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In downtown Chamblee, delayed development set to beef up scope Josh Green Tue, 06/11/2024 - 15:31 A delayed residential project in downtown Chamblee once expected to break ground the very month that COVID-19 lockdowns started in Atlanta is hardly D.O.A., its developer says.

In fact, the project—now titled “The Frazier at Old Towne Gordon”—will be beefing up its scope before moving forward, given the strength of current market conditions in Chamblee, according to developer Rod Mullice of Windsor Stevens Holdings.

Previous renderings showed the brick-clad 3553 Chamblee Dunwoody Road project with four stories; updated visuals depict the building standing twice that height.  

Mullice tells Urbanize Atlanta his firm purchased the property next door last fall to increase The Frazier’s size. He intends to start the redesign process with Niles Bolton Associates architects in the first quarter of next year, with all details pending until then.

“The goal will be to increase the unit count but maintain the design standards,” said Mullice.

The additional .4-acre property in question includes a 1980s auto repair building and sold for $1.1 million in October, records show.

The Frazier at Olde Towne Gordon project as currently designed with 144 units. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton & Associates

The Frazier project's combined 3535/3553 Chamblee Dunwoody Road location in relation to the rest of downtown and Chamblee's MARTA hub. Google Maps

As is, The Frazier calls for 144 luxury apartments at an average of 735 square feet per unit, and the project is “fully entitled with land disturbance permit in-hand,” per Windsor Holdings’ website.

Nonresidential aspects of the project, as currently designed, call for 7,400 square feet of retail space, a 1,900-square-foot “covered porch” for retail, and about 6,000 square feet of amenities for renters.

Other perks of the project—described as a Transit-Oriented Development, with the Chamblee MARTA station just 1/4 mile away—will include Google Technology in the building, a pool deck, EV chargers, and immediate access to Chamblee’s planned Rail Trail expansion route, per the developer.  

Chamblee has been "a beneficiary of explosive population growth within Atlanta, drawing new residents due to its proximity to the primary employment hubs in Buckhead and Midtown,” notes The Frazier marketing materials. “[The project] is embedded in an area with strong income statistics, population growth, and educational attainment, and will support competitive rents and consistent rent growth.”

As seen in early 2023, the 3535 Chamblee Dunwoody Road auto property added to The Frazier's scope. Google Maps

Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton & Associates

Initial plans called for The Frazier (formerly “The Gordon”) to be for-sale condos, with construction scheduled to start in March 2020.

According to the sales push in February that year, the initial phase of 24 homes was going to be priced from the $200,000s, with condos ranging from 501 to 1,098 square feet. But then, a global pandemic. 

Should it move forward as expected, The Frazier would join the new Lumen Chamblee project across the street, and another nearby multifamily development, City Heights, that's finishing construction now. 

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• Chamblee news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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3553 Chamblee Dunwoody Road The Frazier at Olde Towne Gordon Rod Mullice Windsor Stevens Holdings The Frazier City of Chamblee Chamblee Development Chamblee MARTA station MARTA Transit-Oriented Development TODs Niles Bolton Associates Chamblee Apartments For Rent in Atlanta

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The Frazier project's combined 3535/3553 Chamblee Dunwoody Road location in relation to the rest of downtown and Chamblee's MARTA hub. Google Maps

As seen in early 2023, the 3535 Chamblee Dunwoody Road auto property added to The Frazier's scope. Google Maps

The Frazier at Olde Towne Gordon project as currently designed with 144 units. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton & Associates

Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton & Associates

Subtitle Developer intends “to increase the unit count but maintain the design standards”

Neighborhood Chamblee

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Ponce's Complete Street conversion has entered homestretch Josh Green Tue, 06/11/2024 - 12:46 Urbanists, rejoice: Atlanta BeltLine Inc.’s conversion of a busy section of Ponce de Leon Avenue into a safer, more approachable thoroughfare for pedestrians and bicyclists is nearly finished.

Following delays, the Ponce de Leon Avenue Streetscapes project started construction in fall 2022 as an effort to improve pedestrian and bike connections between Boulevard and John Lewis Freedom Parkway. It covers just shy of .7 miles overall at the confluence of four intown neighborhoods, with popular destinations along the way including Ponce City Market, Green's, Whole Foods, and the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail.

