Groundbreaking set for Avondale Estates' downtown expansion Josh Green Wed, 12/06/2023 - 08:21 Avondale Estates’ years-long quest to beef up its walkable downtown footprint with additional buildings is set to officially begin next week.
A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 14 for The Dale, a 24,000-square-foot commercial development set to rise beside the city’s award-winning Town Green at the corner of North Avondale Road and Lake Street, city officials report.
It marks one of several urbanism projects either recently delivered or in the pipeline for Avondale Estates, which currently holds the prestigious Golden Urby Chalice of Champions—but possibly not for much longer.
According to project leaders, The Dale will aim to create a vibrant restaurant and retail row that complements the 2-acre greenspace.
The development team of Healey Weatherholtz Properties and Fabric Developers has designed the project as two adjacent, two-story buildings overlooking the park, next to a versatile new open-air Market Pavilion space at the opposite corner.
How the North Avondale Road project is expected to face and interact with Avondale's Town Green. Fabric Developers/Healey Weatherholtz Properties
Just west of Avondale’s existing downtown, The Dale’s retail spaces would front North Avondale Road. Plans also call for at least two restaurants—one with a rooftop bar and event space overlooking the park from the second story. Other second-floor spaces will be reserved for tenants such as coworking or office spaces.
Another component of The Dale will be public restroom facilities that will be open whenever the Town Green is.
Earlier this year, the Town Green project won the Urban Land Institute of Atlanta Award of Excellence in the Public Realm category.
Getting to The Dale could also be easier and safer for non-motorists soon.
The Dale's planned vintage-style facade along North Avondale Road. Fabric Developers/Healey Weatherholtz Properties
Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
Outside The Dale’s future front doors, Avondale Estates has collected proposals from construction firms to build a Complete Street Project for U.S. Highway 278 (North Avondale Road/East College Avenue) through downtown and points west.
The project calls for reducing the roadway from five to three lanes for roughly 1.15 miles. At the western end, the Complete Street would start at Sams Crossing near MARTA's Avondale station; from there, it would travel past the new park and through downtown, ending at Ashton Place.
Changes in between call for a 10-foot-wide path for pedestrians and bicyclists, upgraded traffic signals, a center median, landscape buffer, pedestrian and bike crossings, as well as road repaving and re-striping.
Avondale Estates has also garnered headlines in recent months for being crowned the “Best Small Town Beer Scene” in America for the third year running, as determined by USA Today reader votes, and for being named to Opendoor’s top 15 most family friendly cities in the U.S. roundup. The city’s Olive and Pine food hall is also now open.
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North Avondale Road at Lake Street The Dale Mixed-Use Development Town Green City of Avondale Estates Fabric Developers Healey Weatherholtz Properties Atlanta Parks DeKalb County Atlanta Retail Retail Urban Land Institute
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The corner of the Town Green block where The Dale will be built, adjacent to a new pavilion area at left. Google Maps
The Dale's planned vintage-style facade along North Avondale Road. Fabric Developers/Healey Weatherholtz Properties
How the North Avondale Road project is expected to face and interact with Avondale's Town Green. Fabric Developers/Healey Weatherholtz Properties
The Town Green's location on North Avondale Road in relation to Avondale Estates' downtown and Decatur to the west. Google Maps
Looking toward North Avondale Road, an overview of how future development could generally front the Town Green. (The open-air Marketplace Pavilion, pictured at right, is expected to open late this summer or in early fall.) Courtesy of Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority
Avondale Estates' new Town Green debuted in summer 2022.
Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
A water-sculpture art piece in the center of the Town Green. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
One row of bike parking at the new greenspace. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
The open-air Marketplace Pavilion as construction wrapped last summer. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
Birdhouses dotted around the Town Green echo Avondale Estate's Tudor-style downtown next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
Subtitle Expect 24,000-square-foot commercial development alongside city's Town Green
Neighborhood Avondale Estates
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