Downtown Atlanta Contemporary Historic Resources Survey

Downtown Atlanta looking northwest from Georgia State University
Downtown Atlanta looking northwest from Georgia State University

In May 2013, John Portman & Associates, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, Central Atlanta Progress, and the City of Atlanta’s Office of Planning contracted with a team of preservationists to conduct a survey of the contemporary historic resources in downtown Atlanta.  The survey area comprised 2115 properties, of which 266 resources met the primary survey criterion of having a construction date between 1935 and 1985.

The survey team was led by Laura Drummond of APPS, and included Morrison Design, Karen Huebner, and Jean Spencer.  The team conducted preliminary research into the area to identify historic contexts, patterns of development, and significant historic properties.  A parcel-by-parcel investigation of the area was conducted, and each qualifying property was photographed, documented, and entered into GNAHRGIS, the online database of the Georgia SHPO.  Also included in the survey were public art, public parks, signage, and parking structures.  Laura Drummond created the survey spreadsheet, from which she produced a database for input into ArcGIS.  All survey properties were documented in APPS-produced tables and maps according to a variety of criteria, including age, current building use, building type, architectural style, and local and federal historic building and district designations.