According to a BeltLine construction update issued Wednesday, all sidewalk reconstruction, light-pole installation, and landscaping along the Ponce route has been completed. The BeltLine’s contractor, JHC Construction, is now working with the Atlanta Department of Transportation to convert all traffic signal operations for new signal heads along Ponce.

Bike lane improvements and pavement re-striping is scheduled to continue through mid-June, according to project officials. (Currently, bike lanes end just east of Ponce City Market, where new pedestrian medians were recently installed.)

An ABI photo from late May showing crews installing a new pedestrian refuge median in the shadow of Ponce City Market that's since been completed. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Previous conditions heading east on the avenue near Ponce City Market. The Ponce-BeltLine ramp will be installed at left. Google Maps

Ponce bike lanes will be extended on both sides of the BeltLine, up to the entrance of the Kroger in Poncey-Highland. But tight right-of-way constraints and existing traffic-lane configurations on that section of Ponce are prohibiting the in-street bike lanes from being extended all the way to Freedom Parkway, BeltLine planners have said.

Trees and new lighting stand in buffers between sidewalks and the forthcoming bike lanes. Traffic signals will be reconfigured at Boulevard, Glen Iris Drive, Midtown Place, and the entrance to Kroger and the 725 Ponce development, per BeltLine officials.

Meanwhile, the direct connection between Ponce and the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail that’s been in planning stages for a dozen years continues to progress, though onsite work has gone idle.

According to BeltLine officials, JHC will begin building the access ramp once the Georgia Department of Transportation approves plans for walls and materials that are under review now.                                                                     

A layout of the Ponce ramp system, which will look similar to Edgewood Avenue’s metal-ramp connection to the Eastside Trail, as pictured above. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

That project aims to create a more seamless, quicker, and ADA-accessible means of exiting the BeltLine for Ponce’s shopping and eating options, and vice versa. Plans call for a steel ramp, stairs, and railings at the northwestern corner of the Ponce-BeltLine bridge, similar to Edgewood Avenue’s metal-ramp connection to the Eastside Trail where Old Fourth Ward meets Inman Park. The surface, however, won’t be serrated metal, in order to spare dogs’ feet, BeltLine officials have said.

An enhanced pedestrian connection at Ponce has been part of the Eastside Trail’s design since it debuted in 2012. Previous plans to begin work in summer 2021 were delayed.

Find a refresher on the Ponce project and more context in the gallery above.

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Atlanta BeltLine Atlanta Construction BeltLine Construction Eastside Trail Ponce de Leon Avenue Midtown Atlanta Midtown Place Ponce City Market Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation JHC Construction

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An ABI photo from late May showing crews installing a new pedestrian refuge median in the shadow of Ponce City Market that's since been completed. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Previous conditions heading east on the avenue near Ponce City Market. The Ponce-BeltLine ramp will be installed at left. Google Maps

A layout of the Ponce ramp system, which will look similar to Edgewood Avenue’s metal-ramp connection to the Eastside Trail, as pictured above. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

A sample of one section for Ponce de Leon Avenue upgrades. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Placement of the new ramp connection and a crosswalk near Ponce City Market's entrance. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Subtitle Construction of fabled Eastside Trail-Ponce connection ramp is also on tap, BeltLine reports

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

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Next to Buckhead greenspace, uber-pricey project enters pipeline Josh Green Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:53 On a hilly cul-de-sac off Roswell Road, a new Buckhead subdivision is beginning to take shape in hopes of luring deep-pocketed homebuyers who covet proximity to nature and what’s described as European flair.

Loudermilk Custom Homes has begun development and revved up marketing efforts for the first two spec homes of a project called Blue Heron Walk, situated on Emily Reed Lane about a half-mile east of Chastain Park.

Eleven total lots have been designed, but custom home designs are also welcome, according to the Atlanta-based luxury homebuilder.

A chief selling point is next-door proximity to Buckhead’s cherished Blue Heron Nature Preserve, which counts boardwalks and trails among 30 acres of wetlands, meadows, creeks, and old-growth woodlands.

According to Loudermilk, each lot spans 1/2 acre or more. 

Overview of the planned community and proximity to Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

The project's Emily Reed Lane location in North Buckhead. Google Maps

Perks will include 10 and 11-foot ceilings, Smart Home tech, three-car garages, gobs of windows, and gourmet kitchens, per the builder.

