Masonic lodge that once served as MLK Jr.’s office undergoes $10 million renovation

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The building that once served as Martin Luther King Jr.‘s office is undergoing a $10 million renovation that aims to open the space to the public.

The historic Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge on Auburn Avenue will be transformed into a 16,000-square-foot, multi-use space, with its bottom floors integrated into the Martin Luther King Jr. National Park. The project is spearheaded by the Prince Hall Masons, the country’s oldest Black Masonic organization.

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the lodge was the home of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and served as a gathering place for community leaders and organizers.

“This restoration celebrates not just a building but the countless stories and contributions of the Prince Hall Masons to our community,” said Edward Bowen, who is a Mason, an attorney and an advisor for the renovation. “We are honored to preserve this legacy and provide a space where new chapters can be written.”

The renovations, which are in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, focus on adding structural improvements, modern amenities and “aesthetic revitalization,” the Prince Hall Masons said. The new spaces will also continue to be used for Masonic activities and programs.

Andy Odle, the executive director of Remerge — a Sweet Auburn-based nonprofit dedicated to building communities — said he’s happy to see development in the neglected district. Remerge’s building is right next to the lodge.

The King Center, which draws more than half a million visitors each year, is a few blocks up the street. Now, those visitors will have a reason to walk five minutes west, Odle said.

“The story of the neighborhood is incredibly important, not just for Atlanta history, or even Black history, but really global history,” he said. “To create a space that isn’t a recreation of that past story, but a remembrance of that past story, something to be built on, something to be honored, is really important.”

The renovations are funded by grants from the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the Georgia Pacific Foundation, Invest Atlanta and the U.S. National Park Service.

The lodge is expected to reopen in 2026.

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