By Meghan McNearney
L-R: Atlanta City Council Member Jason Winston, Melissa Ahrendt, and Mayor Andre Dickens at the Terminal South Ground Breaking
When Melissa Ahrendt moved to Grant Park in 2002, she was just starting her career in commercial real estate and excited to call Southeast Atlanta home. At the time, you could still count the neighborhood’s restaurants on one hand, the Atlanta BeltLine was only an idea, and the notion of a walkable community hub felt far off.
More than two decades later, Ahrendt is still here—now Stafford’s Executive Director of Real Estate and the developer behind one of the area’s most intentionally local projects: Terminal South.
Located about a mile south of the GSU football stadium along Hank Aaron Drive, Terminal South is an adaptive reuse of two former warehouses. The development includes Switchman Hall, an 18-stall food hall featuring locally owned concepts, along with neighborhood retailers and service providers like Offbeat Books, Sugar Polish Nail Bar, and Flower Paradise. Full-service restaurants, including Feel Goods Pizza, are set to open later this year.
Photo courtesy of Terminal South
“The trajectory for Southeast Atlanta has been pointed in the right direction for decades,” Ahrendt says. “But it has been a slow march shaped by economic cycles. In some ways, the downturn in 2008 and 2009 became a turning point. It pushed families with school-aged children to stay and invest rather than leave.”
That period, she says, helped stabilize the neighborhood. “Once you have strong schools, the transition period is essentially over,” she says. “That’s when people start moving into a neighborhood intentionally—to set down deep roots for their families.”
By then, Southeast Atlanta was no longer defined by just a few demographics. Families, young professionals, longtime residents, and newer transplants were all living, working, and choosing to stay. “We had the people,” Ahrendt says. “What we didn’t have were enough places to gather.”
Terminal South was created to fill that gap. For Ahrendt, a mom of three, it was important that the project feel welcoming while still honoring the grit and character that define this part of the city. Just as important was what it wouldn’t be. Rather than relying on national chains, she prioritized local Atlanta operators with real stakes in the community. “Local businesses are the heart and soul of a neighborhood,” she says, “and the more we have on this side of town, the stronger our sense of community becomes.”
Photo courtesy of Terminal South
Photos courtesy of Terminal South
With plentiful free parking, bike racks, an expansive outdoor patio, and a colorful play area, Terminal South was designed first and foremost for Southeast Atlanta residents and their families. Over time, Ahrendt sees it becoming even more connected—especially later this year, when the MARTA Rapid line opens, linking the area directly to downtown hotels and major events.
Designed to grow alongside the neighborhood, Terminal South is meant to be part of everyday life, not a one-time destination. “The best neighborhood places are the ones you return to again and again,” Ahrendt says. “If it only works once, it doesn’t really work. With so many of our food hall operators now open, we’re building a full calendar of events for 2026—and it’s shaping up to be a great year for placemaking on Ridge Avenue.”
For Ahrendt, the project is deeply personal. Terminal South exists because of her long relationship with the neighborhood—not in spite of it.
“It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to help shape a small corner of the city and create something my own family and neighbors can enjoy,” she says. “It’s been a long, hard process, but one I feel honored to be part of—and excited to see coming to life.”
