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Photos: DeKalb County's first building with electricity goes solar Josh Green Mon, 10/21/2024 - 16:05 After more than 130 years, the first and still most recognizable building at historic Agnes Scott College has officially entered a new phase of life this semester—and most of it is powered by the sun.

Agnes Scott officials cut the proverbial ribbon on what’s described as a “remarkable transformation” of the Decatur campus’ most iconic building, Main Hall, during a ceremony attended by roughly 200 alumni and guests earlier this month.

Topped with a bell tower, the High Victorian Gothic-style structure was built in 1891 as the first building in DeKalb County to have electricity, and it’s held a dear place in generations of Scotties’ hearts since.

A solar array installed on a parking deck about half a block from Main Hall instead of on the roof (thereby preserving the classic aesthetics) now enables almost 60 percent of the five-story building’s power to be supplied from solar, according to project officials.

Facade of Agnes Scott College's iconic Main Hall today. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Placement of solar panels that help power Main Hall on a nearby parking garage. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

The Main Hall makeover is part of broader, multiphase, $30-million renovations at the 100-acre campus that aim to bring Agnes Scott to a goal of carbon neutrality by 2037.

The restoration set out to preserve Main Hall’s inimitable character while infusing the property with cutting-edge upgrades. (Fun fact: The building has housed dorms for many decades but has never had air-conditioning until now.)

Following renovations, Main Hall includes three floors of student housing, Agnes Scott’s Office of the President, and a new Career Exploration Center, all situated along East College Avenue.

Main Hall's renovated interior corridors (now with air-conditioning). Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

View from the High Victorian Gothic-style structure's bell tower. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Example of a new dormitory student lounge at Main Hall. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

“Preserving the past while driving progress toward a future written by Scotties we haven't even met yet, Main Hall represents both cherished memories and boundless aspirations,” said Agnes Scott president Leocadia I. Zak in a project announcement.

Have a closer look in the gallery above.

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141 East College Avenue Decatur Agnes Scott Hall Main Hall Agnes Scott College Atlanta Colleges Decatur News Decatur Development Decatur Construction Agnes Scott Scotties Solar Power Atlanta Solar Solar Energy Solar Projects The Campaign for Main DeKalb County

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Facade of Agnes Scott College's iconic Main Hall today. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Main Hall's renovated interior corridors (now with air-conditioning). Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

How the Office of the President turned out at Main Hall. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

A modernized kitchen for Scotties in Main Hall. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Example of a new dormitory student lounge at Main Hall. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Ribbon-cutting at Main Hall's official unveiling earlier this month. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

View from the High Victorian Gothic-style structure's bell tower. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Placement of solar panels that help power Main Hall on a nearby parking garage. Courtesy of Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott College/YouTube

Subtitle Agnes Scott College project melds historic preservation with future-focused upgrades

Neighborhood Decatur

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Significant chunk of well-known Buckhead street hits open market Josh Green Mon, 10/21/2024 - 14:26 A potential land deal described as a rare opportunity for intown development in an upscale part of Atlanta is afoot near Chastain Park.

The end result could be three standalone homes becoming 10 near a bustling, north-south retail corridor.  

Atlanta-based real estate advisory firm terra alma is marketing the 10-home residential development proposal at 320 W. Wieuca Road. The asking price for 4.91 acres—three lots with adjacent woods for future walking trails and a park—is $3.1 million.

The properties are tucked just east of Roswell Road, between central Buckhead and Sandy Springs. Chastain Park is located roughly a mile and ½ away to the west.

The 320 W. Wieuca Road site location (at right) in relation to Roswell Road (in dark blue) and Chastain Park. Google Maps

Existing home properties in question along West Wieuca Road, as seen in July. Google Maps

According to terra alma officials, the property owner has received a land development permit that’s ready to be assigned to a developer.

The “shovel-ready” land in question is fully entitled and zoned PDH, a classification that allows for Planned Development Housing, according to sellers.

Today it’s home to three vacant houses with 220 feet of frontage along West Wieuca Road. Behind that is land set for a future park as part of Atlanta’s masterplan for creating more greenspaces and pocket parks throughout the city.  

Courtesy of terra alma

The location is described as being walkable to Chastain Park, a Fresh Market, Publix, and a Trader Joe’s that's set to soon take over a former Sprouts Farmers Market space at 4600 Roswell Road, marking the company’s eighth Georgia outpost.

Proximity to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls is also being called a selling point.  

How a 10-home project could be arranged along West Wieuca Road, as pictured at bottom. terra alma

terra alma

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320 W. Wieuca Road Land for Sale Buckhead Land for Sale Buckhead Home Development Buckhead Development Buckhead Homes Buckhead Residential Buckhead News terra alma Chastain Park

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The 320 W. Wieuca Road site location (at right) in relation to Roswell Road (in dark blue) and Chastain Park. Google Maps

Existing home properties in question along West Wieuca Road, as seen in July. Google Maps

Courtesy of terra alma

How a 10-home project could be arranged along West Wieuca Road, as pictured at bottom. terra alma

terra alma

Subtitle Sellers: Approved plans call for 10-home development near Chastain Park

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Reynoldstown duplex project undergoes major price slices Josh Green Mon, 10/21/2024 - 12:48 A duplex project that, in several ways, is emblematic of Reynoldstown's infill residential trends in recent years is renewing its long quest to land homebuyers, following significant price adjustments.

