Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP has been retained as theproject's architect, with the design phase expected to take up to16 months. The developers also have a long-term agreement withInterContinental Hotels Group to brand and manage the hotel andmultifamily components of 1400 Peachtree.

The hotel is the latest addition to plans for 1400 Peachtree,which has been in the works over the last two years. Shailendra andJamestown purchased 1.7 acres to start the project in October 2006,after which Shailendra bought another 1.3 acres nearby from theAtlanta Ballet for a reported $12 million in July 2007. Shailendrasays the site is zoned for density of approximately one million sf,with other elements including office and retail space.

"With this team in place, we plan to raise the bar on bothdesign and function to attract office users, hotel guests,retailers and residents seeking superior quality and value," JohnRobbins, Shailendra senior vice president, stated in a release. Thecompany owns or controls nearly 9,000 acres in the Atlanta area aswell as Tampa and Panama City, FL.