SHIFT Sets Up Shop in Atlanta

SHIFT will open its first location in Atlanta on Nov. 19, within the industrial asset at 575 Wharton Drive SW in the South Fulton neighborhood.

The co-warehousing provider aims to meet growing local demand for flexible and collaborative workspaces. SHIFT South Fulton will offer more than 100,000 square feet in total, with various warehousing options for entrepreneurial individuals and businesses of all sizes.

SHIFT South Fulton has 67 rentable warehouse units that range from 300 to 5,000 square feet and can be used for storage or workspaces. It also has 13 office spaces. Membership amenities include access to meeting rooms, loading docks, security services, 24/7 entry, along with mail and package handling.

Pattillo Industrial Real Estate owns the industrial building, according to CommercialEdge data. The property came online in 1978 and underwent a full renovation in 2013. Pattillo acquired it in 2018 for $4.2 million.

SHIFT South Fulton is within 10 miles of downtown Atlanta. Major nearby thoroughfares include U.S. routes 70 and 78, as well as interstates 20 and 285. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is less than 20 miles southeast.

Co-warehousing grows amid Atlanta’s rising industrial vacancy

Co-warehousing solutions are a growing niche within the industrial sector, as the number of small businesses and users with short-term needs is rapidly growing. Large industrial providers and investors are opening their own co-warehousing brands as well to meet this demand—such as Capstone Equities’ Portal Warehousing or The Rosenblum Cos.’ Launchbox Flexible Warehouse Suites, which opened its first location earlier this year in Latham, N.Y.

Atlanta’s industrial tenants have begun searching for smaller spaces, mirroring a trend that is ongoing throughout the entire Southeast, a recent industrial report from Avison Young shows. More than 9.4 million square feet of industrial space was leased in the third quarter, 54 percent of which involved deals smaller than 50,000 square feet.

The market’s vacancy grew to 9 percent in the third quarter this year, but a cooldown in development is projected to improve this rate in the coming months, the same source reveals. New construction starts were down more than 80 percent since 2021, which was the peak of activity in recent years.