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Ormewood Park officially scores first large neighborhood greenspace Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 16:58 City officials have taken a key step toward preserving a versatile intown greenspace near the Atlanta BeltLine loop that pays homage to a legendary longtime resident.

During its monthly meeting Monday, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to purchase a 5.3-acre property in the heart of Ormewood Park known as “Red’s Farm,” establishing the first official large city park in the historic eastside neighborhood.

The property in question—alternately called Farmer Red’s Preserve and Urban Farm Ormewood—is tucked between Berne Street and Ormewood Avenue, with the BeltLine’s under-construction Southside Trail a couple of blocks west, and Moreland Avenue to the east.

The Ormewood Park property’s seller was The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit that specializes in banking land for future greenspace and protecting water resources across the U.S.  

Urban Farm in Ormewood/FB; 2020

District 1 councilmember Jason Winston led efforts to preserve the community hub as a green respite in a growing area, working with family members of the late owner, Brian Charles “Red” Harrison.

According to Winston’s office, the farm has been cherished by surrounding neighborhoods for years, playing host to an annual Easter egg hunt and activities such as dog walking, communing with nature, and blueberry picking that have attracted thousands of visitors.

“With the farm within walking distance from the BeltLine’s Southside Trail and already serving as a hub for bringing the community together,” Winston said in an announcement, “officially taking this step to preserve the farm is key to guaranteeing Atlantans will be able to continue enjoying the space.”

A beloved personality in the neighborhood who supported local farmers, Harrison died of a heart attack in 2022 at age 54. The farm property, situated adjacent to Harrison’s former home, has been called the city’s only remaining working vegetable farm. Harrison’s family had sold the property to The Conservation Fund earlier this year.

Location of the 5.3-acre greenspace between Moreland Avenue (right) and the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor. Google Maps

The city's purchase price for the acreage was $2.7 million—or roughly $500,000 per acre—according to Axios Atlanta.

According to Winston, the preservation efforts will serve as a “touching memorial” to Harrison’s zest and vision for keeping urban agriculture alive in the city.   

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Location of the 5.3-acre greenspace between Moreland Avenue (right) and the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor. Google Maps

Urban Farm in Ormewood/FB; 2020

Subtitle Atlanta City Council votes to purchase “Red’s Farm,” a cherished gathering place in eastside neighborhood

Neighborhood Ormewood Park

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Developer sheds light on tallest Atlanta project in decades, now rising Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 14:47 As development hounds across Atlanta have excitedly noted this summer, the city’s tallest new building since the early 1990s is beginning to make its mark over West Peachtree Street, with base levels quickly stacking up beneath a pair of yellow cranes.

New York City-based developer Rockefeller Group’s plans for the 60-story 1072 West Peachtree building call for achieving two benchmarks: building Atlanta’s tallest residential building and tallest mixed-use tower. Even in Midtown—a subdistrict transformed by high-rise investment over the past decade—it’s an anomaly.  

With buzz for a true sky-piercing project mounting, Midtown Alliance recently caught up with a project lead, John Petricola, Rockefeller’s senior managing director for the Southeast region, for insight on where 1072 West Peachtree is headed, what will make it stand out beyond sheer height, and why it’s located where it is.

Rockefeller is familiar with the area, having partnered with Selig on the 40 West 12th condos a block from the 1072 West Peachtree site, where a Midtown post office facility had longer operated. The company bought the 1.14-acre USPS site for $25 million in 2020 and officially broke ground on the skyscraper in July last year.

The landing page for 1072 West Peachtree's website provides a glimpse of how the project would alter Midtown's skyline when viewed from the Connector. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS/1072 West Peachtree

Petricola had established Rockefeller’s Atlanta outpost more than a decade ago. But as he told Midtown Alliance, the experience working with Selig on what became the 1105 West Peachtree complex—now home to Google and the celebrated Epicurean Atlanta hotel, along with the luxury condos—opened Rockefeller executives’ eyes to Midtown’s potential.

According to Midtown Alliance, some 20 projects have been delivered (or are under construction now) in the 18-block West Peachtree Street corridor in Midtown since 2010.

Regarding the location, Petricola said Rockefeller was patient in picking a site for a signature tower in Midtown. Ultimately, 1072 West Peachtree stood out for its connection to Midtown’s existing street grid and proximity to two MARTA stations (Arts Center and Midtown stations are basically equidistant). Being a short walk from the Southeast’s biggest concentration of cultural and art attractions and the largest Whole Foods on the East Coast didn’t hurt either, Petricola told Midtown Alliance.

In general, Midtown “punches above its weight in demand,” the developer noted.

Rockefeller is putting a heavy emphasis on getting the street-level experience right at 1072 West Peachtree, Petricola said.

Plans call for “liner units” with retail along West Peachtree Street to more fully engage sidewalks. As further evidence that walkability is top-of-mind, the tower will also feature far less parking—more than 20 percent less, per plans—than the maximum City of Atlanta’s code allows for the site, as Midtown Alliance relays.  

