A brewery and restaurants could be coming to North Buckhead’s Piedmont Center office complex as part of a large-scale retail conversion.
The plans for the doughnut-shaped Buildings 1-4 in the sprawling complex at 3565 Piedmont Road involve converting nearly 32,000 square feet of ground-level offices into retail space to serve workers and the public.
The plans by owner Ardent Companies also involves remaking the circular courtyard and adding patios and outdoor dining. The Piedmont facade would get some improved screening as well.
The plan, which would need a special administrative permit from the City, was presented Nov. 2 to the Development Review Committee (DRC) of Special Public Interest District 12, a zoning area aimed at design details and walkability that Arden voluntarily joined in recent years.
Representatives of Ardent’s team told the DRC that no tenant deals have been struck yet, but that a brewery is in discussion. The brewery would not serve food, they said. DRC members and City planner Nathan Brown said a brewery might not be an automatically allowed use in the local zoning, something for the team to check.
A site plan in the presentation showed other spaces, including one labeled “market deli.” Others are designated for retail or “food and beverage,” while some would remain offices.
The Ardent representatives said a general contractor is in place and work could start soon after permitting. The work would involve only renovation, with no additions, they said.
The plan would continue to allow room for a stop on the Buc shuttle, an on-demand van service offered by the local nonprofit Livable Buckhead.
The plan drew praise from DRC members. Member Peter Davis called it a “badly needed” improvement to a complex that has long had a “barren feel.”
Ardent last year completed its acquisition of all 14 buildings in the sprawling, maze-like office park. Since then, it has embarked on a campaign to enliven it, make it easier to navigate, and open it up to the public. Among new tenants in that regard is the co-working space Switchyards, which opened early this year in Building 2.
