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Push to save 'last free parking lot in Little Five Points' heats up Josh Green Mon, 07/01/2024 - 13:34 Little Five Points community leaders are banding together in hopes of saving the cost-free status of a tucked-away parking lot they say is vital for the neighborhood’s business vitality and vibrancy.

According to the Little 5 Points Business Association, the circa-1950 property is the last free parking option left for visitors, locals, and employees at the hip, funky shopping, dining, and entertainment district east of downtown Atlanta.

The alleyway lot in question is located off Euclid Avenue, behind longtime L5P businesses that include Criminal Records, Crystal Blue, The Porter, and dive bar Yacht Club, among others.

General location of the L5P free parking lot in question off Euclid Avenue, at Inman Park's border. Google Maps

Because of its secluded (and free) status, the parking lot has become a crucial “sanctuary” for L5P guests and employees who would otherwise “have to pay absurd amounts to park [up to $25 at peak times] or invade the neighborhood streets,” according to the association. A stream of through-traffic entering and exiting the lot also helps to act as a vehicle burglary deterrent, creating what the business association calls the safest parking lot in the district.

But that could soon change.

Parking company Park Place Parking has applied with the City of Atlanta for a special use permit to begin charging for parking in the lot behind the Euclid Avenue businesses. According to L5P leaders, who are asking the city to deny the application, the matter is set to be voted on at today’s Atlanta City Council meeting. The application was previously rejected 6-to-1 by NPU-N.

According to an email provided to Urbanize Atlanta, a petition calling for the parking lot to remain free has gathered more than 1,800 signatures.

The tucked-away parking lot in question in winter 2021. Google Maps

Neighborhood leaders say the lot has been free for many decades, and as such, aligns with a L5P Mobility Study that was previously approved by the city council.

“This is not an empty downtown lot that should be developed,” Kelly Stocks, L5P Business Association president, wrote in the email. “This is a small hidden old alleyway lot that the community depends on. This is a community issue.”

According to the association, “price gouging” at other L5P parking lots has caused “dire financial consequences” for the district’s businesses, which have seen foot traffic and nightlife decline as customers spend more money to park that would have gone to local stores and restaurants.

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• Little Five Points news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Little Five Points Amir Farokhi L5P Paid Parking Atlanta Parking Lots Candler Park Inman Park L5P Mobility Study NPU-N Atlanta Controversies Little 5 Points Business Association

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General location of the L5P free parking lot in question off Euclid Avenue, at Inman Park's border. Google Maps

The tucked-away parking lot in question in winter 2021. Google Maps

Subtitle Converting property to paid parking would pinch businesses, impact neighborhoods, detractors argue

Neighborhood Little Five Points

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Renderings: Slick concept unveiled for latest Portman Midtown tower Josh Green Mon, 07/01/2024 - 11:24 Exactly what Portman will bring to the table(s) at its multi-pronged Midtown development spanning a full city block continues to come into clearer focus.

Officials with the veteran Atlanta development firm recently provided fresh renderings and details pertaining to dining concept Sozou, which will bring renowned chef Fuyuhiko Ito back to the city and incorporate designs described as a fusion of modern elegance and natural elements. (Chef Ito called the Spring Quarter concept an “entirely new dining experience for Atlanta” in a recent statement.)

Portman has brought on international design firm PMTA Studio and Lazzoni Furniture Atlanta to design a restaurant that aims to push the boundaries of modern Japanese cuisine. It’ll be situated at the ground level of topped-out 1020 Spring, the office tower component of the broader project.

Expect 22-foot ceilings and a palette of earthy materials that will include stone, marble, wood, ceramic, and porcelain to emphasize a connection to nature. A bar near the open-air entrance will aim to blur lines between indoors and outdoors, while a dedicated sushi counter will allow guests to see chefs at work. At the mezzanine level, two private dining rooms—Sakura and Hana—will be intended for special occasions.

Plans for ground-level exterior elements and 22-foot ceiling heights at the 1020 Spring tower's Sozou. Courtesy of Portman

Designs planned for Sozou's bar area and entry. Courtesy of Portman

Portman’s schedule calls for opening Sozou in spring next year.

Above the main dining space on 1020 Spring’s eighth floor, another concept by the same chef—Omakase at ISHIN by Ito—is planned as a 14-seat experience for private guests in a space that emphasizes Midtown skyline views.

Dotan Zuckerman, Portman’s head of retail development, called Ito’s return to Atlanta “a significant gain for the city's culinary scene.”

The Sozou uncloaking follows more recent, restaurant-related news at other facets of Spring Quarter.

Interiors planned for the elevated Omakase at Ishin by Fuyuhiko Ito on the project's eighth floor. Courtesy of Portman

Ishin (left only) and Sozou designs. Courtesy of Portman

A Louisiana-based “urban Mexican” concept called Habaneros has signed on to take a 3,900-square-foot space at the base of the project’s 30-story Sora apartments, officials announced in May. Habaneros plans to open at the 370-unit residential tower’s ground level in summer 2025, with patios overlooking 10th Street. 

