Nearly three years after it backed away from an ambitious vision to build a cutting-edge campus on Atlanta’s Westside, Microsoft Corporation plans to gift a significant portion of the Quarry Yards property it owns to the City of Atlanta.
Through a partnership with Microsoft, city officials and Atlanta Urban Development Corporation plan to remake a section of the tech giant’s 90 acres in Grove Park into transit-connected, “vibrant community hub that prioritizes the needs of local residents,” officials announced late today.
The land gift applies to roughly 22 and ½ acres of the Quarry Yards property fronting Donald Lee Hollowell Park. The redeveloped parcel, according to AUDC officials, will serve as a link to community resources in the area, including the Kipp Woodson Academy Charter School and the Grove Park Recreation Center, where Grove Park is working to revitalize its commercial core.
For context, that amount of land is about the size of Centennial Olympic Park downtown.
Microsoft in 2021 bought out developers for the 90-acre Quarry Yards project—paying $127 million—and ramped up public expectations on the Westside by promising that a quarter of land would be reserved for community use, while other sections would see affordable housing and commercial amenities. Microsoft’s plans for the rest of the property remain paused, city officials noted today.
Perks of the Grove Park site include quick access to MARTA transit at Bankhead station and the city’s largest greenspace.
AUDC officials plan to work with Microsoft to finalize details of the donation soon. The deal is expected to be formally finalized next summer.
“This partnership with Microsoft represents a significant step toward enhancing the quality of life for residents in Grove Park,” John Majors, CEO of AUDC, said in today’s announcement. “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.”
Added Kia Floyd, general manager of state government affairs for Microsoft: “Through this land donation, we’re advancing a shared vision for Atlanta that supports families, empowers students, and strengthens local communities.”
This early rendering for the Quarry Yards concept—a precursor to Microsoft’s planned campus—lends an idea of the property’s scale and proximity to Westside Park (formerly Bellwood Quarry) next door. Urban Creek Partners/Quarry Yards
A higher elevation on the 90 acres now owned by Microsoft on Atlanta’s Westside, looking east toward downtown.Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips; 2018
No specific plans for redevelopment were outlined. But Mayor Andre Dickens’ office says the initiative will align with his goal to preserve or build 20,000 affordable housing units across the city by 2029.
Hopes couldn’t have been much higher for the Grove Park site following Microsoft’s takeover four years ago.
Some 15,000 employees were eventually expected to report to work there, making Microsoft among the 10 biggest employers in metro Atlanta and the city one of Microsoft’s largest U.S. hubs, behind Seattle and Silicon Valley operations. Layoffs and global efforts to slash costs at Microsoft followed those announcements.
Find more site context and imagery in the gallery above.
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