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Images: 'Premium' dog park opens in downtown Alpharetta next week Josh Green Tue, 07/09/2024 - 11:00 Metro Atlanta’s trend of melding dog parks with human watering holes is set to continue in Alpharetta with a pooch-focused concept described as both “premium” and “luxury.”

Off Leash's first location is scheduled to open Monday about two blocks south of Alpharetta City Center’s Town Green with multiple play zones for Fido and a bar-restaurant component. 

The dog park’s adaptive-reuse facility, situated at the corner of South Main Street and Old Milton Parkway, is a former Rite Aid Pharmacy that had been vacant for more than five years

The former Rite Aid Pharmacy at 142 South Main St. in 2019. Google Maps

Off Leash's first location today. Off Leash/oldogpark.com

Off Leash is billed as a laidback “neighborhood” oasis and “first-of-its-kind luxury doggie destination” that features both outdoor and indoor dog parks (expect Adirondak chairs galore), a dining patio, and an indoor restaurant (with human food only, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Elsewhere will be a large bar dishing Dancing Goats coffee, craft cocktails, and other libations.

Off Leash promises a team of trained “dogtenders” will be on hand to ensure cleanliness and that pooches are behaving themselves.

Single-day passes to Off Leash will cost $12. The company announced in recent days that Founding Memberships specials of $142 for a year have sold out.

For a single dog, monthly memberships will cost $42, and yearly memberships $365. Members enjoy perks including invites to special events and 5 percent discounts on food and non-booze drinks, according to company leaders.

Planned look of Off Leash's bar and social area for humans. Off Leash/oldogpark.com

Corner location of Off Leash's adaptive-reuse building just south of Alpharetta City Center. Google Maps

Atlanta-based Fetch Park operates a similar dog-centric social concept on Maxwell Road in Alpharetta, about a mile and ½ from Off Leash’s location.

And closer to Atlanta, plans for a second Off Leash are moving forward at a vacated building and empty lot in downtown Decatur, where the business hopes to be up and running by early next year.

Off Leash plans to be open all day in Alpharetta—from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and an hour later on Friday and Saturday. Find more context and images in the gallery above.

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142 South Main St. Alpharetta Off Leash Atlanta Dog Parks Dog Parks Rite Aid Pharmacy Atlanta Suburbs Fulton County Dogtenders OTP North Fulton County Dog Luxury Genoa Construction

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Corner location of Off Leash's adaptive-reuse building just south of Alpharetta City Center. Google Maps

The former Rite Aid Pharmacy at 142 South Main St. in 2019. Google Maps

Off Leash's first location today. Off Leash/oldogpark.com

Exterior designs of the former Main Street pharmacy. Off Leash/oldogpark.com

Planned look of Off Leash's bar and social area for humans. Off Leash/oldogpark.com

Off Leash/oldogpark.com

Subtitle Off Leash concept has converted former Rite Aid Pharmacy on Main Street

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People-friendly remake of key Midtown bridge starting soon Josh Green Mon, 07/08/2024 - 14:48 Alterations are coming soon to a Connector-spanning bridge and crucial east-west connecting point that will continue Midtown’s push to create more people-friendly thoroughfares, according to project leaders.

Contracting company F.S. Scarbrough was awarded a contract in June for the 10th Street Bridge project, a planned Complete Street spanning between Georgia Tech’s eastern campus and the heart of Midtown.

According to Midtown Alliance, construction on the 10th Street Bridge is scheduled to start within one or two months.

Atlanta Department of Transportation officials say the bridge conversion will create a “safe, beautiful, multimodal gateway” into Midtown, with bicycle lane connections, landscaping, lighting, decorative fencing, and safer intersection treatments, among other changes. (Kimley-Horn engineering drawings show a cycle-track installed on the south side of the bridge, between a striped shoulder and upgraded sidewalk.)

Current condition of the 10th Street Bridge (top) and planned multimodal changes. Kimley-Horn

Looking east at the 10th Street Bridge into the heart of Midtown today. Google Maps

The scope of the bridge project spans from Techwood Drive across the interstate to Williams Street.

Beyond that, the 10th Street exit ramp, Williams Street from 12th Street to Peachtree Place, and Techwood Drive from 10th Street to the driveway at Turner Athletic Club will also see multimodal changes, per ATLDOT.

More than 35,000 people travel across the 10th Street Bridge each day. It serves as a “critical connection” for drivers to the interstate, fans heading to Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion, and MARTA passengers using the Midtown Station, along with commuters and people exercising on foot and bikes, according to Midtown Alliance.

Scope of the multimodal bridge portion in question. Google Maps

The 10th Street two-way bikeway is planned to link with a future multi-use path on the same street, west of the Connector toward Georgia Tech. The protected bikeway on Williams Street will connect with planned bike facilities on 12th Street to the north and Peachtree Place to the south, each about a block from 10th Street, per Midtown Alliance.

Improvements geared toward vehicles will include upgraded signage, repaving, plus new lane markings and lane assignments.

The 10th Street Bridge project was originally identified in the Connect Atlanta Plan and refined in the Midtown Transportation Plan. Midtown Alliance received construction bids for the work in late 2023.

Kimley-Horn/Alta

Funding sources include City of Atlanta TSPLOST 1.0 funds, a Federal Highway Administration grant, and Midtown Improvement District funds.

The project’s 20-month construction schedule calls for finishing in the first half of 2026.

Find more context and imagery pertaining to the 10th Street Bridge makeover in the gallery above.

