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Images: Pioneering tiny home neighborhood back from dead, for sale Josh Green Fri, 06/21/2024 - 12:44 Eight years after making headlines as the first tiny-home community to ever move forward in metro Atlanta, a southside ITP project has risen from the grave and is back on the table with hopes of breaking ground in coming months, officials tell Urbanize Atlanta.

Now called East Point Cottages, the 40-home venture has begun pre-sales at an 8-acre site near downtown East Point, just north of Atlanta’s airport, according to its designers, the MicroLife Institute.

A new developer, Cumming-based Caerus Enterprises, has stepped in to move the paused project forward.

Plans call for standalone houses ranging from 500 to 1000 square feet, with a mix of modern and traditional styles and eco-friendly features MicroLife Institute aims to include with its projects. (Original designs, back when the project was called Eco Cottages at East Point, called for truly tiny floorplans starting at 250 square feet, and maxing out at 750 square feet.)

Active listings with Atlanta First Realty Group for the Cheney Street project are priced from $165,000 to $299,000.

Planned layout of the 40-unit tiny home project. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

East Point Cottages' least expensive option is listed at $165,000 for a single bedroom and bathroom in 500 square feet. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

According to John Beckman with Caerus Enterprises, the company’s goal is to break ground later this year and start delivering homes in spring or summer 2025, pending permitting.

Plans call for including pavilion areas and a community garden amongst the pint-sized domiciles, while emphasizing beautified landscaping.  

“We’re really hoping to bring people together and build a nice community for all to enjoy,” Beckman wrote via email. “I couldn’t be more excited about this project!”

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

This modern-style plan asks $299,000 for 1,000 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife’s Will Johnston says the project will aim to create a lifestyle tailored to small-footprint homebuyers who covet “community, simplicity, and sustainability.”

MicroLife, a nonprofit developer, gained recognition three years ago for its pilot project, Cottages on Vaughan, a Clarkston venture that quickly sold out. Those cottages were hailed as Georgia’s first tiny-home community at the time.

In the gallery above, find more context and a thorough preview of what’s planned for the East Point Cottages project.

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• East Point news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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The project's Cheney Street location near downtown East Point. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

Planned layout of the 40-unit tiny home project. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

East Point Cottages' least expensive option is listed at $165,000 for a single bedroom and bathroom in 500 square feet. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

Layout for the project's smallest floorplan. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

This East Point Cottages option will bring two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 750 square feet for $235,000. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

This modern-style plan asks $299,000 for 1,000 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

A more traditional plan with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,000 square feet. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

Another option with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,000 square feet. MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

MicroLife Institute; via Atlanta First Realty Group

Subtitle Prices at 40-unit East Point Cottages venture start at $165K

Neighborhood College Park/East Point

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Developer: Days numbered for pesky 'trash mountain' near BeltLine Josh Green Fri, 06/21/2024 - 11:05 When it comes to Boulevard Heights’ infamous mound of trash, public opinion could soon shift from “pee-yew” to “phew,” according to developers.

After nearly two years of work at the site, southeast Atlanta neighbors have reached out recently who’ve grown concerned that “trash mountain”—aka “Mount Rubbish”—shows few signs of going away, as construction crews continue to sort, pile, and remove garbage at the former landfill, and dump trucks keep roaring along city streets.

According to developer TPA Residential, brighter (and less trashy) days are on the horizon.

The Atlanta-based firm is 90 percent finished with landfill remediation at the site where United and Lester avenues meet—an undertaking described as significant and unique that has taken longer than initially expected, per project leaders.

The tremendous mound of excavated landfill trash where United Avenue meets Lester Avenue, as seen last year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

TPA’s plans call for mobilizing construction crews in August and beginning the development phase of the 1104 Avondale Ave. project, which is located less than two blocks from the BeltLine’s under-construction Southside Trail sections and Grant Park.

“We, and I’m sure the neighborhood, are looking forward to commencing the vertical development of the project in the very near future,” a project rep wrote to Urbanize Atlanta via email.

TPA Residential filed for permits last summer to pave the way for vertical development.

According to that paperwork filed with the city in August, TPA plans to start development with a single 212,000-square-foot building with 228 housing units—an uptick from 215 apartments outlined in previous plans. Beyond that mid-rise building, TPA expects to build 63 rental townhomes spread around 10 structures situated closer to United Avenue, according to site plans. As required by zoning, a small retail space will be included in one corner of the multifamily building.

A rendering for the 1104 Avondale Ave. project's multifamily portion submitted to the city last summer. TPA Residential

We’ve asked for an updated timeline on project delivery and more renderings and will update this story should that come. Initial renderings indicate the multifamily building could be called United Apartments. 

The 8.2-acre site in question was once home to a city-operated drinking water chlorination facility but had been a massive, abandoned landfill capped with fill-dirt for years. Sources have said roughly 150,000 yards of garbage had to be removed before the site could be ready for construction. Two previous development efforts by other companies at the site sputtered and ultimately pulled out.

