Contamination cleanup efforts will enter a new phase at Pullman Yards with help from a $1.5 million brownfield cleanup loan approved by the Invest Atlanta Board.
Property owner Atomic Entertainment has been remediating and redeveloping the property in phrases since 2021 to create a mixed-used entertainment and arts district. The first phase focused on remediating and redeveloping existing property buildings for commercial uses, including film production, office space and mixed-income residential. Proposed redevelopment for other areas of the property includes wellness facilities, dining and entertainment spaces. The project will also accommodate parking and site amenities to handle various modes of travel.
The 27-acre site, located on Rogers Street in the Kirkwood neighborhood, was once an active manufacturing facility in the early 1900s. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Pullman Rail Car Company operated a repair and storage yard at the site. The Pullman company was also one of the largest employers of African American men during segregation: The Pullman Porters. Essentially unused during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the site was acquired by The State of Georgia and remained inactive for 30 years until Atomic Entertainment purchased it in 2017.
The property’s redevelopment has been contingent on the cleanup of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants, including asbestos-containing material (ACM) and lead-based paint in the site’s industrial buildings, as well as lead-contaminated soil.
As part of its phased remediation and redevelopment efforts, Atomic Entertainment has received assistance from the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as C-PACE Funding—Better Building Initiative via the U.S. Department of Energy.
The cleanup at Pullman Yards allows for its continued conversion into a community asset. It also aligns with the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund program goals of encouraging sustainable redevelopment of brownfield sites, protecting human health and the environment, and supporting the retention and attraction of jobs.