Savi Provisions has chosen to open a location near Zoo Atlanta

“This is a fitting combination of beautifying one of our most historic neighborhoods with a local, community-centered grocer,” the mayor said.

Savi founder Paul Nair said he’s wanted to open a location in Grant Park for years, but was looking for the right location. He found what he was looking for in the Gateway window.

“It’s a very interestingly laid out space,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s something (the neighborhood) will want to cherish and own.”

First announced in 2017, the $48 million project transformed a parking lot near Grant Park and Zoo Atlanta into a parking lot topped with green space. Then-Mayor Kasim Reed said at the time that the name Grant Park Gateway was chosen because “it’s going to provide a whole new way to see the entrance to one of our city’s truly historic sites.” “.

The 800 Cherokee Ave. project. faced backlash in the neighborhood following the removal of more than 130 healthy trees, which the city said would be replaced.

The Atlanta City Council issued more than $30 million in bonds to finance the project. In addition to parking fees, the city planned to collect revenue from rooftop commercial spaces.

Credit: City of Atlanta

Credit: City of Atlanta

Construction was completed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a difficult time for the restaurant and retail business. The city took ownership of the commercial space from the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority in 2023, but it took several requests for proposals before applicants became interested.

Three finalists emerged, including Savi. Another contender was a micro-food hall concept from Hop City Beer & Wine founder Kraig Torres, who told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last month that the property had the potential to be “a focal point of the community (of Grant Park).” The third finalist was Rease Group Holding Inc., an Atlanta-based company founded in 2010, according to Urbanize Atlanta, but its plan was not detailed publicly before Savi’s selection.

Founded in 2009 in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood, Savi has quickly expanded throughout the city. The upscale market, which Nair said is modeled after New York bodegas, offers artisan goods, wine, prepared foods and other items on a smaller scale than big-box grocery stores.

Nair said the Grant Park location will have more counters than the typical Savi location, including bars offering coffee, ice cream, alcohol and counter-served food. He also plans to activate the 2.5-acre green space parking lot roof with neighborhood activities.

Savi is set to open its 16th location in the Atlanta, Virginia-Highland metro area, but the timeline for the 17th location in Grant Park depends on permits and government approvals, Nair said. He aims to open it by the end of 2024.