Once marketed as the “epitome of luxury living in Reynoldstown,” the duplexes make a three-story statement where Reynoldstown meets Edgewood. They initially came to market in the spring, priced at $1.32 million, which would have set the neighborhood record for private home sales.

Both units were re-listed Friday for $221,000 less at $1.09 million—an 18 percent asking price decrease.

The corner in question is the northwest quadrant of the intersection where Moreland Avenue meets Boulevard Drive and Hosea Williams Boulevard, a few blocks south of Little Five Points.  

The area’s been flush with new modern-style townhomes and duplexes for more than a decade, but with their trendy black-meets-stained-wood aesthetic and sprawling rooftop hangouts, the three-level A and B options at 10 Moreland Ave. do stand out. (Larger duplex units on nearby Cleveland Street have listed for a little more than the initial prices on Moreland Avenue—$1.35 million—with one of them under contract.)

The corner's previous state in 2021 as two neighboring 1920s bungalows came to market. Both have since been replaced with large, modern-style duplexes. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the two three-level, semi-detached units replaced a vacant bungalow where Boulevard Drive meets Moreland Avenue. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Designed by Rawlings Design architects and built by Kimball Homes, each unit includes five bedrooms and four and ½ bathrooms in 2,713 square feet, with two-car garages.

Both offerings are flush with outdoor hangout spaces, counting four patios and balconies, including a screened porch and kitchen on the roof. Other perks include a chef’s kitchen with quartz countertops and Brighton tech, five-inch wood flooring throughout, programmable Lutron dimmers, and a flex-space bedroom on the base level, per listings.

Previously, two 1920s bungalows had stood at the corner; by 2021, when both properties came to market, those houses had been shuttered and graffiti-strewn for a couple of years.

The location carries a strong 88 Walk Score, while the Bike Score (65) and Transit Score (60) could be called surprisingly low, given the area’s alternate transportation options and Beltline proximity.

According to listings, the open floorplan "seamlessly blends contemporary design with timeless charm." Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Directly across the street is One Moreland, a restored commercial building that’s home to Whoopsie’s restaurant (formerly Hodgepodge Coffeehouse), Feminine Funk, Cutters Lounge, and Project: Body ATL.

The section of the Beltline's Eastside Trail that includes Breaker Breaker restaurant is about a half-dozen blocks to the west. 

Swing up to the gallery for a closer look.

Location of the duplex project where Moreland Avenue meets Boulevard Drive. Google Maps

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10 Moreland Avenue 14 Moreland Avenue Atlanta Duplexes Duplex Duplexes Atlanta Homes for Sale Infill Development Moreland Avenue Whoopsies The Seeby Group One Moreland Keller Williams Realty Intown Atlanta Kimball Homes Rawlings Design Jones Design Associates Modern Modern Homes Atlanta Modern modern design Coldwell Banker Real Estate Coldwell Banker Realty

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The corner's previous state in 2021 as two neighboring 1920s bungalows came to market. Both have since been replaced with large, modern-style duplexes. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Location of the duplex project where Moreland Avenue meets Boulevard Drive. Google Maps

How the two three-level, semi-detached units replaced a vacant bungalow where Boulevard Drive meets Moreland Avenue. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

One of three outdoor spaces with Unit A, situated at the corner. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

According to listings, the open floorplan "seamlessly blends contemporary design with timeless charm." Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Interiors at 10 Moreland were designed by Jones Design Associates. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

The chef's kitchen is described as a "culinary masterpiece."Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Subtitle Large dwellings on Moreland Avenue corner count 10 total bedrooms—but no sales this year

Neighborhood Reynoldstown

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Westside's cherished 'the Yellow Store' set for mixed-use rehab Josh Green Mon, 10/21/2024 - 08:08 New life is on the horizon for a century-old structure that served as a communal hub for decades during English Avenue’s heyday.

Colloquially known as “the Yellow Store,” the two-story Westside structure at 500 James P. Brawley Drive will be preserved and renovated in a way that echoes its original uses, with “neighborhood retail” at street level and residences above, according to project leaders with Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm.

The Invest Atlanta Board of Directors recently approved a $750,000 Westside Tax Allocation District grant for the English Avenue project as part of a round of funding for initiatives that aim to lift up lower-income neighborhoods.

The front of the brick structure, facing east toward downtown. Westside Future Fund

The building's 500 James P Brawley Drive location in English Avenue. Google Maps

Additions to the building will include an outdoor canopy behind it where seating will be placed for a local food service tenant. No timeline for construction was included in the project announcement.

Five years ago, local nonprofit Westside Future Fund purchased the building for $600,000 from longtime family owners to eventually redevelop it into a communal gathering place with housing.

According to Saporta Report, the corner building had housed a soda shop and ice cream parlor, a shoe store, a grocery, and a record store downstairs, with four apartments above. Its renovation was pinpointed as a top neighborhood priority in the Westside Land Use Framework Plan.

