ATLANTA — Real estate investment company Jamestown announced Friday a monthlong centennial celebration, Ponce 100, honoring the 100th anniversary of the historic 1926 building that houses Ponce City Market.
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The building originally opened in 1926 as a retail store and warehouse distribution center for Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Jamestown purchased the property in 2010 and invested more than $180 million to restore the structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Ponce City Market’s story is really a story about Atlanta, as it has continually evolved alongside the city,” said Matt Bronfman, the chief executive officer at Jamestown. “Our goal with the building was to honor what came before us while creating something that could serve the community for generations to come. Now, 100 years after the original building opened, Ponce City Market has become a destination for people to live, work, shop, dine and gather, and we’re proud to be part of its next chapter.”
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The main Ponce 100 community celebration is scheduled for Sept. 26, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Scout Courtyard. The free public event will feature live music, food and drink offerings from market restaurants, art installations, custom merchandise and interactive workshops.
As part of the anniversary programming, Three Taverns Craft Brewery’s outpost, Ponce Brew Terminal, partnered with the property to release a commemorative pre-Prohibition-style ale titled “100 Years on Ponce.” A launch party with live music and drink specials will take place Sept. 25, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
An archival photography exhibition showcasing the preservation of the building opened Friday, Sept. 18, on the second floor of the Central Food Hall.
Historian Jerry Hancock and architect Blake Burton hosted a panel discussion and book signing on Sept. 18, moderated by Wright Mitchell, president of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
A history installation will open Sept. 26, along The Trestle, the passageway connecting the building to the Atlanta Beltline. Other scheduled activities include paid pasta-making classes at Bellina Alimentari on Sept. 26.
Before the construction of the building, the property featured two active natural springs that drew visitors in the 1870s, later becoming an amusement park and the Ponce de Leon ballpark, which hosted the Atlanta Crackers and Black Crackers baseball teams.
Sears expanded the site into a 2-million-square-foot facility before closing in 1989, after which the City of Atlanta briefly used the location for city hall offices.
In 2024, Jamestown added more than 700,000 square feet of new residential, office and commercial space to the development.
The archival photography exhibition will remain on display through Oct. 18. Select historical displays along The Trestle will remain permanently accessible to visitors after the centennial events conclude.
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