The Imperial Hotel in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
is one of the few remaining tall buildings from the city's construction boom in the early 20th century. The former hotel was opened in 1910, has 8 stories, and is representative of the
Chicago school due to the flat roof and brick facade with grids of bay windows. It contains two historic
Otis elevators
Otis Worldwide Corporation ( branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment.
Based in Farmington, Connec ...
. It was abandoned in 1980, added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
a few years later, eventually converted to low-income housing, and is undergoing another round of renovations as of 2012.
History
The hotel was completed in 1910 as part of a construction boom in Atlanta and helped expand the city northward along
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is one of several major streets running through the city of Atlanta. Beginning at Five Points (Atlanta), Five Points in downtown Atlanta, it runs North through Midtown Atlanta, Midtown; a few blocks after entering into Buckhead ...
. In 1913 the hotel was said to have cost $300,000, have 119 rooms and 59 individual baths, offering both the American and European plans. The first floor was remodeled in 1953 from
Tudor arch
A four-centered arch is a low, wide type of arch with a pointed apex. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius, and then turning into two arches with a wide radius and much lower ...
es to a projected floor entrance. The first floor was remodeled again following a fire in 1968. The building was purchased by John Portman in 1980 and abandoned. In 1990, homeless people began occupying it, and it was converted to low-income housing in 1996 when Atlanta was cleaning up to host the
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
.
In 2014, following a comprehensive recapitalization and renovation, the Imperial Hotel - now renamed The Commons at Imperial Hotel - reopened as 90-unit permanent supportive housing facility for former homeless and special needs residents through CaringWorks, INC. Atlanta-based Columbia Residential, a nationally recognized developer of multifamily affordable housing communities and National Church Residences, the nation's largest provider of affordable senior housing, are the developers and owners of the building.
Gallery
File:Imperial Hotel entrance.jpg, Imperial Hotel entrance
File:The Imperial Hotel, next to the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.jpg, Imperial Hotel, next to the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
File:Article from Atlanta Constitution April 20, 1913 about city's new hotels.jpg, The Imperial featured in an article from the ''Atlanta Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the Atlanta metropolitan area, metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Con ...
'' of April 20, 1913 about city's new hotels
File:Ad in Atlanta Constitution November 17, 1916 for Imperial Hotel featuring menus.jpg, Ad in the ''Atlanta Constitution'' of November 17, 1916 for the Imperial Hotel featuring its menus
See also
*
*
Hotels in Atlanta
This article is about hotels in Atlanta, including a brief history of hotels in the city and a list of some notable hotels.
Founded in the 1830s as a railroad terminus, Atlanta experienced rapid growth in its early years to become a major econo ...
References
External links
{{commons category, Imperial Hotel (Atlanta)
"Atlanta: a National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary: Imperial Hotel"
History of Atlanta
Hotels in Atlanta
National Register of Historic Places in Atlanta
Chicago school architecture in Georgia (U.S. state)
Hotel buildings completed in 1910
Hotels established in 1910
1910 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)