At the heart of the project, Steve Palmer, Indigo Road Hospitality Group founder, has been tapped to convert the full historic H.M. Patterson Home and Gardens into a 25,700-square-foot, morning-to-night dining space. The Charleston-based company is behind local concepts such as West Midtown’s O-KU, Avalon’s Oak Steakhouse, and Colony Square’s Sukoshi.  

Find more context and rendering previews in the gallery above.

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• Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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1000 Spring Street NW Portman Chapel Sora at Spring Quarter 1000 Spring Spring Quarter 1020 Spring Philip Trammell Shutze Portman Holdings Portman Residential National Real Estate Advisors 10th Street Fogarty Finger Cooper Carry JE Dunn H.M. Patterson House Midtown Alliance Connector Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Spring Hill Chapel H.M. Patterson & Sons-Spring Hill Chapel Atlanta Restaurants Atlanta History Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive-Reuse Historical Preservation Historic Atlanta Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates Sozou Chef Fuyuhiko Ito Noriyoshi Muramatsu Studio Glitt PMTA Studio Lazzoni Furniture Atlanta

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Plans for ground-level exterior elements and 22-foot ceiling heights at the 1020 Spring tower's Sozou. Courtesy of Portman

Designs planned for Sozou's bar area and entry. Courtesy of Portman

Interiors planned for the elevated Omakase at Ishin by Fuyuhiko Ito on the project's eighth floor. Courtesy of Portman

Ishin (left only) and Sozou designs. Courtesy of Portman

As seen in May, 1020 Spring's construction crane joined several others in surrounding Midtown blocks. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Latest rendering depicting the 1020 Spring office's west facade. Courtesy of Portman

Courtesy of Portman

The 1020 Spring building's eighth-floor terrace where an omakase concept is planned. Courtesy of Portman

Subtitle Nature-inspired design bound for noted chef’s Sozou at mixed-use Spring Quarter project

Neighborhood Midtown

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1020 Spring

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Rare ITP logistics hub opens near historic downtown, finds success Josh Green Mon, 07/01/2024 - 09:37 Despite recent turbulence in the industry on a national scale, one of the first industrial developments of its kind to be built inside Atlanta’s Interstate 285 Perimeter in more than a decade is quickly attracting tenants, according to project officials.

Stonemont Financial Group, an Atlanta-based real estate investment firm that specializes in industrial development, has signed its third sizable lease at Chamblee International Logistics Park since the Class A project finished construction near the city’s historic downtown in February.

The latest deal—a 45,000-square-foot lease with Aramark Refreshments—brings the rare new ITP logistics hub to about 50 percent leased, according to Stonemont and its venture partner Seven Oaks Company.

The four-building, 236,000-square-foot complex took shape at 3311 Catalina Drive, about a half-mile from MARTA's Chamblee station and just north of the area's airport, DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.

Fronting both Chamblee Tucker Road and Chamblee Dunwoody Road, the 30-acre site was previously vacant, and project heads have said 6 acres were left empty for future development.  

The 30 acres where Chamblee International Logistics Park has come together (shown prior to construction), just north of the area's airport. Courtesy of Stonemont Financial Group

Courtesy of Stonemont Financial Group

Aramark Refreshments—a food services and facilities provider, and subsidiary of Aramark—will lease the entirety of Building 4 at the industrial park. Previously signed leases totaled 17,128 square feet in Building 1, and 50,720 square feet in Building 2.

The project marked one of the first Class A industrial properties to take shape ITP over the past 10 years, according to Stonemont officials. David Kaplan, the company’s vice president, called the Chamblee address “one of the most desirable locations inside the I-285 perimeter” and “a rare find for an industrial complex of this size” in an announcement.

Beyond airport access, other aspects working in the project’s favor include Chamblee’s relatively low home prices and population growth, along with quick access to I-285 and I-85, according to Stonemont.

Industrial leasing across metro Atlanta stayed relatively healthy in the first quarter of this year. According to Stonemont’s tally, 7.2 million square feet of space was signed, with 74 percent of that being new deals. The company remains bullish on Georgia, with more than 2 million square feet of industrial development under construction or recently finished in the state, include a three-building project in Locust Grove that broke ground this month, marking one of the only projects of its size to move forward in 2024, per officials.  

In Chamblee, the development team also included Ware Malcomb architects, civil engineering firm Kimley Horn and Associates, and general contractors Catamount Constructors.

