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Repurposing Ponce City Market
A Look from Ground Level

Ponce City Market – a 2,000,000 s.f. historic renovation – one of the most successful and sustainable adaptive re-use development in the City of Atlanta.

So much has been written about the great success that has become Ponce City Market. Eberly & Associates is proud to be part of the design team on this adaptive reuse. As the professionals at ground level, the challenges required restoring and rebuilding existing infrastructure that was often over 100 years to meet the standards and requirements of today. The civil and landscape design team had to address high ground water, existing sanitary sewer trunk lines, roadway improvements to accommodate traffic, and integration with the Atlanta Beltline.

Because Ponce City Market is adjacent to the 4^th Ward Park and the Atlanta Beltline, the design team reoriented the building toward North Avenue. Landscape Architect Lee Wientraub designed a central plaza that complements and is integrated with the amphitheater in the 4^th Ward Park. Eberly & Associates, landscape architects of record, worked closely with Lee Weintraub to translate the design vision into a functional public gathering space.

The storied 16 acre site was originally the location of Ponce De Leon Springs, a natural spring that in the 1860’s was a popular recreational area. The recreation area closed to be replaced in 1925 with the current structure. The springs were covered and high ground water remained. The result was periodic flooding of the building prior to construction of the Historic 4^th Ward Park. Eberly & Associates’ site design for Ponce City Market included management of the high ground water and protection against possible flooding.

The site sits atop three major sanitary sewer trunk lines that required customized solutions for utility and storm water management within City of Atlanta requirements. The civil engineering team designed a state of the art storm water management system with underground detention vaults, water quality improvement devices, and groundwater recharge infiltration systems, reducing the total runoff and runoff rates to meet the City’s Infrastructure Requirements;

Roadway and signalization improvements were designed to support and enhance the pedestrian oriented mixed use development. On-street parking and right of way modifications were added along 3 streets surrounding the development while Ponce de Leon Avenue will continue as a main circulation corridor.

The civil site work and landscape design were envisioned to support the transformation of this new live-work-play development that is Ponce City Market.