Glencastle- The Arts Exchange
The historic Glencastle site was - from 1896 to 1924 - the Atlanta City Prison with the existing stockade building, stables, and blacksmith shop located on a hilltop with views of downtown and midtown. It was a working prison farm with farm plots and a quarry and the buildings were constructed, at least in part, with prison labor.
At the time of acquisition in February 2017, Glencastle was owned by a local non-profit - Focused Community Strategies - which utilized the property as transitional housing, a community center and administrative offices.
The site immediately to the west of Glencastle was the “new” Grant Park School, built in 1930 on the site of an earlier school by the same name. At the time of acquisition in July 2017, this property was owned by a local non-profit - The Arts Exchange - which utilized the building to provide affordable studio space to local artists and administrative offices for the organization.
Glencastle is a 4.3-acre historic renovation project, which includes 38,000 square feet of creative office in the “Stockade” building, 25,000 square feet of creative office located in the “Stables” building, and 7,300 square feet of restaurant or creative office located in the “Blacksmith Shop” building. The Arts Exchange is a 4-acre site that will be redeveloped with 213 multifamily units and 16 townhomes.
Joe Mackey conceived the idea of pursuing these two adjacent parcels as one, combined, mixed-use redevelopment in the wake of Fuqua Development commencing construction of Glenwood Place on land adjacent to the east of Glencastle in January 2015. By April 2015, One Stone Realty began conceptual site design and pursuing acquisition of the two parcels in a joint venture with Urban Realty Partners. With rezoning successfully completed by November 2016, One Stone Realty divested of its interest in both properties by March 2017.