The Development Authority of Fulton County approved a $3.7-million tax abatement for TPA to help with cleaning up the site in 2022. The development has also been approved for the Brownfield Tax Credit Program for “the voluntary cleanup and redevelopment of an environmentally contaminated site,” per TPA’s project website. Remediation and removal of the landfill will reportedly cost $7 million, and TPA plans to spend another $1 million building a BeltLine connection with lighting and landscaping.

Fifteen percent of the apartments and townhomes will be reserved as affordable housing, as required by BeltLine inclusionary housing rules, per TPA’s plans. As of 2022, the first units were expected to deliver in spring or summer 2024, but that’s clearly changed.

TPA’s plans for the apartments (ranging from studios up to three-bedroom options) call for 43 units to be reserved for tenants earning 80 percent of the area median income or less, according to earlier filings.

The site of TPA Residential's mix of rental townhomes and apartments along United Avenue, with the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor depicted at left, prior to construction. Google Maps

The Avondale Avenue project joins a flurry of recent development in that pocket of the BeltLine corridor, where construction on the next 1.2-mile stretch of the Southside Trail began in June last year. Empire Communities’ the Swift, a large townhome project with 120 units, claimed another vacant parcel next door several years ago.

Down the street, TPA also built a 275-unit project called The Penman on 6 acres that directly front the BeltLine, near the Southside Trail’s intersection with Boulevard. About 7,000 square feet of adaptive-reuse retail space was included in that project, too.  

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The tremendous mound of excavated landfill trash where United Avenue meets Lester Avenue, as seen last year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The site of TPA Residential's mix of rental townhomes and apartments along United Avenue, with the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor depicted at left, prior to construction. Google Maps

A rendering for the 1104 Avondale Ave. project's multifamily portion submitted to the city last summer. TPA Residential

Subtitle Remediation around "Mount Rubbish" nearly finished, construction on horizon, per TPA Residential

Neighborhood Boulevard Heights

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Report: MARTA pivoting from original Five Points station plans Josh Green Thu, 06/20/2024 - 15:30 To the chagrin of Atlanta mobility advocates, various downtown agencies, and even the city’s mayor, MARTA is continuing to move forward with plans to launch redevelopment of its largest and busiest transit hub next month. But that work might not be as restrictive to regular customers and downtown dwellers as previously thought.

As 11Alive News reports, MARTA engineers are currently studying ways to leave at least one entrance to the Five Points MARTA station open to allow for street-level access to the facility during what’s expected to be four years of construction. Previous plans have called for walling off the bustling hub—apart from a brief reopening period during Atlanta’s FIFA World Cup matches in two years—in an effort to keep pedestrians and users safe at street level as the station’s large concrete canopy and pillars are removed.

Keli Davis, MARTA’s director of facilities, told the news station the agency is responding to widespread concerns by pivoting its plans and conducting engineering studies and working with the project’s contractor to possibly improve station access while not diminishing safety.

Davis stressed that a solution involving reengineering will take time, and that Five Points is still slated to be closed starting July 29 without street access, allowing for the $230-million overhaul to begin.

Any entrance reopening won’t come until sometime after that closure date, Davis told 11Alive.

Another potential change, per Davis, could be a temporary elevator added at Five Points to accommodate riders with disabilities during construction.

According to MARTA’s initial plans, any customer that requires an elevator to transfer between the North and East lines, and the South and West lines, would need to exit trains at either Georgia State or Peachtree Center stations and board a shuttle to transfer between.

What’s not expected to change, as of now: Come late July, all Five Points bus routes will be rerouted to either Georgia State, King Memorial, or Civic Center stations. All Five Points restrooms will close. And StationSoccer, MARTA Market, and the station’s community garden will temporarily shut down during construction, while access tunnels to the Richard B. Russell Federal Building and Underground Atlanta will also close.

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

MARTA’s goal is to turn the bunker-like, 1970s transit hub into what the agency describes as a vibrant, centralized city center with smoother access to trains and buses. However, powerful downtown groups including Central Atlanta Progress have called on MARTA to slam the brakes on those plans and consider a redesign, while Mayor Andre Dickens has asked MARTA to keep Five Points station open until an ongoing audit of the agency is complete.

Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO, responded in a letter last week that all plaza-level closures are meant to protect riders and that altering the construction schedule would jeopardize federal funding for future MARTA projects and others around the city.

Meanwhile, the general public seems torn: An Urbanize Atlanta poll asking readers if MARTA should proceed with its Five Points redevelopment as planned has garnered nearly 700 votes as of this writing, with more "Yes" votes than some urbanists might expect. 

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Subtitle Goal is to make downtown hub more accessible during planned four-year renovation

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Downtown Decatur dog 'oasis,' eatery gears up for construction Josh Green Thu, 06/20/2024 - 13:42 Fear not, Fido pamperers of Decatur! A recent pause in construction activity does not mean a fetching new dog park and restaurant concept is D.O.A., according to project leaders.  

