Back in the 1960s, architects had a free-for-all designing space-age buildings that evoked an exuberance for the extraterrestrial that pervaded during the dawn of space flight and The Jetsons.

While many of the buildings, long outdated, have been demolished around Atlanta, one very visible, flying-saucer-like former bank stands on Monroe Drive just off the Buford-Spring Connector and Interstate 85. Designed as a Trust Company Bank Branch by noted Atlanta architect Henri Jova in 1965, the building was highly regarded for its design and is an iconic feature on the drive into Midtown from the northern suburbs.

But the building could soon be demolished. A developer is seeking to replace the midcentury landmark with a five-story self-storage facility. Plans call for an 85,000-square-foot, climate-controlled, subdivided storage space, with ground floor retail and 28 parking spaces.

Since the bank’s closure, the building has struggled to secure longterm tenants, given its landlocked location and lack of parking. A series of failed restaurants have come and gone in the last few years, spurring the Atlanta Preservation Center to twice name the building to their list of endangered Atlanta facilities.

According to an agenda from the Beltline DRC meeting a few weeks back, the facility is not the only self-storage facility developers are planning for the area. In fact, RRB Development is proposing two such facilities in this general part of town, one across from the bank and another on Northside Drive.

Who knew Atlantans had so much junk to store?

Architecture that comes to life in Game of Thrones