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10th Street 10th Street Bridge Midtown Alliance Alta Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Atlanta Bridges Atlanta Bike Lanes Bike Lanes GDOT Georgia Department of Transportation Midtown Improvement District F.S. Scarbrough Cycle Track

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Overview of the bridge and adjoining streets today. Midtown Alliance

Looking east at the 10th Street Bridge into the heart of Midtown today. Google Maps

Scope of the multimodal bridge portion in question. Google Maps

Current condition of the 10th Street Bridge (top) and planned multimodal changes. Kimley-Horn

Multimodal plans for Techwood Drive (top) and Williams Street near the 10th Street Bridge. Kimley-Horn

Kimley-Horn/Alta

Subtitle 10th Street Bridge called "critical connection" traveled by 35,000 people daily

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Median Cobb County home sales climb over (gulp) half-million bucks Josh Green Mon, 07/08/2024 - 13:41 For proof that hightailing to Atlanta’s suburbs isn’t necessarily the cheap, fallback homebuying option it used to be, look no further than Cobb County.

According to data from real estate search service Tomo, the median home sale price in Georgia’s third largest county reached a “major milestone” in June by cresting $500,000.

That’s significantly higher than both Georgia’s statewide median home sale price right now ($386,000) and that of the U.S. collectively (roughly $419,000).

According to Tomo reps, June marked the first time median home sale prices have edged over a half-million dollars in Cobb County, which counts active listings as high as $7.7 million.

Last month, 526 homes sold across Cobb, nudging the median sales number up to $503,535.

A marquee Cobb County attraction is Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. Shutterstock

Nonetheless, Cobb prices are hardly the most expensive in terms of counties in metro Atlanta.

That title goes to Fulton County—with its high-dollar intown neighborhoods and tony suburbs such as Roswell and Alpharetta—where median home sales had ballooned to $620,000 as of June.

But according to Tomo’s research, Cobb sales have climbed significantly higher than other metro county brethren, including Gwinnett ($460,000 median sale price), DeKalb ($456,000), and Clayton ($255,000).

Kennesaw Mountain and downtown Marietta, Cobb's county seat. Shutterstock

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Kennesaw Mountain and downtown Marietta, Cobb's county seat. Shutterstock

A marquee Cobb County attraction is Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. Shutterstock

Subtitle Cresting $500K for suburban county northwest of Atlanta called “major milestone”

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West of Midtown, Star Metals' towering expansion moves forward Josh Green Mon, 07/08/2024 - 10:29 The developer behind West Midtown’s skyline-altering Star Metals District is pursuing plans for a new tower that would rise significantly higher over the formerly industrial zones just west of Georgia Tech.

The Allen Morris Company filed development plans with the City of Atlanta just before the July 4th holiday that indicate a potential strategy change for the final phases of Star Metals’ construction.  

The Florida-based real estate firm is seeking a variance to increase the allowable height from 225 to 435 feet for one of three buildings planned across what’s considered Star Metals' phases four, five, and six, situated where Howell Mill Road meets 11th Street.

Should the tallest building be allowed to proceed as Allen Morris hopes, it would stand just 18 feet shorter than downtown’s 100 Peachtree (traditionally known as the Equitable Building) and 28 feet shorter than the new Signia Hilton Atlanta tower that peers down on Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The 3.27-acre property in question spans a full city block, next to the rising, 21-story Stella at Star Metals residential project. Allen Morris in late 2022 succeeded in having the property rezoned MRC-3 to allow for mixed uses.  

Blocks where Star Metals District is expected to expand (in yellow), between Howell Mill Road (left) and Northside Drive. Red stars represent existing Star Metals buildings, while the section marked "1" is where the 21-story Stella building is under construction. Google Maps/Urbanize ATL

For the final Star Metals phases, the developer’s plans call for a significant injection of new housing—roughly 775 multifamily residences. Elsewhere would be 372,600 square feet for offices, hotel, and commercial uses. That will include more than 58,000 square feet of retail uses alone, with most of it placed at sidewalk level, according to permit filings.

Allen Morris is requesting the height variance in hopes of increasing “aesthetically inviting” spaces activated by pedestrians at the base of each building, with restaurant patios, plazas, and other spaces for people on foot. Project reps tell Urbanize Atlanta the variance would allow for more than 40 percent of the site to remain open space.

No other building in the Star Metals expansion would exceed 225 feet, according to the permit filings.

Revised renderings for the final Star Metals phase have yet to be compiled, which means images released in early 2023 are the most updated available, according to project reps. (See the gallery above for more.)

According to the most recent images available, how Star Metals' development phases along Howell Mill Road (at bottom) would relate to the existing Star Metals Offices building, shown at bottom left. Courtesy of The Allen Morris Company; designs, Oppenheim Architecture

Example of how a tiered plaza could function at the corner of Howell Mill Road and 11th Street beside retail spaces. Courtesy of The Allen Morris Company; designs, Oppenheim Architecture

A timeline for construction is not yet available.

When Allen Morris officials first detailed conceptual expansion plans in early 2023, the schedule called for breaking ground on two of the final three buildings in the third quarter of this year.

W. A. Spencer Morris, the development firm’s president, told Urbanize last year the next Star Metals phases will incorporate green elements to echo Atlanta’s dense tree canopy and contribute to an urban forest feel, “blending the motifs of a lush botanical garden and the industrial context and grid of the neighborhood.”

To date, Star Metals counts two completed buildings that stand out for their atypical architecture in the Howell Mill Road corridor: Star Metals Offices and flex-living concept Sentral West Midtown across the street.