Dog-centric hangout Off Leash, billed as a “state-of-the-art oasis for canines and dog owners,” is expected to move forward with construction within roughly the next month, according to Michael Wess, a Bull Realty partner who brokered the leasing deal.

Off Leash is slated to open this year on a prominent downtown Decatur corner across the street from Kimball House restaurant and the city’s popular Dairy Queen.

Joe May Cleaners, a dry-cleaning business, relocated from the lone building at 240 and 250 E. Trinity Place earlier this year, as preliminary construction work moved forward. That work has paused in recent months as the project’s main building permits were applied for with the city, according to Wess.

“Those [permits] are mostly approved, and construction should begin in the next month or so,” Wess wrote via email. “Everyone is very excited to officially break ground.”

Off Leash

Overview and context of the properties today. Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

The Decatur project will mark the second location for Off Leash, with the first expected to debut this summer on Alpharetta’s South Main Street.

Off Leash’s plans to open in Decatur this fall have been bumped back, likely to spring 2025, according to Wess.

The .65-acre property in question includes an open field that’s long been a blank spot in downtown Decatur’s otherwise walkable, vibrant urban fabric. Next door is a low-rise building where the dry cleaners had operated before vacating to a new location nearby.

An Off Leash company statement previously provided to Urbanize describes the concept as a “premium dog park” where “doggie dreams come true.” Expect an indoor restaurant (for humans) offering a “casual, yet elevated, dining experience” with a large patio attached. (The patio will be dog-friendly, of course.) Next to that will be a private dog park, partially covered, that “will provide space for year-round play so pups and their people can let loose rain or shine,” reads the company statement.

Off Leash will also offer doggie memberships for return visitors. The company promises a team of trained “dogtenders” will be on hand to ensure cleanliness and that pooches are behaving themselves.

Off Leash

Off Leash won’t be the only dog-focused social concept to set up shop ITP soon.

As first reported on these pages, a 1950s office complex in Edgewood near Pullman Yards is expected to become the first Georgia location ofSkiptown, a “Disneyland for dogs.” That company’s website states the third announced Skiptown location will debut on Arizona Avenue sometime this summer.

Find more context and marketing materials that illustrate how the Decatur corner site will be activated soon. 

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Prior to pre-construction work, the building and corner lot in question at 240 to 250 E. Trinity Place in Decatur, as seen in May 2022. Google Maps

Overview and context of the properties today. Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Off Leash

Off Leash

One potential layout option with an emphasis on patios and greenspace, as shown in Bull Realty marketing materials. These renderings don't fully reflect how the Off Leash concept will look. Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Subtitle Fido-focused social hub Off Leash bound for vacated Trinity Place corner

Neighborhood Decatur

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BeltLine: Biggest budget yet will speed construction, build housing Josh Green Thu, 06/20/2024 - 10:52 The largest budget to date in the nearly two-decade history of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. will fast-track trail construction and allow the agency to more quickly create affordable housing near the 22-mile loop, officials announced today.

Boards of directors for both ABI and Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm, have approved passage of a $172 million budget for fiscal year 2025. BeltLine leaders say that sum includes funding to far surpass a goal of building or retaining 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030, the year all trail construction is scheduled to finish.  

That budget—a 12 percent increase over FY 2024’s budget—includes funding to purchase required land parcels for trail completion, mostly for the forthcoming Northwest Trail, a complex leg connecting the Westside to Buckhead. The budget also includes enough cash to exceed the BeltLine’s affordable housing goal by 30 percent, which translates to roughly another 1,700 units. BeltLine officials credited the “mechanisms for funding the BeltLine” with continuing to “successfully deliver the funding needed” for construction costs,  land buys, and other objectives, according to the announcement.

Clyde Higgs, BeltLine president and CEO, said the budget news signals “a historic and exciting time” for the project, as it moves “closer to completing the trail while meeting important goals,” per a statement.

Infrastructure work, at left, for the new sloped entry/exit point on the Southside Trail. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to the BeltLine’s tally, FY 2025 will see 13 active construction projects. The greatest share of the $172 million budget will go toward design and construction (49 percent), followed by real estate (23 percent), and affordable housing (12 percent), per the agency, which provided this breakdown of primary FY 2025 funding sources:  

• The BeltLine Tax Allocation District will provide 40 percent of the budget, or $69 million;
• Philanthropic sources will contribute 29 percent, or $49 million;
• The BeltLine Special Service District will provide 18 percent, or $32 million;
• And federal, state, and local agency grants will constitute 11 percent, or $20 million.

Despite rising development costs, BeltLine officials say 488 new affordable housing units are projected to deliver this year (through projects such as the recently opened Stanton Park Apartments in Peoplestown), with another 626 on pace to come online in 2025 (those projects include Ralph David House in Reynoldstown and Englewood Manor in Chosewood Park.)

Almost 1/3 of TAD spending will go toward affordable housing in the new budget, which includes funding for more land acquisition, predevelopment costs, and maintenance and restoration of the current 86 acres the BeltLine has acquired in recent years to build housing. All of that acreage is “actively moving through the development pipeline,” per agency officials.

