Amo Realty

Atlanta’s first locally sourced mass timber office building just secured a new anchor tenant. 619 Ponce, the 93,000-square-foot office complex currently under construction at Ponce City Market, will welcome Sage Software sometime in the fall of 2024. Sage signed a lease with Jamestown, the developer of the complex, for 57,000 square feet of space in early June. The month prior, Pottery Barn signed a lease for 18,000-plus square feet of ground floor retail space at the building, highlighting how quickly the property is filling up despite the current office market downturn.

Sage, a payroll technology firm, is currently headquartered about three miles north of Ponce City Market at 271 17th Street, a 737,000-square-foot office tower in Atlantic Station. The company also has an office in Lawrenceville, GA. In relocating to the new building, the firm will enjoy many cutting-edge technologies, amenities, and features, as well as access to the considerable amenities in the works for Ponce City Market in general.

Since opening in 2015, Ponce City Market has helped breathe new life and vibrance into the city’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. An emerging hub for tech firms and creative firms, PCM will ultimately house more than 100 businesses employing upwards of 5,700 people. Upon completion, Ponce City Market will also feature more than 800 residences, making it a true live/work/play destination.

619 Ponce is one component of the second phase of construction at PCM. Others include a 405-room extended-stay hotel and Signal House, a senior housing rental community geared toward modern times. The new office building will have ground floor retail beneath three stories of office space.

Notably, 619 Ponce will be Atlanta’s first locally sourced mass timber office building. Jamestown, the developer, owns and sustainably manages more than 100,000 acres of timberlands not only in Georgia but also in Alabama, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. The new building at PCM is being built out of mass timber produced with Georgia-grown southern yellow pine.

Mass timber, an emerging trend in commercial construction, is an aesthetically pleasing, strong, durable, eco-friendly alternative to traditional materials like concrete and steel. In addition to being a strong building material, mass timber designed structures have exposed timber structures within, producing natural and eye-pleasing aesthetics.

The office building at 619 Ponce also features a biophilic design. This architectural style places a strong emphasis on connectivity to the natural environment. Structures designed using biophilic principles encourage the use of natural light, interior and exterior views of nature, and the use of natural, locally sourced materials. The four-story building will be one of the largest mass timber buildings in Atlanta. Its exterior materials will be framed in zinc, which will patina to a nice appearance over time.

In keeping with biophilic design principles, 619 Ponce has three balconies on each 28,000-square-foot floor, allowing tenants to enjoy easy access to the outdoors. Floor-to-ceiling windows with operable panels allow natural light to stream into the building from all sides, adding to the spacious feel of all office areas. There will also be rooftop access, providing another way to stay engaged with the outside world.

Other design features featured at 619 Ponce include natural wood ceilings and columns, an art-inspired open-air courtyard, and natural materials wherever possible. The state-of-the-art building also boasts a long list of amenities, including an onsite daycare center and medical facilities, complimentary access to The Roof at Ponce City Market, direct access to the Beltline, and secure bike parking and showers. The lower level of the building will offer direct access to the Ponce City Market public parking lot. A MERV 13 air filtration system will help to remove more than 98% of impurities from the indoor air.

Jamestown’s recent leasing victories for 619 Ponce are among the few bright spots in Atlanta’s office leasing commercial real estate market lately. In March, American Express leased 40,000 square feet at Midtown Union. Zaxby’s also recently leased 51,500 square feet at Perimeter Summit.

Currently, Atlanta is experiencing record-high office vacancy rates. Including sublease activity, the city has nearly 50 million square feet of unoccupied office space as of the second quarter of 2023. However, it looks like office space is going to be in strong demand in the Old Fourth Ward for the foreseeable future.