Courtesy of Stonemont Financial Group

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• Chamblee news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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3311 Catalina Drive Chamblee Chamblee International Logistics Park Industrial Development Industrial Park Stonemont Financial Group DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Chamblee Tucker Road Seven Oaks Company Kimley-Horn & Associates Catamount Constructors Ware Malcomb Industrial Locust Grove Industrial Parks Aramark Refreshments Interstate 285 I-285 Wilson Hull & Neal Aramark

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Courtesy of Stonemont Financial Group

The 30 acres where Chamblee International Logistics Park has come together (shown prior to construction), just north of the area's airport. Courtesy of Stonemont Financial Group

Courtesy of Stonemont Financial Group

Subtitle Chamblee International Logistics Park project now 50 percent leased, developers report

Neighborhood Chamblee

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South Downtown rebirth; Summerhill hotel prospects; ATL Trails Josh Green Fri, 06/28/2024 - 16:24 It's been a busy week in Atlanta—and for news that has nothing to do with international soccer, heat waves, and elderly gentlemen bickering about golf scores. Let’s recap:

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DOWNTOWN—For anyone who’s pulling for a more vibrant and cohesive South Downtown (and who isn’t?), the Atlanta Business Chronicle relays intriguing details about tech entreprenuers’ short-term plans for 15 acres of buildings and parking lots they acquired from German firm Newport last year.

Atlanta Ventures heads David Cummings and John Birdsong expect to pour at least $100 million (debt-free) into the next phase of South Downtown’s revival, with a goal of infusing Broad and Mitchell streets, along with Ted Turner and MLK Jr. drives blocks, with housing, offices, shops, and restaurants by the time 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives. The project is codenamed “Elle” for the shape the streets in question form near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the newspaper reports.

The planned look of Hotel Row mixed-uses, beginning with the Sylvan building.Courtesy of Newport

A boatload of building permits is in the pipeline, a hefty roster of local architecture firms is on board (including Smith Dalia Architects, Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, and Local Architects LLC), but exactly how many buildings stand to be revitalized (with the help of historic tax credits) remains to be seen.

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SUMMERHILL—Down in Summerhill, the former Ramada Plaza Atlanta Downtown Hotel’s on-again, off-again relationship with not being a vacant eyesore has taken another turn.

Atlanta Housing is exploring the viability of turning the 16-story structure (the neighborhood’s tallest) into 231 affordable housing apartments for seniors, as Atlanta Civic Circle reports. The housing authority is considering a resolution that would authorize it to approach the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and seek permission to close the deal on buying the vacant hotel from Atlanta-based Pellerin Real Estate, creators of The Beacon in Grant Park and several projects in East Atlanta Village.

The former Ramada's parking and elevated amenities.Courtesy of Bull Realty

Atlanta Housing and Pellerin entered a pending sale agreement in January involving the vacant structure. The authority’s real estate committee would ask the feds for permission to spend up to $17.5 million on the property—in an area where values are quickly ballooning.

The former 400-room hotel property is sandwiched between a variety of new development but still overlooks vast parking lots to the south. Two neighboring parcels have sprung to life as Alliance Residential’s 300-unitBroadstone Summerhill luxury apartments, and to the west, Georgia State University’s new convocation center, basketball arena, and concert hall.

Pellerin bought the 450 Hank Aaron Drive hotel property at auction in 2020 for just shy of $14 million.

Courtesy of Bull Realty

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CITYWIDE—Wanna weigh in about Atlanta’s budding network of multipurpose trails and greenways?

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation has partnered with the PATH Foundation to allow you to do that—again—right now, via the next round of the Trails ATL initiative. The survey takes about five minutes.

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• Reader poll: Poll: What are Atlanta's chances of landing Sundance Film Festival? (UA)

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ATL News Roundup Summerhill Ramada Plaza Trails ATL PATH Foundation housing affordability South Downtown Affordable Housing Atlanta Ventures Newport Downtown Atlanta ATL Trails

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

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Georgia Tech bridge concept keeps winning awards. Let's do this? Josh Green Fri, 06/28/2024 - 14:14 A unique, student-designed bridge concept that would link Georgia Tech’s campus to quickly developing blocks around Northside Drive and historic Westside neighborhoods continues to gain applause (and hardware) from industry professionals.

The concept—dubbed the Westside Community Connector Bridge—has been honored this month with a top award from the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia, or SEAOG, marking a rare achievement for student work, according to Georgia Tech officials.

Conceived during Georgia Tech’s fall 2022 semester by a team of graduate students in a civil engineering and architecture studio, the project’s goal is to provide a safe route for pedestrians and bicyclists from the John Lewis Student Center on campus (near the Randall Bros. Construction Materials site redevelopment), over active railroad lines, to the Science Square research and office area, where a two-tower expansion with housing finished construction earlier this year.

Previously, the bridge project won an in-house competition at Georgia Tech judged by academics and industry professionals. This month, it won the Outstanding Project Award in SEAOG’s “other structures and services" category, competing against non-building projects such as pavilions, monuments, towers, art installations, and sculptures. 

Every two years, the organization selects the best projects from around Georgia to honor with its Structural Engineering Excellence Awards.

“It’s extremely rare for a university course to win a SEAOG award for Engineering Excellence,” Lauren Stewart, a Williams Family Associate Professor and co-instructor of the course, said in an announcement. “These awards are typically industry-driven with a focus on real projects.”

