For lonesome Grant Park building, it’s back to square one after grocer bails

Josh Green

Thu, 05/15/2025 – 09:00

An architecturally striking building in one of Atlanta’s most celebrated parks that’s sat empty during three different presidential terms will reportedly remain that way for the near future.

After nearly a year without construction progress, the city’s pick to fill the Grant Park Gateway project’s retail portion, Savi Provisions, is officially out, as the AJC first reported.

The city’s Departments of Procurement and Parks and Recreation picked the gourmet grocer in June over two other concepts vying to fill the entire 7,000-square-foot Gateway space. The distinctive building, officially opened in January 2021, overlooks a 2.5-acre park atop a parking garage, crowning a space that city leaders have described as “iconic.”

The city council approved Savi’s selection last fall. But nearby residents and officials including city councilmember Jason Winston, whose District 1 covers Grant Park, have more recently expressed frustrations at Savi’s lack of construction progress and transparency. Months after Savi had won the Gateway sweepstakes, the company still hadn’t signed a lease, stymying the process of building out the voluminous space next to Zoo Atlanta, as Winston told Urbanize Atlanta earlier this year.

News that city officials were cutting bait with Savi came during a Community Development/Human Resources Committee meeting Tuesday. The committee voted to endorse an alternate Gateway plan put together by Terminus Commercial Real Estate Partners that had initially lost out to Savi, a quickly growing regional grocery chain. But the Terminus selection will still have to be approved by the full Atlanta City Council, and when it might open isn’t known, the newspaper reports.

The 2.5-acre park space in relation to the restaurant structure. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Terminus’ submitted plan for the Gateway space was called “Gateway Park and Market.”

The team included Terminus, an Atlanta-based CRE firm, alongside Kraig Torres, owner of alcohol purveyor Hopcity, and Mike Walbert, a longtime Atlanta event curator. Their concept called for a micro food hall “foodie destination” and “cultural experience” that leans heavily into public programming and capitalizes on proximity to Zoo Atlanta.

A Department of Parks and Recreation official said this week Terminus is planning three fresh food vendors for the space, plus a grab-and-go market, coffee and tea options, a full-service bar, and a deli counter, among other aspects, per the AJC.

Founded in 2009, Savi counts locations in North Carolina and 16 stores across metro Atlanta, spanning from the airport to Howell Mill Road, Decatur, and Brookhaven to the Crabapple district in Milton. It’s known for its wine selection and organic foods.

The third finalist was Rease Group Holdings Inc., an Atlanta-based company led by CEO Andy Rease and founded in 2010. Few details about that idea were publicly divulged.

Winston has said no public funds or other incentives were used to entice Savi or its competitors to lease the Gateway space.

The spacious interior of the Gateway building, as seen in early 2021, looks largely the same today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Invest Atlanta has approved more than $8 million to help Savi open two other locations in what city leaders have classified as food deserts: the former Walgreen’s space near Woodruff Park downtown and another in Cascade. A Savi company official recently told the AJC he’s struggled to obtain liability insurance for new stores in areas considered economically distressed.

Savi’s buildout of the Gateway space was expected to have taken about six months.

The $48-million Gateway project replaced a parking lot with the park-topped garage, finishing construction in 2020 but officially opening in January 2021. The following year, it earned the Atlanta Urban Design Commission’s Award of Excellence for sustainable design.

City officials took ownership of the Gateway space from the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority two years after it’d opened, which project leaders called a key first step in getting it leased and occupied. The city’s first Request for Proposals issued in February 2023, however, didn’t attract a single bid from prospective tenants. Department of Procurement officials blamed that on rising construction costs spurred by inflation and increased interest rates.

The second stab at an RFP, issued in February last year, was a more detailed pitch to businesses that could fill such a large space. It called for a single enterprise to create a Gateway concept that would “increase the property value of the neighborhood [and] improve the area’s livability.”

Will that finally happen soon? Only time will tell.