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Blocks where Star Metals District is expected to expand (in yellow), between Howell Mill Road (left) and Northside Drive. Red stars represent existing Star Metals buildings, while the section marked "1" is where the 21-story Stella building is under construction. Google Maps/Urbanize ATL

How much of the property in question appears today along 11th Street, behind Home Park's former La Fonda Latina restaurant, shown at right last year. Google Maps

According to the most recent images available, how Star Metals' development phases along Howell Mill Road (at bottom) would relate to the existing Star Metals Offices building, shown at bottom left. Courtesy of The Allen Morris Company; designs, Oppenheim Architecture

Plans for an "urban forest" aesthetic and functionality on balconies, streets, and exterior walls within the district. Courtesy of The Allen Morris Company; designs, Oppenheim Architecture

The north facade of future Star Metals phases, facing Buckhead, according to 2023 conceptual designs. Courtesy of The Allen Morris Company; designs, Oppenheim Architecture

Example of how a tiered plaza could function at the corner of Howell Mill Road and 11th Street beside retail spaces. Courtesy of The Allen Morris Company; designs, Oppenheim Architecture

Subtitle Developer Allen Morris seeks city permission to build higher in Howell Mill Road corridor

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South Downtown entrepreneurs add 2 buildings to huge portfolio Josh Green Fri, 07/05/2024 - 14:44 Since taking the reins on eight blocks of Newport RE’s former South Downtown holdings, the tech entreprenuers who head Atlanta Ventures have said acquiring even more properties isn’t out of the question, should the right opportunities come along.

Once again, they’ve put their locally harvested, debt-free money where their mouths are.

Atlanta Ventures recently added two Peachtree Street buildings totaling more than 20,000 square feet near Underground Atlanta to their portfolio, with plans to likely activate them as construction home bases as soon as possible. The team’s holdings include more than 50 buildings and 6 acres of parking lots south of Five Points MARTA station, just east of Centennial Yards’ remake of the Gulch.

Following about three months of negotiations, Atlanta Ventures, led by David Cummings and Jon Birdsong, now owns 77 Peachtree St. (13,300 square feet) and the building next door at 81 Peachtree St. (8,800 square feet), which is known as The Bootery and has been empty for years. Both were publicly listed for sale and are surrounded by buildings the developers already own—“It was really two missing teeth in the portfolio,” as Birdsong describes it—and are not considered historic, so historic tax credits won’t apply toward their renovations.

Atlanta Ventures has hired two project managers expected to start work early this month, and plans call for those employees to use the Peachtree Street buildings to manage construction along Hotel Row almost immediately.

“We’re going to get in there, do work to understand the condition [of the buildings], and likely use them for construction offices,” says Birdsong.

From left, 77 and 81 Peachtree St. today in South Downtown. Google Maps

Elsewhere, work is revving up on what’s called “Project Elle,” an L-shaped collection of more than 25 buildings that begins at Ted Turner Drive/Mitchell Street and bends around to Broad Street and up to Five Points. Plans call for converting that to more than 100 adaptive-reuse apartments, 150,000 square feet of commercial space, and 31,000-square-foot Atlanta Tech Village—Sylvan, the downtown coworking answer to Buckhead’s tech startup hub. (The latter component is scheduled to break ground this month, says Birdsong.)

Atlanta Ventures’ goal is to be under construction on the majority of those buildings by the end of the year.  

“We are using historic tax credits, so there’s some stuff out of our control,” says Birdsong. “[Permitting paperwork] is being submitted as quickly as possible… obviously, with everything on Hotel Row, [we want to] make sure [it’s] active, alive, and vibrant for the 3.5 million people that are coming here for the World Cup in 23 months.”

Another focus is a turning a parking lot near the intersection of Mitchell and Broad streets into “a beautiful kind of town square” before the World Cup, says Birdsong.

Atlanta Ventures

“We’d love to have all of [Broad Street holdings between Mitchell Street and MLK Jr. Drive] complete in time for the World Cup,” says Birdsong. “We just don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver. There’s a lot of those buildings we have architects working on actively right now, analyzing what can be done, what can’t, and how do we leverage historic tax credits for those.”

As Birdsong acknowledges, the South Downtown project entails a lot of moving parts at the moment. Here’s quick Q&A rundown on other aspects:  

Regarding the largest building in the portfolio, 222 Mitchell, which was purchased in foreclosure in March. It was previously under construction as an office conversion, but Atlanta Ventures’ plans now call for housing:

“There have been three architects that have put fresh eyes on it, and we’re taking all of July to analyze and sharpen our pencil around the model on whether it can fit our yield criteria,” says Birdsong. “We’re going to be patient, but we’re acting with urgency. 222 is a huge part of the plan, and we’ve got to figure out how to fit the puzzle pieces together so that it makes sense. [Because historic tax credits won’t apply], that is a traditional real estate play.”

The outlook on Crates—South Downtown’s record store and third business—opening along Hotel Row. (The concept, with its focus on used records, is being put together by Daryl Harris, who operates Little Five Points staple Moods Music.)

“We had meetings with contractors [the last week of June], and I would say September [for an estimated opening date],” says Birdsong. “We’re down to the nitty-gritty details on budget and, ‘Are we keeping this in, or out?’ from a design perspective, which has been really exciting.”

On the South Downtown project’s debt-free financing, culled from the original Atlanta Tech Village’s start-up successes:

“This is all money and dollars from businesses started on Peachtree Street and Piedmont Road," says Birdsong. "This is all local money. That can’t be iterated enough, as we’re as local as it gets. [Cummings] is going to invest nine figures cash into Project Elle. We’ll call it $100 million.”

General scope of Project Elle across South Downtown blocks. Atlanta Ventures

On transparency in the redevelopment process so far:

“We’re a pretty open-book. We’re not trying to do anything under people’s noses, but we’re also going to make some tough decisions that not everybody’s going to like. But it’s all for the downtown that the majority of Atlantans want, which is active and vibrant—and safe, that’s a big one.”