Which begs the question: Why shouldn’t the bridge also be real?

Rendering of the relatively lightweight concept meant to accommodate, but separate, pedestrians and bicyclists. Georgia Tech/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The bridge’s student designers and winning duo—Charles Kim (architecture) and Isaac Wasson (civil engineering)—were inspired by a class trip to London and designs of that city’s iconic Millennium Bridge.

The bridge design calls for a concave bicycle path and convex pedestrian walkway constructed with FP decking, a material that’s lighter and more resistant to corrosion than a metal-and-concrete deck system, per school officials.

Another highlight of the Westside Community Connector Bridge concept calls for unobstructed skyline views, which would be protected by active rail below. Much of the bridge, per Kim and Wasson, could be prefabricated off-site to expedite its construction.

General future location of the Westside Community Connector Bridge and related pedestrian infrastructure. Google Maps

Previously, judges at Georgia Tech praised the design’s elegance from both architectural and engineering standpoints—and the fact it was the least expensive of five competition finalists.  

According to Georgia Tech officials, the Connector concept will be “used as inspiration to one day make this type of campus pedestrian bridge a reality,” though no timeline or budget has been set.

The student-generated bridge design isn't alone in its goal to reconnect Midtown and Westside neighborhoods.

Roughly a block north of Science Square, officials with the PATH Foundation and Georgia Tech, alongside private property owners, have compiled a vision for another Westside link to Georgia Tech, and vice versa, as a replacement for the century-old Bankhead Avenue Bridge. Also, a couple of blocks west of there, the 1.7-mile Westside BeltLine Connector opened in 2021 as a multi-use trail link between downtown and the area around Westside Park.

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• Georgia Tech news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Westside Community Connector Bridge Uzun+Case Atlanta Bridges Bankhead English Avenue Science Square North Avenue Research Area John Lewis Student Center Randall Brothers Construction Materials Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering Northside Drive London Structural Engineers Association of Georgia SEAOG

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General future location of the Westside Community Connector Bridge and related pedestrian infrastructure. Google Maps

Rendering of the relatively lightweight concept meant to accommodate, but separate, pedestrians and bicyclists. Georgia Tech/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Subtitle Student-designed structure would link campus to Science Square, historic neighborhoods

Neighborhood Georgia Tech

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Next to Krog Street Market, Butler Building lands full-floor tenant Josh Green Fri, 06/28/2024 - 12:02 Inman Park’s expanded Krog District has landed a tenant for a full floor at its largest commercial addition.

Atlanta-based skincare and anti-aging clinic Muse Skin Health and Aesthetics plans to relocate from its current Inman Park space on North Highland Avenue and open at 99 Krog St. in about six weeks.

Muse will occupy the entire fourth floor of The Butler Building, a four-story retail and office structure immediately south of Krog Street Market that finished construction last year.

As designed by Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis, an Atlanta interior designer, the 7,000-square-foot “skincare oasis” a block off the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail will feature “warm wood tones, concrete floors, sleek accents, and a bright, inviting atmosphere” along with iron-clad windows, according to Muse reps.

Plans call for 17 treatment rooms total.

The Butler Building's Krog Street frontage in early 2023 as construction was finishing. Google Maps

Plans for the Muse lobby on the Butler Building's fourth floor. Rendering by Jessica Davis at Atelier Davis

Muse was founded in 2020 by Atlanta native Ansley Branch (owner and nurse injector) and specializes in facials, injectables, laser therapies, regeneration treatments, peels, and other treatments, per the company. 

A public grand opening for Muse is planned from 4 to 7 p.m. on August 9, and the business will open for regular hours Monday, August 12.

Krog District finished its expansion in early 2023, following two years of construction.

As designed by ASD/SKY architecture firm, changes around the district included two new retail and office buildings—clad in brick with steel structural bones—that replaced a gravel parking lot and industrial/automotive buildings. Elsewhere, existing properties such as Atlanta Stove Works were opened up and enhanced with retail corridors, new storefronts, landscaping, lighting, and seating, most notably around BrewDog Atlanta brewery.

The Butler Building includes an attached, 186-space parking garage. Its first level is slated for retail, with the three floors above left in shell condition for future tenants.