Which all comes at a price, of course.

So far, foot-in-the-door pricing at Blue Heron Walk starts at $3.9 million for Lot 11 near the entrance (following a price increase of more than $400,000 since the home was initially listed in November).

Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

That buys five bedrooms and five and ½ bathrooms in 9,254 square feet, once two heated garage spaces and the unfinished basement level is factored in.

Meanwhile, the six-bedroom, 6,170-square-foot home project on Lot 6 (basement and garages excluded) is asking $4.1 million.

The priciest listing to date, 500 Emily Reed Lane, asks $4.1 million on Lot 6. Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

Beyond the nature preserve next door, perks of the location include a five-minute walk on nature trails to Buckhead’s coveted Sarah Smith Elementary, a two-minute drive to Ga. Highway 400, and 10-minute proximity to Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, and, uh, Midtown, per the builder’s calculations.

Find more Blue Heron Walk imagery in the gallery above. Alternately, here’s a five-minute YouTube clip for more context and a fly-through video.

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500 Emily Reed Lane Blue Heron Walk Loudermilk Custom Homes Buckhead Homes Blue Heron Nature Preserve Atlanta Home Design Buckhead Homes for Sale Buckhead Prices Atlanta Parks Buckhead Parks Spec Homes Loudermilk Homes Roswell Road

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The project's Emily Reed Lane location in North Buckhead. Google Maps

Overview of the planned community and proximity to Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

The priciest listing to date, 500 Emily Reed Lane, asks $4.1 million on Lot 6. Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

The $3.9 million listing for Lot 11 at Blue Heron Walk. Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

Blue Heron Walk's platting off Roswell Road. Loudermilk Custom Homes/Blue Heron Walk

Subtitle Asking prices start at $4M alongside cherished Blue Heron Nature Preserve

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Five Points MARTA limbo; Southside trails windfall; Alpharetta density Josh Green Mon, 06/10/2024 - 16:53 DOWNTOWN—In a month that’s already seen Atlanta’s aging infrastructure make national headlines, MARTA’s timeline for updating the outdated Five Points station—the agency’s largest and busiest transit hub—appears to be in limbo. Axios Atlanta first reported Mayor Andre Dickens has submitted a letter to MARTA general manager and CEO Collie Greenwood asking that MARTA’s planned $230 million remake of the downtown hub be halted until after an ongoing audit of the agency is finished in late July.

MARTA announced in May that Five Points station would be closed to street-level access and that its bus connections would be rerouted to other downtown stations beginning in July. Those changes were expected to last for 18 months, or roughly until the end of 2025.    

Dickens’ letter states he’s read preliminary audit findings for the 2016 sales tax More MARTA spending—the primary funding mechanism for the Five Points project—and that he’s seeking additional details. Early findings suggest MARTA could have to repay more than $60 million to the More MARTA program, and Dickens noted the city has “identified other priorities that need to be considered before we move forward,” which could be a reference to new BeltLine rail stops along MARTA rail lines, as Axios reports.

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

MARTA’s goal is to remake the bunker-like, 1970s downtown transit hub into a vibrant city center, with better transit connectivity, improved customer amenities, and increased safety, with perks including communal spaces, public art, and sections for urban agriculture. The station sees roughly 12,000 daily entries and exits, and about 4,500 transfers between buses, or from buses to rail, each day, per data provided by MARTA.

[UPDATE: Monday, June 10, 6:69 p.m. — MARTA has officially responded to Dickens' letter.] 

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SOUTHSIDE—Good news for southside multi-use trail enthusiasts: Atlanta Regional Commission and four communities near Atlanta’s airport have bagged another $14.9 million in federal funding to help create an ambitious, 31-mile system of trails now officially dubbed the Flint River Gateway Trails Network.

ARC officials and the four communities—Clayton County and the cities of Hapeville, College Park, and East Point—collectively applied for and received funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program. The same initiative scored $50 million in U.S. DOT funding in March, so the current total is nearly $65 million.

According to ARC officials, who are leading planning and administration work on the Flint River trails plans, the money will be used to map out and engineer more than half of the network and to build portions of the trail (totaling 3.2 miles) that will eventually link the BeltLine down to the Tri-Cities and into Clayton County. Each jurisdiction will be responsible for overseeing construction of its own trail segment.