Inside a typical upstairs unit today. Westside Future Fund

Westside Future Fund

According to Westside Future Fund, the two-story building appears in the 1911 Sanborn Map for that section of Atlanta, and its size of 6,000 square feet listed on the original permit remains unchanged. It was built of blonde multi-wythe brick masonry, per the organization.

Today, the location is about four blocks west of the Westside Beltline Connector trail that links downtown Atlanta to the mainline Beltline loop.

Current state of commercial spaces. Westside Future Fund

Westside Future Fund

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500 James P Brawley Drive NW The Yellow Store Invest Atlanta Invest Atlanta Board Westside Westside BeltLine Connector Goodr Be On Edgewood City of Refuge Adaptive Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Atlanta Mixed-Use Mixed-Use Development Westside Future Fund Westside Land Use Framework Plan

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The building's 500 James P Brawley Drive location in English Avenue. Google Maps

The two-story structure in June this year. Google Maps

Current state of commercial spaces. Westside Future Fund

Inside a typical upstairs unit today. Westside Future Fund

The front of the brick structure, facing east toward downtown. Westside Future Fund

Westside Future Fund

Westside Future Fund

Subtitle Vacant, century-old structure to blend retail, residential following grant

Neighborhood English Avenue

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Images: Roswell's first food hall taking shape in former church Josh Green Fri, 10/18/2024 - 13:47 Two hot Atlanta trends—the redevelopment of former churches and food halls in general—are converging at a single site in one of the metro’s buzziest suburbs.

Construction is wrapping up on Roswell’s first food hall project, Roswell Junction, after transforming a former church at 340 S. Atlanta St., just south of the Fulton County city’s Historic Square.

Roswell Junction officially broke ground in January and is considered part of the broader redevelopment of Atlanta Street, a main Roswell thoroughfare. The city’s famed Canton Street food-and-drink row is located about a mile up the road, to the north.

Partners in the deal include developer Will Colley and food-and-beverage experts with Coliccio Consulting and Cushman & Wakefield.

Plans for 12,000-square-foot Roswell Junction call for eight unique food concepts, a 2,400-square-foot patio dubbed the “Trailer Park” with an entertainment stage (and Airstream trailer bar), plus other bars and areas for games, including an arcade.

How the patio will relate to Roswell Junction's main entry. Roswell Junction

Renderings depicting the planned look of interiors. Roswell Junction

The former Atlanta Street Baptist Church, which relocated to Woodstock, is surrounded by free parking, the development team has noted.

Officials with management company National Food Hall Solutions told Appen Media this week the food hall could start opening as soon as Monday.

Signed tenants include Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (moving and expanding from a location on the same street), Across the Coast Seafood and Flying Fish (housed today in Atlanta’s Chattahoochee Food Works), Mad Dad Philly’s, Pretty Little Tacos, Shawarma Shack, and burger concept Cleaver & Co., per the news site.

The former Atlanta Street Baptist Church, prior to construction in 2022. Google Maps

Construction progress on the 340 S. Atlanta St. project in June. Google Maps

Roswell Junction will have a 350-person capacity, with roughly 100 parking spaces, and a greenspace behind the main building for yard games such as cornhole.

Find more context and project images in the gallery above.

Roswell Junction's location (in red, at bottom) in relation to Canton Street, at top. Google Maps

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Roswell Junction's location (in red, at bottom) in relation to Canton Street, at top. Google Maps

The former Atlanta Street Baptist Church, prior to construction in 2022. Google Maps

Construction progress on the 340 S. Atlanta St. project in June. Google Maps

How the patio will relate to Roswell Junction's main entry. Roswell Junction

Renderings depicting the planned look of interiors. Roswell Junction

The Atlanta Street facade. Roswell Junction

Subtitle With opening on horizon, Atlanta Street project calls for eight concepts, a “Trailer Park,” free parking

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Cobb Galleria redo; Atlanta Medical Center; Buckhead tower brewing Josh Green Fri, 10/18/2024 - 11:21 COBB COUNTY—An overhaul is in the works for a well-known Cobb County gathering place near the Braves’ stadium and The Battery Atlanta. Officials with the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority, owner and operator of Cobb Galleria Centre, announced this week an expansion and renovation of the center is set to break ground next year.

Situated across a pedestrian bridge from The Battery, the Cobb Galleria Centre is described by its ownership as the leading venue in Georgia for mid-size conventions, trade shows, special events, and meetings.

The renovation's scope calls for: demolishing the Galleria Specialty Shops and second-floor meeting rooms;​ building a two-story “grand entryway” with a new junior ballroom, two outdoor courtyards and gardens for events, and a connected parking facility with covered access into the expanded center; and adding 13,000 square feet of meeting space with enhanced tech.

A facelift for the existing large ballroom, convention space, concourse, and rotunda is also in the works.

Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority

The authority has put together a team—all of them Cobb County-based firms—to manage the project's design and construction, including Rule Joy Trammell & Rubio architects, Holder Construction, and Impact Development Management. The project is scheduled to break ground in fall 2025 and finish in early 2027, per the authority.

Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority

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OLD FOURTH WARD—Following nearly two years of public discussions and behind-the-scenes dealings, some clarity has come this week for what the future of a large, empty medical complex in Old Fourth Ward may bring.