Miscellaneous:

Atlanta Venture is currently in talks with potential tenants for the six Hotel Row spaces that haven’t been leased. Those could range from soul food and pizza to Cuban cuisine and more, according to the property owners.

Around the corner, Birdsong believes the section of Broad Street between Mitchell Street and MLK Jr. Drive, with its historic brick structures and intimate scale, has potential to be the most “charming and unique block” in the entire city. 

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From left, 77 and 81 Peachtree St. today in South Downtown. Google Maps

General scope of Project Elle across South Downtown blocks. Atlanta Ventures

Atlanta Ventures

Subtitle Catching up with Atlanta Ventures for latest on "Project Elle," Hotel Row, pre-World Cup plans, more

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Letter to Editor: 4 new MARTA stations would be massively expensive Josh Green Fri, 07/05/2024 - 10:33 Editor’s note: An aerospace engineer by day, Reynoldstown resident Kevin Butler describes himself as a frequent Atlanta BeltLine user and all-around transit enthusiast. Obviously. Frustrated with lack of details provided (so far) from the Mayor’s office and MARTA, Butler launched his own research pertaining to, in his estimation, the feasibility and cost of four proposed infill transit stations located along heavy rail lines near the BeltLine loop.

It’s admittedly an outsider’s perspective—but Grade A meaty food for thought. Note: The following letter has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

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Dear Editor,

I’ve been pondering the latest distraction from BeltLine Rail, the city’s proposed (but unfunded and undesigned) four infill stations on MARTA heavy rail. These stations—at Krog Street, Murphy Crossing, Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, and Armour Yards—have been touted as cheap, quick, and easy improvements (relatively speaking) that can be done prior to, or as an alternative to, BeltLine Rail.

Those claims have been made without much substantiation—these plans are, again, unfunded and undesigned—so I decided to do some fact-checking myself.

First, let me say: I would love to see MARTA build infill stations. I think they’re a great idea, and should be built at some point in the future. However, what I want to show here is that they don’t need to be done first, and they won’t be easy or cheap. BeltLine Rail, in my opinion, remains a better and more cost-effective alternative.

MARTA did conduct a technical analysis of infill stations at all four of these locations during the 2016 More MARTA SPLOST initiative. None of the proposed infill stations were recommended for construction, due to high cost and low ridership impact.

Per MARTA’s own analysis, the cost to construct each station was roughly $103.5 million (Krog), $103.5 million (Murphy), $42.7 million (Boone), and $102.2 million (Armour) in 2016 dollars.

Collectively, that’s $351.9 million for all four proposed stations.

Doing some comparisons of my own, I believe these estimates to be quite low, but even using MARTA’s numbers, the cost of these four stations on existing right-of-way is equivalent to 6.4 miles of new-build BeltLine Rail. (That’s per MARTA’s own estimate of $55 million/mile for BeltLine LRT from the same study.)

Personally, I think the 6.4 miles of new connectivity is the much better deal.

But that’s all based on a very rough estimated cost, thrown together as part of a massive budget proposal. Let’s look at the costs and impact of building an actual heavy rail infill station, compared to other cities that have actually completed similar projects. (Disclaimer: I’m not a civil engineer or city planner; I’m an aerospace engineer by trade, so hopefully I’m not too far off base with my technical analysis).

A few heavy rail subway infill stations have been built in recent history. Comparable to the MARTA system I looked at: Boston’s Orange Line Assembly Station ($56 million in 2014 for a simple at-grade island platform station, entirely within existing right-of-way); Washington DC’s Potomac Yards Station ($370 million in 2023 for an at-grade station with elevated pedestrian infrastructure); and DC’s NoMa Gallaudet Station ($103.7 million in 2004 dollars—inflation adjusted to roughly $167 million today).

Courtesy of Kevin Butler

DC’s NoMa Gallaudet station seems like a good baseline comparison subject. It’s a relatively simple at-grade island platform station, built in an urban environment on vacant property, adjacent to heavy rail right-of-way. It also services the same modern high-capacity heavy rail transit vehicles as those used by MARTA.

Let’s call NoMa Gallaudet’s $167 million cost our baseline, and build from there.

• 1. Krog Street infill: This station location has two primary hurdles: station elevation, and real estate acquisition. The guideway at Krog is elevated roughly 60 feet above the street here; any station would be a towering behemoth similar to King Memorial down the street. Let’s double our baseline cost to start, just because everything will be on four-story stilts. Second issue is real estate. To the north there is no open land, to the south there’s CSX’s active freight rail line and Hulsey intermodal yard. All construction would need to weave itself around the active tracks and provide adequate clearance for intermodal operations (should CSX allow construction at all). An additional complication would be the fact that half of the station’s catchment is blocked by the CSX yard. Adding a pedestrian bridge could tack on an additional $50 million or more (as seen at WMATA’s recently opened Potomac Yards station, it too crossing CSX trackage). My estimate for Krog: $384 million. But hey, if CSX ever decides to give up its railyard real estate, Georgia Tech’s “MARTA Mountain” proposal sure would be cool.
• Courtesy of Kevin Butler
• 2. Murphy Crossing infill*: This location suffers the same elevation problem as Krog, but makes up for it with easy real estate. The entire station footprint could be built inside of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.’s own land at Murphy Crossing—just make sure it gets penciled in before the developers turn it into something else. This station could be built without much interruption to existing service. (It could be connected by new spur tracks, away from the existing right-of-way, compared to the construction nightmare Krog would pose with construction on top of existing rails). However, this station would also be a towering King Memorial-style elevated station, since the rails need to cross active Norfolk Southern right of way immediately before entering the station. I’ll give this one a relatively tame $200 million estimate.*

