Atlanta Opera plans Beltline-based Molly Blank Center with habitat restoration on Peachtree Creek floodplain site
A new headquarters planned beside the Beltline and Peachtree Creek
The Atlanta Opera is moving forward with a plan to convert the former Bobby Jones Golf Course clubhouse into a permanent home along the Atlanta Beltline, pairing new performance and education spaces with a site design intended to function as restored habitat on a floodplain landscape. The project is planned for Atlanta Memorial Park at the corner of Woodward Way and Havenridge Drive, adjacent to the Northwest Beltline Connector Trail and Peachtree Creek.
The planned facility is named the Molly Blank Center for Opera and the Arts. The opera has said the center will consolidate administrative functions, production support, and smaller-scale performances in one location, while the company’s mainstage productions will continue at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
What is being built and how the historic structure fits in
Plans call for adaptive reuse of the clubhouse alongside new construction. The opera’s project materials describe two intimate venues: Rosemary Hall, a 200-seat recital hall, and a separate 200-seat immersive theater space. The program also includes rehearsal facilities, education spaces, a costume shop, and a small film studio used for internal recordings and related work.
The site is also linked to a history of civic significance. The opera has stated that the former clubhouse—described in its materials as a WPA-era structure from the 1940s—was associated with the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Holmes v. City of Atlanta, which addressed segregation in municipal facilities. Project plans emphasize preservation of the building’s front façade while adding a modern, Beltline-facing entrance sequence.
Habitat and drainage: a floodplain-based approach
A core element of the plan is landscape work intended to improve drainage and better align the property with Peachtree Creek’s floodplain. The opera says much of the green space within the project area sits in the Peachtree Creek 100-year floodplain, and that portions of the landscape will be regraded to support hydrological changes.
Specific features described in project materials include rain gardens and bioretention ponds designed to manage stormwater, along with upgraded drainage. The opera says the post-construction landscape will be “naturalized” and creek-friendly, with a goal of improving floodplain function while maintaining greenspace access along the trail.
The opera has also said it aims to preserve large “legacy” trees where possible, remove some trees that are in severe decline, and deliver a net increase in tree canopy. The plan references coordination with Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy, the Peachtree Battle Alliance, the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, and environmental and land-planning partners, with Trees Atlanta identified as a partner for expanding tree coverage.
Construction schedule, access, and cost
Initial site work is scheduled to begin February 23, 2026.
Vertical construction is planned to start in June 2026.
Substantial completion is targeted for October 2027.
The opera says construction is planned primarily on weekdays, with some Saturday work, and that the existing surface parking lot behind the building will be closed for most of the construction period (from February 14, 2026, through November 2027). The opera has said the trail is not expected to be obstructed, though limited, short-duration closures may occur to install drainage beneath sections of the path.
The opera’s published budget estimate places total project cost at approximately $72 million, including construction, soft costs, and an administrative and maintenance reserve.
In addition to artistic programming, the project is positioned as a Beltline-adjacent civic destination, with the habitat-focused site plan becoming an operational part of how the new headquarters functions day to day—both for stormwater management and the surrounding park environment.