Wellstar Health System announced Thursday that redevelopment of its closely watched Atlanta Medical Center campus is expected to kick off in coming weeks, led by veteran Atlanta developer The Integral Group.

The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a land-use plan for the vacated complex last month, with a nod from Mayor Andre Dickens. A zoning moratorium on the property—renewed three different times by the city—expired Tuesday.

Wellstar’s announcement for the 22-acre campus isn’t exactly rich with detail, but redevelopment plans generally call for “a vibrant, diverse mixed-use neighborhood with affordable housing, residential properties, community, and public greenspace,” plus “neighborhood-level retail, new street access, commercial uses, and health and well-being resources.”

Courtesy of Wellstar

Plans call for Integral to put together an implementation plan in coming weeks while gathering feedback from O4W residents and other stakeholders in the community. According to Wellstar, the redevelopment will play out over several years, with community input helping to guide each phase. Integral plans to start applying for permits soon in hopes of beginning demolition of aging structures around the campus in the first quarter of 2025, per officials.  

A healthcare and well-being component will be included in the project, but exactly what that might entail is pending Integral’s planning and community engagement.

“I appreciate Wellstar moving forward with this community-driven project,” noted Dickens in the announcement, “while our administration continues to explore options to meet the healthcare needs of residents on the Southside.”

The AMC site's barricaded entries along Boulevard, north of John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Google Maps

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BUCKHEAD—After striking gold with its first two condo projects in Atlanta—the 18-story contract magnet that is Dillon Buckhead, and the sold-out, 22-story Graydon project—Florida-based developer Kolter Urban is setting sights on another Buckhead parcel to go vertical again. As Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, Kolter Urban officials plan to erect their third high-rise condominium build on West Paces Ferry Road, next door to the posh St. Regis Atlanta hotel and condos.  

The 102 W. Paces Ferry Road site—currently home to a small shopping center called Buckhead Plaza—was previously targeted for a massive, multi-tower development with a hotel and more than 300 residential units that never took off.

Kolter Urban’s plans call for 198 condos (one to three-bedroom floorplans) in a new building standing 19 stories.

The 102 W. Paces Ferry Road property in question (at right), just west of the St. Regis Atlanta tower.Google Maps

Google Maps

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ATL News Roundup 2 Galleria Parkway SE Cobb Galleria Centre Rule Joy Trammell & Rubio RJTR Holder Construction Impact Development Management Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Wellstar Health System Atlanta Medical Center Andre Dickens Wellstar Old Fourth Ward Smyrna The Integral Group Egbert Perry Buckhead Kolter Urban Atlanta Condos Atlanta Development Buckhead Development Condos Buckhead Plaza 102 W. Paces Ferry Road NW

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Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority

Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority

Courtesy of Wellstar

Rough approximation of the 25-acre O4W property spread across more than a city block. Google Maps

The AMC site's barricaded entries along Boulevard, north of John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Google Maps

A main building at the Atlanta Medical Center complex in July. Google Maps

Subtitle Real estate, architecture, and urban planning news from around Atlanta

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Blank Family donation to help link Atlanta to Chattahoochee River Josh Green Thu, 10/17/2024 - 13:58 A donation from Atlanta Falcons and United owner Arthur Blank’s foundation will help bring to fruition better access points to what’s generally considered an underappreciated resource: the Chattahoochee River.

Trust for Public Land officials announced this week the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has contributed $2.5 million to the ambitious Chattahoochee RiverLands project, a planned 100-mile linear park that would link 20 cities and seven counties along the river through metro Atlanta.

The Blank foundation’s contribution brings fundraising tallies for the RiverLands initiative to north of $49 million—with more than $22 million of that sourced from private donations, and the rest from public funding coffers.

According to TPL officials, the RiverLands recreation destination—billed as “metro Atlanta’s ultimate outdoor experience”—will eventually stretch 100 miles from Buford Dam down to Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Newnan.

In between will be trails, parks, and amenities that connect nearly 1 million residents nearby to outdoor options such as kayaking, hiking, cycling, swimming, and camping, according to TPL.  

But first things first.

The initial RiverLands projects, both under construction now, will serve as smaller-scale examples of how the broader riverside concept could look and function.

Blank’s contribution is “essential” to closing out needed funding for one of those projects, the Camp + Paddle Trail, George Dusenbury, TPL’s Georgia state director, tells Urbanize Atlanta.

The Camp + Paddle Trail, which broke ground in November, will span 48 miles and provide visitors a three-night, four-day itinerary for exploring the river with three campsites, restrooms, pavilions, and other amenities included. It will start at Peachtree Creek in north Atlanta and wiggle down to a 1,400-acre greenspace called McIntosh Reserve in Carroll County, marking the southern end of the RiverLands.

The trail will also include a kayak launch at Atlanta’s Standing Peachtree Greenspace, a historical site in Buckhead.

Scope of the five sites considered destinations along the Camp+Paddle Trail between North Atlanta (top) and Carroll County. Courtesy of TPL

Dusenbery said construction on the Camp + Paddle Trail and its amenities is scheduled to finish in the next few months, and that planning for ribbon-cuttings is underway.

The second initial project has its purpose baked into its name.

The Cobb County Showcase site—a 2.7-mile greenway and trail—will connect Mableton up to Smyrna along the Chattahoochee’s banks.