Inside, Petricola said plans call for a two-story space where cyclists can lock away bikes and take a shower, in addition to a fitness center described as the best around.  

Another component will be Midtown’s largest outdoor amenity deck, designed for expansive views of the city. According to Petricola, that feature will be called the Sky Garden.

How Rockefeller expects the tower to meet West Peachtree Street. Site Solutions is the project's landscape architect. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

Mixed-use breakdown of lower floors. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

Otherwise, the numbers haven’t changed. Designs by Atlanta-based TVS call for 6,300 square feet of retail at the street and 224,000 square feet of Class A office space above that. Topping the building will be more than 350 apartments alongside amenities described as world-class.

Set on the southwest corner of West Peachtree and 12th streets, the project’s height will alter Midtown’s skyline, especially when viewed from the west.

Rockefeller officials have said the tower will climb more than 730 feet, making it Atlanta’s fifth tallest high-rise and supplanting Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel for the No. 5 spot. No taller skyrise has been built in Atlanta since 1992.  

No timeline for 1072 West Peachtree’s completion has been specified, but the site has seen heavy demolition and infrastructure work ongoing for nearly a year and ½ at this point. 

Whether it's fully open or not, the building should add oomph to Midtown's skyline by the time FIFA World Cup 2026 hoopla comes to town. 

West Peachtree Street view of Rockefeller Group’s planned 60-story Midtown project.Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

The latest rendering showing the 1072 West Peachtree project's eastern facade, toward Peachtree Street and Piedmont Park. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

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1072 West Peachtree Street Mixed-Use Tower west peachtree Street Atlanta Development Morris Manning & Martin 80 Peachtree Place Stratus Midtown Trammell Crow Atlanta Construction Brock Hudgins Architects The Rockefeller Group Rockefeller Group Eberly & Associates HGOR Duda Paine Architects TVS Midtown Development Review Committee Atlanta Skyline 1072 West Peachtree Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Taisei USA Mitsubishi Estate New York Site Solutions John Petricola

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Scope of the 1072 West Peachtree Street site, formerly occupied by the U.S. Postal Service. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

Skyward West Peachtree Street view. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

View toward the southwest, over Georgia Tech. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

Mixed-use breakdown of lower floors. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

How Rockefeller expects the tower to meet West Peachtree Street. Site Solutions is the project's landscape architect. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

The landing page for 1072 West Peachtree's website provides a glimpse of how the project would alter Midtown's skyline when viewed from the Connector. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS/1072 West Peachtree

The first interior 1072 West Peachtree rendering depicts offices and views west. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS/1072 West Peachtree

An unofficial depiction of how the 1072 West Peachtree project would relate to existing Midtown buildings. Submitted/@cbenderatl

The latest rendering showing the 1072 West Peachtree project's eastern facade, toward Peachtree Street and Piedmont Park. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

Subtitle Midtown Alliance provides closer look at 1072 West Peachtree, one of largest skyscrapers in Georgia

Neighborhood Midtown

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Builder: Project near East Atlanta Village selling like hotcakes Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 12:55 A seasoned Atlanta homebuilder is reporting gangbuster sales, relatively speaking, at a formerly vacant, brownfield corner site in Ormewood Park where modern-style townhomes have been sprouting.

Officials with homebuilder Monte Hewett say nearly half of townhomes under construction at its newest intown project, The Harman, have been presold, signaling sales momentum the company describes as “impressive” and “strong.”

Sales at the boutique community—located where Moreland Avenue meets Ormewood Avenue, about four blocks south of East Atlanta Village—began last summer.

According to Monte Hewett, the project will include 22 townhomes when finished. Fifteen of those are considered to be under construction now—with seven of them sold, priced from $559,000 to $630,000.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the enthusiasm from homebuyers and how the community is coming together as construction progresses,” Monte Hewett, company founder and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “[The project] has come a long way from its start as a brownfield site with a gas station and dry cleaners.”

While hardly chump change, the asking prices represent a less expensive option versus, say, other new townhomes in a similar stylistic vein (and with similar square footages) in Summerhill.

Listings at The Harman offer just shy of 1,600 square feet in three or four-story layouts, each with three bedrooms. Floorplans include either three or two and ½ bathrooms, with rooftop terraces at the top level and two-car, rear-entry garages below.  

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

In-home perks include quartz countertops, hardwood floors, and JennAir appliances described as top-flight. Beyond EAV, walkable plusses in the area include Glenwood Park, the BeltLine’s Southside Trail corridor, and across the street, Little Azio Pizza and Pasta, Spoon Eastside, and (for better or worse) Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream.

Monte Hewett began work in earnest at the site in summer 2022.

Along with empty land, the .9-acre site was the former home of Jiffy Grocery, which gained notoriety after it’d been closed for several years and the “J” fell off its main signage, rendering it “Iffy Grocery.” The grocer’s former building was demolished in 2021.

The 1160 Ormewood Avenue site's location south of Interstate 20 and EAV. Google Maps

How facades have come together at The Harman off Moreland Avenue. Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Monte Hewett has built more than 35 neighborhoods in Atlanta and places such as Halcyon since its founding in the early 2000s. Beyond The Harman, recent projects include Alpharetta condos Findley Row and the townhome component at West Midtown’s growing The Interlock district.

