The area of Auburn Avenue, which has been undergoing massive transformation over the years, is finally returning to its historic glory. With a particular emphasis on restoring the historic building, the newly renovated and rehabilitated structures represent the rich history of “Sweet Auburn.”
Brian Bell, an architect Professor, emphasizes Sweet Auburn’s historical significance. It has served as one of the focal points of the civil rights movement and is home to countless businesses, congregations, and social organizations.
“I see [the area] as less as a piece of Atlanta but more as Atlanta itself,” Bell added.
Historic structures such as the Atlanta Life Insurance Building, Odd Fellows Building, Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and the YMCA building have already been restored or are under the drapes. A 65-foot portrait of John Lewis, a civil rights activist and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, already adorns a corner with plans to construct a memorial park at the base of the mural.
Along with restoration, the area will see the addition of affordable housing, commercial spaces and parking spots. One of the housing complexes, Thrive Sweet Auburn, has emerged as a “one-stop shop” for Atlanta’s homeless community, which needs services and expert help. Within six months of its opening, it has already accommodated 200 families.
Sweet Auburn is a historic district west of Downtown Atlanta. Activist John Wesley Dobbs named it “Sweet Auburn.” In 1906, after the racial riots in the city, multiple Black-owned businesses started to move to the safer area around the Atlanta University Center and Auburn Avenue.
It became Atlanta’s “three-legged stool of Black finance” during the Jim Crow era in the South, supported emerging African-American businesses and transpired as a national center of Black commerce. In 1956 Fortune magazine described Auburn Avenue as “the richest Negro street in the world.” It housed the second-largest and longest-running Black-owned insurance company and newspaper, respectively. In 1976, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
When segregation ended, many shop owners moved to the more affluent parts of Atlanta. Simultaneously, the Downtown Connector bifurcated the area. This led to the decline of the area, and crime grew. In 1992, it was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
“It turned into a decaying memorial to a bygone era… a necessary though regrettable price for freedom,” said historian Gary Pomerantz.
The area saw a resurgence when the Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) took over, starting with the area surrounding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s house, eventually becoming the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. In 2014, the Atlanta streetcar was completed, running west along Auburn Avenue. It connects the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park to downtown and the tourist attractions of Centennial Olympic Park.
The area celebrates the annual SpringFest, Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade every year. Edgewood Avenue, famous for its street art, runs through Sweet Auburn.
In April 2023, Mercy Housing Southeast, in partnership with Project Community Connections, Inc. (PCCI), opened a brand-new affordable housing community for low-income families, veterans and formerly unhoused individuals. Mercy Housing is also working with HDDC, one of Atlanta’s oldest surviving community development corporations, to build another affordable housing community called Henderson Place.
According to Bell, the Tech community has also played a “tremendous” role in the architectural landscape of Sweet Auburn and of Atlanta as a whole. Gene Kansas, an alumnus of Tech, founded a commercial real estate company in Atlanta. In 2008, a tornado ripped the roof of the Atlanta Daily World Building, once home to the Atlanta Daily World, the country’s oldest Black daily newspaper and District V, Atlanta’s first Black Girl Scout Troop.
When a developer tried to demolish the building, the community opposed this petition. Kansas, in 2013, bought the building and rehabilitated it. While the upstairs was turned into 1930s-era style apartments, another Tech alumnus opened a juice bar and a coffee shop downstairs. One of the walls also features a mural of Roselyn Pope, an original District V scout. The restoration brought numerous awards and recognition to Kansas. However, the most profound impact was the future projects this restoration kickstarted in the area.
Talking about future architectural projects, Bell hopes that new constructions will prioritize sustainable methods, eco-friendly materials and design techniques that help restore our world.