Pittsburgh Yards creates "job hub" on Atlanta's southside

By Delaney Tarr SaportaReport

Tucked behind dozens of rolling doors in Pittsburgh Yards, a host of Atlanta-based businesses make their homes in tiny office spaces. A tea shop, embroidery company, bottled water brand and several others are just a few of the tenants in the property’s so-called “job hub.”

It’s not a typical coworking space. It’s also not just an office building. Pittsburgh Yards is something else, emphasized by project leaders and a public mission of wealth and income equity.

The space does offer a $50 monthly coworking membership and has a lineup of private rooms for rent, but the Annie E. Casey Foundation Program Associate Chantell Glenn wants to make the mission clear.

“What we do here as part of this project is fight off displacement, which is not just about housing, but it’s also about our businesses and our communities who are losing out on all the wonderful development,” Glenn said.

She oversees the development and operations of Pittsburgh Yards. The adaptive-reuse property is a “buffer against displacement,” according to property manager Walter Slaton. The team wants to keep the Pittsburgh neighborhood intact, while helping its residents thrive.

It does so in a few ways: First, the coworking membership and offices are application-based. People who live in the neighborhood are prioritized first, then people who align with the mission of job creation and equitability. Then, they’re brought into a web of businesses that often collaborate and partner with each other.

Many people start off with a coworking membership that provides 24/7 access to shared space and amenities before upgrading to a private office. Those rooms are set well below market rate: Offices.com reported in 2022 that Atlanta commercial space averages about $32 per square foot.

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Kweku Forstall Chantell Glenn @Walter Slaton @Tameka Phillips Destiny Brewton Ronda Flynn

Images - Pittsburgh Yards