The Harman neighbors the modern-style, six-townhome project by the Xmetrical firm called The Ormewood, located just to the north. And across Moreland Avenue, the 1960s Seville shopping center underwent a renovation in 2020 and sold the following year for $2.5 million, fully leased with tenants that include Japanese restaurant Ok Yaki.

It’s not the first time developers have envisioned more active uses for The Harman’s property. In 2017, the Third and Urban firm announced plans at the site for a “micro” mixed-use node called The Elway. That was expected to deliver in 2018 but never broke ground.

Find a closer look at how The Harman is turning out—inside and out—in the gallery above.

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The 1160 Ormewood Avenue site's location south of Interstate 20 and EAV. Google Maps

How facades have come together at The Harman off Moreland Avenue. Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Example of a model bedroom at The Harman. Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

The grocery's "IFFY" signage after the building had shuttered. It'd been closed about seven years before its demolition in 2021. Google Maps

The 1160 Ormewood Ave. location in relation to Moreland Avenue and Interstate 20. Google Maps

Subtitle Half of under-construction The Harman townhomes claimed in Ormewood Park, sellers report

Neighborhood Ormewood Park

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1160 Ormewood Avenue SE

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GSU launches 'Blue Line' to boost connectivity, college-town vibes Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 07:58 The start of fall classes at Georgia State University might be another three weeks away, but changes are being implemented now that one of Georgia’s leading colleges hopes will beef up campus safety and placemaking while putting its commuter-school past further behind it. 

The initiative is called the GSU Blue Line. Taking inspiration from the Atlanta BeltLine and Manhattan’s High Line, the project calls for a 3.7-mile, demarcated walking path throughout campus in the eastern blocks of downtown.

The Blue Line’s goal, as GSU’s magazine relays, is to inject parts of campus with Eastside Trail-like vibrancy, increase safety with more “eyes on the street,” and generally change the feel along the route from an urban downtown to more of a college town. A people-focused connecting thread, if you will.

More than 90 markers for the Blue Line trail are being installed prior to students’ arrival in late August, alongside new blue emergency call boxes.

Sky Design/Georgia State University

Other additions will include block-long decals marking the Blue Line, blue accent lights along the route, street-level spaces of buildings bedecked in Panther blue, and GSU-branded sidewalks, crosswalks, and welcome banners.

That will work in concert with security upgrades that include AI-equipped cameras designed to pinpoint gathering crowds and atypical noises, brighter LED streetlights (plus more streetlights in general), and parking decks with high-speed gates and more security cameras, according to the university.

The Blue Line will worm through five different “neighborhoods” or “quads” around GSU’s growing campus, providing an off-street connector between classroom buildings, research centers, libraries, and dorms.

New wayfinding signs and trail markers will include QR codes that lead to the Blue Line’s website—and details on downtown destinations and Instagrammable murals and art along the route, the magazine reports.

Planned route of GSU's Blue Line in downtown's eastern blocks. Sky Design/Georgia State University

GSU’s chief operating officer L. Jared Abramson envisions the Blue Line becoming a destination in itself, he told the publication.

Abramson expects the project will create “a palpably different feel on campus” by the time students return and a “critical mass of like-minded people walking together” soon—another step toward fully rebranding and redeveloping the downtown campus.

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Sky Design/Georgia State University

Planned route of GSU's Blue Line in downtown's eastern blocks. Sky Design/Georgia State University

Subtitle Downtown trail will run nearly four miles, through distinctive "neighborhoods," officials say

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Across Midtown, new ordinance aims to boost street-level vibrancy Josh Green Fri, 08/02/2024 - 13:21 If you’ve found yourself in Midtown lately staring up disheartened at a towering new parking podium wall, or wandering a people-free sidewalk in a retail corridor—well, there’s hope those blank spots in the urban fabric could be a thing of the past.

Following a year of planning and behind-the-scenes work, a new ordinance has officially gone into effect that’s designed to make the street-level experience across the quickly growing subdistrict more engaging, livable, interactive, tech-savvy, accessible, and vibrant.

The Atlanta City Council in June passed a revised version of what’s known as Midtown’s Special Public Interest zoning ordinance, or SPI-16, that’s geared toward enhancing the public domain at street level.

As Midtown Alliance officials relay, the new rules have been a collaborative effort between that agency, the Midtown Neighbors Association, and the city’s Office of Zoning and Development.

The updates to SPI-16 were born from recent changes in tech, insight collected from more than 50 large developments either finished or under-construction since the last zoning updates in 2017, and recommendations from Midtown Alliance’s 2023 Public Life Action Plan, according to Midtown Alliance.

In an effort to better engage Midtown residents and visitors, the SPI-16 zoning helps dictate how future development will look and function in Midtown, impacting urban design, space usage, transportation, and accessibility.