BeltLine leaders are forecasting that 85 percent of the mainline trail—or 17.5 miles—will be complete by the time 2026 FIFA World Cup fans descend upon the city in two years. That will include more than 16 miles of connected, paved trails stretching from historic neighborhoods such as Blandtown in northeast Atlanta, through the Westside, around the southside to Piedmont Park, and to the southern reaches of Buckhead.    

To put that all in perspective, below is the most recent overview of where construction stands across the full 22-mile loop and ancillary projects (with apologies for the grainy map image): 

Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

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Subtitle Approved $172M to cover fiscal year with 13 BeltLine projects underway, agency says

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Photos: New town (more or less) is sprouting on Atlanta's southside Josh Green Wed, 06/19/2024 - 15:19 South of downtown, one of the largest redevelopment projects across the City of Atlanta right now continues to come out of the ground, as its eventual scope comes into clearer focus.

Spread across 34 formerly vacant acres along Boulevard in Chosewood Park, Empire Zephyr began work in earnest two years ago, banking on Atlanta BeltLine proximity and cheaper land prices in a relatively under-the-radar area that’s now witnessing a wave of development.

Officials with developer Empire Communities tell Urbanize Atlanta the Zephyr project has been “wildly successful” with “rapid sales,” following price adjustments, and is building or about to break ground on 100 more townhomes in its latest phase, all scheduled to deliver in the third and fourth quarters of this year.

Zephyr's proximity to downtown is illustrated at this height. Unrelated senior housing and Upton apartments construction is shown at top left. Urbanize Atlanta

A new rendering depicting Zephyr's under-construction pool and clubhouse provided by developers this week. Courtesy of Empire Communities

The hilly, 1335 Boulevard site—which counts views in places to downtown and Midtown—is located roughly a mile due south of Zoo Atlanta. A couple of blocks north is the under-construction BeltLine Southside Trail that’s expected to fully open in early 2026. 

Empire officials are now forecasting that Zephyr will eventually see 1,000 units of for-sale townhomes and multifamily dwellings built. Those will join pocket parks and what’s planned as a boutique retail village tucked in amongst the housing.   

With Zephyr, Empire expanded its operations as a means to quickly create more inventory and meet high intown demand for housing—and to reset the current price range for two and three-bedroom townhomes to start the high $300,000s.

“By offering a range of floorplans at varying price points,” reads a company statement sent via email this week, “Zephyr ensures that everyone, from first-time homebuyers (two bedrooms) to families looking for more space (four-plus bedrooms), can find a home that suits their needs and budget.”

Colorful facades coming together this month that echo Empire's Paintbox townhome community in Kirkwood. Urbanize Atlanta

In terms of sheer scope on Atlanta’s southside, the Zephyr project is rivaled only by the 40-acre Sawtell proposal (crickets there) and mixed-use plans for Fort McPherson’s remaining 96 acres.

Zephyr marks another substantial bet for Canada-based Empire on both the southside (see: the Swift townhome community in neighboring Boulevard Heights) and along various sections of the BeltLine. The growing Empire Stein Steel on the Eastside Trail and Empire Longreen off the Westside and future Northwest trails are two examples.  

As of now, a dozen Zephyr three-story townhomes are on the market, priced from $397,000 to $485,000, with two or three bedrooms and square footages ranging between 1,100 and 1,500.

Courtesy of Empire Communities

Where construction of Zephyr's centralized clubhouse stands today. Urbanize Atlanta

Amenities are set to include seven community pocket parks with open lawns, formal gathering spaces for events, outdoor seating including arbor swings, and a “hammock park,” developers tell Urbanize Atlanta. A modern-style clubhouse and pool, walking paths, and wide sidewalks are also in the works.

The project is situated near Chosewood Park's eponymous greenspace (where a ribbon-cutting for a new community playground was recently held) and just south of the BeltLine’s Boulevard Crossing Park, which is planned to eventually be expanded next door. (BeltLine officials completed land purchases needed to build that park in 2020, but it remains in planning stages.)  

Swing up to the gallery for a drone tour of Zephyr today (literally, this morning) and fresh glimpses of what’s to come.

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The Empire Zephyr project's 1335 Boulevard SE location, in relation to downtown Atlanta. Google Maps

Colorful facades coming together this month that echo Empire's Paintbox townhome community in Kirkwood. Urbanize Atlanta

Where construction of Zephyr's centralized clubhouse stands today. Urbanize Atlanta

Zephyr's proximity to downtown is illustrated at this height. Unrelated senior housing and Upton apartments construction is shown at top left. Urbanize Atlanta

Unrelated townhome development (at right) and future BeltLine park space located just north of the Zephyr site. Urbanize Atlanta

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View to Atlanta’s federal penitentiary at the end of Boulevard. Urbanize Atlanta

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A new rendering depicting Zephyr's under-construction pool and clubhouse provided by developers this week. Courtesy of Empire Communities

Exterior view of the forthcoming Zephyr clubhouse. Courtesy of Empire Communities