…

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Report: Savi Provisions is officially out, and long saga to fill Gateway structure continues

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For lonesome Grant Park building, it’s back to square one after grocer bails

Josh Green

Thu, 05/15/2025 – 09:00

An architecturally striking building in one of Atlanta’s most celebrated parks that’s sat empty during three different presidential terms will reportedly remain that way for the near future. After nearly a year without construction progress, the city’s pick to fill the Grant Park Gateway project’s retail portion, Savi Provisions, is officially out, as the AJC first reported. The city’s Departments of Procurement and Parks and Recreation picked the gourmet grocer in June over two other concepts vying to fill the entire 7,000-square-foot Gateway space. The distinctive building, officially opened in January 2021, overlooks a 2.5-acre park atop a parking garage, crowning a space that city leaders have described as “iconic.” The city council approved Savi’s selection last fall. But nearby residents and officials including city councilmember Jason Winston, whose District 1 covers Grant Park, have more recently expressed frustrations at Savi’s lack of construction progress and transparency. Months after Savi had won the Gateway sweepstakes, the company still hadn’t signed a lease, stymying the process of building out the voluminous space next to Zoo Atlanta, as Winston told Urbanize Atlanta earlier this year. News that city officials were cutting bait with Savi came during a Community Development/Human Resources Committee meeting Tuesday. The committee voted to endorse an alternate Gateway plan put together by Terminus Commercial Real Estate Partners that had initially lost out to Savi, a quickly growing regional grocery chain. But the Terminus selection will still have to be approved by the full Atlanta City Council, and when it might open isn’t known, the newspaper reports.

The 2.5-acre park space in relation to the restaurant structure. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Terminus’ submitted plan for the Gateway space was called “Gateway Park and Market.” The team included Terminus, an Atlanta-based CRE firm, alongside Kraig Torres, owner of alcohol purveyor Hopcity, and Mike Walbert, a longtime Atlanta event curator. Their concept called for a micro food hall “foodie destination” and “cultural experience” that leans heavily into public programming and capitalizes on proximity to Zoo Atlanta.A Department of Parks and Recreation official said this week Terminus is planning three fresh food vendors for the space, plus a grab-and-go market, coffee and tea options, a full-service bar, and a deli counter, among other aspects, per the AJC. Founded in 2009, Savi counts locations in North Carolina and 16 stores across metro Atlanta, spanning from the airport to Howell Mill Road, Decatur, and Brookhaven to the Crabapple district in Milton. It’s known for its wine selection and organic foods.The third finalist was Rease Group Holdings Inc., an Atlanta-based company led by CEO Andy Rease and founded in 2010. Few details about that idea were publicly divulged.Winston has said no public funds or other incentives were used to entice Savi or its competitors to lease the Gateway space.

The spacious interior of the Gateway building, as seen in early 2021, looks largely the same today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Invest Atlanta has approved more than $8 million to help Savi open two other locations in what city leaders have classified as food deserts: the former Walgreen’s space near Woodruff Park downtown and another in Cascade. A Savi company official recently told the AJC he’s struggled to obtain liability insurance for new stores in areas considered economically distressed.Savi’s buildout of the Gateway space was expected to have taken about six months. The $48-million Gateway project replaced a parking lot with the park-topped garage, finishing construction in 2020 but officially opening in January 2021. The following year, it earned the Atlanta Urban Design Commission’s Award of Excellence for sustainable design. City officials took ownership of the Gateway space from the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority two years after it’d opened, which project leaders called a key first step in getting it leased and occupied. The city’s first Request for Proposals issued in February 2023, however, didn’t attract a single bid from prospective tenants. Department of Procurement officials blamed that on rising construction costs spurred by inflation and increased interest rates.The second stab at an RFP, issued in February last year, was a more detailed pitch to businesses that could fill such a large space. It called for a single enterprise to create a Gateway concept that would “increase the property value of the neighborhood [and] improve the area’s livability.”Will that finally happen soon? Only time will tell. …Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram • Grant Park news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)