Examining property in downtown Atlanta is often a high-stakes operation, regardless of the type of project. From state and municipal buildings to high-rise hotels and international retail or convention centers, these are frequently marquee-level projects which require serious attention to detail.
The margins between downtown parcels are tight, with little room for error. Often street names have changed over time or have even been raised into viaducts with the old roads remaining below. Adjacent alleyways regularly become an area of concern, and air (or even subterranean) rights may come into play.
The creation of the Eisenhower Interstate System, especially around the perimeter and through the downtown corridor, created massive title complexity from the late 1950s onward. There is often a lack of recorded condemnations and DOT maps, which can lead to a vague understanding of the legal descriptions without another means (extrinsic of the record) of determining the various condemnations relevant to the modern boundaries of the subject property.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system runs through large swathes of downtown, creating titles filled with condemnations, easements, and various agreements which can also be difficult to interpret.
Given the density of the area, downtown developments are regularly interconnected and there are often complex agreements creating appurtenant easements for support, access, and parking.