One of the most historic areas in Atlanta, is Old Fourth Ward. The birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King and the home of one of the most iconic buildings in Atlanta, The Sears Roebuck & Co, built in 1926; now Ponce City Market. Originally, the city of Atlanta was divided into five wards and Fourth Ward is the only one that kept its original name. It holds a special place in the hearts of Atlantans.
There is just so much history to this area that we could write a post every day for six months and still not cover it all. The history, along with the transformations made here while preserving the past, is one of the main reasons we were honored to play a small role in bringing this new space to life. Adjacent to the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail is Fourth Ward (760 Ralph McGill). It was owned by Georgia Power for 50 years and it was an area used for materials and a space for their operations and equipment. There’s much more history there than that, but let’s start there for the sake of time. After New City Properties purchased the 10-acre site, it has quickly become the city’s most sought-after areas for businesses, homeowners and BeltLine passersby alike.
In 2021, Gibson Landscape began work on this project as the specialty contractor; working alongside New City Properties, Brasfield & Gorrie, and Landscape Architect, Future Green Studio. Our team focused on completing Three Trees Plaza, Beltline Plaza, the Appalachian Stairs, and the Fourth Ward Plaza. With over 63,000 man hours, over 26,000 units of plant material, and innovative problem-solving skills, we completed this spectacular project on time or well before deadlines and with zero safety issues. Our part in the project included landscape, irrigation, decorative concrete, heavy-duty paving, site walls, pavers, custom IPE seating and elements, precast stone, specialty metals, trench drainage, metal planters, fountain construction, and more.
In the coming posts, we’ll tell you all about our challenges and how we overcame them during this installation as well as some pretty amazing facts about this spectacular project. From the beginning stages of the bid process to the finished space, we’re also proud to maintain this completed project along the Beltline.
