. In 2020, it bought up the land for $150 million with a vision for a 15,000-employee hub.
Microsoft also promised to set aside a quarter of the space for neighborhood-focused projects like affordable housing and a grocery store. But the onset of COVID-19 and the work-from-home boom postponed the plan indefinitely, and the space has sat vacant ever since.
In 2024, Bloomberg reported that Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was putting pressure on the company to hand over the land after years of inaction. He told the outlet: “We really want them to develop their property or offer it back to us so we can develop it.”
Now, the AUDC will be able to develop 22 acres into mixed-use affordable housing. It will add to Dickens’ goal to build or preserve 20,000 affordable housing units in the city by 2030. A city press release also said it’s a “crucial link” to resources like the Kipp Woodson Academy Charter School and the Grove Park Recreation Center.
“We are grateful that Microsoft has decided to partner with us to build more affordable housing in the Grove Park community,” Dickens said. “This contribution will bolster our efforts to provide affordable housing and enrich community resources that are essential to the well-being of our residents.”
The Microsoft campus plans are still on hold, but the company’s state government affairs manager, Kia Floyd, said Microsoft is “advancing a shared vision for Atlanta that supports families, empowers students, and strengthens local communities” through the land donation.
“By leveraging public-private collaboration, we can create a space that not only meets the needs of the community but also fosters growth and opportunity,” AUDC CEO John Majors said.