In terms of building design, the ordinance mandates that parking deck facades will need to be architecturally compatible with the rest of the building as a means of better blending in. (Flagrant examples of non-blending can be found at newer projects across Atlanta.)

How the parking deck is masked above retail space at the topped-out Society Midtown tower along Peachtree Street. Courtesy of PMG

According to Midtown Alliance, parking decks will be required at street level to have “intervening ‘active uses’ facing public streets sized at least 20 [feet] deep and at least 36 [feet] in height,” which would help eliminate blank walls at the feet of new high-rises.

As a remedy for ghostly sidewalks, the ordinance will require new restaurants to provide outdoor dining options along most streets in Midtown. And those patio spaces will now be allowed to encroach up to two feet into the sidewalks—and up to three feet on main drag Peachtree Street. (Paris, here we come!)

In an effort to further liven things up, live musical performances will be permitted on streets between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

On the accessibility front, the ordinance will require push-button activators for any building entries that are accessible from public sidewalks.

Buildings will also be required to provide one fast-charging, electric-vehicle parking space for every 20 standard parking spaces, or 5 percent of spaces overall. Those will count toward existing max parking-count caps.  

And for Midtown’s growing pet population, new buildings will be able to lease to veterinary uses—so long as they’re soundproofed, according to Midtown Alliance.

Karl Smith-Davids, Midtown Alliance’s urban design senior project manager who led the zoning revisions, predicts the changes will produce exponentially more al fresco dining options across the neighborhood—and generally more life on many streets.

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Subtitle Less ugly parking podiums and mandatory outdoor dining for new restaurants—how’s that sound?

Neighborhood Midtown

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Uptown Atlanta project welcomes wave of retailers, with more on way Josh Green Fri, 08/02/2024 - 08:06 For Uptown Atlanta, the 47-acre, transit-connected district formerly known as Lindbergh, efforts to establish a new identity are taking a step forward this summer, with more changes in the pipeline.

Uptown owners and redevelopers Rubenstein Partners have announced grand openings for three new retail concepts—taqueria El Gordo, Roundhouse Kickboxing, and Bene Korean—at the mixed-use hub considered one of Atlanta’s original and largest transit-oriented developments.

The Philadelphia-based real estate firm began renovating Uptown and refreshing its tenant lineup more than three years ago.

The new retail arrivals at Uptown will join 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar and Chow À La Carte at Uptown Test Kitchen, the latter described as a “novel culinary experience designed to bring the community and local chefs from around the world together.” Mahesh Mani, Rubenstein’s senior vice president of asset management, said the Atlanta-born tenants are helping create a unique retail experience and global dining district at MARTA-anchored Uptown, which counts 1 million square feet of offices, communal gathering spaces, and about 120,000 square feet of retail overall.

The district plans to open three more signed tenants—retro barber shop The Commodore, Korean bakery White Windmill, and Latin coastal concept Madre Selva—before the end of 2024.

“With these openings,” Mani said in an announcement, “our vision to create a new center of gravity connecting Buckhead and Midtown at Uptown is beginning to take shape.”

The revised look of Uptown's Main Street. Contributed

El Gordo plans to host a grand opening Saturday. It’s a fresh concept from the owners of Marietta’s Birria El Gordo, with a menu featuring the owners’ Guadalajara-based family’s signature recipe for birria, plus street tacos, tostadas, specialty tacos, and other dishes. Expect live mariachi bands and DJs on El Gordo’s patio space fronting Uptown’s Main Street.

Bene Korean is described as an upscale Korean barbecue experience, led by local chef Vincent Jung, featuring traditional recipes and a protein-packed menu with Wagyu, filet mignon, New York strip, spicy prawns, and scallops. It’s open now, with a grand opening planned later this month.

Meanwhile, classes have begun at Roundhouse Kickboxing, a fitness studio, with an official opening set for Aug. 17.

Passageway to the atrium of Uptown's office towers off Main Street.Contributed

Rubenstein bought the massive property for $187 million in 2019. The $70-million conversion from Lindbergh to Uptown started in earnest when AT&T, the original anchor tenant and the property’s heartbeat for two decades, vacated two office towers in January 2021.  

As another tenant win, Rubenstein announced last year it had signed a 130,000-square-foot lease with MARTA to take a significant bite out of Uptown’s available office space, with up to 540 relocated employees occupying four full floors of the district’s East Tower.

Uptown selling points, according to Rubenstein officials, include connectivity to PATH400, the South Fork Trail, and the BeltLine corridor. Previous work at the district renovated early-aughts facades, made Main Street more pedestrian-friendly, and modernized the property’s nucleus, a 35,000-square-foot office atrium.