Capital Real Estate Group/Asana Partners

Example of raw space and views at the Butler Building. Capital Real Estate Group/Asana Partners

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• Inman Park news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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77 Krog Street NE Butler Building Muse Skin Health & Aesthetics Ansley Branch 99 Krog Street NE The Krog District Krog District Capital Real Estate Group Krog Street Market Balfour Beatty Construction Asana Partners SRS Real Estate Partners Atlanta Stove Works Paces Properties ASD|SKY SPX Alley Toll Brothers Emerson on Krog Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail Beltline Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Balfour Beatty Atelier Davis

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The Butler Building's Krog Street frontage in early 2023 as construction was finishing. Google Maps

Example of raw space and views at the Butler Building. Capital Real Estate Group/Asana Partners

Plans for the Muse lobby on the Butler Building's fourth floor. Rendering by Jessica Davis at Atelier Davis

Capital Real Estate Group/Asana Partners

Subtitle Skincare clinic takes 7,000 square feet at Inman Park’s The Krog District

Neighborhood Inman Park

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The Krog District New Building 2 The Krog District - Phase 2 The Krog District New Building 1

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With grant award, Hapeville aims to boost historic downtown appeal Josh Green Fri, 06/28/2024 - 10:27 Hapeville’s longstanding mission to establish itself as a more vibrant southside artists’ mecca is getting a boost from a national placemaking initiative.

The south ITP city of 6,600 residents known for its airport proximity, vibrant downtown, and abundance of Porsches was one of five recipients recently picked for the GM on Main Street Grant. The awards go to nonprofits and municipal government entities near General Motors facilities that are aiming to implement innovative placemaking ideas in their local districts.

According to Nikki Cales, Hapeville’s Main Street and grants coordinator, the city has received $50,000 from GM and Main Street America, a national program dedicated to uplifting older and historic downtowns and commercial districts.

Hapeville’s project consists of the fabrication and installation of two sculpted, metal and neon signs that harken back to the city’s past and early 1900s buildings, while also providing wayfinding and “color, excitement, and whimsy,” per program leaders.

Pedestrian-level view of Arts District placemaking signage planned at 748 Virginia Ave. Courtesy of Hapeville Main Street

According to Cales, one sign will be installed at 748 Virginia Ave. in front of the recently reimagined former gas station that’s now Atlanta Printmakers Studio. “The arts district sign ... will honor the style of the building while also creating a new visual focal point at a major downtown intersection,” reads the program’s description.

The second installation will be an “Arts Alley” sign at the entrance to Hapeville’s Arts Alley from Dearborn Plaza. That alleyway behind historic downtown buildings—formerly blighted and rarely used—has been remade over the past decade into an artsy focal point of the city.

One entrance and plaza at Hapeville's Arts Alley. Google Maps

Courtesy of Hapeville Main Street

The grant program favored applicants whose ideas were focused on placemaking with an emphasis on pedestrian safety, inclusion, and scalability for other Main Street initiatives. 

Other cities to receive $50,000 grants in 2024 include Bowling Green, Ky., Columbia, Tenn., and both Holly and Pontiac in Michigan.

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• Hapeville news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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748 Virginia Ave. City of Hapeville Atlanta City Centers Hapeville Main Street Board Atlanta Printmaker’s Studio General Motors Downtown Hapeville Hapevile Arts Atlanta Downtowns South Fulton Hapeville Arts Alley

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Pedestrian-level view of Arts District placemaking signage planned at 748 Virginia Ave. Courtesy of Hapeville Main Street

One entrance and plaza at Hapeville's Arts Alley. Google Maps

Courtesy of Hapeville Main Street

Subtitle ITP city picked for national placemaking program from GM, Main Street America

Neighborhood Hapeville

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Photos: How developments near Greenbriar Mall turned out Josh Green Thu, 06/27/2024 - 18:16 As reported on these pages last week, a pair of housing developments with relatively affordable ITP rents have begun leasing in Southwest Atlanta, following two years of construction. Each is aiming to attract both new residents and future business opportunities in Greenbriar Mall’s once-thriving retail district.

Readers have asked what those projects look like, in the flesh. In response, representatives for affordable housing developer Dominium have provided photos ahead of a scheduled July 9 ribbon-cutting for the two residential projects, which were completed on formerly underused sites adjacent to Greenbriar Mall.

Collectively, the $135-million projects have brought nearly 500 units of more attainable housing to sites previously heavy with parking lots along Greenbriar Parkway, adjacent to the 1960s mall that’s struggled—like many—in recent years after losing anchor tenants.

Both projects are located in the Greenbriar community, next to Interstate 285 and just west of East Point.

Courtesy of Dominium

The Paramount is a multifamily complex with 240 apartments and a range of amenities, while Briar Park Senior Living has brought 244 units for independent-living tenants ages 55 and older. Both are described by project reps as being high-quality.

Household income and student status limitations do apply at both new complexes; a single occupant, for instance, can’t earn more than $45,180 annually. Both projects have qualified for the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. 

Project officials say rents for one to three-bedroom apartments are capped at 60 percent of the area median income at both The Paramount and Briar Park.

At The Paramount, units with a single bedroom and bathroom in 686 square feet start at $1,113. Larger options—three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,228 square feet—start at $1,511 per month. Those rents buy access to Paramount amenities that include two outdoor playgrounds, a yoga studio, a dog park, swimming pool with lounging area, and a fitness center, among other perks.

Meanwhile, at Briar Park, rents are similar ($1,115 monthly) for one-bedroom, one-bathroom rentals in 686 square feet. But smaller three-bedroom, two-bathroom options (in 1,008 square feet) also start at just over $1,500 monthly.  