Greenspace against colorful facades. Courtesy of Empire Communities

Courtesy of Empire Communities

Courtesy of Empire Communities

Courtesy of Empire Communities

Courtesy of Empire Communities

The 34-acre Empire Zephyr site at 1335 Boulevard SE, as construction began. (Note: Aerial is a screenshot, not a video.) Courtesy of Empire Communities

Early plans for the Empire Zephyr internal layout and clubhouse. Courtesy of Empire Communities

The Empire Zephyr 359-home layout, with Boulevard depicted at right. Courtesy of Empire Communities

Subtitle Developer Empire says 1,000-home Zephyr project "wildly successful" so far in Chosewood Park

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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Does trio of new towers prove not all ATL high-rise design sucks? Josh Green Wed, 06/19/2024 - 12:15 Kudos to readers and commenters who’ve coined the perfect phrase to describe the design trend, generally speaking, for newer towers around Atlanta’s most rapidly growing districts: the glassy, high-rise cereal box.  

But as three new sky-rises that have finished construction or begun leasing this spring prove, that description isn’t always applicable. Thank goodness.

Despite rate hikes and ballooned construction costs, compelling design is indeed still viable, each project seems to prove. All three have put something in the skies over intown Atlanta worth actually pondering for a moment. While none of them are an overt, flashy architectural statement (surely not the intention in the first place), they aren’t instantly forgettable either.

Recent street-level photos of, from left, Momentum Midtown, Forth Atlanta, and Emmi, which have all come online this spring in Midtown and O4W. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

To put it more bluntly, are Momentum Midtown, Emmi Midtown, and the BeltLine-fronting Forth Atlanta project proof that not all buildings of significant height have to suck around here?

A quick primer, starting in Old Fourth Ward:

The distinctive Forth hotel tower, at left, and Overline Residences apartments, as seen from Historic Fourth Ward Park earlier this year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

^ On pace for a grand opening in coming weeks, 16-story Forth Atlanta is the $150-million boutique hotel piece of New City Properties’ broader Fourth Ward Project. It counts a diamond-patterned exoskeleton and interiors described as “rich and tailored,” a warmer contrast to the modern exterior of concrete and glass. Expect four food-and-beverage concepts, 196 luxury hotel rooms, and 39 apartment-style, furnished units designed for longer stays. As with the stair-stepped Overline Residences apartments next door, New York-based Morris Adjmi Architects designed the project.

"Emmi" branding over Spring Street. The building's "dynamic façade incorporates a large-scale framework, defined by random groupings of inboard balconies," per JPX. Courtesy of JPX Works; designs, RJTR (architecture), Square Feet Studio (interiors)

**^**After two years of construction, the 31-story Emmi tower is expected to see its first-move-ins this month over the intersection of Spring and 18th streets in Midtown. The “comfortably chic” building—developed by Atlanta-based JPX Works and partners Zeller and Manulife Investment Management, with designs by Atlanta’s RJTR architecture—brought 326 apartments to a postage-stamp, .54-acre corner site. The least expensive apartment option currently listed is a 466-square-foot studio on the 11th floor, near the pool, which is renting for $1,855 monthly.

Momentum Midtown's two new tower components, as seen looking north from 10th Street this month.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

**^**Also in Midtown, the two-pronged Momentum project by Toll Brothers Apartment Living includes Tetris-like facades with eye-catching geometry to the north and south. The 36th-floor rooftop is entirely devoted to amenities, including a pool and sundeck with cabanas, a game room, private dining space, plus a bar and lounge with panoramic city views. The least expensive apartment listed to date is a 500-square-foot studio going for $1,970 monthly, but larger options on choice floors are commanding rents north of $6,500.

Granted, none of these projects will make a dent in Atlanta’s affordable housing crisis, and none offer for-sale condo properties that could help Atlantans build equity.

But they do provide living and lodging options in a growing city—and in a refreshing way that, at worst, doesn’t trigger snores, and at best, just might be inspiring.

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Recent street-level photos of, from left, Momentum Midtown, Forth Atlanta, and Emmi, which have all come online this spring in Midtown and O4W. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Midtown, Old Fourth Ward projects share too-rare commonality of being worth looking at

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Former 'slum' reborn as tucked-away eastside apartment community Josh Green Wed, 06/19/2024 - 10:23 A cove of residential buildings off Memorial Drive that was once in such desperate shape DeKalb County leaders were determined to bulldoze it has been given a second chance at life.

Following extensive, ongoing renovations, a garden-style apartment community rechristened Canopy has begun leasing efforts at 3106 Memorial Drive, located between East Lake and Interstate 285 in the Belvedere Park neighborhood south of downtown Decatur.  

Spread across more than a dozen low-rise buildings, the gated complex is being marketed as a charming, quaint, and self-contained neighborhood where rentals ranging from studios to three-bedroom units “offer a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.”

Projected look of white-painted facades at the garden-style, low-rise apartment community. Liveatcanopyatl.com

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That’s a stark contrast from what the complex—formerly called Sky Blue Condominiums—used to be.

