Pittsburgh Yards Celebrates 5 Years of Revitalizing Atlanta Community

The innovative business park has become a hub for small businesses and entrepreneurship in southwest Atlanta.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Pittsburgh Yards, a 15-acre business park in southwest Atlanta, is celebrating its 5th anniversary since opening in December 2020. The development, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has become a lynchpin in the city's community economic development efforts, providing space and resources for over 114 small businesses and nonprofits, as well as 256 individual coworking members. The Nia Building serves as the main hub, offering private offices and technical support, while the Container Courtyard features a variety of Black-owned retail, restaurant, and service businesses. Pittsburgh Yards has also partnered with organizations like the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation to bring critical legal services to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Why it matters

Pittsburgh Yards represents a successful model of community-driven economic development, revitalizing a historically underserved area of Atlanta through intentional planning, resident engagement, and support for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The project has helped strengthen the local economy, preserve the area's cultural identity, and create new opportunities for generational wealth-building.

The details

Since opening in 2020, Pittsburgh Yards has become home to a diverse array of small businesses and nonprofits, including the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, which provides legal services to underserved residents, and Legacy Design Counsel, a law firm specializing in estate planning and personal injury. The development also features the Container Courtyard, a collection of 10 customer-focused retailers, restaurants, and service providers housed in repurposed shipping containers. Pittsburgh Yards was developed through a collaborative process involving long-time residents, business owners, and forward-thinking developers, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

  • Pittsburgh Yards opened in December 2020.
  • The Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards will reach full occupancy in 2026.

The players

Pittsburgh Yards

A 15-acre business park in southwest Atlanta that serves as a hub for small businesses and entrepreneurship, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Nia Building

The main hub of Pittsburgh Yards, offering 101 private offices and technical support for member businesses.

Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF)

A tenant organization at Pittsburgh Yards that provides critical and affordable legal services to underserved residents, particularly in areas like housing and eviction prevention.

Legacy Design Counsel (LDC)

A law firm specializing in estate planning, traffic, and personal injury matters that has an office at Pittsburgh Yards.

Chantell Glenn

Senior associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, responsible for the development and operation of Pittsburgh Yards.

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What they’re saying

“While the plans were being laid as to what the future use would be, community being able to put their feet on the ground and host their own neighborhood activations like festivals and flea markets, where people were making things, selling their wares, and promoting beautification efforts was essential to keeping it from looking blighted.”

— Chantell Glenn, Senior associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation

“The biggest program that brought us into the neighborhood, which is eventually how we made it to Pittsburgh Yards, actually sounds nontraditional at first. We started to put teams of lawyers and social workers in APS schools where the evictions and housing issues were so significant and prevalent that the principals and the school social workers knew that that was one of the biggest challenges they were facing.”

— Michael Lucas, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation

“I'm excited about the collaboration with Pittsburgh Yards and the role I can play in supporting the businesses that call Pittsburgh Yards home. We are leading by example of showing how two entities that have similar missions can collaborate to benefit the community.”

— Kiyomi Rollins, Founder, The Ke'nekt Cooperative

What’s next

The Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards is expected to reach full occupancy with 10 on-site retailers, restaurants, and service businesses by 2026.

The takeaway

Pittsburgh Yards has become a national model for successful community-driven economic development, revitalizing a historically underserved area of Atlanta through intentional planning, resident engagement, and support for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The project has helped strengthen the local economy, preserve the area's cultural identity, and create new opportunities for generational wealth-building.