Renting restrictions at Briar Park stipulate that one household member must be at least 55 years old—and that all other tenants are at least 40 years old.

For context, Apartments.com pegs the average monthly rent in Atlanta at $1,569 right now, a 4.3 percent dip since last June. 

Courtesy of Dominium

Where the two residential complexes have been completed southwest of downtown, adjacent to the 1960s mall property. Google Maps

Developed in conjunction with the Beverly J. Searles Foundation, the projects marked the first for Dominium within the City of Atlanta, and the second in Georgia overall. They were also Dominium’s first contractor joint-venture with Atlanta-based builder H.J. Russell and Co. Elsewhere, Dominium owns and manages 26 affordable communities across Georgia and has been working in the state for nearly a decade, officials tell Urbanize Atlanta.

Georgia state officials and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens are scheduled to speak at the ribbon-cutting event next month, according to Dominium reps.

Greenbriar’s mall, as designed by legendary Atlanta architect and developer John Portman’s firm, debuted in 1965 as a pioneering enclosed shopping center with air-conditioning and a food court, both rare features at the time. Two years later, the mall would welcome the world’s first Chick-Fil-A.

But today, Greenbriar Mall is a shell of its former self, having lost cornerstone big-box tenants such as Burlington Coat Factory and Macy’s in recent years.

Invest Atlanta officials have said the injection of new housing and population boost will serve as a catalyst in attracting future development, retail, and other services to the mall corridors and broader Greenbriar neighborhood. Have a closer look at how it came together in the gallery above.

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• Affordable housing news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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2841 Greenbriar Parkway SW Greenbriar Mall Greenbriar Paramount Atlanta Malls Affordable Housing Invest Atlanta Briar Park Dominium Development & Acquisitions Beverly J. Searles Foundation Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Southside Interstate 285 I-285 H.J. Russell & Co. H.J. Russell Company

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Courtesy of Dominium

Courtesy of Dominium

Courtesy of Dominium

Courtesy of Dominium

Courtesy of Dominium

Courtesy of Dominium

Where the two residential complexes have been completed southwest of downtown, adjacent to the 1960s mall property. Google Maps

Example of a kitchen space at Briar Park Senior Living. Dominium/Briar Park

Subtitle Southwest Atlanta projects delivered nearly 500 housing options near 1960s shopping center

Neighborhood Greenbriar

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Paramount, Briar Park

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City scores $16M for transit stop, biking, pedestrian upgrades Josh Green Thu, 06/27/2024 - 16:53 Good news for alternate transportation enthusiasts of Atlanta: The city has landed a significant injection of federal funding for an initiative that aims to beef up transportation, bicycling, and pedestrian infrastructure between Midtown and Atlanta’s largest greenspace.

Upper Westside Community Improvement District and city officials announced today a $16-million federal RAISE grant—that’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity—has been awarded to a multimodal project called Westside Thrive.

Westside Thrive is aiming to retrofit dangerous roads, build bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and improve transit stops between Westside Park and Georgia Tech, a distance of roughly three miles. Its broader goal is to bring widespread, critical infrastructure upgrades to communities that have historically been underserved on Atlanta’s Westside.

The initiative has also received a $6.9 million local match from the city’s Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure program, bringing the total allotted budget to $22.9 million. (Westside Thrive was previously known as “Westside Park Multimodal Access” until the Atlanta City Council elected to change it, an effort to better reflect goals of connectivity, accessibility, sustainability, and increased safety.)

According to project leaders, funding will go toward design and construction of walking and biking paths, stormwater management fixes, improved bus stops with seating and shade, and pedestrian-scale lighting along several key corridors in the area: 10th Street, Brady Avenue, Johnson Road, West Marietta Street, and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard.

Those improvements will “reconnect historically industrial neighborhoods bisected by railroads where multimodal infrastructure was never conceived” and link them with job centers, according to an announcement today. Those neighborhoods include English Avenue, Grove Park, Howell Station, Marietta Street Artery, and Rockdale.  

As a next step, Upper Westside CID officials are aiming to start soliciting  proposals from qualified engineering and design firms sometime next year.

Project leaders cautioned that Westside Thrive’s large scale means it will take several years to design and permit through the city. Construction isn’t expected to begin until 2027.

Local officials credited U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and Congresswoman Nikema Williams, will helping to bring the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE funding to fruition.  

“We're addressing over a century of transportation neglect, connecting residents to major employment hubs, educational institutions, and recreational areas,” said Elizabeth Hollister, Upper Westside CID executive director, in today’s announcement.

