Electric vehicle maker Rivian is establishing its East Coast headquarters in Atlanta by leasing 45,000 square feet at Junction Krog District, a newly built office building along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. The company announced the move on July 17, confirming that it would take the building’s top floor and lobby space with plans to eventually employ 500 people on-site.

The building, developed by Portman Holdings in 2023, is located at 667 Auburn Ave. NE and provides direct access to the trail. Rivian expects to open the office in late 2025, initially with 100 employees and then expanding through 2026. The lease includes signage rights on the building, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“This office will serve as an urban hub for the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility we’re building just outside the city in Social Circle,” the company said in a statement.

The $5 billion, 9-million-square-foot plant — now back in development after securing a $6.6 billion federal loan — is expected to begin production in 2026 and create 7,500 jobs.

Rivian cited Atlanta’s access to skilled talent, creative culture and proximity to the Social Circle site as key reasons behind the decision. CEO, RJ Scaringe, said they selected the new headquarters as part of Rivian’s broader expansion, which also includes a recently opened research hub in London.

Notably, Rivian’s arrival adds to a city office market that’s still working through post-pandemic disruptions: Atlanta’s office vacancy rate stood at 24.8% in Q2 2025, according to Yardi Matrix, with average asking rates for office space reaching $35.23 per square foot.

Rivian’s choice of Junction Krog — a new, Class A development — displays the type of move that’s becoming more common among innovation-focused firms that gravitate toward high-end space that can support hybrid work and attract talent.

Office Investment Holds Steady in Atlanta, Approaches 2019 Levels

Office sales in Atlanta rose sharply with volume up 277% quarter-over-quarter and 49% year-over-year, according to Matrix Research data. In particular, opportunistic buyers have been active, targeting discounted or distressed assets.

At the same time, pricing has held relatively steady. Specifically, office properties are trading at an average of $163 per square foot in 2025, which is just under the 2019 average of $168. But, not all assets are retaining value. For example, the 1100 Peachtree high-rise sold this May for $140 million, which was below its 2007 price of $154 million.

Meanwhile, debt stress is mounting, and nearly half of all outstanding office loans in Atlanta — more than $11 billion — are set to mature soon. That’s the highest share among major U.S. markets and could weigh on the pace or pricing of future sales, especially for older or underperforming assets.

New construction has also slowed sharply: Just 701,000 square feet of office space was under development at the end of Q2, which was down from 1.83 million square feet at the same time last year. In parallel, some legacy buildings are being repositioned entirely. Namely, Georgia-Pacific is partially converting its downtown tower for residential use, while the city-backed redevelopment of 2 Peachtree Street aims to bring housing and mixed-use space to one of Atlanta’s tallest office buildings. These projects may help reduce outdated inventory and shift demand toward viable, high-quality space, like Junction Krog.