I sat down with Jon Birdsong, CEO of Atlanta Ventures, to talk about the vision behind South Downtown — one of the city’s biggest redevelopment projects.

We cover the history of the area, what’s happening now with tech companies and new developments, and how ventures like the World Cup, improved transportation, and AI could impact downtown Atlanta’s future. We also talk about why preserving historic buildings and creating a safe, walkable community is so important.

Big thanks to our sponsors for supporting this series:
✨ Songy Highroads – songyhighroads.com
✨ USA Cabling – usacablingtech.com
✨ Corporate Environments – corporateenvironments.com

As always, if you’re looking for office space in Atlanta, give me a call — I’d love to help.

linktr.ee/timwright.cre

#Atlanta #SouthDowntown #UrbanDevelopment #RealEstate #DowntownAtlanta #CityRevival #JohnBirdsong

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro / CNN Center
0:39 – Discussion about CNN’s history and Ted Turner
3:12 – Sponsor Break (USA Cabling Technologies and Solutions)
3:30 – John’s background: growing up in Atlanta
5:16 – Sponsor Break (Songy Highroads)
6:18 – Early career: working on political campaigns
8:30 – Joining the tech scene at Tech Square
12:38 – Working at SalesLoft
13:50 – Sponsor Break (Corporate Environments)
14:53 – SalesLoft backstory and near failure
20:37 – David Cummings buys Newport properties (South Downtown)
22:39 – Career shift to real estate / South Downtown project
23:40 – How the South Downtown deal came together
25:44 – South Downtown vs. other development projects
28:54 – The Center / International Plaza
31:01 – Defining Downtown Atlanta
34:05 – Peachtree Center
35:06 – Sylvan – ADPipe
37:07 – Tech world, remote work, and office culture
39:36 – South Downtown
45:48 – Venture Capital and the current state of the tech scene
51:29 – Politics
53:34 – Updates on 222 Mitchell
58:53 – Liens and Lawsuits Bar
59:54 – History of 82 Peachtree
1:03:59 – South Downtown history
1:12:27 – Candler Hotel / Atlanta history
1:17:34 – BeltLine to Downtown
1:19:36 – Closing Remarks

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

David Allman is the Founder and Chairman of Regent Partners, a prominent Atlanta-based real estate investment and development firm.

With over four decades of experience, David and his team shaped Atlanta’s urban landscape through iconic projects such as the Sovereign tower in Buckhead, the King and Queen buildings within the Concourse complex, and a portfolio valued at over $3 billion.

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre

David Songy, co-founder of Songy Highroads has over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate development. David has driven the acquisition and development of over 5 million square feet of office, hotel, and multifamily projects, with investments exceeding $2 billion.

His strategic focus on urban-infill opportunities and innovative approach have made Songy Highroads a market leader in institutional-quality real estate.

Featured in a 2016 Harvard Business School case study for his resilience during the 2008

Great Recession, David's expertise extends beyond business. He's a guest lecturer at Harvard and Georgetown and a passionate advocate for education, homelessness, and human trafficking prevention.

More info: https://linktr.ee/timwright.cre