Below, find a before/after preview of changes planned for 10th Street, West Marietta Street, and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard (in that order, from top) courtesy of Upper Westside CID officials:

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Westside Thrive RAISE Grant RAISE Grants federal funding Upper Westside Upper Westside Community Improvement District U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Westside Park Atlanta Bike Lanes Bike Lanes Georgia Tech Moving Atlanta Forward Moving Atlanta Forward 2022

Subtitle Westside Thrive initiative aims to boost infrastructure between Georgia Tech, Westside Park

Neighborhood Marietta Street Artery

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Photos: Historic East Lake Golf Club bounces back from massive reno Josh Green Thu, 06/27/2024 - 14:07 At one of metro Atlanta’s most historic and prestigious golf courses, the vast, muddy, red-clay expanses of last winter have given way to the bright greens of early summer.

As our latest aerial tour over Atlanta shows, the massive, multi-million-dollar makeover of historic East Lake Golf Club has entered the back nine, so to speak, following a year-long closure scheduled to end this summer. 

East Lake closed after the conclusion of last year’s Tour Championship in August to embark on a course overhaul that aims to echo the links played by Atlanta golf icon Bobby Jones and other legends in decades past. It’s scheduled to be finished in time for the 2024 Tour Championship.

Broad view over the course's water features, looking west, with downtown and Midtown in the distance. Urbanize Atlanta

An aerial photo from 1949, recently uncovered by course officials, has been used as a blueprint to revive East Lake’s former playability, look, and feel. That included bunker reshaping and relocations, tree removal, and more mounding and greens to reflect characteristics of the bygone era.

Maryland-based Andrew Green of A.H. Green Design—coined “golf's new hottest architect” by GolfDigest—led the renovation.

Originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1904, East Lake (and its recognizable Tudor clubhouse) officially opened four year later, before undergoing a Donald Ross redesign in 1913, followed by other changes in the 1960s.

Atlanta developer Tom Cousins bought the club in 1993 and hired Rees Jones to restore it, and in 2016 the nines were reversed.

Renovations around East Lake's iconic Tudor clubhouse, where Atlanta golf legend Bobby Jones was in attendance as a child in 1908 when the building originally opened. Urbanize Atlanta

Looking west, East Lake neighborhood treetops and Stone Mountain are visible. Urbanize Atlanta

According to a club announcement last year, several holes have been adjusted to reflect Ross’ original routing, and the driving-range lake was extended to be more in-play at hole No. 18. Meanwhile, the green at par-3 hole No. 9 was been lowered and moved to the left, also to bring a water feature more in play.

All changes, per the club, were made as a nod to history and to appeal to players of all skill levels, including “the PGA Tour’s best players each year during the Tour Championship.”

Have a closer look from above the historic course in the gallery above.

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• East Lake news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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East Lake Golf Club Golf Atlanta Golf Courses Golf Courses Eastside Atlanta Greenspaces Atlanta History Atlanta Architecture Bobby Jones Historic Atlanta Historic Buildings Historic Sites aerial tours Urbanize Photos Photo Essays Andrew Green A.H. Green Design Tom Cousins

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Broad view over the course's water features, looking west, with downtown and Midtown in the distance. Urbanize Atlanta

Looking west, East Lake neighborhood treetops and Stone Mountain are visible. Urbanize Atlanta

Renovations around East Lake's iconic Tudor clubhouse, where Atlanta golf legend Bobby Jones was in attendance as a child in 1908 when the building originally opened. Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

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Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Course redesign aims to recapture look, playability of 1940s glory, east of downtown Atlanta

Neighborhood East Lake

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First look: Ormewood Park mystery build unveiled at last! Josh Green Thu, 06/27/2024 - 11:55 For a couple of months, Ormewood Park residents, neighborhood leaders, and former property owners have wondered aloud (in emails) what’s going on with construction at the highly visible northwest corner of Gracewood and Moreland avenues, where a vacant lot has been cleared in preparation for … something.

Following a bit of sleuthing (and patience), the answers have arrived: Construction is underway on a brick-clad infill project called The Gracewood that just might qualify as old school.

SLR Investments—the company behind another new eastside residential build, the Alley of Edgewood—purchased the .7-acre lot in Ormewood Park for $1.06 million last year.

Located at 1160 Gracewood Ave., the site is immediately south of the Ormewood Square commercial hub that’s home to Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream, Little Azio, and other businesses. It’s also across the street from Pollo Primo restaurant and roughly a half-mile south of East Atlanta Village.

The Gracewood's site in relation to Moreland Avenue (in blue) and East Atlanta (at right). Google Maps

The Gracewood's Moreland Avenue facade. Courtesy of SLR Investments

According to project officials, The Gracewood calls for a loft-style, three-story apartment building with 36 units fronting Moreland Avenue, with some greenspace situated around the site for tenants. Surface parking (one space per unit) will be situated behind the building, according to plans compiled by Place Maker Design architects.

All apartments will have a single-bedroom, with either outdoor spaces or porches, according to SLR reps.

It’s too early in the development process to specify rent prices, but project officials hope to begin leasing new units sometime next summer at a location billed as “the heart of Ormewood Park.”

