Building on a bold vision for entrepreneurship within a community-led development, while supporting generational wealth building on Atlanta’s southside
] Pittsburgh Yards®, a community-driven model for economic development and entrepreneurship in southwest Atlanta, proudly marked its 5th anniversarylast month. Since opening December 2020 at 352 University Avenue, the site where Pittsburgh Yards sits has transformed from an industrial landmark into a thriving hub of creativity, innovation, and opportunity for residents and entrepreneurs across NPU-V (neighborhood planning unit) and surrounding communities on the city’s southside.
Once home to the Great Southern Trucking Terminal—the second largest in the world at its peak—the site’s rebirth as Pittsburgh Yards reflects the power of historical restoration and community resilience.
“Pittsburgh Yards stands as proof that when communities lead, transformation follows,” says Chantell Glenn, senior associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation, responsible for the development and operation of Pittsburgh Yards. “Since we opened in December of 2020, we’ve seen many types of entrepreneurs and founders of non-profits grow their vision into reality within this place designed for connection, collaboration and community. Pittsburgh Yards is mission-driven and community-inspired, making it much more than affordable office space.”
A Vibrant Hub for Entrepreneurs and Creators
From opening day in 2020, with the capacity of 101 private offices and unlimited coworking memberships, Pittsburgh Yards has been home to a combined 114 small businesses and non-profit organizations, and home to more than 256 coworking members. Since it opened in 2020, Pittsburgh Yards has become a cornerstone for local economic growth, providing affordable workspace, coworking memberships, and maker studios that nurture business growth and community collaboration.
The Nia Building®, known as a place of “purpose” and named after the Swahili word for one of the seven Kwanzaa principles, remains the 61,000-square-foot heartbeat of the Pittsburgh Yards entrepreneurial ecosystem that business owners and nonprofit founders use to grow and scale their entities. Located along the entrance to the Atlanta Beltline’s Southside Trail, Pittsburgh Yards continues to evolve as a gathering space where community residents are invited to be a part of the vibrant community where they can work, create, shop, play, inspire, and be inspired.
“This project was built from community vision and continues to be guided by community voice, and I’m so proud to have been a part of its development from the beginning,” says 40-year Pittsburgh resident and coworking member, Stephanie Flowers, a community impact consultant with Stephanie Flowers, LLC. “Pittsburgh Yards truly honors the legacy of those who built these neighborhoods and is creating opportunities for generations to come. As Pittsburgh Yards has evolved, it’s unofficially become a ‘reclamation project’ bringing the land back to its purpose and once again pouring into the ancestors of the ancestors of the ancestors who founded the Pittsburgh neighborhood community. It now serves as an anchor and source of support for the Pittsburgh community, strengthening the foundation for its continued growth and resilience.”
Historical Context
Located on University Avenue, just south of I-20 in southwest Atlanta near the Metropolitan Parkway corridor, the Pittsburgh community was an original landing and creation place for Black-owned businesses, that was self-sufficient and thriving, with the foundation set by formerly enslaved ancestors. There were shoemakers, shoe repair shops, the Pink Store and Squeeze In restaurant – known to many as the original creators of the fried chicken sandwich with pickles. The community had a lot of firsts. The first Black orphanage, the first school for Black children to be admitted into the Atlanta Public School system, the first Black doctor to work at Grady came from the Pittsburgh neighborhood as well as many prominent lawyers, and the first Black president of Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University).
Award-Winning Space and Place
In 2023, Pittsburgh Yards received the “Community Design Award” from the City of Atlanta’s Urban Design Commission (UDC) during its 45th Annual Awards of Excellence event. Additionally, Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) Regional Excellence Awards recognized Pittsburgh Yards in the category of “Great Place” as a project in metro Atlanta that exemplifies cutting-edge, livable design that enhances the surrounding community and support the goals and policies of the Atlanta Region’s Plan.
2026 and Beyond
Pittsburgh Yards’ intention has been to also create some new firsts in the future to benefit NPU-V and surrounding neighborhoods, the city, and beyond. It has big plans for its 5th year. It will welcome a fully occupied consumer-facing retail area called the Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards located on the southside of The Nia Building, parallel to the Atlanta Beltline’s Southside Trail entrance. It will feature 10 businesses, including those offering products, services, food, and beverages. In 2026, The Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards will also become home to The Food Studio, a plant-based community kitchen that will be a membership-based model for foodpreneurs who make and sell plant-based foods. Additionally, the five pad sites will remain available for mission-based, job creating businesses who want to build from the ground up and be in the community and in a location convenient to all that Atlanta has to offer.
Inspiring a Bold Future
Guided by the wants and needs of the local residents, with the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and in partnership with residents, developers, and civic leaders, Pittsburgh Yards embodies Atlanta’s commitment to inclusive growth and long-term sustainability. And as it celebrated five years of impact, Pittsburgh Yards looks ahead to expanding its entrepreneurial ecosystem, deepening community partnerships, and serving as a national model for equitable, resident-led development.
