Signal House at Ponce City Market Achieves Fitwel Certification

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Friday, March 22nd, 2024

Jamestown, a global, design-focused real estate investment and management firm, today announced Signal House, a residential building at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, has achieved Fitwel Certification. The Fitwel 2-Star Rating underscores Jamestown’s commitment to developing properties that prioritize the health and wellbeing of their residents and tenants.

Jointly developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the General Services Administration (GSA), the Fitwel certification system aims to enhance the wellness and health of building occupants, contributing to healthier communities overall. It is the first health and wellbeing-centered certification for the broader Ponce City Market campus. 

"Investment in the well-being of our communities is an embodiment of Jamestown's core values," said Becca Timms, Head of ESG at Jamestown. "By achieving the Fitwel 2-Star Rating, we're not only ensuring Signal House residents have access to a healthier living and work environment, but also advancing our mission to foster community engagement, environmental responsibility, and industry innovation.” 

Signal House features ample bicycle parking, readily accessible outdoor spaces, and a rooftop vegetable and herb garden. Wellness amenities include a pool terrace with a shaded grotto lounge and outdoor shower, multipurpose fitness room with connected outdoor fitness space for group classes and private instruction, and wellness rooms for personal treatments like massages and other services. By incorporating these features, residents are encouraged to participate in physical activities, healthy eating, and social interaction. 

In addition to these elements, Jamestown has partnered with Atlanta restaurateur Tal Baum and local art studio “A Permanent Address” to foster community throughout the building. Through Baum’s dinner club, residents can participate in authentic dining experiences, from family-style dinners to hands-on culinary workshops in the building’s exclusive kitchen and dining space. Meanwhile, "A Permanent Address" has opened an inaugural exhibition titled “A Place to Call Home” in the building’s retail plaza. The exhibition explores the profound connections between objects, spaces, and our bodies, prompting further engagement. 

Through these design and operational strategies, Signal House has achieved an elevated Fitwel Star Rating, further solidifying Jamestown's commitment to advancing residents’ wellbeing and enacting healthier, more sustainable communities. 

The new building is part of Ponce City Market’s next phase, which includes more than 700,000 square feet of new live, work, and shop space. Designed with a focus on sustainability and wellness, the new development will evolve the mixed-used model and structured shopping experience. In addition to Signal House, Ponce City Market is building 619 Ponce, a four-story mass timber loft office building, and Scout Living, a flexible-stay hospitality living building featuring 405 furnished units with short-term and long-term stay options. 

Ponce City Market first opened its doors in 2015 and has since been credited as a catalyst for revitalizing Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Today, Ponce City Market is a major employment hub for creative and technology companies and is home to 90 businesses. The new development is projected to bring more than 550 long-term jobs to the campus. In total, Ponce City Market will house some 100 businesses collectively employing more than 5,750 people and will include over 800 residences when the project is complete and fully activated.