Facelift Planned for The Atrium Building in Old Town

The sprawling Atrium building in the heart of Old Town (277 S. Washington Street) could be getting a major facelift as the building tries to attract new tenants.

The building, constructed in 1978 in a neo-traditional style, is five-stories tall and roughly 139,000 square feet. It takes up the entire block and one of its largest tenants is the Eagle Bank at the corner of S. Washington and Duke Streets.

“The owner plans to reposition, modernize, and add new amenities to the building,” the W.C and A.N. Miller Development Company said in an application. “A large multi-floor tenant will be moving out of the building within the next few years and this will be the best time to do the work to minimize disruption to the remaining tenants.”

The application does not specify which tenant is leaving.

Many of the renovations will be internal, though the application says the planned use will hopefully bring more nightlife to that corner of southern Old Town.

“To attract new tenants, the existing penthouse fitness center will be converted to a conference center/lounge and roof deck amenity for the use of its tenants,” the company said. “This amenity is also being planned for use after business hours and on weekends and holidays for special functions. Additional improvements include refreshing the building entrances and other interior upgrades.”

Plans show the upstairs fitness center’s conversion into a lounge with rooftop views of Old Town.

The application also notes that the current entrance to the building is dark and uninviting, so new plans feature an illuminated archway less set-back from the street.

The upgrades are planned for review at the Wednesday, June 3, Board of Architectural Review meeting.