Courtesy of Kevin Butler

• 3. Joseph E. Boone Boulevard infill: In this location I’m inclined to agree more with the MARTA estimate. Assuming a stubby two-car platform like Bankhead’s, this at-grade location (slightly trenched below grade) could be cheap and easy. Only major downside here would be private property acquisition. I’m counting four or five private residential lots and one multifamily property that would need to come down to build this station. Let’s round up to $50 million to fund the inevitable eminent domain lawsuits.
• Courtesy of Kevin Butler
• 4. Armour Yards infill: This location isn’t too technically challenging, but looking at the catchment area around the station, I wonder why this one really needs to be built? I see two viable platform locations, both at-grade, one entirely on MARTA’s yard property (requiring some minor realignment of yard tracks), and one farther south that will impact three to four private parcels. Neither are particularly great for rider access. To the west, Norfolk Southern’s rail line blocks pedestrian access (even getting the BeltLine across here will be a massive ordeal; the train company has required several redesigns from ABI to get the trail across their tracks). To the north, Peachtree Creek, CSX rail, and MARTA’s own yard block the way. To the south, the imposing Interstate 85 and Buford Connector overpasses cut off the rest of the city. This station would truly only serve a small pocket of businesses, while most others in the area would be better served by going a half mile up the road to Lindbergh Center station. I’m not opposed to a station here—it just falls very low on my list of priorities. We’ll keep this one at the baseline estimate, $167 million.
• Courtesy of Kevin Butler

I could go further and look at actual construction impacts. Building elevated infill stations along elevated guideway is unprecedented, and at best would require extended single-tracking (at worst long-term closure of the affected lines), but at this point, those details are hypothetical. If nothing else, these engineering constraints would simply result in higher overall cost.

So—all in, we’re looking at $801 million for four stations and no new guideway.

Compared to MARTA’s $55 million/mile for BeltLine Rail, that could buy us 14.5 miles (and all the associated station stops) of light rail; or put simply, 66 percent of the entire BeltLine light-rail loop. Done cleverly, BeltLine Rail could service every proposed infill location with a streetcar stop, add dozens of stops in between, and still maybe have a little money left over.

As a first step, that makes a lot more sense to me.

Disclaimer: Take this all with a massive grain of salt. These are rough estimates I made as a non-expert. If the City of Atlanta or MARTA can disclose more precise plans and details, I welcome them. Lacking any detail from the politicians, this is what I have come up with myself, as a transit-enthusiastic citizen who wants to see something—*anything—*get built.

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Courtesy of Kevin Butler

Courtesy of Kevin Butler

Courtesy of Kevin Butler

Courtesy of Kevin Butler

Subtitle Engineer posits that BeltLine Rail system makes more financial sense for intown mobility

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Plans halted for $230M Five Points redevelopment rollout Josh Green Fri, 07/05/2024 - 12:53 Downtown transit riders won’t be encountering as many changes as MARTA had initially planned this month—at least not yet—as a summer of Five Points redevelopment controversy and fluctuation continues.  

MARTA officials say talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens continue, regarding what’s officially called the Five Points Transformation Project, a costly renovation the mayor has asked be halted until a MARTA audit is complete.

Meanwhile, MARTA says eight downtown bus routes that were scheduled to be relocated starting Saturday will instead remain stationed out of Five Points. Other changes impacting customers that were scheduled to begin July 29—including all entries and exits from street level—will also be halted for now.

“We are pausing the immediate implementation of service impacts,” wrote the transit agency in an announcement.

MARTA maintains the best route forward is to pull off Five Points’ concrete canopy and replace it with a modernized, brighter covering, with customer safety being the top priority. The current canopy has been subjected to decades of water intrusion that’s led to damage around the station, including to crucial electric train control equipment, according to MARTA.   

MARTA officials have provided a short, one minute and 47 second YouTube clip with commentary from Five Points’ original architect for more insight on the station’s design flaws, water intrusion, and current damage.

The transit agency “remains steadfast in our belief that removal and replacement of the canopy is the best option, and one that was approved by our partners at the City of Atlanta,” reads a MARTA media statement released this week. “We pledge to continue working with the mayor and other stakeholders to deliver these critical infrastructure and safety improvements, enhance the customer experience, and keep Atlanta moving forward as a world-class destination.”

A refined preview depicting how the opened-up transit hub could look and function. Courtesy of MARTA

In recent weeks, MARTA’s Five Points redevelopment plans—and the schedule for executing them—has been a source of friction between the transit agency and city leaders, mobility advocates, and powerful downtown boosters who’ve raised concerns about the designs and extended impacts on people who depend on downtown transit access.

Last month, opponents organized a rally in hopes of persuading MARTA to reconsider its $250-million renovation and closure of street-level access. 

Detractors, including several city councilmembers, have publicly come out against MARTA’s redesign plan on the basis, in their view, it would detract from a town-square feel and restrict pedestrian and cycling access in favor of infrastructure for 10 bus routes that connect there.

MARTA leaders have acknowledged that changes to the Five Points redevelopment strategy are in the works. That could include the installation of a temporary elevator at Five Points to accommodate riders with disabilities during construction who would otherwise have to exit trains and take a shuttle bus between Georgia State and Peachtree Center stations to avoid closures at the central transit hub.

MARTA officials have stressed the full Five Points renovation is estimated to take four years, but that street-level access wouldn't be impacted for that long. MARTA engineers are currently studying ways to open at least one entrance to the Five Points station to allow for street-level access to the facility during construction, but that’s not expected to come until after the canopy is fully removed after 18 months.

Once the overhaul is finished, MARTA hopes the bunker-like, 1970s transit hub will be more of a vibrant, centralized city center with smoother access to trains and buses.

