Atlanta, GA (April 26, 2024) – Jamestown, the design-focused real estate investment and management firm behind Atlanta’s Ponce City Market, today celebrated the completion of 619 Ponce, Georgia’s first Georgia-grown mass timber building utilizing a regional supply chain. The building, which was unveiled yesterday at a ribbon-cutting event with, features biophilic design and exposed southern yellow pine timber beams, and celebrates the use of Georgia’s vast forest resources to create a more sustainable built environment.
“Georgia history is being made at 619 Ponce with the success of the state’s first locally sourced mass timber building,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “With an over $40 billion annual impact and 140,000 jobs, it is no wonder Georgia is the number one forestry state in America. And this new mass timber structure at Ponce City Market reflects that might. As a member of the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee, I will remain a champion for Georgia’s forestry industry and ensure we support sustainable forest management, maintain our economic strength, and stimulate innovation in the industry.”
“Our vision for 619 Ponce was to create something that not only showcases the natural beauty of mass timber, but also sets a new standard for sustainable development in the Southeast,” said Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown. “By sourcing our timber locally, we've been able to reduce our carbon footprint while supporting local businesses and our state's thriving forestry industry. This project is a demonstration of Jamestown’s commitment to environmental stewardship and to creating spaces that inspire and drive economic growth. We're immensely proud of the result and hope it serves as a model for future development in the region and beyond.”
619 Ponce comprises 115,000 square feet of space over four stories on the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Glen Iris Drive in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. Sage, a global accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology company, has leased 57,000 square feet within the building for its North America headquarters. Pottery Barn is now open on the ground floor where it comprises more than 18,000 square feet, including a large, dedicated space for the brand’s complimentary Design Crew services.
“We are thrilled to call 619 Ponce our future home,” said Mark Hickman, Managing Director of North America, Sage. “We chose to relocate our North America Headquarters to 619 Ponce because it is an ideal location for a tech center in the heart of this thriving Atlanta community, while also aligning with our ESG values by selecting a mass timber building made from responsibly and locally sourced materials. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues, customers and community into our future Atlanta home.”
The building’s biophilic design includes outdoor space on every level, natural wood columns and ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows with operable panels. Amenities at 619 Ponce include onsite daycare and medical facilities and direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine. The building is targeting net-zero carbon operations, LEEDv4 Core & Shell certification, and Fitwel certification. Handel Architects served as the Design Architect and Architect of Record.
Whereas most timber for mass timber construction in the U.S. is currently sourced from Canada, Austria, or Germany, 619 Ponce was constructed with timber sourced and manufactured locally. Jamestown’s use of Georgia-grown timber and a regional supply chain – a first for mass timber construction in Georgia – reduces the project’s transportation emissions and the overall environmental impact of construction, maximizing the sustainability benefits of mass timber and growing the regional economy, putting Atlanta at the forefront of creating and supporting the expanding “green tech” economy.
“619 Ponce is a seedlings to solutions success story,” said Andres Villegas, President & CEO of the Georgia Forestry Foundation. “Jamestown has set the bar on how innovation and collaboration in a local forestry supply chain can unlock meaningful reductions in carbon emissions while supporting Georgia’s greatest natural asset – its working forests.”
The building’s columns, beams, and floor slabs are made of local southern yellow pine sawtimber harvested from Georgia forests, including from timberland Jamestown owns and sustainably manages near Columbus, Georgia. Jamestown owns and sustainably manages more than 100,000 acres of timberlands across Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. The timberland is managed under the 2022 SFI® Forest Management Standard, which provides third-party verification of sustainable forestry management based on several factors, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and threatened and endangered species.
The sawtimber was transported to
Georgia-Pacific’s sawmill in Albany, Georgia, where it was converted into lumber. The lumber was then transported to
SmartLam’s mass timber plant in Dothan, Alabama, where it was converted into cross laminated timber (CLT) panels and glue laminated columns and beams. The CLT panels were erected on site at Ponce City Market by
StructureCraft and
JE Dunn.
The use of locally sourced mass timber at 619 Ponce complements Jamestown’s broader sustainability commitments. The real estate investment and management firm has committed to achieve net zero operational carbon by 2050 and adopted all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Jamestown is a partner in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Climate Challenge, which challenges organizations to set ambitious portfolio-wide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and share actionable pathways for carbon reduction. “This project is an example of Jamestown’s overall leadership through the challenge,” said Mandy Mahoney, director of the DOE’s Building Technologies Office. “We commend Jamestown’s work to pursue and share pathways to reduce emissions across its portfolio through technology innovation and organizational leadership.”
Ponce City Market first opened its doors in 2015 and has since been credited as a catalyst for revitalizing Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. The new building is part of
Ponce City Market’s second phase, which also includes Scout Living, a hospitality living concept opening later this year, and Signal House, a residential building designed for a sophisticated urban community and lifestyle with anticipatory services, active amenities, and guided digital experiences to make every day seamless and unhurried.
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About Ponce City Market
Ponce City Market is a five-building, 3-million-square-foot community hub in Atlanta, Georgia. The mixed-use property, located along Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward, features a dynamic blend of local and world-class food and retail offerings, Class A office space, and suite of residential and hospitality living options. With public green space and direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine, Ponce City Market has become a defining marker of place in Atlanta’s urban landscape and iconic destination for area residents and visitors. Reflecting Atlanta's evolving identity, Ponce City Market brings together the old and new in one integrated community – with a buzzing food hall at its core. The property includes the adaptive reuse of an historic Sears, Roebuck, and Co. store and distribution center, as well as a series of newly constructed buildings with modern amenities and design features. For more information, visit: poncecitymarket.com.
About 619 Ponce
619 Ponce is a four-story mass timber loft office building at Atlanta’s Ponce City Market featuring 88,000 square feet of office space and 27,000 square feet of retail. The building is Georgia’s first Georgia-grown mass timber building utilizing a regional supply chain and offers unique biophilic design, high ceilings, and exposed timber beams. Integrated with the amenities of Ponce City Market and steps from the Atlanta BeltLine, 619 Ponce is connected to the heart of Old Fourth Ward and is a benchmark building for sustainable development in the Southeast U.S. For more information, visit: poncecitymarket.com/619-ponce.
About Jamestown
Jamestown is a design-focused, vertically integrated real estate investment manager and service provider with over 40 years of experience and a mission to create places that inspire. Since its founding in 1983, Jamestown has executed transactions exceeding $40 billion. As of March 31, 2024, Jamestown has assets under management of $11.6 billion and a portfolio spanning key markets throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Jamestown employs more than 500 people worldwide with 12 global offices, including headquarters in Atlanta and Cologne. Current and previous projects include One Times Square and Chelsea Market in New York, Industry City in Brooklyn, Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, the Innovation and Design Buildings in Boston and Lisbon, and Groot Handelsgebouw in Rotterdam. For more information, visit www.jamestownlp.com.
