In Midtown, beefed-up, multi-tower project is bound for site of historic mortuary

A historic funeral home in fast-growing Midtown is set to be incorporated into a Portman Holdings project that now promises up to 700,000 square feet of office space, a hotel, and more residences than initially planned.

Designed by noted architect Philip Trammell Shutze, the Spring Hill Mortuary has stood on Spring Street near the 10th Street intersection for nearly a century, avoiding the wrecking ball as new high-rises have ascended nearby.

Now, the latest plans for Portman Holdings’s mixed-use development are headed to the state’s Development of Regional Impact program for review, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Armed with landmark designation, the architecturally significant funeral home is protected from any exterior changes, meaning developers will have to find ways to incorporate it into the planned office tower and other components. A 325-room hotel and 350-unit residential tower are also planned for the site.

The funeral business itself, H.M. Patterson & Son, though, is slated to close, potentially making way for a 60,000-square-foot restaurant or music venue.

The proposal has grown since last check, when Portman Holdings purchased the four-acre property late last year.

Another 100,000 square feet of office space and 50 residential units have been tacked on to the plans, as the newspaper reports.

It’s unclear, however, how much the novel coronavirus pandemic could bog down the development plans.