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Subtitle MARTA hits pause on planned closures, bus service impacts at busiest, largest station downtown

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Atlanta's first e-bike rebate initiative called roaring success Josh Green Wed, 07/03/2024 - 11:52 Leaders of Atlanta’s first e-bike rebate program say it’s generated an impressive wave of interest from diverse applicants across the city.

According to the Atlanta Regional Commission, 8,888 people—or more than 2 percent of the city’s entire adult population—applied for e-bike rebates of up to $2,000 prior to the program’s June 23 deadline for the first round of awards.

ARC, which is administering the program, says the first batch of 413 recipients for discounts on electric bicycles has now been picked via lottery, with selectees currently being notified.

Three-quarters of the $500,000 in rebates issued are going to Atlantans with low-to-moderate incomes, according to ARC officials.

The Atlanta City Council in January approved a $1 million investment to establish the city’s e-bike rebates—the first in Georgia, and just the third for any city in the Southeast—as a means of providing more affordable transportation options, thinning out traffic congestion, and improving air quality in the city.  

Income-qualified Atlanta residents are eligible to receive $1,500 rebates for standard e-bikes, or $2,000 for larger cargo e-bikes with additional room for passengers, groceries, or other loads. (Americans generally spend around $2,000 on their first e-bike purchase, according to eBicycles, though cheaper and much more expensive models are out there.)

The rebates are capped at one per City of Atlanta resident, and all e-bikes must be bought from a participating, brick-and-mortar local bike shop, with a dozen of them to choose from.

In a program update, ARC officials report that bike shop owners throughout the city “say they’ve been flooded with interest in the program … [and] some customers who heard about the program were even persuaded to buy an e-bike without even applying for a rebate.”

Of the nearly 9,000 applicants so far, 44 percent reported being income-qualified, meaning they earn at or below 80 percent of the metro’s median household income. The program’s income limit varies, based on the size of households, but starts at $60,200 for individuals.

According to ARC data, neighborhoods on Atlanta’s west and south sides saw the largest share of income-qualified applicants, with about 30 percent of them reporting they don’t own a vehicle, compared to 7 percent of other applicants.

About 44 percent of those applicants said they mostly wanted an e-bike to commute to work, versus 30 percent of the general applicant pool.

Courtesy of Atlanta Regional Commission

If you weren’t picked in the first lottery round, hope isn’t lost.

According to ARC officials, another application window is tentatively scheduled to open by late August (with selections the following month), followed by another window in the fall. More details over here.

According to Propel ATL, a local nonprofit that advocates for safe pedestrian and bike infrastructure in the city, a rebate program of $5 million would have been needed to ensure that all applicants to date would have had a 50/50 shot at being picked via lottery.

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Subtitle Tally of nearly 9,000 applicants indicates strong interest across city, project leaders report

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Amtrak ‘excited’ by potential of new Atlanta intercity rail hub Josh Green Wed, 07/03/2024 - 10:37 As first reported on these pages last month, Amtrak’s general and legislative annual report for fiscal year 2025 includes a request for nearly $30 million in federal funding to secure a development site for a new intercity rail hub in Atlanta—and to start the process of building it.

Officials with America’s National Railroad Passenger Corporation have now responded to our inquiries to praise Atlanta’s potential as a strategic hub location, but they aren’t divulging where it could possibly be built in the city.  

Amtrak has pinpointed intown Atlanta for a new station that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and, eventually, reestablish the city as the important rail hub it historically was. It’s part of Amtrak’s ambitious national growth spurt and hiring spree. According to Amtrak’s report, some of the Atlanta land in question is “at imminent risk of development,” but the location is referred to only vaguely as being in downtown Atlanta.

Whether “downtown” in this case actually means downtown Atlanta, or is a general reference to more urban parts of the city, isn't yet clear.

In response to questions regarding to the potential hub’s location and development process, Amtrak officials supplied a statement Tuesday that reads, in part, “We are excited to work with local, state, federal, and railroad partners to help secure a site for an improved and expanded Amtrak station in Atlanta.”

Being that three Atlanta-anchored rail corridors have been accepted into the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, “a new [Atlanta] station could support existing service as well as future expansion,” Amtrak’s statement continues. “Securing funding will support the initial planning and design, and advance the project toward creating a new station to meet the needs of customers and is worthy of a major metropolitan region.”

Courtesy of High Speed Rail Alliance

As revealed in June, Amtrak’s $29.9 million grant request for “Atlanta Hub” would support property acquisition to preserve future railroad right-of-way and "ensure that the Hub station site can be connected with existing main line track,” per the report. The funding would also help cover early phase prerequisites such as engineering and work to have the project cleared under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.

But that funding would only be a start. Amtrak estimates the new Atlanta facility would cost roughly $700 million once needed infrastructure investments are factored in. That includes new trackage to separate passenger service from freight operations.

Amtrak has signaled interest in recent years to reestablish Atlanta as a predominant railroad hub, with routes fingering out to Charlotte, Nashville, Macon, Montgomery, Birmingham, Savannah, and other cities. Today, just one Amtrak line serves Atlanta—the New York City-to-New Orleans Crescent.

Amtrak’s report states the modernized new station would boost the customer experience on the Crescent route and link Atlanta with new intercity passenger trains to cities small and large—Chattanooga, Greenville, SC, Memphis, and Meridian, MS are all named—in addition to the airport.  

The grant request isn’t tied to any proposals already moving through the FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development program process, but it’s compatible with that effort, per Amtrak.

In 2022, the Atlanta City Council passed a resolution urging Amtrak to consider downtown as a viable location for a rail hub; at the time, the $5-billion Centennial Yards megaproject was considered the leading alternative, with the Armour Yards district near Lindbergh also being mentioned.