Views from the top floor of new Uptown offices to Midtown and downtown. The property's greenspace can be seen, while under renovation in 2022, near the MARTA tracks the district was built upon.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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Uptown's Main Street today. Courtesy of Rubenstein Partners

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Passageway to the atrium of Uptown's office towers off Main Street.Contributed

Views from the top floor of new Uptown offices to Midtown and downtown. The property's greenspace can be seen, while under renovation in 2022, near the MARTA tracks the district was built upon.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

This high-def screen in the atrium measures almost 28 feet wide and 16 feet tall, with sharp resolution of 3360 x 1890. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Openings at 47-acre district help "create a new center of gravity connecting Buckhead and Midtown"

Neighborhood Lindbergh

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Photos: Project consuming Summerhill corner ready for closeup Josh Green Thu, 08/01/2024 - 16:13 A modern-style infill project billed as “urban luxury at its finest” has entered the final phases of construction on Summerhill’s resurgent main drag, with pricing coming into clearer focus.

Ten 5 Summerhill is delivering 10 townhomes at the southwest corner of Georgia Avenue’s intersection with Martin Street, continuing Summerhill’s residential groundswell where Georgia Avenue meets a large intown park. The .3-acre corner site had been vacant—as almost all buildings on Georgia Avenue used to be—for well over a decade.

The Xmetrical-designed project’s furnished model townhome, unit No. 2, has recently come to market. All five units facing Georgia Avenue are on pace to finish construction within the next month, according to listing agent Sara Lee Parker of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta. 

How the Ten 5 Summerhill project's Georgia Avenue facade turned out on a previously vacant corner. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

The first listing is asking $749,000 for two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and two partial baths in 1,513 square feet, atop a one-car garage. (The priciest townhome listed so far on the project’s website—an end unit along Georgia Avenue—is asking $20,000 more.)

Perks of the initial listing include a rooftop “retreat” with a half-bath, flex space, roof deck, kitchenette, wet bar, and beverage fridge. The listing points to floating vanities, floor-to-ceiling Pella window, gas cooking, quartz counters, and ancillary balconies as additional draws.

Some of Ten 5 Summerhill’s four-story floorplans will be unique in that they swap garages for studio apartments at street level. All four floorplans have two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and two half-baths, plus the top-floor spaces.

A small lot with reserved, off-street parking will be tucked behind the townhomes, masked from public view. Parker said that portion of the project will be completed once consecutive days without rain allow.

According to Parker, the project’s first closings are planned for September, and the goal is to sell each unit by year’s end.

Passageway to the project's small parking lot between two buildings, as seen along Martin Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

The location is across the street from Phoenix II Park, a 7.3-acre community greenspace, and a block east of Georgia Avenue’s new slate of restaurants and other businesses. 

The project’s development team is listed as JB Development Partners, Bespoke Developments, and South City Residential.

Intown Builders, a frequent Xmetrical collaborator, is also involved in the project, per building permit records. The developer had previously planned a six-story, 21-unit condo building at the corner property with commercial spaces at street level, but those plans were nixed. (The plot in question sold for $660,000 in 2018—just two years after it had traded for $168,000, which speaks to the historic neighborhood's cachet, according to property records.)

Once-ghostly Georgia Avenue has added a full portfolio of restaurants, retail, and service-related businesses as part of Carter’s Summerhill development over the past six years, both in revived old buildings and new construction. Those businesses join more than 1,200 new apartments and townhomes that have opened, or are under construction now, in the blocks surrounding Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium.

Swing up to the gallery for a look at Ten 5 Summerhill exteriors and interior designs of the first model on the market.

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How the Ten 5 Summerhill project's Georgia Avenue facade turned out on a previously vacant corner. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Landscape detailing at the corner. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Entries and balconies along Martin Street in Summerhill. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Passageway to the project's small parking lot between two buildings, as seen along Martin Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Rooftop deck atop the two-bedroom model, which has listed at $749,000. Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

The project's proximity to Phoenix Park, at top. Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Site plan for the 10 townhomes units. Ten 5 Summerhill

The Ten 5 Summerhill location along Georgia Avenue. Google Maps

Subtitle Listings commence at Ten 5 Summerhill venture on now-hip Georgia Avenue

Neighborhood Summerhill

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Study: Atlanta's 'suburban boom' is real, with Chamblee in lead Josh Green Thu, 08/01/2024 - 13:25 Devout intowners who consider anything beyond Atlanta city limits—let alone, gasp, OTP—hostile territory could be surprised: The population boom Georgia’s capital has been experiencing for more than a decade is happening in all corners of the metro, too.

To help put that in context, a new StorageCafé study examined housing stock and population trends in nearly 4,100 U.S. cities, finding that suburban and exurban markets around Atlanta are outpacing growth in the city’s urban core, at least in terms of percentages. (Lest we forget the City of Atlanta’s growth rate has outpaced every county in the metro recently, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s official 2024 population estimates released last month.)

As with other metros, the “suburban boom” has created vibrant urban centers with new identities out of former ghost towns ringed by subdivisions, as analysts found.

In metro Atlanta’s case, the north ITP city of Chamblee has led the charge in terms of growth rates over the past decade, according to researchers with StorageCafé, a national search service for storage spaces that tracks growth trends.  

Chamblee’s multifamily offerings have cropped up like mushrooms around the city’s once-quiet historic center in recent years—with hundreds of more units in the pipeline—and that’s reflected in the data.

