Ponce City Market's proposed boxcar to pay tribute to old Sears Building, could double as a Beltline-side bar

• Courtesy Ponce City Market

As Jamestown Properties inches toward the grand opening of its $180 million overhaul of Ponce City Market, the developer could also pay tribute to the building's former railroad ties.

During the current redevelopment, construction workers discovered rail tracks from back when trains used to unload merchandise into the original Sears Building. As a nod to the building's pre-1966 era, which is the year the tracks were covered by a new addition, the developer has decided to place a retrofitted boxcar on the property's South facade.

"We now want to bring this history to life for everyone to experience," Ponce City Market's blog post says. "We have found the original rail under the concrete, and will put a boxcar on top of the old trestle as a tribute to the original use, and transform the space it into an outdoor area for all to enjoy."

The boxcar, painted turquoise blue in the new renderings, rests atop Ponce City Market's courtyard (which you've seen in PCM's recent fly-by video) and has the phrase "Box Car Bar" painted on its exterior. Spokeswoman Lauren Lestin declined to offer specifics about plans for an actual watering hole, but it's worth keeping an eye on since it would be located on a boardwalk serving as a direct access point to the Beltline.

• Courtesy Ponce City Market

Ponce City Market is still slated to open its doors sometime in spring 2014.