“In essence, we took a few of the already planned trails in the area (like one the City of Atlanta is building from the BeltLine in southwest ATL south toward East Point) and realized that we could knit together a contiguous 31-mile trails network,” ARC spokesperson Paul Donsky wrote in an email to Urbanize Atlanta.

Plans compiled in 2021 for a trail section near a 23-acre industrial property called the Tift site. Willingham Corridor Improvement Study, via ARC

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ALPHARETTA—In northern suburbs news, the Alpharetta City Council has unanimously approved a project that’s expected to be the densest to date in the North Fulton County city’s central business district, with one councilmember hailing the venture as setting a new standard. The four-story project by Atlanta-based Place Maker Design is set to take shape on a 1-acre parcel at 55 Canton St., roughly two blocks northwest of Alpharetta’s Town Green at City Center, as Appen Media reports.

Plans call for 36 for-sale condos and 7,000 square feet of retail space at street level, with those commercial spaces restricted in Alpharetta to uses such as clothing boutiques, coffee shops, bakeries, grocery stores, and florists.  

The project will include an underground parking structure, but that will not meet Alpharetta’s minimum parking requirements, so Place Maker Design is being required to pay a $94,500 parking in-lieu fee. According to the news outlet, city officials are permitted to use that fee to develop new public parking.

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ATL News Roundup Five Points Five Points Development Five Points MARTA Station Mayor Andre Dickens MARTA Alpharetta Alpharetta Development Alpharetta Condos Alpharetta Construction; Atlanta Regional Commission East Point Hapeville College Park Atlanta Trails Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Flint River Gateway Trails Network Flint River Place Maker Design

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

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People-friendly expansion of key Midtown street kicks off Josh Green Mon, 06/10/2024 - 14:47 Seven years after the ball got rolling on engineering work, a relatively small but important multimodal expansion of a Midtown artery is officially underway.

Crews are moving forward with preliminary construction work for the 15th Street extension project that will create a people-friendly, two-block link from the Arts Center MARTA station to Williams Street, near the downtown Connector, according to Midtown Alliance.

That work includes test drilling for rock-blasting and removal that’s expected to begin later this month, per the Midtown agency.

As is, 15th Street dead-ends at West Peachtree Street, next to the AMLI Arts Center apartment tower. That walls off access to the transit hub for sections of Spring Street, where hundreds of new residences have recently taken shape in buildings such as Mira at Midtown Union.

The extended street will slip between apartment high-rises and consume part of what’s currently a gravel parking lot. It will include three new lanes of public roadway between West Peachtree and Spring streets, including two left-turn lanes at both of those one-way streets. West of that, expect a single through-lane in each direction, connecting to Williams Street.  

Other features will include five-foot-wide bicycle lanes at sidewalk level in each direction, another five-foot zone dedicated to trees and street furniture, and 10-foot sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Placement of the forthcoming 15th Street extension. Google Maps/Urbanize

The proposed look of two new blocks of 15th Street, looking west toward Atlantic Station from West Peachtree Street. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

The bike lanes are designed to directly connect with the Arts Center MARTA station, existing and forthcoming residential and hotel developments, and other bike routes in the district, per Midtown Alliance.

The full two-block extension will consume Georgia Department of Transportation right-of-way, which eliminated the costs of acquiring real estate.

After receiving a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission, city and GDOT officials began work to design the 15th Street project back in summer 2017. In addition to fundraising, engineering, traffic, and environmental studies took place over the next few years. A hiccup involving the bidding process knocked the construction timeline back in fall 2022.

More than $6 million in funding is in place to build the project, with about half of that coming from GDOT and federal coffers. Midtown Improvement District funds and City of Atlanta impact fees are covering the bulk of remaining costs.

According to Midtown Alliance, the project was awarded to low bidder Reeves Young in December. The schedule calls for completing the bulk of the extension by September next year, per project officials.

Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

A section of the proposal showing 15th Street's new functionality. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance/Jacobs

Meanwhile, on the flipside of Midtown, another people-friendly overhaul of a key crossroads officially began today with street-lane closures and construction fencing erected.

The intersection where the BeltLine’s popular Eastside Trail meets Monroe Drive and Piedmont Park is scheduled to be closed until Friday evening as utility and asphalt work unfolds and concrete ramps are installed. Find more information on detour routes here. 