Between the waning days of the Great Recession in 2012 and 2022, Chamblee’s population ballooned by 106 percent to nearly 30,000 residents as the housing stock doubled.

According to the study, Chamblee’s relative affordability has played a central role in the explosive growth, with home prices climbing by 65 percent over the past decade—as compared to a whopping 88 percent in nearby Atlanta.  

How Lumen Chamblee's retail facade and parking garage entry are arranged along American Way, a block west of Peachtree Road, the city's de facto Main Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The second strongest performer has been Braselton in Atlanta’s far northeastern suburbs, where the population has swelled by 73 percent and nearly all of its multifamily housing stock has been built within the past decade. The city’s housing stock climbed by 78 percent in that time period, the study found.

Meanwhile, per StorageCafé’s research, the City of Atlanta’s overall housing stock has inched up, relatively speaking, by just 14 percent over the past 10 years—through it was obviously much larger in the first place.

Rounding out the top 10 in terms of metro Atlanta housing stock growth are Holly Springs (where work-from-home rates have exploded by 196 percent), Clarkston, Lovejoy, Suwanee, Tucker, Woodstock, Winder, and Canton, respectively.

STORAGECafé

More broadly, the study found that housing expansion has been overwhelmingly concentrated in the South. Texas counts seven suburbs among the 20 fastest-growing in the U.S., and Florida counts five, per the study.

As major cities go, researchers found that Austin has expanded the most in terms of overall housing inventory growth rates, followed by Forth Worth and Seattle.

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STORAGECafé Chamblee Braselton OTP Atlanta Suburbs Suburban Development Suburban Construction Holly Springs Clarkston Lovejoy Suwanee North ITP Suburban Growth Atlanta Housing Metro Atlanta Population Atlanta Population

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Subtitle Population and housing stock of north ITP city have doubled over past decade, analysis finds

Neighborhood Chamblee

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Images: South Downtown hotel conversion targets fall opening Josh Green Thu, 08/01/2024 - 08:07 South Downtown’s beleaguered blocks continue to show signs of new life.

An adaptive-reuse hotel project on Pryor Street that marks a rare large-scale, non-governmental investment south of Five Points has begun scheduling hard hat tours and promoting room availability in hopes of opening this fall.

The Origin Hotel Atlanta, a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property, has been delayed by construction issues but continues to remake a 1950s office building at 166 Pryor St. into a boutique hotel with 122 guest rooms and suites. Other features include a private event space on the top floor, plus an onsite restaurant and bar.

Situated about a block south of Underground Atlanta, or two blocks west of the Georgia State Capitol building, the hotel marks an important historical save and “jewel” of redevelopment, project leaders have said. Marketing materials describe the property as being “where dynamic cityscapes and Southern hospitality intertwine.”

A project rep tells Urbanize Atlanta the Wyndham team is aiming for an October opening as of now.

Interior designs of a demo room at the Origin property. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Atlanta iconography—including a depiction of the Beaux Arts-style Terminal Station, demolished in the 1970s—is included in a model room's wallpaper. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Online bookings begin Oct. 17, with nightly rates ranging from $151 to $549 for rooms with between 265 square feet (single queens) to 700 square feet (a “premiere suite” that sleeps four).

Hotel designs will lean into a midcentury aesthetic, with nods to Atlanta history. In addition to event spaces that include the rooftop with skyline views, the property will feature a retail storefront that sells ATL-themed souvenirs and gear, officials relayed this week.

Elsewhere, an all-day restaurant concept called Butter + Scotch has signed on to operate at the Origin hotel, from the same team that owns the celebrated Che Butter Jonez in Southwest Atlanta. Owner Detric Fox-Quinlan told Urbanize in April that construction crews have encountered hurdles at the property but that “everything promises to be absolutely beautiful upon completion.”

The building stands at the intersection of Pryor and Mitchell streets, roughly two blocks east of where developer Newport revived parts of downtown’s historic Hotel Row before handing over its portfolio to foreclosure. Tech-focused Atlanta Ventures has since purchased those properties and taken over redevelopment while adding more buildings to its portfolio, including most recently the Concordia Hall building that’s long housed Friedman’s Shoes.

A 50-foot art installation in the hotel’s lobby will serve as “a graceful nod to the neighborhood’s thriving arts community,” while bike rentals will be free for hotel guests. Plans for the loft-like aesthetics are described as a combination of high concrete ceilings and exposed brick walls with details such as patterned wallpaper featuring Atlanta landmarks, per the Origin website.

Exterior work in April at the 166 Pryor St. building in South Downtown. Submitted

The hotel will join others under the Origin brand in Austin, Lexington, Baton Rouge, and Red Rocks (Colorado), with another in Kansas City under development.

Mississippi-based The Thrash Group paid $16 million for the six-story office building two years ago, when plans were announced to complete a stalled renovation and open the former offices as a boutique downtown lodging option. Officials noted the hotel’s proximity to two MARTA stations—Five Points and Garnett—as a selling point at the time.

Head to the gallery for more context and a sneak peek at the Origin hotel’s design motif.

