Sandy Springs-headquartered Cox Enterprises, Inc. has donated to the city of Atlanta its former downtown Atlanta headquarters building, which also was the former home for Dunwoody-based The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).
The building, located at 72 Marietta Street, sits on a six-acre parcel in the heart of downtown, which is valued at approximately $50 million.
“We’re thrilled to accept this generous gift from Cox Enterprises,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in a press release. “The former AJC property occupies a unique location in the heart of downtown Atlanta, near City Hall, Centennial Olympic Park, and the proposed multi-modal passenger terminal.”
The city’s proposed plans for the location include office space, fire and police officers’ training, a multi-use auditorium for public gatherings, gallery space for public art exhibitions formerly at City Hall East and warehouse and parking space.
“It will help save the city money by reducing our current expenditures on building leases,” Reed said.
Earlier this year, the AJC completed its move to 223 Perimeter Center Parkway. Following the company’s print productions moving to Gwinnett, the AJC occupied less than 30 percent of its former facility at 72 Marietta Street. The parent company, Cox Enterprises, relocated years ago the Perimeter area and is now headquartered at 6205 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road.
In Atlanta, Cox Enterprises owns and operates The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mundo Hispánico, Padres & Hijos, WSB-TV Channel 2, News/Talk AM 750 and 95.5 FM WSB, Kiss 104.1, B98.5 FM, 97.1 The River and Kudzu.com. The company’s major subsidiaries – Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader.com – are all headquartered in metro Atlanta.