In 2010, DeKalb County government leaders singled out the vacant, 146-unit condo community as a victim of mortgage fraud that had devolved into a haven for squatters and the drug trade. It was part of a DeKalb initiative to remove blight and slums with funding from the federal government’s Great Recession-era Neighborhood Stabilization Program, but plans to raze the complex never materialized. The 1.3-acre property came up for sale a couple of years ago.

Today, the pet-friendly Canopy rentals might not technically qualify as affordable housing. But they’d allow renters to save a few hundred bucks per month off many new apartments of similar sizes in highly amenitized buildings in places like Midtown and Old Fourth Ward.  

The smallest Canopy rental options—studios with 420 square feet—start at $1,350 per month.

The largest three-bedroom, two-bathroom offerings listed to date start at $2,100 monthly for 1,185 square feet.

Example of a Canopy living room. Liveatcanopyatl.com

Example of the largest, three-bedroom plan currently offered at Canopy. Liveatcanopyatl.com

Onsite amenities are listed as a dog park, an outdoor gathering space, and the aforementioned front gate. In-unit perks include stainless steel appliances, laundry rooms, and “wood-style flooring,” according to marketing materials.

Proximity to Avondale Estates, Kirkwood, and shopping and dining along the Memorial Drive corridor is also cited as a plus.  

Head up to the gallery for Canopy context and images.  

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Canopy's 3106 Memorial Drive location in relation to Decatur, downtown Atlanta, Interstate 285, and other points of interest. Google Maps

Liveatcanopyatl.com

Projected look of white-painted facades at the garden-style, low-rise apartment community. Liveatcanopyatl.com

Example of a Canopy living room. Liveatcanopyatl.com

Liveatcanopyatl.com

Liveatcanopyatl.com

State of construction at the tucked-away Canopy project, beyond security gates. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Entry off Memorial Drive today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

420-square-foot floorplan for the smallest, least expensive Canopy option. Liveatcanopyatl.com

Example of the largest, three-bedroom plan currently offered at Canopy. Liveatcanopyatl.com

Subtitle Garden-style Canopy project flaunts access to downtown Decatur, East Lake, more

Neighborhood Belvedere Park

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Photos: How Google remade old warehouse in 'Upper Westside' ATL Josh Green Tue, 06/18/2024 - 16:07 Seven years after the concept was initially unveiled, the former industrial warehouses of The Works district continue to see new life in Atlanta’s so-called “Upper Westside.”

The latest addition at the Underwood Hills adaptive-reuse development is Google Fiber, which celebrated an expanded footprint in Georgia with the opening of its The Works offices last month. The move comes in advance of expected Google Fiber growth around metro Atlanta this year, following years of downsizing, dashed timelines, and other delays.

Positioned at the back of the warehouse district away from Chattahoochee Avenue, near Bread N Butter content studio and Dr. Scofflaw’s at The Works brewery, the new 500 Chattahoochee Row offices house what’s called GFiber’s Atlanta Metro team, according to project officials. The space totals 9,560 square feet.

Exterior of The Works' 500 Chattahoochee Row building today. Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

GFiber, which began its internet service in Atlanta in 2015, is expected to fan out its high-speed broadband internet service to more local neighborhoods, using fiber-optic cable linked to homes and businesses. GFiber is found today in about 20 U.S. metros, and locally the service spans from Alpharetta and Duluth to Lithonia, Stone Mountain, East Point, and Smyrna, among other municipalities. 

According to owner and developer Selig Enterprises, the 80-acre, multi-phase The Works project will include 500,000 square feet of office space overall.

The veteran Atlanta real estate firm spent eight decades assembling the 40 old warehouse structures that comprise the project today, alongside ground-up new development such as the Westbound at the Works residential complex.

Lobby of Google Fiber's new 9,560-square-foot offices. Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Beyond Google, more recent additions in the district include Damsel, a cabaret restaurant and cocktail bar, entertainment concept Your 3rd Spot, and the latest intown location of Fetch dog park and bar.

Swing up to the gallery for a quick tour of Google’s new Atlanta digs.

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Exterior of The Works' 500 Chattahoochee Row building today. Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Lobby of Google Fiber's new 9,560-square-foot offices. Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Courtesy of Google Fiber/GFiber Atlanta Metro

Subtitle New Google Fiber offices took 10K square feet at The Works in Underwood Hills

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Unique 'mini home' project bound for Atlanta's eastern metro Josh Green Tue, 06/18/2024 - 14:21 Over the past decade or so, the tiny home phenomenon has taken the nation (and shelter-focused television) by storm. But what about mini homes?

One such project, The Benison ATL, is a new multi-use development that recently began early planning stages and hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking on the massive property of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The popular megachurch is located in Stonecrest, about 20 minutes east of downtown Atlanta. 

The Benison's first phase will feature the construction of 120 mini homes offered at prices below what's available in more centralized intown places, according to project officials.

So, what is a mini home? No, it isn’t a tiny house, according to Anthony Williams, the lead developer on The Benisonproject.

