The Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards ‘Plants’ Its First Consumer-Facing Business in the Heart of Southwest Atlanta’s Pittsburgh Community

It’s official! The Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards® is now home to its first local entrepreneurial business for patronage from those who live in, pass through (on foot, bike, or car), or make it a destination in the Pittsburgh neighborhood, one of the oldest historically Black communities in metro Atlanta. The Container Courtyard, located just steps from the entrance to the Atlanta Beltline’s Southside Trail (352 University Avenue), welcomes Pink Pothos, a Black-owned, Atlanta-based houseplant retail store and plant advisor founded by Lakeisha Jones in 2022.

Jones will conduct business out of her bright pink-branded and customized shipping container designed by architect Anthony “Tony” Pope, co-founder of Atelier7, a Black-owned architectural firm known for its commitment to sustainable design and community-driven projects. As a Pittsburgh Yards tenant, Atelier7’s expertise shapes the Container Courtyard’s layout, ensuring a harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics in this adaptive reuse community environment.

Next to open will be Aztec Cycles, a Black-owned bicycle retail, rental, and repair shop owned by Kris and Michelle Dunbar since 2010. Connecting to the community, they are branding their retail container location as Pittsburgh Bicycle Rentals (PBR) to bring bicycle rentals to the Southside Trail.

Pink Pothos officially opened its location at the Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Aztec Cycles plans to open its doors by mid-November. Both will become the first two consumer-facing businesses of the nine containers that will call the Container Courtyard home. They join the existing business, Fortas Homes, a leading developer and builder of high-quality, affordable in-fill homes and mid-size developments, that established its container-based headquarters there in August 2023. All Container Courtyard businesses have access to the business development services provided by organizations housed in the anchor building of Pittsburgh Yards, The Nia Building® (Nia means purpose in Swahili and is one of the Kwanzaa principles).

“We are thrilled to welcome these businesses into the Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards, and we invite the community to come over to discover and enjoy what the businesses have to offer as they open,” said Chantell Glenn, senior associate responsible for the development and operations of Pittsburgh Yards. “The Container Courtyard will be filling out over the next few months with the addition of multiple new businesses in a phased approach, allowing each to get its shine. These two are just the beginning as we are scheduled to have all nine businesses in place before the end of the year, including a Black-owned coffee house, skincare company, and dining options.”

As new businesses open, the Container Courtyard at Pittsburgh Yards will provide updates on its dedicated social media platforms on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and all Pittsburgh Yards’ platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube