UPDATED: Dante's Down the Hatch Closing Its Doors to Make Way for High-Rise

The iconic 42-year-old restaurant, Dante's Down the Hatch, will close its doors soon to make room for a new high-rise apartment building, scheduled to break ground next spring.

Just this month, owner Dante Stephensen was inducted into the Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame for his creation of such a unique and beloved Atlanta hotspot and his continued and unwavering superior customer service.

Atlantic Realty Partners, Inc., the same firm demolishing Georgian Hills Apartments to make room for newer apartments, announced Thursday that it had entered an agreement with Dante's to acquire and redevelop the site to build a 10-story, 288-unit apartment building, according to Buckhead View.

What will you miss most about Dante's Down the Hatch? What are your thoughts about the restaurant being replaced by another high-rise apartment building? Tell us below in the comments.

Atlantic Realty Partners is expected to submit its redevelopment plans for the two-acre parcel to the City of Atlanta in the next two weeks and to break ground for the development in the spring of 2013, Buckhead View reports.

The development team met with the Development Review Committee SPI-12 (Special Public Interest District) on Nov. 7 and plans to return to the DRC's December meeting with its new plans including suggested changes made by DRC members.

The development is expected to include several green standards, like being LEED-certified and including energy-efficient appliances and lighting. Other amenities will include: a rooftop resort-style pool, deck and grill cabana, large fitness center, cyber lounge, and Skydeck overlooking Peachtree Road.

Buckhead Patch has left messages for both Atlantic Realty Partners and Dante Stephensen and will update this article as more information is made available.

UPDATE: The press release from Atlantic Realty Parnters is now attached.