Williams stresses the distinction between a tiny home and a mini home comes down to size, as tiny homes don’t usually entail more than 400 square feet of interior space. The Benison’s residential offeringswill be larger, however, and comprised of both mini homes and townhouses.

New Birth

New Birth

The project, which is set to span 35 acres of New Birth’s whopping 270-acre landholding, currently has no official construction timeline. Williams hopes to obtain construction permits this summer in order to begin true construction by the end of fall, he tells Urbanize Atlanta.

Once complete, the mixed-use development will include 336 units beginning at $150,000. The smallest units will be 650 square feet, with the largest clocking in at just over 1,200 square feet.

According to New Birth Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, the goal of the project is to offer an affordable pathway to homeownership for a wide range of demographics. The project would be the first major development effort by New Birth in 20 years.

How the proposed Benison ATL site appears today on church property in east metro Atlanta. Eljay Imlay

New Birth

The planned site is located just south of Interstate 20, roughly a five-minute drive from the Mall at Stonecrest. The property also sits directly north of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, which features a 33-mile network of Atlanta’s PATH trail system.

The completed property will reportedly include an amphitheater, multiple greenspaces, and a swimming pool. Williams says residents will have designated parking spots outside of their homes, as opposed to a community lot. Dining and retail options will also be located within the 35-acre property, according to promotional materials. 

New Birth, considered the largest land-owning Black church in the U.S., expects The Benison project to ultimately come together across three phases. 

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New Birth

How the proposed Benison ATL site appears today on church property in east metro Atlanta. Eljay Imlay

New Birth

New Birth

Subtitle New Birth Missionary Baptist Church behind mixed-use endeavor christened "The Benison ATL"

Guest Author(s) Elijah Imlay

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Georgia Dome replacement; another downtown parking lot; more! Josh Green Tue, 06/18/2024 - 10:13 DOWNTOWN—After a Request for Qualifications was issued in April, Georgia state officials have selected a familiar development team to transform the 11-acre Home Depot Backyard into a new entertainment district in the shadow of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Signia by Hilton Atlanta hotel tower. As the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, that team includes often controversial Atlanta development firm Fuqua Development, local investment and development company Pope and Land Real Estate, and Minneapolis-headquartered architects Nelson Worldwide.

Exactly what the project might entail—and what it might cost—has yet to be determined, apart from the RFQ specifying it could span up to 250,000 square feet. But as the ABC points out, the development team selected by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority previously built a mixed-use entertainment hub that’s familiar to most Atlantans and could lend a preview as to what’s bound for downtown: The Battery Atlanta district surrounding the Braves’ Truist Park. Nelson Worldwide, the selected designers, have also drawn up plans for the Medley district in Johns Creek and a made-from-scratch new town proposal near Cumming.

The Home Depot Backyard space, as it appeared prior to opening in summer 2018. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

No timeline for the Backyard’s redevelopment has been specified. But if the expeditious, month-long RFQ process was any indication, time could be of the essence. (Atlanta’s 2026 FIFA World Cup matches are now less than two years away, with the first contest scheduled for June 15 that year.) The goal, according to an earlier GWCCA statement, is to create a “seamless integration” of entertainment venues, convention center buildings, and greenspace on the westernmost fringe of downtown.

Since it opened six years ago, the hybrid Backyard greenspace has been used for tailgating during large events such as Atlanta Falcons and United games, and also for community gatherings, including summer movie nights and free yoga. It was created in the footprint of the Georgia Dome—a crushed layer of the old stadium, several feet thick, lies beneath the Backyard’s grasses to help with irrigation, in fact—and was billed from its conception as a park space for uplifting Westside communities.

Atlanta United supporters shown between The Benz and new Signia hotel while under construction. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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DOWNTOWN—In other recent downtown news, the original World of Coca-Cola museum facility has met its maker about a block from the Georgia State Capitol along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, having sat vacant since Coke took its worldly, syrupy goodness to Centennial Olympic Park back in 2007.

As the Associated Press reports, state officials bought the facility (once Atlanta’s most-visited indoor attraction) from Coke for $1 million two decades ago. To the chagrin of ATL urbanists, plans call for using the former museum site as a surface parking lot to make up for the current Georgia Capitol complex’s surface parking that’s being lost to construction staging as the Gold Dome embarks on a $392-million expansion over the next two years. The schedule calls for having the old World of Coke entirely wiped away by early August.

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CITYWIDE—Tune in this week to WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station, as Urbanize Atlanta’s editor joins host Rose Scott on her “Closer Look” program and generally tries not to sound like an idiot on the airwaves (again). Topics will include urban design, current projects of major importance, development trends, and a general love for the great, unique, flawed city we call home.

