Community members and city officials are working to preserve the former Engineer’s Bookstore. Image courtesy of the Marietta Street Artery Association.

The former Engineer’s Bookstore for Georgia Tech that was in danger of being demolished earlier this year is one step closer to being preserved.

This week, officials at the Atlanta Urban Design Committee and property owners near the building arranged to meet to discuss how to designate the area as the Means Street Landmark District.

The Atlanta Urban Design Commission voted to nominate the district in August, freezing any redevelopment of the site.  Earlier this year, the brick bookstore at the corner of Means Street and Marietta Street closed after 23 years of providing books to Georgia Tech students.

The new owner of the property, Omair Pasha, proposed to tear it down and build an EZ Market on the site. Pasha did not respond to an email sent Friday asking about his latest plans for the building.

The community opposed plans to demolish the book store, creating an online petition to save the building that received more than 2,500 signatures.  To see the petition, click here.

Bill Gould, who lives in the area and is also part of the Marietta Street Artery Association, said the next step in the process was to meet with property owners in the area and come up with proposed legislation for the district.

This meeting will be for property owners in the area, Gould said. At a later time, they will also hold meetings to gather input from community members and the public, he said.

Any proposal will be sent to the Zoning Review Board and the Atlanta City Council for a vote, said Jewanna Gaither, spokesperson for the city.

Even as Gould celebrated the latest accomplishment, he cautioned against being too optimistic. The public has to stay involved and keep pushing to save the historic building, he said.

“This is far from a done deal,” he said. “The potential for demolishing and losing that building still exists.”