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15th Street Extension Midtown Alliance Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Atlanta Construction GDOT Georgia Department of Transportation west peachtree Street Spring Street Jacobs Atlanta Complete Streets Complete Streets Complete Street

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Placement of the forthcoming 15th Street extension. Google Maps/Urbanize

The proposed look of two new blocks of 15th Street, looking west toward Atlantic Station from West Peachtree Street. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

A section of the proposal showing 15th Street's new functionality. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance/Jacobs

Subtitle Long-percolating 15th Street project will install multimodal access, reconnect street grid

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Tenant picked for city-owned Grant Park space. What say you, ATL? Josh Green Mon, 06/10/2024 - 13:01 Three and ½ years after it was finished, the Grant Park Gateway’s dusty but architecturally unique retail component will officially have a familiar name as its first tenant.

The City of Atlanta Departments of Procurement and Parks and Recreation have picked Savi Provisions, a local gourmet market and grocery chain known for its wine selection and organic foods, to fill the entire 7,056-square-foot retail space overlooking the 2.5-acre park that tops a parking garage next to Zoo Atlanta.

Despite the award-winning building’s prime location in a historic neighborhood beside a top tourist attraction, the recruitment process for its first occupant took city officials two attempts across more than a year.

Savi, one of three finalists vying for the space, is expected to “boost the area’s diversity of food options and convenience, acting as a central gathering place for both residents and visitors,” according to an announcement from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office.

Aerial of the Gateway illustrating its proximity to the zoo's elephant habitat and downtown. City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department; via Epsten Group

Founded in 2009, Savi counts locations in North Carolina and 16 stores in metro Atlanta, spanning from the airport to Howell Mill Road, Decatur, and Brookhaven to the Crabapple district in Milton. The nearest Savi outpost to Grant Park remains the original one in Inman Park, roughly two and ½ miles away.

According to city officials, Savi’s award recommendation will now be forwarded to the Atlanta City Council for approval, following a vetting process described as “thorough.”

City Council member Jason Winston, whose District 1 covers Grant Park, said the goal of the Gateway retail project will be to “maximize the fresh and convenient options available to the neighborhood while building on the vibrancy and historical nature of the community.”

We’ve inquired with representatives from Winston’s office for information on when Savi’s buildout could begin, or an estimate on when the market might open. We’ll update this story with any additional details that come.

Another finalist for the retail space was a concept called “Gateway Park and Market,” as put together by a team that included Terminus Commercial Real Estate Partners, an Atlanta-based CRE firm, alongside Kraig Torres, owner of alcohol purveyor Hopcity, and Mike Walbert, a longtime Atlanta event curator. That called for a micro food hall “foodie destination” and “cultural experience” that would lean heavily into public programming and capitalize on proximity to Zoo Atlanta, as its creators detailed for Urbanize Atlanta last month. 

The third finalist was Rease Group Holdings Inc., an Atlanta-based company led by CEO Andy Rease and founded in 2010. 

The underside of the patio's roof comes to life with lighting at night. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

City officials took ownership of the Gateway space from the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority early last year, a key first step in getting it leased and occupied. But the first Request for Proposals issued in February 2023 didn’t attract a single bid from prospective tenants.

The city’s Department of Procurement, charged with helping lead the tenant search, concluded that rising construction costs spurred by inflation, combined with increased interest rates, contributed to the initial lack of bids. The city later partnered with Invest Atlanta to offer financial assistance to the right operator during the more recent solicitation process. Exactly what sort of financial carrot was offered hasn't been specified. 

The latest RFP was an improved pitch to businesses that could fill such a large space. It provided drone footage, set up tours for potential tenants, and specified how large the shell space is: 7,056 square feet. It called for a single enterprise to create a Gateway concept that will “increase the property value of the neighborhood, improve the area’s livability, serve as a convenience to neighborhood residents and visitors, and continue Atlanta's forward progress.” 

The $48-million Gateway project replaced a parking lot with the park-topped garage, officially opening in January 2021. In 2022, it earned the Atlanta Urban Design Commission’s Award of Excellence for sustainable design.

Clearing the cobwebs from the Gateway building will be a clear win for the area. But how do you feel, Atlanta, about another Savi occupying the entire facility?