The Origin Hotel Atlanta's location where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet, in the context of South Downtown. Google Maps

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166 Pryor Street SW Origin Hotel Atlanta Origin Hotel Berkadia Access Point Financial The Thrash Group Atlanta Hotels Adaptive-Reuse Berkadia Hotels & Hospitality Life Company Proprietary Bridge Lending Capital Markets Advisory Services Downtown Atlanta Atlanta Construction Wyndam Wyndam Rewards Butter +Scotch b&B

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Interior designs of a demo room at the Origin property. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Atlanta iconography—including a depiction of the Beaux Arts-style Terminal Station, demolished in the 1970s—is included in a model room's wallpaper. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Exterior work in April at the 166 Pryor St. building in South Downtown. Submitted

The Origin Hotel Atlanta's location where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet, in the context of South Downtown. Google Maps

The building's six-story facade over Pryor Street, as seen in September. Google Maps

Subtitle Former office building described as combination of “dynamic cityscapes and Southern hospitality"

Neighborhood Downtown

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Origin Hotel Atlanta

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Throwback residential build officially a go on Atlanta's Westside Josh Green Wed, 07/31/2024 - 14:46 An infill project with exterior designs that wouldn’t look out of place in early 1900s Atlanta has an official start date.

Westside Future Fund has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for a two-building, affordable housing venture at 646 Echo St. that’s expected to deliver 24 residences on an empty corner lot.

The English Avenue site is situated about a block from the Westside BeltLine Connector trail, near the Echo Street West district and T.I.’s Trap Music Museum. Mill Creek Residential’s latest Modera-branded project is also taking shape in the vicinity, with plans to start delivering the first of nearly 400 apartments next fall.

Described as a “landmark initiative,” the 646 Echo St. project is being funded by the James M. Cox Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Westside Future Fund’s Impact Fund, and Invest Atlanta.

Planned facades for the 646 Echo St. corner lot. Courtesy of Kronberg Urbanists + Architects

The 646 Echo St. corner lot shown in 2022, with construction cranes at English Avenue's Echo Street West project up the street. Google Maps

Plans call for two buildings standing three stories—including one with a distinctive brick façade that echoes smaller intown apartment communities from a century ago. Two of the planned 24 units will be ADA compliant, according to Westside Future Fund, an organization that aims to revitalize historic neighborhoods with accessible housing and job opportunities.

None of the apartments will rent for market rate.

Half of them will be reserved for renters earning 80 percent of the area median income or less, while 30 percent will be held for occupants at 60 percent AMI, according to a project announcement.

About five apartments will rent for just 30 percent AMI, the least expensive offerings of the lot. What the range of rent prices might be has yet to be determined.

Development partners on the Echo Street project include oaksATL and designers Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, a firm that's becoming known for innovative infill solutions across the city, such as Edgewood's Finley Street Cottages. 

Westside Future Fund officials say both English Avenue buildings are scheduled to deliver in September next year.

The 646 Echo St. location due west of Midtown. Google Maps

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646 Echo St. Westside Future Fund Affordable Housing Kronberg Urbanists + Architects Rodney Cook Sr. Park Infill Development Infill Housing Flippo Civil Design Westside Westside Development Westside Affordable Housing Mayor Andre Dickens exterior design Atlanta Architecture James M. Cox Foundation Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation WFF Impact Fund Invest Atlanta OaksATL Community Development

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The 646 Echo St. location due west of Midtown. Google Maps

Planned facades for the 646 Echo St. corner lot. Courtesy of Kronberg Urbanists + Architects

The 646 Echo St. corner lot shown in 2022, with construction cranes at English Avenue's Echo Street West project up the street. Google Maps

Subtitle Vacant corner lot near BeltLine spoke trail to see 24 homes in two buildings

Neighborhood English Avenue

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Condo project nears finish on Alpharetta's version of Atlanta BeltLine Josh Green Wed, 07/31/2024 - 13:13 A mile south of Avalon, an Alpharetta development is nearing the finish line with what remains a relative rarity in Atlanta: for-sale condos in a boutique-size building.

Findley Row, a project by veteran intown builder Monte Hewett, is coming together at 8000 Summit Place, a site just north of Ga. Highway 400 between North Point Mall and Avalon. It’s one residential component of a new mixed-use enclave called Northwinds Summit.

According to Engel & Völkers Atlanta, the brokerage hired to lead sales and marketing, Findley Row will feature a mix of 18 single-level and two-story condos, all with private garages below, priced from the $600,000s.  

One key selling point for the condos is a direct connection to the AlphaLoop, the North Fulton County city’s multi-use answer to the BeltLine trail, according to the marketing team.

Findley Row/Monte Hewett

The 8000 Summit Place site in question in Alpharetta. Google Maps

Featuring a scenic bridge, the latest one-mile, $14-million section of the AlphaLoop opened last month, linking the Northwinds District with Avalon and Downtown Alpharetta. The finished loop is expected to span four miles with a connection to the 26-mile Big Creek Greenway, providing an alternate means of reaching 15,000 jobs, according to project leaders. (Engel & Völkers reps note the trail will also link Findley Row to more than 200 restaurants and retail options.)