Dusenbery predicts the showcase project will demonstrate the RiverLands’ functionality and impact in a way that’s similar to how Ponce City Market and Historic Fourth Ward Park showed Atlantans what’s possible with Beltline redevelopment.

Future plans for RiverLands Gateway Park in Cobb County. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land

Highlights will include a new 12-acre greenspace—RiverLands Gateway Park in Mableton, a former industrial site near Six Flags Over Georgia—along with three river access points, ecological restoration, and improved amenities at two existing parks, among other upgrades.

RiverLands Gateway Park will also connect to the Mableton Parkway Trail, providing a vital trail link between the Chattahoochee RiverLands project and Silver Comet Trail.

Planned phasing for the Chattahoochee RiverLands showcase project in Cobb County. Trust for Public Land

Dusenbery told Urbanize the Cobb County Showcase project is expected to finish sometime in 2026. But a TPL ribbon-cutting for the first section of finished trail could come in December alongside Cobb County officials, Dusenbery said.

In the donation announcement, Fay Twersky, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation president, said access to the Chattahoochee River “will bring metro Atlanta another connection to the outdoors, which is vitally important to our community’s overall well-being.”

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Chattahoochee River RiverLands Gateway Park Chattahoochee River Lands Chattahoochee RiverLands Trust for Public Land Atlanta Parks Smyrna Cobb County Atlanta River Interstate 285 Mableton Riverview Landing State of Georgia Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program Georgia Department of Natural Resources Arthur Blank Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Cobb County Showcase McIntosh Reserve Camp+Paddle Trail Standing Peachtree Greenspace

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Planned phasing for the Chattahoochee RiverLands showcase project in Cobb County. Trust for Public Land

Future plans for RiverLands Gateway Park in Cobb County. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land

Scope of the five sites considered destinations along the Camp+Paddle Trail between North Atlanta (top) and Carroll County. Courtesy of TPL

The initial RiverLands trailhead site, at left, with I-285 pictured at right. Courtesy of Trust for Public Land

Subtitle Officials: Funding key in first under-construction projects for Chattahoochee RiverLands vision

Neighborhood Cobb County

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West End warehouse district adds pickleball club, gaming concept Josh Green Thu, 10/17/2024 - 12:41 Pitstops along the Atlanta Beltline’s western edge will soon include a large pickleball complex and an interactive concept that mimics popular gameshows.

Both businesses plan to open in coming months in West End, at the Lee + White adaptive-reuse warehouse district and another building, 1200 White St., just north of it that’s being remade by Lee + White owners Ackerman & Co.

For both concepts, it will mark their first locations in Georgia.

The larger lease—nearly 36,000 square feet at the 1200 White St. building—will go to Dill Dinkers, a growing pickleball franchise.

The West End pickleball club calls for 11 indoor courts in a former warehouse setting, marking the company’s flagship location in metro Atlanta, with more likely in the pipeline.

Each court will be individually fenced, and other components of the club will include a pro shop and events space, per Ackerman & Co. officials.

Courtesy of Dill Dinkers

The courts will feature Dill Dinkers’ trademark Pro Cushion playing surface, which is designed to be easier on players’ joints.

Dill Dinkers plans to open the West End location in the first quarter of 2025, joining outposts in metro Washington D.C., Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.

The company’s “decision to open its first Atlanta club in the West End is a testament to this area’s growing appeal as a destination for a variety of retailers and businesses,” Evan Ziegler, Ackerman & Co. president of investment, said in an announcement today.

The pickleball complex will consume only a fraction of the 1200 White St. building, which is being remade into a mixed-use hub with a new extension of the Beltline’s Westside Trail planned beside it.

The 211,585-square-foot facility is being designed to accommodate restaurants, retail, industrial uses, creative offices, and experiential concepts, per Ackerman officials.

Courtesy of Dill Dinkers

Current plans for the 1200 White St. building in West End. Courtesy of Studio SOGO

Meanwhile, a couple of blocks to the south at Lee + White, an interactive experience called The Game Show Challenge is aiming to open in a 3,889-square-foot space by the end of 2024.

The Game Show Challenge will be located in Lee + White’s Building 1000, next to Monday Night Brewing and Grady’s new neighborhood health center.

Expect two studios where “contestants”—typically six to 14 people (or more) at a time—can play interactive games hosted in styles that mimic famous gameshows. Think: trivia, word puzzles, spin-the-wheel challenges, and more.

The West End location will mark the third for the gameshow concept, which is aiming to open 30 more over the next five years. Current locations are in Columbia and Greenville, S.C.

“We love to be in areas like this with a steady flow of people,” Josh Brickey, The Game Show Challenge’s managing partner, said in an announcement. “This is a great opportunity for us to be in a redeveloped space with a lot of character, surrounded by a great mix of tenants in a part of town that’s rejuvenating.”

Courtesy of The Game Show Challenge

Courtesy of The Game Show Challenge

Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners, the development team behind the 11-building Lee + White venture, signed another experiential tenant, Atlanta Golf & Social, this past summer. That concept plans to open in a 3,767-square-foot space in coming months, joining a flagship location in downtown Chamblee.

