A former warehouse row that already had been remade into a food-and-entertainment hub in Atlanta's hip West End neighborhood has been expanded to include new uses that made it an even more popular place to hang out.
When Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners acquired the Lee + White project at 929 Lee St. and 1000-1070 White St. in 2019, it had gained momentum thanks to the eateries and drinking spots that had opened in the buildings that used to be known as Warehouse Row. During the pandemic, Ackerman and MDH added new spaces such as a 19-vendor food hall where new eateries are setting up shop.
The new owners also developed office space that has attracted tenants, including nanotechnology company Carbice, which completed the build-out of its headquarters and production space last year. JTEC Energy, a producer of renewable energy, also signed a lease to establish its headquarters and a lab next to Carbice in the project's Building 1050.
The expansion of Lee + White by Ackerman and MDH earned Lee + White the 2023 CoStar Impact Award for redevelopment of the year in Atlanta, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
Last year, Ackerman and MDH also created a container village at the property, and five new retail concepts opened in the brightly painted, repurposed shipping containers. The owners said it developed the container village to expand the unique retail offerings at Lee + White and "provide an affordable opportunity for startups and small businesses seeking brick-and-mortar space to sell their products."
About the project: Lee + White is a 442,562-square-foot adaptive reuse development that has transformed the former Warehouse Row in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood into a mixed-use destination. It has several direct access points to the Atlanta BeltLine.
What the judges said: "This development is bringing life to an area that has long suffered. It is helping to push the West End to be the new bright spot in Atlanta," Avison Young research manager Sara Barnes said.
"As a frequent visitor to Lee + White's experiential and food/beverage tenants, I feel Ackerman and MDH were truly successful in 'place-making' and with the addition of high-profile office tenants, they are continuing to drive revenue to the West End," said Christa DiLalo, director of research at Cushman & Wakefield.
They made it happen: Ackerman & Co. executives Leo Wiener, Evan Ziegler and Kelly Wilson and MDH's Arun Singh and Raymond Hill.
