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Future plans revealed for former Atlanta Medical Center
New details are emerging about the transformation of the former Atlanta Medical Center, a facility that served underserved communities for more than 100 years before closing in 2022. Officials say the site will become a multi-use development, including a pharmacy, grocery store, and other community-focused resources. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with 2026 set as a major planning milestone. Leaders say the redevelopment carries deep meaning, as the hospital was closely tied to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and generations of Atlanta families.
ATLANTA - Atlanta is watching the end of an era as the former Atlanta Medical Center nears the end of its life on the city skyline.
What we know:
After decades standing in the Old Fourth Ward, demolition crews are in the final stages of tearing down the hospital that served generations of Atlantans. The team behind the project says the goal is for what replaces it to serve the city for decades to come, just in a very different way.
The end began in June, when demolition started at the old Atlanta Medical Center site. Months later, crews are nearly finished, and developers are shifting their focus toward what comes next.
While most of the demolition work is expected to wrap up soon, developers say there are still some buildings left to knock down once they are fully emptied. They also note that, in a city known as a "city in a forest," some trees on the property have been saved and will be used as part of the site’s rebirth.
SEE ALSO:
- Former Atlanta Medical Center site: 'Stop work order' issued over permit
- Demolition plans announced for shuttered Atlanta Medical Center in Old Fourth Ward
- Wellstar to redevelop site of closed Atlanta Medical Center campus
- Atlanta eyes proposal to redevelop Atlanta Medical Center
- Mayor Dickens plans to extend redevelopment moratorium at former Atlanta Medical Center
What they're saying:
"The goal is to bring back uses that are modern, that are rational, practical and community-driven," said Eric Pinckney, president of the Program Management Division at The Integral Group.
Plans also include a grocery store and pharmacy, with developers aiming to create what they describe as a live, work, play environment.
"This will not be a food desert. It will not be a desert of any kind. It is such a great location," Pinckney said.
The Integral Group says 2026 will be focused on planning with Wellstar and other partners, with some of the first phases of construction likely beginning in 2027. Pinckney says the developers plan to work with the surrounding community throughout the process.
"We view the community as an asset, not as a problem," he said.
Pinckney acknowledged the significance of replacing a hospital that meant so much to the city, noting the site’s location in a neighborhood deeply tied to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"What we're bringing back has to be as we carry on that legacy, but also respect that history and heritage of what the Old Fourth Ward has been to Atlanta and what Atlanta has meant to the world," Pinckney said.
The Source: Eric Pinckney, president of the Program Management Division at The Integral Group spoke with FOX 5's Tyler Fingert for this story. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.