1968-Present: Underground Atlanta Is Restored In 1968, the Atlanta Board of Aldermen declared the five-block area of the original downtown historic site. Many significant architectural features survived from original storefronts, including ornate marble, granite archways, cast iron pilasters, decorative brickwork, and hand-carved wood posts and panels. One-year later, Underground Atlanta opened as a retail and entertainment center. In 1980, the construction of the MARTA rapid transit line and other factors led to the closing of the original Underground Atlanta.  Yet, upon its closing, civic and business leaders succeeded in having Underground Atlanta placed on the National Register of Historic Places and leaders vowed to reopen the area.