Scope of clearing work across the .7-acre site, with Moreland Avenue shown at right. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Overview of the 1160 Gracewood Ave. site plan, with neighboring single-family property shown at top. Courtesy of SLR Investments

According to Ormewood Park residents Brent Huff and Mike Gardner, who’ve called the neighborhood home for nearly 30 years, the property used to house an apartment complex in disrepair that was torn down several years ago, leaving the lot empty ever since.

The project hadn’t come through NPU-W land use and zoning vetting processes or other neighborhood meetings, “so we can only surmise that no variance was needed, or it was obtained very long ago,” wrote Huff and Gardner in a joint email.

Find more context and all available imagery for The Gracewood in the gallery above.

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• Ormewood Park news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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1160 Gracewood Avenue The Gracewood SLR Investments Place Maker Design Moreland Avenue Atlanta apartments Atlanta Lofts Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Jonathan Rich Pollo Primo East Atlanta Village Southeast Atlanta Apartments in Atlanta New Construction Seven Real Estate Group Ormewood Square Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream Little Azio

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The Gracewood's site in relation to Moreland Avenue (in blue) and East Atlanta (at right). Google Maps

Overview of the 1160 Gracewood Ave. site plan, with neighboring single-family property shown at top. Courtesy of SLR Investments

Scope of clearing work across the .7-acre site, with Moreland Avenue shown at right. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Gracewood's Moreland Avenue facade. Courtesy of SLR Investments

Closer look at the planned layout of Gracewood lofts. Courtesy of SLR Investments

Construction progress at the Ormewood Park corner site last week. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Project that's baffled neighbors is loft-style venture called The Gracewood

Neighborhood Ormewood Park

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New Georgia Opportunity Zones aim to uplift parts of SW Atlanta Josh Green Wed, 06/26/2024 - 17:26 A program that’s helped create thousands of jobs and lent economic boosts to parts of Atlanta has now been approved for two important corridors on the city’s southwest side.  

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has designated areas of land along Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and on Campbellton Road near Greenbriar Mall as Opportunity Zones in an effort to attract economic investment, officials with Invest Atlanta announced today.

In Georgia, the Opportunity Zone program aims to encourage job creation, economic revitalization, and business growth by providing tax credits to businesses that generate jobs within designated areas.

The Southwest Atlanta parcels in question, according to Invest Atlanta officials, met DCA requirements for Opportunity Zone status as they were deemed to be underdeveloped, blighted, and under general distress.

On Campbellton Road, the properties mostly fall within Atlanta City Council District 11, and on MLK Jr. Drive, they’re largely within District 10. (We’ve asked Invest Atlanta for specific addresses or a map that highlights the parcels in question, and we’ll update this story with any further details that come.)

Potential redesigns of MARTA's Oakland City station that came to light in 2022. Xmetrical

In any case, businesses located on the specified parcels are now eligible to apply for Opportunity Zone tax credits, a process coordinated in the city by Invest Atlanta.

In Georgia, the $3,500 (per job) state tax credit is made available to businesses that create at least two jobs in a tax year. The credits are good for up to five years—up to a maximum of $17,500, so long as the new jobs are maintained, according to program officials.

The sections of Campbellton Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive will join seven other Georgia Opportunity Zones currently active across the city. According to Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Invest Atlanta president and CEO, the Opportunity Zone programs have generated 4,601 jobs in underserved areas of Atlanta over the past five years.

“These new Opportunity Zone designations, extending from the West Lake MARTA station all the way to [Interstate] 285, will spark new economic activity and job creation in District 10 along the MLK corridor,” said Andrea Boone, Atlanta City Councilmember, in a prepared statement.

Those join more than 8,760 Qualified Opportunity Zones across the United States, each designated to spur economic growth and investment in distressed areas through tax incentives, as established under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The news follows MARTA’s announcement in April that the Federal Transit Administration has awarded a $750,000 grant that’s expected to put planning efforts into motion for equitable redevelopment of communities along MARTA’s future bus rapid transit line on Campbellton Road. (See examples of what that could look like in the gallery above).

The transit agency is working alongside City of Atlanta officials on that project’s planning phase, according to MARTA.

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• Images: 2 projects aiming to boost Greenbriar Mall area have arrived (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Campbellton Road MLK Jr. Drive Invest Atlanta Southwest Atlanta Greenbriar Greenbriar Mall Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Georgia Department of Community Affairs Marci Collier Overstreet Eloisa Klementich Andrea L. Boone U.S. Department of the Treasury Qualified Opportunity Zone

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Potential redesigns of MARTA's Oakland City station that came to light in 2022. Xmetrical

The scope of the future MARTA transit corridor being studied. Xmetrical

Potential development around Fort McPherson station could include (1.) mid-rise projects of four to five stories, (2.) an improved streetscape with dedicated bike lanes and other features, and (3.) urban-gridded blocks with connections to Tyler Perry Studios. Xmetrical

Subtitle Sections of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Campbellton Road designated for $3,500 (per job) tax credits

Neighborhood Greenbriar

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