The Fairlie–Poplar Historic District is part of the central business district in downtown Atlanta . It is named for the two streets that cross at its center, northeast- only Fairlie and southeast-only Poplar. Fairlie–Poplar is immediately north of Five Points , the definitive center point and longtime commercial heart of Atlanta. It is roughly bounded on the southwest by Marietta Street , on the southeast by Peachtree Street or Park Place, on the northeast by Luckie Street or Williams Street , and on the northwest by Cone Street or Spring Street. It has smaller city blocks than the rest of the city (about half by half), and the streets run at a 40° diagonal .
19-692: The Healey Building , at 57 Forsyth Street NW, in the Fairlie-Poplar district of Atlanta , was the last major skyscraper built in that city during the pre- World War I construction boom. Designed by the firm of Morgan & Dillon , with assistance from Walter T. Downing , in the Gothic Revival style, the 16-story structure was built between 1913-1914. It was originally planned with two facing towers connected by an atrium, taking up an entire city block. During construction, steelworker Billy Newburn fell to his death in 1913.The east tower along Broad Street
38-542: A new stage with a proscenium ; an orchestra pit; and 833 new seats. The eight-floor Haas-Howell Building houses the backstage facilities, the Dahlberg Room (the theatre's Green Room), and administrative offices for the Rialto Center on the second and third floors. The Rialto Center's offers an annual subscription series, which focuses on international performers and world music—representing the growing global community in
57-464: A wide variety of wholesale and retail operations, which marketed a broad spectrum of consumer goods and services. Public agencies and many of Atlanta's business offices were also located there. Building materials included brick , stone , cast iron , wood, pressed metal, glazed terra-cotta , and plate glass . The buildings in the district range in height from two to 16 stories , the taller ones constructed with concrete or steel frames , while
76-642: The Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of Appeals Building . Fairlie–Poplar developed during the late 19th century, when Atlanta emerged as the commercial center of Georgia and the Southeast . At the time, the area was promoted as "Atlanta's new modern fireproof business district". It constituted a major northward expansion of Atlanta's post- Civil War business district, which was largely concentrated along Peachtree and Alabama Street (now Underground Atlanta ) and along Marietta Street. The new business district contained
95-619: The Arts The Rialto Center for the Arts is an 833-seat performing-arts venue owned and operated by Georgia State University and located in the heart of the Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown Atlanta, Georgia . The venue is home to the Rialto Series, an annual subscription series featuring national and international jazz , world music, and dance. The Rialto also routinely presents Georgia State University School of Music performances,
114-501: The Arts and the Haas-Howell Building followed in 1996 on the corner of Forsyth St. and Luckie St. The Helen M. Aderhold Learning Center is also located on Luckie Street and is one of the most modern lecture buildings on the campus. The Aderhold Center also provides retail and restaurant space on the street level surrounding it, causing it to further blend into the district. The Georgia State University School of Music occupies
133-721: The Rialto Series artists' alleged talents. The Rialto, in collaboration with the Georgia State University School of Music, has also developed a jazz education program offered to elementary and middle school students. The Visual Arts Series at the Rialto Center is an ongoing collaboration between the Rialto, Turner First Thursdays, the Comer Art Advisory consulting firm, and the Ernst G. Welch School of Art & Design at Georgia State University. The series regularly transforms
152-622: The Rialto lobby and mezzanine into an exhibition space for projects organized by Comer Art Advisory. Exhibitions typically relate to Rialto presentations or citywide arts initiatives such as the Atlanta Film Festival, the National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, and ATLart06. Recent years have highlighted the work of Charles H. Nelson, Jr., Alejandro Aguilera, Ruth Laxson, Matt Haffner, among other local, national, and international artists. Additionally, in
171-650: The Rialto, as does the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, the Moving in the Spirit dance company, and the National Black Arts Festival, among many others. The Rialto Center provides educational outreach programs to school students and the general public alike. Among the activities the Rialto offers are Master Classes for university and high-school students; open rehearsals and pre-show lectures for the general public; as well as workshops and demonstrations for students and families, utilizing
190-473: The Standard Building on the corner of Fairlie St. and Luckie St., as well as the Haas-Howell Building on Poplar St. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from the National Park Service 33°45′25″N 84°23′25″W / 33.7569°N 84.3902°W / 33.7569; -84.3902 ( Fairlie–Poplar historic district ) Rialto Center for
209-588: The annual National Black Arts Festival , and many others. In the fall of 1916, a 925-seat theater, the Southeast's largest movie house , opened in the Central Business District (and the original theater district) of Atlanta. The theater was named the "Rialto," which is defined as an exchange or a marketplace. The Rialto continued to operate throughout the Depression, and at one point even claimed to have
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#1732854649737228-527: The autumn of 1994. There was a need for extensive remodeling. In March 1996, the reopening of the 833-seat Rialto Center for the Performing Arts took place. The 1960s-era Rialto Theater was rebuilt and transformed into a performance venue. The Rialto Center for the Arts now boasts superb acoustics after the theater's roof was raised 12 feet. Interior renovations included a larger lobby to handle patrons; box office facilities; ADA-accessible improvements;
247-882: The district also represent the shift in building technology from load-bearing masonry and timber walls to steel and concrete framing. Individual buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places that lie within the Fairlie–Poplar Historic District include the Flatiron Building , the Empire/C&;S Building , the Healey Building , the Prudential/W.D. Grant Building , the Retail Credit Company Home Office Building ,
266-493: The largest electric sign south of New York City above its marquee. In 1962, the original theater building was torn down, and a new 1,200-seat Rialto was built on the same site. It was the first movie theater to be constructed in downtown Atlanta in 35 years and remained open until 1989 before falling victim to a declining downtown economy. In 1991, Dr. Richard Koehler, then-director of the School of Music at Georgia State University,
285-439: The lower floors continue to be the home of galleries, shops, and restaurants. Fairlie-Poplar Fairlie–Poplar contains many commercial and office buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Local interpretations of prevailing national architectural styles, including Chicago , Renaissance revival , neoclassical , commercial, art deco , Georgian revival , and Victorian styles, are found here. The buildings of
304-417: The region and the varied student body of Georgia State University—and contemporary jazz, Broadway & Cabaret, and contemporary dance. In addition to the Rialto Series, the Rialto Center offers many other performances and events throughout the year. As a rental facility, the Rialto is home to arts organizations and host to events. Atlanta's True Colors Theatre Company regularly presents its performances at
323-558: The smaller buildings were built with load-bearing masonry and timber structural systems. A few of the buildings that make up the Georgia State University campus are woven into the Fairlie–Poplar district. The first building that was acquired in Fairlie–Poplar was the former C&S Bank Building on Marietta Street in 1993, which became the J. Mack Robinson College of Business Administration Building . The Rialto Center for
342-461: Was approached by a real estate consultant about relocating the School to several vacant buildings in the block bounded by Forsyth , Luckie , Fairlie, and Poplar streets. After a successful $ 14 million fundraising effort led by Georgia State University President Carl V. Patton and GSU alumnus and former Southern Company President A.W. "Bill" Dahlberg, the old Rialto Theatre and the nearby Haas-Howell and Standard Buildings were demolished and rebuilt in
361-448: Was never constructed due to World War I and the subsequent death of owner William T. Healey (son of developer Thomas G. Healey ) in 1920. The building remained in the Healey family until 1972. On August 8, 1977, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places , and since 1987 it has enjoyed local landmark status. In 2001, the upper floors were converted into condominiums, while
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