According to Lee + White developers, just one space totaling 3,990 square feet remains available in the district’s 16-tenant food hall now.

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1200 White St. SW Ackerman & Co. MDH Partners Lee + White Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail Smith Dalia Architects 929 Lee Street SW Cushman & Wakefield Carter Hill Commercial Real Estate Advisors Studio Sogo Adaptive Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive-Reuse Atlanta Warehouses Atlanta Adaptive-Reuse Dill Dinkers Atlanta Pickleball Pickleball The Game Show Challenge Gaming Concepts Gaming Ackerman Retail Baltisse

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Current plans for the 1200 White St. building in West End. Courtesy of Studio SOGO

Overview of the property along White Street, at left. Ackerman & Co.

The building's warehouse portion today.Ackerman & Co.

Proximity of the 1200 White St. facility in relation to existing Lee + White buildings and the on-street Westside Trail corridor. Google Maps

Ackerman & Co.

Base image via Ackerman & Co.

Courtesy of Dill Dinkers

Courtesy of Dill Dinkers

Courtesy of The Game Show Challenge

Courtesy of The Game Show Challenge

Subtitle The Game Show Challenge, Dill Dinkers pickleball bound for Beltline-adjacent spaces

Neighborhood West End

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Images: Timber-built Brookhaven City Centre has topped out Josh Green Wed, 10/16/2024 - 15:19 One facet of the Brookhaven City Centre project has officially topped out this week en route to marking several firsts—and becoming the latest example of a MARTA station parking lot being redeveloped for more active uses.

After breaking ground last fall, the $78-million City Hall building has taken shape adjacent to MARTA’s Brookhaven-Oglethorpe University Station as the first step in creating a place-defining city center.

According to general contractor McCarthy + Barnsley, A Joint Venture, the project marks the first municipal building in Georgia to be built with mass timber. It will also function as the first purpose-built City Hall for Brookhaven since it was incorporated as a sovereign city in 2012, the 11th in DeKalb County.

The site in question, where Peachtree Road meets North Druid Hills Road, was formerly a 1.2-acre MARTA parking lot. Brookhaven signed a $13.6-million, lease-purchase agreement with MARTA for the land that will be good for 50 years.

Construction progress on the MARTA-linked 4047 Peachtree Road project. Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Lighting scheme for the Brookhaven City Centre project at night, as seen along Peachtree Road. Sizemore Group

According to McCarthy + Barnsley officials, the five-story, mass-timber building will house Brookhaven’s administrative offices and city council chambers—but roughly 60 percent of it will be open to the general public.

Topped with a rooftop garden, distinctive dome, and terraces, the Sizemore Group-designed building will feature three upper levels for city employees and one level for a below-grade, 70-space parking garage.

Other facets will see a three-story atrium under a skylight, a sport multipurpose room, a catering kitchen, and a variety of other spaces for public use. Elsewhere on site, a communal greenspace is designed to host public events.

It’s all scheduled to open next summer.

Each of the building's above-ground levels will feature exposed mass timber, a natural material known for durability and a construction process that produces less carbon.

Timber-built interiors of the City Centre project today. Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

How a (sparsely attended) wedding could function on the terrace level. Sizemore Group

Brookhaven’s goal is to make the city complex and transit station more of a nucleus, with bike lanes, multi-use trails, and new sidewalks spreading out from it and linking to other projects such as the Peachtree Creek Greenway. It will serve a populace of about 60,000 people.

Selina Schulten, Barnsley Construction Group’s president, called the Brookhaven project an “excellent representation of mass-timber’s inherent flexibility and versatility” in a topping-out announcement today.  

McCarthy + Barnsley is a joint venture formed in 2020 between McCarthy Building Companies and Barnsley Construction Group. Brookhaven City Centre marks the partnership’s sixth project together.

Sizemore Group

Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

City Centre isn’t the only sizable Brookhaven development moving forward within a few blocks of MARTA.

Charlotte-based developer Terwilliger Pappas has entered the home stretch of construction on a project called Solis Dresden Village that includes 176 apartments, seven townhomes, and a row of new retail in the 1300 block of Dresden Drive. That development team has noted their site is about a five-minute walk from the train station.

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4047 Peachtree Road Brookhaven Brookhaven City Hall MARTA TOD Comprehensive Program Services Inc. Peachtree Road Transit-Oriented Development Barnsley Construction Group McCarthy Building Companies FIDES Development Sizemore Brookhaven City Centre McCarthy + Barnsley Brookhaven Projects Brookhaven Construction Brookhaven Development Mass-Timber Timber construction Heavy timber

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The project's context at 4047 Peachtree Road in the ITP city. Google Maps

Plans for Brookhaven City Hall's Peachtree Road facade, with the transit station behind the structure. Sizemore Group

How the $78-million project will be sited at one of Brookhaven's busiest intersections. City of Brookhaven/Sizemore/Fides Development

Construction progress on the MARTA-linked 4047 Peachtree Road project. Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Timber-built interiors of the City Centre project today. Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

View across Peachtree Road from an upper level. Courtesy of McCarthy + Barnsley

Lighting scheme for the Brookhaven City Centre project at night, as seen along Peachtree Road. Sizemore Group

Sizemore Group

Sizemore Group

How a (sparsely attended) wedding could function on the terrace level. Sizemore Group

Subtitle MARTA-connected project marks first mass-timber municipal building in Georgia

Neighborhood Brookhaven

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Study: Atlanta ranks measly 14th in U.S. for development since 1980 Josh Green Wed, 10/16/2024 - 12:20 Anyone who’s considered “Atlanta, Georgia” synonymous with “Sunbelt boomtown” in recent decades might find the results of a new national, urban development analysis surprising. At least on the surface.

