The 12-story Medical Arts Building was designed in 1927 by prominent regional architect G. Lloyd Preacher, who also designed Atlanta City Hall. With a limestone base, brick shaft, limestone pilasters and elaborate cornice, the 88,000 square foot building has many of the design elements typical of early skyscrapers. It was the first high-rise designed specifically for the medical profession and deemed one of the most modern and well-equipped medical facilities in the country when it opened. The building once featured a cafeteria, drugstore and telegraph office. It was also among the first in Atlanta to contain a covered parking garage. It continued as a medical building until the 1980s. It has been vacant since a four-alarm fire in 1995. Years of vacancy have taken their toll on the structure. Most windows are damaged and the building continues to deteriorate. Although there is strong local interest in rehabilitating the building, the out-of-town owner is asking an unrealistically high selling price.

 

The Atlanta Preservation Center, along with representatives from the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (http://www.atlantadna.org/) and Keep Atlanta Beautiful (http://www.keepatlantabeautiful.org/), monitored activity in Atlanta Municipal Court’s with respect to the Medical Arts Building. 

 

At a hearing in November 2011, the Court established a schedule for the property’s owners to secure and bring the building into full compliance with the City’s boarding requirements.  Further, “…all boarding and other efforts to secure the building shall be reviewed by the Executive Director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission….”

 

In addition, removal of graffiti was to be completed by April 24, 2012, which was also the next compliance hearing date.

 

As of May 2013, official notice of the compliance hearing had not been made to the APC, the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association or Keep Atlanta Beautiful. The building continued to appear not to be in compliance with the law and APC continued to monitor the situation.

 

In December 2016, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, an important first step for eligibility for state and federal rehabilitation tax credits.   The following month, Global X, new owners of the building, donated the façade to Easements Atlanta in return for redevelopment tax credits. No plans have been announced yet regarding Global X's plans for the building.