Atlanta Tech Village, the fourth-largest tech hub in the U.S., has opened its second location in Atlanta’s South Downtown.
Spearheaded by David Cummings, Jon Birdsong, and other prominent innovators, ATV Sylvan is a uniquely distinctive space for up-and-coming builders and innovators.
This week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony attracted founders, investors, city council members, and startup ecosystem builders. Named after the historic Sylvan Hotel, the revamped building offers flexible office options for entrepreneurs, from solopreneurs to fast-growing businesses.
“The next generation of Atlanta success stories will be written here in these historic downtown buildings,” Mayor Dickens added during the opening ceremony. “A new generation of builders and dreamers [will find] the infrastructure, the resources, and the community they need to scale even faster.”
The Making of ATV Sylvan: A Historic Edifice
The project began in January 2024 when Jon Birdsong, Venture Partner at Atlanta Ventures, and David Cummings, Atlanta Tech Village founder, purchased a real-estate portfolio from German developer Newport RE.
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Newport planned to revive South Downtown with the 10-city-block property. However, the pandemic and high interest rates hampered these efforts.
The new owners received permits to begin construction in July 2024 and completed the ATV Sylvan in January 2025. Similar to ATV’s Buckhead location, members can get singular office spaces and have access to conference rooms and community spaces to help grow their teams and businesses.
Nevertheless, ATV’s Sylvan location has a distinct flair. 100-year-old tile segments are preserved and protected, and odes to Atlanta’s history can be seen in the details surrounding the sleek new coworking spaces.
Membership includes access to meeting rooms, common areas, and a “big bear hug of support” through programming and networking opportunities. “Entrepreneurship is lonely, and this is an area where you can look to your left, look to your right, and see just as many entrepreneurs building,” Birdsong said.
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Birdsong added that the incubator has sold roughly 40% of its memberships, and the team tours prospective members daily. At full membership, the location could accommodate approximately 225 people.
Aly Meritt is Stepping in As ATV’s New President
The changes at Atlanta Tech Village will go beyond updates to its physical spaces. A significant leadership shift will see Aly Merritt stepping in as the new President of ATV. Merritt, who was Atlanta Tech Village’s Managing Director since 2021, is a staple member of the Atlanta startup community.
She previously served as Salesloft’s Chief of Staff and Head of Community. Merritt’s earliest memory of Atlanta Tech Village was from her early days at Salesloft when the team moved into an unfinished floor of the soon-to-be tech hub in Buckhead.
“In the heart of the city (literally where Atlanta began), we have the honor to be a significant player in the revitalization of South Downtown. We don’t take it lightly: this area has held the identity as the epicenter for entrepreneurship and opportunity in our city, and larger, the southeast,” she posted on her LinkedIn page. “Today, we are thrilled to officially cut the ribbon to a space that expands our support to the future of innovators, disruptors, and community builders who will change our city, our nation, and our world.”
The South Downtown location will eventually host all the community events that visitors to the ATV Buckhead location have come to know, including Startup Chowdown, advisor hours, and wellness support.
However, the new location will also provide a unique opportunity to build up and support the neighborhood’s growth and revitalization efforts, further embedding Atlanta’s startup successes into the fabric of the city’s business community.
Interested in joining ATV Sylvan. Check out the details here.