Northyards sits on a 17-acre site that is part of the 40-acreNorthyards Business Park, located across from the Coca-ColaCompany's headquarters. Northyard Partners -- a joint venture ofHawkins Companies and Seed Partners -- spent $7 million for theland and spent a remaining $23 million on turning the old railroadsite of run-down warehouses into high-tech office space. Even theroundhouse has been restored to meet National Historic Registerstandards.

Neighbors in this downtown area include Georgia Institute ofTechnology and the Georgia World Congress. When Northyards Partnerspresented the idea of rehabilitating the site, Atlanta Mayor BillCampbell said "This is our dream for this part of downtown, [and]it's already come true in much more of a fashion that we everanticipated."

But despite great anticipation for the project's completion, nobusinesses have contracted to lease space. Indeed, the economicclimate has changed in the time between the initial concept and theactual realization of the project. Developers, however, areundeterred. Speaking to the local press, Scott Hawkins of HawkinsCompanies says, "once things settle down (economically), I thinkpeople will want to be here."