Central Park itself will also undergo a massive transformation:

• The green space will be expanded to almost double its current size, creating more flexibility for the numerous special events that take place there annually.
• At the southern end of the park, a new interactive water feature will be added.
• Shade canopies will provide relief from the sun.
• A giant LED video screen will show movies under the stars.
• A new valet stand and dedicated ride sharing pick-up/drop-off point will border the park.
• East and West District Avenues will be closed, and their height raised to match the existing curb and sidewalk, creating a wider and more human-scaled pedestrian-only experience between 18^thand 19^th

“The pace of change in Atlantic Station has been fast, and the demolition starting this week in the central park is a major milestone in the overall evolution,” says Nick Garzia, Hines director of retail leasing. “This project is going to change more in the next 18 months than it has in the past decade. In a sense, we are well on our way to fulfilling the project's original overall vision, but have updated it for current trends and opportunities. As density continues to rise west of the connector, the importance of this project in the years ahead is only going to grow.”

Construction has already begun on two new office buildings, Atlantic Yards and T3 West Midtown; a new Embassy Suites Hotel; a 300+ unit apartment building by AMLI; and the remodeling of numerous retail spaces and welcoming of new retail tenants. Also, earlier this month, Peachtree Hotel Group announced it had purchased a site along 17^th Street in Atlantic Station where it plans to add to its impressive portfolio of hotel projects.

New updates on developments:

• H&M will open its new expanded location with a new Porcelanosa and stainless-steel façade (replacing its brick exterior) by Black Friday this year.
• New tenant Forever 21 is in design-development stages and is scheduled to open its doors by Q3 2019.
• Construction on a new entertainment/bowling venue, Bowlero, begins this year with an anticipated Q3 2019 opening.
• Four additional restaurants, Naan Stop, Poke Bar, Pho-24 and Gyu-Kaku will all be open by year's end.
• At T3 West Midtown, the creative office building at 17^thand State Street, the foundation work is complete and vertical construction has begun, with an anticipated completion by fall of 2019.

“A year from now, Atlantic Station is going to look and feel completely different,” Garzia continued. “Not only will there be exciting new restaurants, shops and entertainment offerings, but the architecture will have begun to shift from the unified all-brick exteriors to a style that encourages individuality and variety. Many people talk about experiential retail, but it starts with the eyes. We want the brands to shine through.”

A true mixed-use environment, with more than 450,000 rentable square feet of retail, including over a dozen restaurants, two million rentable square feet of premium office and more than 3,000 multifamily units within this development, Atlantic Station has become a premier destination location for office, retail and entertainment in the Southeast.