A project rep tells Urbanize Atlanta the Findley Row condos are scheduled to deliver at the end of October.

The least expensive option to date is priced at $654,900 (unit No. 14). That buys two bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms in 1,653 square feet—for a breakdown of $396 per square foot.

In-home perks will include large balconies with double French doors, quartz countertops, hardwood floors throughout, and appliances described as top-of-the-line, per project reps.

“Findley Row transcends the concept of mere suburban condos,” goes the sales pitch. “It embodies a lifestyle that celebrates meaningful connections and the ultimate sense of accessibility.”

Example of a Findley Row kitchen and dining room combo. Findley Row/Monte Hewett

A graphic illustrating Findley Row's proximity to current and future segments of the AlphaLoop, among other attractions.Findley Row/Monte Hewett

Monte Hewett has built more than 35 neighborhoods in Atlanta and places such as Halcyon since its founding in the early 2000s. Recent intown ventures include The Harman near East Atlanta Village and the townhome component at West Midtown’s growing The Interlock district.

Swing up to the gallery for more Findley Row context and images.

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8000 Summit Place Alpharetta Findley Row Monte Hewett OTP Atlanta Suburbs Atlanta Condos Condos Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Alpharetta Development Fulton County Engel & Völkers Atlanta Alpha Loop Avalon Interior Design Northwinds District Northwinds Summit Monte Hewett Homes

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The 8000 Summit Place site in question in Alpharetta. Google Maps

Findley Row/Monte Hewett

Findley Row/Monte Hewett

Example of a Findley Row kitchen and dining room combo. Findley Row/Monte Hewett

Findley Row/Monte Hewett

Floorplans for the least expensive model currently offered, priced at $654,900. Findley Row/Monte Hewett

A graphic illustrating Findley Row's proximity to current and future segments of the AlphaLoop, among other attractions.Findley Row/Monte Hewett

Subtitle Findley Row brings variety of for-sale, stacked residences, starting in $600Ks

Neighborhood Alpharetta

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Toll Brothers Now Selling Move-In-Ready Homes at Highlands at Vinings in Atlanta, Georgia Steven Sharp Wed, 07/31/2024 - 04:00 Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, is now offering a limited number of quick move-in and move-in ready homes at Highlands at Vinings, a luxury new home community featuring four-story townhomes with private elevators in each residence and sought-after rooftop terraces. The community is located at 2741 Wynberry Lane in the vibrant downtown Vinings area of Atlanta, Georgia. Brand new, move-in ready townhomes in the community are now available starting at $925,000.

Highlands at Vinings in Atlanta, GeorgiaToll Brothers, Inc.

Highlands at Vinings is a gated community of just 31 luxury townhomes offering four home designs ranging from 3,553 to 3,700+ square feet of living space with 3 to 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and 2-car garages. The home designs combine sophisticated living with modern architecture and quality craftsmanship. Luxury finishes include Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, oversized islands, quartz countertops, large walk-in pantries, walk-in closets, elevators, private rooftop terraces, spa-like primary bathrooms with large walk-in showers, and more.

One of the move-in ready townhomes that has just been put on the market for sale is the stunning Vinings model home. This open-concept townhome features an expansive great room overlooking a spacious kitchen with ample cabinet and countertop space. A desirable covered deck is located on the other side of the great room. Tucked away on the fourth floor, an additional bedroom with a walk-in closet and shared hall bath overlooks a generous loft that opens to a spacious rooftop terrace that is partially covered with amazing views of Buckhead and the Atlanta Skyline.

Living roomToll Brothers, Inc.

“Highlands at Vinings offers the perfect combination of elegance, comfort and modern living in the heart of Atlanta,” said Eric White, Division President of Toll Brothers in Atlanta. “We are excited to offer a number of move-in ready homes for homebuyers who are ready to start living in their dream home today, including our thoughtfully designed model home that showcases the exceptional features and design elements of this unique community.”

Highlands at Vinings offers an ideal location close to shopping and dining at the Vinings Jubilee and is just a short drive away from the Cobb Galleria, Cumberland Mall, and entertainment at the Battery Atlanta. Just minutes from major highways, Interstates 75 and 285, a short drive to Buckhead, Downtown, and Midtown, and a quick 20-minute commute from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, this community offers premier convenience in an unmatched location.

Kitchen islandToll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, a Fortune 500 company founded in 1967, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. For more information about Highlands at Vinings or other Toll Brothers new home communities in the Atlanta area, visit TollBrothers.com/GA.

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Kitchen and living roomToll Brothers, Inc.

Highlands at Vinings in Atlanta, GeorgiaToll Brothers, Inc.

Living areaToll Brothers, Inc.

Kitchen counterToll Brothers, Inc.

Living roomToll Brothers, Inc.

Kitchen islandToll Brothers, Inc.

Living room and patioToll Brothers, Inc.

Subtitle Brand new, move-in ready townhomes in the community are now available starting at $925,000.

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Sponsored By Toll Brothers, Inc.