A team of analysts with StorageCafe, an online platform with nationwide storage unit listings, studied 44 years’ worth of real estate development data, dating back more than four decades, that shows Atlanta ranked 14th nationally when all categories are combined.

The rankings were based on building permit numbers pertaining to office, retail, multifamily, single-family, industrial, and self-storage development between 1980 and December 2023. The largest 100 cities in the U.S. with populations of more than 200,000 were analyzed.

“Atlanta’s sheer amount of new commercial, industrial, and multifamily construction has vaulted [it] into the ranks of real estate powerhouses like Dallas, Austin, and Miami,” StorageCafe reps noted in an email to Urbanize Atlanta.

But still—14th place?

In a city that’s been transformed (by a population that’s tripled) since the early 1990s, let alone 1980?

STORAGECafé

It’s important to note the City of Atlanta—a relative sliver of land mass, with a growing but still meager population of roughly 532,000—was studied in this case, and not the broader metro. (The City of Phoenix, for instance, has an estimated population of 1.6 million—more than three times larger than the City of Atlanta’s, but in a significantly smaller metro area. And metro Dallas’ Fort Worth ranked No. 9 overall in the StorageCafe study—apart from neighboring Dallas at No. 5.)

Still, the City of Atlanta managed to hold its own in the rankings.

One highlight was more than 108 million square feet of office space delivered in the city since 1980—good for third position nationally in that sector, per the study.

Atlanta’s 139,000 multifamily units that have cropped up in the past five decades—11th most nationwide—have “dramatically reshaped [the city’s] skyline,” analysts noted.

The 2000s were Atlanta’s peak decade for the multifamily boom, with more than 5,700 permits issued on average per year.

That pace slowed to about 3,660 permits annually in the 2010s. But following the pandemic, multifamily development has bounced back, with the annual average this decade now north of 4,850 permits.

For better or worse, single-family construction has been a different story since 1980. The City of Atlanta has issued just 29,000 standalone home permits in that timespan. (Compare that with 215,000 permits in Phoenix, the top city in that sector, or No. 2 Houston’s 166,200 homes.)

STORAGECafé

New retail space—grappling with an era of e-commerce and shifting consumer habits—has been another low point. Atlanta ranks 16th nationally for new retail space since 1980, but its annual average of 291,000 square feet delivered in the 2020s marks a 45 percent decrease from the teens and a five-decade low, according to the study.

Big picture, analysts found that Southern and Southwestern cities dominated the growth rankings, snatching 15 of the country’s top 20 slots, with Atlanta included.

“As one of the Sunbelt’s biggest boomtowns,” StorageCafe reps wrote, “Atlanta’s housing market has been buoyed by strong demand, but new development still struggles to keep pace with rapid population and job growth.”

Midtown Alliance/2023 Progress Report

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STORAGECafé Atlanta Population Atlanta Population Growth Atlanta Growth Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Atlanta Office Space Office Space Atlanta Multifamily Single-Family Homes Atlanta Studies Market Studies

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Subtitle Huh?

Neighborhood Citywide

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North of Atlanta, made-from-scratch town now under construction Josh Green Wed, 10/16/2024 - 10:24 Site work is officially underway for the next made-from-scratch town center in Atlanta’s suburbs, following a blueprint set by Suwanee, Alpharetta, Cumming, Snellville, and other OTP cities.

After seven years of planning and discussions, sections of a nearly 140-acre concept called Coal Mountain Town Center have broken ground, pushing metro Atlanta’s development boom ever northward toward the North Georgia Mountains.

The project name pays homage to the area’s unincorporated Coal Mountain community with roots dating back to the 1830s—but never any coal.

The mixed-use town center will be located where Browns Bridge Road (Hwy. 369 east) meets Dahlonega Highway (Hwy. 9 north). That’s roughly seven miles northeast of downtown Cumming, due west of Ga. Highway 400 and Lake Lanier, about 50 miles from downtown Atlanta.

National homebuilding giant Toll Brothers gained Forsyth County’s approval to build Coal Mountain Town Center last year.

Eric White, Toll Brothers division president in Atlanta, says site work is underway for a “premier luxury resort-style community” called The Crossing at the Forsyth County site.

Plans call for a variety of townhomes and single-family residences to start opening for sale at The Crossing in summer 2025, according to White.

Planned communal spaces, parking, and centralized buildings at Coal Mountain Town Center, where Browns Bridge Road meets Dahlonega Highway. Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

The homes will be situated in the new town center with walkability to restaurants, shops, greenspaces, and walking and biking trails. Onsite amenities call for pickleball courts, a lap pool, and a clubhouse for residents, per White. 

