Kessler City Lofts: Life Inside a Downtown Landmark

Picture a morning at Kessler City Lofts. Light pours through tall windows onto 14-foot ceilings. You head downstairs, step out onto Peachtree Street and you’re one block from Five Points MARTA station, with South Downtown’s coffee shops and Mitchell Street’s restaurants a short walk away.

The question we hear about buildings like this is, “Is a historic loft downtown actually a smart buy?” The friend-to-friend answer: it can be, if you know what you’re buying into. Let’s walk through it.

What is Kessler City Lofts?

Here’s the building at a glance, according to Space Intown:

• Address: 87 Peachtree Street SW, one block south of the Five Points MARTA station.
• Size: seven stories, with homes on six floors above ground-floor commercial space.
• Homes: about 50 lofts.
• Built: around 1900, and converted to lofts in the 1990s.
• The story: it first housed the Davison-Paxon department store, became part of Macy’s in the 1920s, and was the Kessler department store from the 1930s to the 1990s.
• Amenities: a roof deck with downtown views and grills, a fitness center, a gated and secured building, and bike and scooter storage.

Think of it as living inside a piece of downtown’s shopping history, with the old department store bones still showing.

Why are lofts like Kessler City Lofts rare in South Downtown?

Most of South Downtown is historic commercial buildings, not homes. That means only a handful of buildings offer lofts you can own. Kessler City Lofts is one of the few, which is a big part of why it’s worth knowing. Our South Downtown change story explains what’s happening on the blocks around it.

What’s happening around Kessler City Lofts?

The neighborhood around the building is changing:

• South Downtown’s blocks are being filled with restaurants and shops by a local ownership group, with places like Spiller Park Coffee, Village Books and Glide Pizza nearby.
• Underground Atlanta is growing into a live music district, with seven stages open and ten planned by the end of 2027, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
• Centennial Yards is being built a short walk west, beside Castleberry Hill. Its developer, CIM Group, expects a 5,300-seat Live Nation venue and a 261-room Virgin Hotel there in 2027.

For the bigger picture of downtown living, our guide to Downtown and Midtown daily life compares the two.

What have Kessler City Lofts sold for?

Here are two recent sales from Redfin:

What that means in real life:

• It’s below South Downtown’s typical price per square foot. Redfin puts South Downtown at about $197 per square foot, so both sales came in under that.
• You get a lot of space for the price. Unit #209 had 14-foot ceilings and is deeded as two bedrooms, per its Redfin listing.
• HOA dues are a real part of the cost. At $515 to $635 a month, they matter as much as the price.

What does the Kessler City Lofts HOA cover?

According to the unit listings on Redfin, the HOA covers AT&T Fiber internet, basic TV, trash and pest control. Those are bills you won’t pay separately, which softens the monthly number.

Before you fall for a unit, run the monthly cost of a loft with HOA dues included.

How do I buy at Kessler City Lofts smart?

Here’s what we check together:

• The HOA budget and reserves. Older buildings can need big repairs. Healthy reserves mean fewer surprises.
• Special assessments. Ask if any are planned or recently passed.
• Lending rules. Some condo buildings have rules that affect which loans you can use. We’ll confirm with your lender early.
• Parking. Ask what comes with the unit. Downtown spaces can be limited.
• Rental rules. If you might rent it out someday, read the HOA’s rules first.

And on the down payment: you may not need as much as you think. Our Ask Ju guide to Atlanta down payment minimums explains why.

Who does Kessler City Lofts fit best?

• First-time buyers who want city living. Prices sit well under the City of Atlanta median.
• People who work downtown. Offices, MARTA and South Downtown’s restaurants are close by.
• Downsizers who want space and character. Big open lofts in a historic building.

Own at Kessler City Lofts and thinking about selling?

Selling a loft in a building with only about 50 homes means every sale matters. Pricing it right, showing off the building’s history and explaining the HOA clearly can make a real difference. Our home selling guidance explains how we approach it.

Questions people ask

What this means for you

Kessler City Lofts gives you a big historic loft, a roof deck and a one-block walk to MARTA, at a price per square foot below South Downtown’s typical sale. HOA dues are a real cost, so the monthly number matters as much as the price. As South Downtown fills in around it, the building could benefit from more to do just outside the door.

Want to see inside, or compare it with the building down the street? Reach out to Julian at Ju Sells ATL about Kessler City Lofts. And if you own here and wonder what your home could sell for, Julian at Ju Sells ATL is happy to walk you through it.