Assignment 10: Wright

I selected the Medical Arts Building on Peachtree Street, sitting atop the Downtown Connector in large part because I was previously interested in the building, having worked across the street from it for several years. It has obviously sat empty for a number of years. About a year ago, a large Holiday Inn banner was placed on the entire side of the building, but it eventually fell off and was removed.

As shown in the first picture, the building is adjacent to the federal government building on W. Peachtree Street. Across Peachtree is a subsidized apartment tower, a church, and SunTrust Plaza. To the north, there are empty lots on the other side of the interstate gore.

The only visible indication of its former use is the name "Medical Arts" inscribed above the front entry. Otherwise, it appears to be an aged hotel or apartment building. According to the Georgia Trust, who placed the property on its list of most endangered places for this year, It was the first high-rise medical office building in the region when it was built in the 1920s.

A GDOT program known as "Freeing the Freeways" in the 1980s widened the interstate and began the demise of the structure because nearby bridges were removed, and the access from the interstate was distanced. Due to limited access, the tenants eventually moved out of the area. As a result, the building was abandoned. According to Jakle, this would be a building who fell into dereliction due to decay from the 1980s until today. Then with significant modern medical advances and the lack of immediately nearby hospitals, the building has become obsolete for its original purpose.

There are prospects for rehabilitating the building. According to the Georgia Trust, there have been a number of deals for the property that fell through for various reasons. With the significant updating and expansion of Crawford Long Hospital several blocks away, the property is in a physical position to become relevant to medical professions again someday. The property was designated as a local historic landmark in 2005, so it certainly has support for a possible revitalization.