In April, Armour Yards was revealed as one of four locations where Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wants to see BeltLine-connected MARTA infill stations built in coming years, though how those would be funded remains a question mark.

Meanwhile, Centennial Yards has seen fencing erected this week to restrict Gulch parking access and begin development of its next phase, an 8-acre entertainment district scheduled to be operational in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the AJC reports. 

Atlanta’s current Amtrak station, as the report details, was built in 1918 in what was then a suburban setting, designed for a small number of passengers. Other drawbacks include no parking, no connections to local transit, an undersized waiting room, and poor access from the station building to its single platform below, which is a particular challenge for disabled passengers, the report notes.

The request for Atlanta funding came as part of $4 billion in Amtrak grant requests for base needs and modernization of its system as passenger numbers are on the uptick. According to CEO Stephen Gardner, Amtrak is on pace to grow its ridership to 66 million annual passengers—more than doubling peak ridership in pre-pandemic 2019—by 2040. In fiscal year 2025, Amtrak expects ridership to reach nearly 35 million.  

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Subtitle Passenger rail corporation isn't disclosing intown site at risk of unrelated development

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Photos: Touring Midtown's modern, elegant new Emmi tower Josh Green Tue, 07/02/2024 - 13:43 On a recent afternoon when temps nipped 100 degrees, developer Jarel Portman made an observation on the breezy, 10th-floor pool deck of his company’s latest luxury Midtown sky-rise: “It’s not hot up here.”

Catching cooling wind currents a few blocks from the downtown Connector is one design perk of Emmi Midtown, a 31-story Spring Street high-rise that marks JPX Works’ second Midtown venture and a modern-elegant mashup that could justify the urbanist hype.

Two years after breaking ground on a relatively tiny, .54-acre site at the southeast corner of Spring and 18th streets, the 326-unit Emmi project began leasing in early June, and the remaining 1/3 of units currently undergoing finishing touches are expected to deliver early this month.

Portman, who led a tour alongside his peppy dog Lorenzo, JPX principal Josh Herndon, and the author’s design-obsessed daughters, says leasing is “going very well” and that lessons learned during the company’s past Atlanta projects were incorporated into Emmi. (Example: Rooftop pools, while great, can be an expensive hassle). The building’s lobby embraces midcentury-modern vibes, while other aspects wouldn’t look out of place at top-flight Hawaiian resorts—or at converted warehouses in West End.

Situated atop nine levels of parking (one space per bed), the entire 10th floor is devoted to amenities, ranging from chic reading areas, secluded WFH-friendly nooks, to party-ready poolside zones with views from Atlantic Station to The Benz.

“There’s a bipolarity of the building, in a good way,” said Portman.

The poolside loungers and sun ledge are meant to lend the feeling of a beach club. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Rents at the Emmi building—a joint venture between JPX Works and development partners Zeller and Manulife Investment Management—now start at $1,795 monthly for an 11th-floor, south-facing studio unit. The priciest option at the moment is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse with Midtown views and a balcony, asking $7,720 monthly. (As with many new buildings in the city, two months of free rent is being offered as an incentive.) 

Atlanta-based firms RJTR architecture and interior designers Square Feet Studio joined general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie in delivering the project, which topped out in October. Plant purveyors The Victorian Atlanta were brought in to add greenery.

The building's poolside bar and lounge, designed to encourage socializing. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Dutch-style fire pits and long custom couches catch the 10th-floor breeze. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The project replaced a vacant, one-story building that had most recently housed The John Marshall Law School’s Blackburn Conference Center. According to JPX officials, the building’s name was inspired by architectural elements of the façade that resemble the letters “E”, “M”, and “I”—a tactic that echoes the company’s Lilli project’s branding farther south in Midtown.   

Swing up to the gallery for a photo tour from Emmi’s base level to the high-ceilinged penthouses.

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Emmi Midtown's southern face, from the corner of 17th and Spring streets. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

One of two parking or loading entries at the 31-story building's base. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Emmi's alternating glass panels and balconies on the north facade. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the building meets the corner of Spring and 18th streets, opposite the Center for Puppetry Arts. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Interiors of the lobby off Spring Street nod to midcentury-modern aesthetics. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Variety of lobby seating. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Wide-plank oak flooring carries throughout common areas. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The spacious package room off the lobby, where a theme of large, communal tables begins. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Golden inlays in the elevator lobby continue the MCM theme. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

One of eight private work stations on the 10th floor, which is fully devoted to amenities. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Communal work desks with north views toward Buckhead. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Emmi gym, where tan leather accents were incorporated to warm up the otherwise dark, industrial-feeling space. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The building's "movement studio" for meditation and programmed classes such as yoga. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The building's poolside bar and lounge, designed to encourage socializing. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The lounge aesthetic was inspired by Bali. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The poolside loungers and sun ledge are meant to lend the feeling of a beach club. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Durable teak furniture off the pool. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Dutch-style fire pits and long custom couches catch the 10th-floor breeze. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Views over the Ascent Midtown Apartments pool next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Communal outdoor tables and west views to Atlantic Station. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Windmill palms dot the pool area. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A mega projector screen and communal seating near the pool. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Southwest views over 17th Street toward Georgia Tech. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Balcony arrangements over the pool deck. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

South views to Midtown Union and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Seating banks in the pool lounge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Example of a 12th-floor model unit with northwest views. This has two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,187 square feet. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Model unit kitchen, with a balcony at left. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The model floorplan rents for $5,400 monthly. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Multi-paned windows that block out traffic noise on lower floors were a special focus, according to Portman.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 12th-floor hallway. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

This top-floor, one-bedroom penthouse has 12 and 1/2 foot ceilings for framing views from Stone Mountain to the heart of Midtown. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

