Brief Synopsis

The Biltmore Hotel opened in the early 1920’s in Atlanta as a 5 star hotel and it was considered a very posh and avant-garde hotel. It was outfitted with multiple ballrooms that made it a popular space for special events. The Biltmore eventually closed as a hotel and was redeveloped into an office space, which was later incorporated into the Tech Square ecosystem by the Georgia Tech Foundation. In this episode, we explore the Biltmore’s role in the community and how it has changed and grown with the Midtown area. Our first guest is Mr. Jim Wesley, who worked on the penthouse floor of the Biltmore where WSB radio was based. He tells us about the details of the Biltmore when it was still a hotel, and his experiences working as a radio announcer in the 50’s. We also speak with Mr. Joe Bankoff, a current resident of some of the few remaining apartments within the Biltmore, about his experience living in such a historically rich building. When the Biltmore was redeveloped in the 1990’s it was done by the Novare group and Mr. Jim Borders, who is another one of our guests. He tells us about the process of transforming the building and what he learned about its history during the process. Finally, we speak with Georgia Tech Provost Raphael Bras who tells us about how the Georgia Tech Foundation eventually acquired the Biltmore from Jim Borders in 2017, and how the building fits in the puzzle of the Tech square area.

Credits

The Building Memories team work together in developing, producing, and promoting episodes, and in presenting them on the Building Memories website.

Executive Producer: Jacqueline Jones Royster
Co-Executive Producer: Todd Michney
Technical Director: Steven Hodges
Interns: Charles Cardot, Rachel Hu, Amrithesh Paravath
Administrative Assistant: Joanna Gabriel

Team members below had lead roles with this episode:
Episode Narrative: Charles Cardot
Photographer: Nicholas Cheek
Podcast Producer: Charles Cardot
Interviewers: Charles Cardot
Script Writer: Charles Cardot
Narrators: Charles Cardot
Sound Editors: Charles Cardot