Portman Holdings presented detailed plans this week for a 36-story residential tower as part of the redevelopment of Midtown Atlanta’s historic H.M. Patterson & Son Spring Hill Chapel property. The developer is seeking an approval from the Midtown Development Review Committee (DRC) so it can move toward a groundbreaking next year.

The tower would include roughly 375 units with ground floor retail on a nearly four-acre hilltop site that overlooks Technology Square. Portman Holdings will preserve the landmark 90-year-old funeral home and its gardens, which received landmark designation in 2018.

Other components of the redevelopment include a 34-story office building and 24-story hotel. The developer plans to unveil more details about those more complex and connected elements in the future, once the residential component advances.

The Portman proposal seeks to organize an ambitious mixed-use development around the central focal point of an architecturally significant historic property. The project was well-received by the DRC, with some items needing additional consideration to meet code, including: providing full streetscape along Spring St. and a clearer pedestrian connection between Spring and Williams streets, finding alternatives that can reduce the number of curb cuts on Spring St., providing a setback along the north property line, and showing additional detail on street level façades.

 The DRC is expected to provide formal comments to Portman’s team and the city later this week. It is likely Portman will make a follow-up presentation to the DRC in June/July. Portman indicated during the DRC review meeting Tuesday evening that they anticipate breaking ground on the residential tower within the first half of 2021.

* Rendering courtesy of HKS/Cooper Carry/Portman