As designed by architecture firm Nelson Worldwide, the Coal Mountain project aims to meld retail, offices, and other uses, while benefiting from proximity to Ga. Highway 400, a nearby Walmart, and North Georgia Premium Outlets mall, a Simon property that annually attracts about 6 million shoppers, developers have said.

The masterplanned social hub calls for more than 700 housing units to eventually be built.

Toll Brothers officials said in 2023 the breakdown for Coal Mountain includes 222 single-family homes, 219 townhomes, 300 apartments, plus 20,200 square feet of offices, and more than 70,000 square feet for retail. A 15,000-square-foot brewery space is reportedly also in the mix.

Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Ironwood Design Group, a firm contributing landscape architecture, amenity design, and community design, says the project will honor “the town’s historical roots while fostering a forward-looking ambiance,” weaving in greenspaces, pedestrian connections, and parking lots.

The broader goal is create for north Forsyth County what Halcyon brought to the relatively affluent, fast-growing county’s southern fringes, only with designs influenced by the area’s agricultural history.

Forsyth County Commissioners unanimously approved plans for Coal Mountain Town Center in 2022, setting the stage for Toll Brothers to begin work on the development. So large is the project’s scope, it drove county leaders to create a new zoning district called the Coal Mountain Town Center Overlay.

Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Meanwhile, a few miles south of the Coal Mountain project, Forsyth’s county seat Cumming opened its own mixed-use city center last year.

That project is designed to function as an improved downtown for Cumming, built from scratch, with a popular amphitheater as a core attraction.

Find more Coal Mountain context and depictions of how the community is expected to look and function in the gallery above.

Coal Mountain Town Center's site location off Ga. Highway 400 in north Forsyth County, near Lake Lanier. Google Maps

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Browns Bridge Road at Dahlonega Highway Coal Mountain Arqui300 Toll Brothers Atlantic Residential Bridger Properties Matt Lake Lanier Ga. Highway 400 Coal Mountain Town Center Nelson Worldwide Cindy Jones Mills OTP Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Atlanta Suburbs Cumming OTP City Centers Mixed-Use Development NAI Brannen Goddard Ironwood Design Group

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Coal Mountain Town Center's site location off Ga. Highway 400 in north Forsyth County, near Lake Lanier. Google Maps

NAI Brannen Goddard; designs, Nelson Worldwide

NAI Brannen Goddard; designs, Nelson Worldwide

How the masterplanned community could link to existing greenspace and a nearby school. NAI Brannen Goddard; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Planned communal spaces, parking, and centralized buildings at Coal Mountain Town Center, where Browns Bridge Road meets Dahlonega Highway. Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Ironwood Design Group; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Subtitle Coal Mountain Town Center project to include hundreds of homes, “forward-looking ambiance”

Neighborhood Forsyth County

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Distinctly modern project takes shape in leafy Virginia-Highland Josh Green Tue, 10/15/2024 - 14:55 Passersby on Virginia-Highland’s leafy Drewry Street have wondered in recent months what a bold, black-painted, modern structure that’s replaced a vacant lot could be.

A laboratory? A custom boutique office building? An elementary school from the future?

Turns out it’s none of the above—but instead the neighborhood’s latest (but certainly not only) example of a large-scale residence with overtly contemporary architecture.

Building permits indicate the single-family dwelling at 791 Drewry St. NE—situated about two blocks east of the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail—will be a 4,143-square-foot, single-family home with an in-ground pool and spa at its core.

Contributed photo

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It’s being built by veteran Atlanta-based developers The Braden Fellman Group, the company initially expected to spare Newport’s South Downtown buildings from foreclosure. (Recent Braden Fellman projects include downtown’s Revival Lofts—previously an abandoned eyesore for nearly two decades—and the adaptive-reuse of Adair Park’s Abrams Fixture Corporation complex.)

In Virginia-Highland, the .3-acre site in question was previously vacant, apart from a few trees. (Complaints had been filed alleging the lot was being used for illegal parking for an adjacent apartment building, but no violations were found, per Department of City Planning records.)

Braden Fellman officials confirm the project will be a private residence. And that its designers are Atlanta-based Choate + Hertlein Architects, the firm responsible for some of the most envelope-pushing and eye-catching modern home projects around Atlanta, in addition to work on Ponce City Market offices, the Revival Lofts, and the 1200 Ponce church conversion, among other work.  

Facade of a single-family residence that stands out despite muted color schemes in Virginia-Highland. Contributed photo

The 791 Drewry St. site in question, prior to construction in early 2022.Google Maps

With its towering chimney, roof ladder, Darth Vader motif, and atypical geometry, the modern house will stand out among Drewry Street’s cottages, Tudors, and larger traditional infill dwellings. But is that a bad thing?

Find more visuals in the gallery above.

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791 Drewry St. NE Choate + Hertlein Architects Choate + Hertlein Atlanta Architecture Atlanta Modern Atlanta Modern Homes modern design Modern Designs Braden Fellman Group Atlanta Home Design Drewry Street Cameron Childress Sumo Consulting Permit Solutions Inc. Patti Wallis

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The 791 Drewry St. site in question, prior to construction in early 2022.Google Maps

Facade of a single-family residence that stands out despite muted color schemes in Virginia-Highland. Contributed photo

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Subtitle No, that's not a space-age elementary school

Neighborhood Virginia-Highland

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