Fort Mac LRA announces that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will relocate its Atlanta operations to the former Fort McPherson Forces Command Headquarters building, bringing approximately 350 high-paying scientist and staff jobs to the site. The LRA will sell the building to Easterly Government Properties, Inc., which will in turn renovate and lease the building to the U.S. Government for the beneficial use of the FDA.

“The FDA’s investment in relocating to Fort Mac reflects a vote of confidence in our redevelopment plans, and our vision for the vibrant community we are building,” said Fort Mac LRA Executive Director Brian Hooker. “They understand that when their employees move into their new workplace, they will be surrounded by amenities that will make Fort Mac a highly desirable location to work, live and recreate.”

“The approximately 350 FDA employees and contractors are expected to benefit from the laboratory’s proximity to MARTA,” said William C. Trimble, III, Easterly’s Chief Executive Officer. The FDA will be joining other Federal Agencies in Southwest Atlanta, such as the Department of Homeland Security on Camp Creek Parkway. “Easterly sees the opportunity presented in such a convenient location, and is pleased to serve as redeveloper for a sophisticated, leading-edge, highly specialized laboratory facility to support the FDA.” The new location will house both laboratory and office space for the Atlanta District Office as well as Southeast Food and Feed Laboratory (SFFL) and Southeast Tobacco Laboratory (STL), including four separate laboratories for nutritional analysis, chemistry, microbiology and tobacco. The facility will be designed to meet the requirements of the National Institutes of Health Design Requirements Manual (NIH DRM) whereby the building systems will be designed specifically for important FDA functions.

“We are tremendously excited to see this level of commitment to and investment in Southwest Atlanta,” said Hooker. “We are grateful to Governor Kemp and Mayor Bottoms for their continued support of the LRA’s efforts to catalyze growth and development at Fort Mac.”

Fort Mac LRA has made significant progress over the past several years in advancing the goal of redeveloping the Fort McPherson property into a place for all – a place that can serve as a catalyst for growth to uplift the community. The LRA has engaged the community to shape that vision into a plan to create a public space that promotes creative arts and technology; health and wellness; food and agriculture; and education, training and entrepreneurship.