From Vacancy to Legacy: The Story of the Bona Allen Building

Atlanta lost one of its most influential figures this week with the passing of Ted Turner. While Turner is best known for founding CNN, transforming the Atlanta Braves into a national brand, and helping shape modern Atlanta, his impact on Downtown Atlanta is also reflected in one of its historic properties: the Bona Allen Building.

Built in 1917, the nine-story office building at 133 Luckie Street in Downtown Atlanta was originally developed by the Bona Allen Company, a major Georgia leather and tannery business of the early twentieth century. Over time, like many historic downtown structures, it experienced periods of vacancy and underuse, even as it remained an important part of Atlanta’s architectural fabric.

Before Turner acquired the building, it was owned by Morris Habif and his partners. At the time of their purchase, the property was largely vacant. Through extensive renovation and repositioning, Habif and his partners restored the building and reintroduced it to the market as a viable office and retail destination, helping preserve another piece of Downtown Atlanta’s historic core during a period when many similar buildings were at risk of decline.

Following its rehabilitation, the building was acquired by Turner and further elevated as a cornerstone of Turner’s Atlanta-based operations. Under Turner’s ownership, the Bona Allen Building became home to Turner Enterprises, Inc., the Captain Planet Foundation, the Turner Foundation, Ted Turner Reserves, and the corporate offices of Ted’s Montana Grill, which also operates a restaurant within the building. The property was also used as a private residence by Turner, reinforcing its role as both a personal and professional base in Downtown Atlanta.

Turner’s decision to invest in the building reflected a broader commitment to Atlanta’s urban core. While his influence extended globally through media, sports, and philanthropy, his continued presence in Downtown signaled confidence in the city’s historic center as a place of long-term value and identity.

Both Turner and Habif shared a similar view of Atlanta — an appreciation for its historic buildings and a belief that Downtown’s older structures were worth preserving and reactivating rather than abandoning. In different ways and at different stages, each played a role in ensuring that the Bona Allen Building remained part of Atlanta’s evolving story.

Today, the building stands not only as a restored landmark, but as a reflection of the layered history of Downtown Atlanta itself — shaped by reinvestment, preservation, and the vision of those who saw opportunity in its past.