New Owners Of Highland Inn On Preserving Its History And Plans For Renovations
A century-old Atlanta landmark, the businesses at Highland Row have long been treasured by the community as event spaces and neighborhood hangout spots. Rumors ran rampant last summer when threats of demolition by the owner gave Atlantans a shock. But the conversation changed when a young development firm, Canvas Companies, bought the historic Highland Inn and its neighboring business in February. Ben McLoughlin and Mike Garber, the new owners of Highland Row, joined “City Lights” senior producer Kim Drobes via Zoom to talk about the future of the beloved local hub, and their plans to preserve its history, aesthetic charm and authenticity.
“We both really love historic buildings with a legacy and a history… Both of us had a dream of bringing one of [Atlanta’s historic hotels] back to life,” said Garber. McLoughlin, a longtime resident of the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood, added, “Specifically with the Highland Inn… [we] passed the property for years and years and years, and always threw it back and forth, ‘Man, imagine if we could own that hotel and the adjacent commercial building, how awesome would that be?’”
The real estate partners’ sense of purpose in preserving neighborhood staples comes from experience as well as a personal connection. Garber and McLoughlin, self-proclaimed history buffs, were previously involved with 551 Ponce, also known as the Ponce Hotel, which housed the former nightclub MJQ. Garber said, “When we come across these old buildings we can start finding out the stories of what happened there… In the 70s, I met my husband there and we spoke on that deal with Karl Injex, one of the… early DJs at MJQ.” He went on, “All that kind of stuff excites us… We’re kind of doing the same thing now at the Highland Inn, just trying to learn more about the history and try and incorporate it into the future.”
Plans for the space include heavy renovations, given the dilapidated state of the hotel after its disuse and eventual shuttering during the pandemic. But Garber and McLoughlin maintain that their primary role, as they see it, is one of stewardship, given the buildings’ history and importance to Atlantans. “This is all stuff that we’ve seen before,” said Garber. “We’ve built great relationships with local vendors that we really trust, who we know can get the job done when it comes to threading the needle – which is what a lot of this comes down to. When you have to pull a plumbing system out of a building and still leave the building intact, it definitely gets tricky.”
The new owners described their vision for the buildings’ gentle facelifts and structural reinforcements, along with hopes to expand public accessibility. One idea is to open up the courtyard adjacent to the Highland Ballroom, making it more like some of New York City’s “pocket parks.” “It’s not necessarily going to be a public park, but we want people to be able to access it all the time. So if you’re going upstairs to the café, maybe grabbing a cup of coffee, it could be a great space to go and have your cup of coffee,” said McLoughlin. “The idea is to open the café, Ballroom, and that courtyard to make them much more public-facing spaces than what they have been historically.”
The partners expect renovations to take at least another two years to complete, but Atlantans can safely exhale knowing these cherished spaces won’t be demolished, and that preserving the old charm of Highland Row remains top priority for Canvas Companies. “We’ve found that, ultimately, we can make more money by doing something that’s thoughtful, price-conscious, and sensitive to the neighborhood, than by just focusing on the numbers,” said McLoughlin.
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