The Atlanta Beltline has acquired a notorious shuttered nightclub as the organization starts construction of its northwest corridor into Buckhead, officials said Thursday.
The Beltline acquired 2110 Peachtree Rd. NW, formerly the Elleven45 Lounge, the scene of a fatal Mother’s Day shooting this year that prompted a judge to declare the business a public nuisance, shutting it down. The roughly 1-acre property split among three parcels was acquired for $11 million, ranking among the most expensive land purchases by the Beltline to date.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Not only does the acquisition turn the page on the infamous nightclub, but it also fills a critical gap in the multiuse trail’s path through Buckhead.
“We saw an opportunity to acquire the property around the same time that this nuisance operator of a club found themselves in trouble with me and with the courts,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.
The acquisition is part of the Beltline’s big push into parts of Buckhead near Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. Construction on the northwest segment started on Halloween.
In total, the 4.3-mile Northwest Trail will stretch from Blandtown to the Lindbergh-Morosgo neighborhoods when it is fully built.
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
About 85% of the 22-mile Beltline loop will either be under construction or complete by the end of this year, said Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs. He added that the 2026 World Cup, of which Atlanta is a host city, has kept his organization focused on replacing rail tracks with new trails.
“Our dragon to slay is the FIFA World Cup,” Higgs said. The entire loop is on track, however, to be finished by 2030.
Forging the Beltline’s path through Buckhead has proved to be one of the most challenging stretches for the trail, both geographically and politically. Several community meetings have been held over the past decade to determine the final route, which led city leaders to the Elleven45 Lounge property and the bustling Peachtree Road corridor.
“It’s a two-for-one,” Jim Durrett, president and CEO of the Buckhead Coalition, said of the Beltline’s plans. “It’s going to lead to a better trail experience, and it addresses a former problem property that really concerned people in Buckhead and elsewhere in the city.”
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: SPECIAL
The Northwest Trail will include a suspension bridge over Peachtree Creek. The first segment will stretch about eight-tenths of a mile from Peachtree Park Drive to Kinsey Court.
The Elleven45 Lounge property is part of the second phase of trail development.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
Gunfire erupted May 12 inside the Elleven45 Lounge, killing 21-year-old Mari Creighton, a college volleyball player, and 20-year-old Nakyris Ridley, who police said was the intended target. Four others were shot but survived.
The club has been closed since the incident.
“This property purchase brings the Beltline closer to realizing its vision of a fully connected, accessible and vibrant infrastructure, further enhancing the economic, recreational and environmental benefits for Atlanta’s residents and visitors,” Higgs said.
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: SPECIAL
— Staff writer Rosie Manins contributed to this report.
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