Atlanta Daily World building owner: We want to preserve landmark’s facade

The owner of Sweet Auburn’s Atlanta Daily World building — and the developer who’s thinking about turning the landmark and an adjacent site into 91 apartments — say they want to preserve as much of the historic structure’s facade as possible.

In a joint statement released Monday night, Alexis Scott, the publisher of the historic family-owned African-American newspaper, and Valerie Edwards of Integral, the Atlanta-based firm looking to redevelop the Auburn Avenue building, the Daily World’s former headquarters will be “partially demolished” to make way for the development.

Atlanta preservationists sprang to action last week after discovering that Integral filed an application in late January with the city’s Urban Design Commission to demolish the two-story building that once housed the Daily World. The UDC deferred the matter until its March 28 meeting — leaving many downtowners and history buffs wondering about the Scott family and Integral’s plans.