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ATL News Roundup Home Deport Backyard Fuqua Development Jeff Fuqua Fuqua Mercedes-Benz Stadium World of Coca-Cola Nelson Worldwide Pope & Land Pope and Land

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The Home Depot Backyard space, as it appeared prior to opening in summer 2018. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Atlanta United supporters shown between The Benz and new Signia hotel while under construction. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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

Neighborhood Citywide

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Photos: Atlanta's first rapid bus line, fresh bike lanes make progress Josh Green Mon, 06/17/2024 - 17:09 A year after its ceremonial groundbreaking, construction on MARTA’s first new transit line in more than 20 years is heating up in noticeable ways around downtown and Summerhill.

Atlanta’s initial stab at creating a bus-rapid transit system began actual construction last fall. The five-mile BRT route—christened MARTA Rapid Summerhill—will link downtown to neighborhoods such as Summerhill and Peoplestown before ending near the BeltLine’s Southside Trail at a station called Carver.

Along the way will be connections to MARTA’s heavy rail system at Five Points, Georgia State, and Garnett Stations. The $91-million project marks MARTA’s first new transit line since the Sandy Springs MARTA station opened, back in the year 2000.

MARTA officials tell Urbanize Atlanta the BRT project is in “full swing” and remains on schedule, as sidewalks are expanded, bike infrastructure is implemented, traffic lanes are altered, and other work unfolds during Atlanta’s hot months.

Bike lanes in relation to a new Rusty Taco location at Summerhill Station. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Here’s a quick rundown of BRT construction progress provided by MARTA, as it stands today, organized by area:  

Downtown:

According to MARTA officials, BRT construction in the downtown loop area started in May along Mitchell Street, between Ted Turner Drive and Central Avenue​.

Pothole and utility work is ongoing​, while sidewalk and lane closures are expected to start in June, during the station installation process​.

Summerhill along Hank Aaron Drive:

Lane-shifts in the area were done to move traffic into outer lanes, allowing BRT work to continue in interior lanes.​

Street-widening, utility work, full-depth milling, and resurfacing continues along Hank Aaron Drive from the Interstate 20 east onramp south to Ormond Street, or two blocks south of Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium.

Between this summer and September, MARTA’s team will focus on BRT station construction, paving, ADA ramp and sidewalk construction, and signal and Intelligent Traffic System work in both Summerhill and downtown, according to the agency.

Elsewhere:

Shallow utility work is scheduled to occur between Ormond Street and Carver station—the BRT line’s southernmost point—later this year.

MARTA forecasts that construction on MARTA Rapid Summerhill will wrap up in spring 2025, with passenger service beginning sometime later next year.

The region’s first BRT line will operate with new 60-foot electric buses, with the 14 stops featuring level boarding positioned about 1/3-mile apart from each other. Planned stations on Memorial Drive at Capitol Avenue and Trinity Avenue were previously axed to save costs, project leaders have said.

Where sidewalk-widening efforts include biking infrastructure along Hank Aaron Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Each station will include real-time arrival information and off-board fare collection, allowing customers to pay before they board. About 85 percent of the corridor will have dedicated, bus-only lanes with transit-signal priority, meaning buses shouldn’t be bogged down in traffic and that travel times should be quicker, MARTA officials have said.

Once the line is built, buses are expected to arrive with frequencies between 10 minutes (daytime peak hours) and 20 minutes (late nights and weekend mornings). MARTA has estimated that 2,350 riders will use the service on a daily basis. The project is being funded by the $2.7-billion MORE MARTA half-penny sales tax for transit approved by voters in 2016 and a federal TIGER grant.

MARTA predicts traveling the full route from Five Points station to Carver will take between 12 to 15 minutes.

MARTA’s original timeline called for breaking ground on the BRT project in August 2022 and beginning service this year, but the project was dogged by skyrocketing building and labor costs (originally projected at $61.5 million), in addition to issues stemming from MARTA’s inexperience with creating new transit lines this century. 

Where current construction concludes for now near the Atlanta Olympic Cauldron tower, Fulton Street, and the GSU Convocation Center. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Beyond the Summerhill BRT line, MARTA is moving forward with BRT transportation along the Clifton Corridor near Emory University, on Campbellton Road in Southwest Atlanta, and in Clayton County. Another four-station BRT route up Ga. Highway 400 with service to Roswell and Alpharetta is also being studied. 

Find a quick tour of Summerhill BRT construction progress in the above gallery. More broadly, here's the most recent look at what's to come between South Downtown and Peoplestown: 

The 14-stop Summerhill BRT route revealed by MARTA in August. via MARTA

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Where lane alterations and infrastructure work stands today just south of Georgia Avenue. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Looking north toward downtown, where Georgia Avenue meets Hank Aaron Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Heading toward downtown Atlanta, toward 565 Hank By Windsor Apartments and new mixed-use development at Carter's Summerhill project. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where sidewalk-widening efforts include biking infrastructure along Hank Aaron Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Bike lanes in relation to a new Rusty Taco location at Summerhill Station. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where the biking infrastructure meets former Turner Field parking lots. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Lane restrictions in Summerhill's more northern blocks.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where current construction concludes for now near the Atlanta Olympic Cauldron tower, Fulton Street, and the GSU Convocation Center. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Where $91M MARTA project stands in Summerhill, downtown today

Neighborhood Summerhill

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