On the flipside of the building, this two-bedroom penthouse peers out to Kennesaw Mountain, Sandy Springs, and Emory University. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Buckhead views from top-floor, north-facing units. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Vehicle entry along Spring Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the Emmi tower meets Spring Street sidewalks. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Emmi branding and the lobby entry along Spring Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle How 31 stories of residences, amenities came together on tight Spring Street site

Neighborhood Midtown

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City: New 'Blight Tax' crackdown to boost Atlanta neighborhoods Josh Green Tue, 07/02/2024 - 11:13 Is a vacant, crumbling house or rotting industrial property bringing your Atlanta street down? A new measure recently introduced by city leaders, if approved, will aim to do something about that.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and District 3 city councilmember Byron Amos have partnered to introduce legislation that would create a “Blight Tax” as a means of cracking down on absentee landlords—including corporations—and neglected properties throughout the city.

The proposal would allow Atlanta municipal courts to hike tax bills by up to 25 times more than current tax rates for properties considered blighted albatrosses that further disinvestment in neighborhoods.  

The Blight Tax ordinance would authorize city officials to take advantage of a program approved by Georgia voters in recent years that’s meant to persuade property owners to redevelop or remediate blighted real estate, according to a city announcement.

Broadly speaking, the tax penalties have the potential to “fundamentally [change] the economics of neglectful land speculation” across Atlanta. Similar measures have been implemented around Georgia and other states as a “surgical, judicial enforcement tool” applied to vacant, neglected properties that could have otherwise sat vacant for decades, dragging down local communities, per city officials.

Condition of Bankhead's long-vacant Danzig Hotel in 2020, prior to its redevelopment as affordable housing project The 345. Google Maps

The 345 project's March 2023 ribbon-cutting. Courtesy of City of Refuge

Some key points regarding the potential Blight Tax:

• The program would not apply to any property that’s occupied. (Last thing the city wants is to involuntarily displace residents.)
• In hopes of further incentivizing home and property owners, any blighted property that gets remediated and returned to a productive use could be eligible for a discounted tax rate once the work is finished.
• Large-scale properties that significantly impact neighborhoods would be special cases. Those property owner would first have to agree to a “detailed redevelopment plan that addresses neighborhood objectives around connectivity, transportation, and public amenities that benefit the entire community,” per the city announcement.

Amos, the councilmember, said the issue hits close to home in District 3, which covers sections of Midtown, the Marietta Street Corridor, and Westside neighborhoods such as Vine City and English Avenue.

The district’s residents “have for too long been subjected to neglected, blighted properties whose owners are content to wait to cash in,” Amos said in a prepared statement. “The Blight Tax will give us much greater leverage in persuading these owners to clean up their property or sell them to a better steward who will.”

Dickens called the new policy another means of rooting out negligent property owners in Atlanta. “[It] will equip the city with a powerful tool for cracking down on corporate, absentee owners,” said the mayor, “who treat property as a cheap investment vehicle rather than part of the fabric of our communities.”

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Condition of Bankhead's long-vacant Danzig Hotel in 2020, prior to its redevelopment as affordable housing project The 345. Google Maps

The 345 project's March 2023 ribbon-cutting. Courtesy of City of Refuge

Subtitle Tax will give "greater leverage in persuading [absentee] owners to clean up their property or sell"

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Forthcoming Atlanta BeltLine section sees fresh pavement, bridges Josh Green Tue, 07/02/2024 - 09:35 A relatively short but important leg of the Atlanta BeltLine loop that will stitch together numerous neighborhoods west of downtown has recently made significant progress.

Atlanta BeltLine Inc. reports that all five bridges along the forthcoming Westside Trail Segment 4 have seen steel framework installed, with concrete also poured on four them.

Meanwhile, the 1.3-mile trail section has been paved from where it currently ends at Lena Street (alongside the Washington Park greenspace) up to its first of several elevated sections in blocks north of there. All walls needed for Segment 4 have also been poured, according to BeltLine officials.

Once finished, Segment 4 will connect Washington Park up to Bankhead and Historic Westin Heights, creating the longest BeltLine section to date—6.5 miles—in conjunction with the rest of the Westside Trail, the connector trail that shoots out of downtown, and the Southside Trail’s first finished segment.

Steel handrails being installed on an elevated leg of Segment 4 last week. via Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Scope of the Westside Trail section in question (circled in red) with completed BeltLine sections around it. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Along with bridges and a 14-foot-wide concrete pathway, Segment 4 will include a fiber duct bank, vertical connections to neighborhood streets, security cameras, and lighting, alongside storm drainage and management systems that include green infrastructure.

With its elevated pathways and new bridges, the project has been described by BeltLine leaders as especially complex.  

BeltLine officials also reported in recent days the project’s fiber duct bank is finished between Lena Street and Washington Manor Drive—a little less than hallway toward its full length—and that stone walls under the Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway underpass are being installed now.  

Looking south toward Washington Park, where steel handrail sections were being installed along the Westside Trail a week ago. via Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

The north-south trail section, situated directly west of Midtown and downtown, will incorporate a section of historic rail bed called the Kudzu Trail. In places, it will include views to downtown landmarks such as Mercedes-Benz Stadium over the roofs and treetops.

According to BeltLine officials, Segment 4 remains on pace to open next summer.

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Looking south toward Washington Park, where steel handrail sections were being installed along the Westside Trail a week ago. via Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Steel handrails being installed on an elevated leg of Segment 4 last week. via Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Scope of the Westside Trail section in question (circled in red) with completed BeltLine sections around it. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Subtitle Westside Trail Segment 4 will complete multi-use path between SW ATL, downtown

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