Local Developers Talk Proposed Redevelopment Project For West End Mall
Developers Ryan Gravel and Donray Von look out over the West Side community from the MET, a 1.1 million square foot brick historic warehouse.
Candace Wheeler / WABE
The Mall West End has been a staple of the city’s West Side for nearly half a century. However, the West End area surrounding the neighborhood mall is changing, as development grows in the region.
Recently, developers Ryan Gravel and Donray Von, of Elevator City Partners, proposed a new plan to transform the area.
“This part of town lifted a lot of people to economic prosperity a generation ago or more. And so the idea here is to write the next chapter of that story. What does that look like in the 21st century?” Gravel said, acknowledging the area’s history.
Gravel, who is also known as the visionary behind the BeltLine, and Von plan to redevelop the area with restaurants, storefronts and office space.
They both add that they are committed to maintaining the identity of the community and developing responsibly.
“When I think of progress in the Southwest side of Atlanta I believe that we already have pride, we already have culture, we already have an identity. What we don’t have is a maximum amount number of black businesses to grow with that trend of neighborhoods transforming,” Von said.
Closer Look recently visited Von and Gravel at the top of the MET, a 1.1 million square foot historic warehouse, near the West End MARTA Station, to hear more about the specifics of this plan and the future of the redevelopment.
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