Fire damages historic Atlanta Eagle and Kodak buildings in Midtown

A fire heavily damaged the Kodak building and the former site of the LGBTQ bar Atlanta Eagle on Thursday evening.

Atlanta fire officials received a call around 8 p.m. about a fire at the two historic buildings located at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and Argonne avenues in Midtown. No one was injured in the fire and an investigation is underway to determine the cause.

The rear portion of the buildings – where a historic single-family home once stood – appeared to be a total loss. The brick facades of the buildings still stand along Ponce but also show fire and smoke damage.

Richard Ramey, owner of the Atlanta Eagle, was on scene. Home of the Atlanta Eagles at 306 Ponce de Leon Ave. for over 30 years. The building has been designated an Atlanta Landmark.

“There’s a lot of damage, you know, 35 years of Eagle history going up in flames,” he said around 9:30 p.m.

Ramey was forced to close the Atlanta Eagle at 306 Ponce during the COVID-19 pandemic. He reopened the bar in 2022 at 1492 Piedmont Avenue.

“I really had in my heart the hope that one day we could do something with this historic landmark, but I guess that’s not supposed to happen because I… don’t think it will remain much- thing,” Ramey said.

Mayor Andre Dickens visited the scene around 9:30 p.m. He said no foul play was suspected in the fire, saying it was a cause for concern because June is Pride Month.

He said he came to the scene “because there was a fire at an institution in Atlanta.” He also noted that the building is designated a historic monument by the city.

“I know the history of this place and we want to make sure it’s preserved,” he said.

“What we need to do in a city like this is with vacant buildings, we need to make them productively usable,” Dickens said.

“Put a museum there about LGBTQ history or something. So we start thinking and putting our creativity to good use,” he said.

He said the city would contact the owner to see if a plan could be developed.