The Atlanta City Council has extended a temporary moratorium on alterations or demolition of properties in a historic site that soon may be designated as a landmark district.

The 60-day extension council members approved this week for the century-old Pratt Pullman Yard would run through Dec. 17. The Atlanta Urban Design Commission nominated the area as a landmark district in June, and the city council is preparing to vote on the commission's recommendation.

“This extension is in the community’s best interest,” said Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong, who sponsored the proposal to extend the moratorium. “It gives city preservationists and the new property owner additional and much-needed time to develop a preservation and redevelopment plan that will be in the best interest of the community as well as the developer.”

Word around the campfire is that the property’s redevelopment is still in design phases anyway and that no structures with historic value will be brought down regardless.

In addition to studios and performance spaces, the arts-and-entertainment district is also slated to possibly include affordable-housing in the form of short-term rentals geared toward people in the movie and film industry, other residences, retail options (emphasis on restaurants and bars), and offices.

The Invest Atlanta board approved a nearly $6 million tax break for the redevelopment of the historic Pratt-Pullman Yard into a creative arts campus. The board also approved a nearly $2.1 million tax break for Spoke, a transit-oriented development at the Edgewood/Candler Park MARTA station

The $125 million Pullman Yard project by Atomic Entertainment proposes converting the historic rail yard buildings into office, retail, restaurant and performing arts spaces, as well as a film and television soundstage. Atomic also plans a luxury hotel on the site.

The company plans to open the first phase of development in 2020.

Atomic acquired the 27-acre site south of DeKalb Avenue in Kirkwood from the state of Georgia last year. Developers plan residences in a later phase.

Each of the 13 historic buildings will be retained and unique architectural element will be incorporated into the project, said Adam Rosenfelt, a partner at Atomic.

A project brewing at Pratt Pullman District will soon combine three things common across intown Atlanta: deep railroad history, ailing buildings being repurposed, and boozing outdoors.

The first public-accessible facet at the redevelopment of Kirkwood’s historic Pratt-Pullman Yard will be a “movable alcohol park” built on historic rail lines uncovered across the property, developers tell Urbanize Atlanta.

According to Rosenfelt, the rails once functioned as the industrial site’s spine and are poised to again—only this time, they’ll be toting portable shipping containers serving local craft beers, cocktails, and other drink options. It’s the “interactive experience for the public to enjoy” that Rosenfelt and his team have long envisioned for the subterranean tracks, he said.

“The concept of adding train-truck wheels to shipping containers is unique,” Rosenfelt wrote via email. “We worked closely with a team of train and rail experts and welders in order to perfect the structure and mobility capacity for the containers.”

Expect five moveable containers at the Rail Park initially. They’ll be operated by the crew behind Abby Singer, the district’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant, which is also expected to debut with the Van Gogh spectacular.

Eventually, more containers will be added to the rails with varying concepts—food, art, and some retail—with a goal of constantly changing the park so it never feels static, said Rosenfelt.

“We’ll add carts as we go and more aspects of the site are opened,” he said. “This concept will be an exciting draw for the public to enjoy during the Van Gogh exhibit and beyond.”