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537 Park Avenue SE Zoo Atlanta Atlanta Parks Grant Park Grant Park Gateway Parks and Recreation HGOR Smith Dalia Architects Epsten Group Winter Johnson Group Boulevard Jason Winston Savi Provision Terminus Commercial Real Estate Partners The Rease Group Holdings Mike Walbert Kraig Torres Hopcity Gateway Park & Market

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The 2.5-acre park space in relation to the restaurant structure. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The underside of the patio's roof comes to life with lighting at night. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The spacious interior of the Gateway building, as seen in early 2021, looks largely the same today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where the south facade of the restaurant building meets stacked parking. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The patio/pavilion area, looking west to Zoo Atlanta. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Aerial of the Gateway illustrating its proximity to the zoo's elephant habitat and downtown. City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department; via Epsten Group

The Grant Park Gateway, which officially debuted in January 2021, is a greenspace win for the neighborhood. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Three years after empty, award-winning building was finished, Savi Provisions edges competition

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Photos: Peep Atlanta's changing skyline near Piedmont Park Josh Green Mon, 06/10/2024 - 11:11 According to the Piedmont Park Conservancy, Atlanta’s centerpiece park counts roughly 6 million visitors and hundreds of events each year. It also serves as a front yard and unique vantage point for a section of the city that continues, quite literally, to grow up.

More than 100 stories of new high-rise development have recently topped out or will do so soon in the Midtown blocks just beyond Piedmont Park’s western edge, thickening and deepening a section of the Atlanta skyline that was much sparser a decade ago.  

Those buildings include Mill Creek Residential’s 32-story Modera Parkside project, which topped out over 10th Street in April and promises a unique amenities package on the roof.

Proximity of three new Midtown high-rises to each other, with the leafy city beyond. Urbanize Atlanta

From over Lake Clara Meer, several construction cranes are seen piecing together high-rises where Midtown blocks meet the park. Urbanize Atlanta

Less than a block north is the two-pronged 12th and Juniper high-rise project by Middle Street Partners. Its tower portions have several more stories to climb collectively before topping out at 33 and 36 stories, positioned in a way that many Lake Clara Meer vantage points frame the new buildings.   

For this latest installment of the Aerial Tours series, take to the skies over the 200-acre park to see how the above projects and others are changing Atlanta’s urban landscape as another summer in the city edges closer.

Head up to the gallery for more. 

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A zoomed-out view over Piedmont Park in late May as The Meadow grass was still recovering from Atlanta Jazz Festival 2024. Urbanize Atlanta

From over Lake Clara Meer, several construction cranes are seen piecing together high-rises where Midtown blocks meet the park. Urbanize Atlanta

Eastern view over The Meadow to the beginnings of self-storage facility construction in Virginia-Highland. Urbanize Atlanta

Broader view of Midtown's elongating skyline. Urbanize Atlanta

Looking east over Mill Creek Residential's 32-story Modera Parkside, which topped out in April. New development near Ponce City Market is seen at top right. Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress at Middle Street Partner's two-tower 12th and Juniper project had climbed above 30 stories in late May. Urbanize Atlanta

This angle lends an idea what Piedmont Park views will be like for 12th and Juniper's higher floors. Urbanize Atlanta

Looking west, the initial floors of Rockefeller Group's 60-story 1072 West Peachtree building are seen rising at right. Urbanize Atlanta

North view over12th and Juniper toward Buckhead. Urbanize Atlanta

The two-building project's stance over Juniper Street today. Urbanize Atlanta

Proximity of three new Midtown high-rises to each other, with the leafy city beyond. Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

12th and Juniper's North tower (at left) will stand 400 feet, offering 320 units across 36 stories; the South tower will top out at 380 feet, with 33 stories. Urbanize Atlanta

Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Crane season continues in blocks near marquee Midtown greenspace

Neighborhood Midtown

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1081 Juniper Street Building 1 1081 Juniper Street Building 2 180 10th Street NE

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Toll Brothers Brings Atlanta Luxury Living Intown Steven Sharp Mon, 06/03/2024 - 04:00 Toll Brothers is bringing luxury living to Atlanta’s most coveted Intown neighborhoods with newly constructed condos and townhomes inside the perimeter. An award-winning Fortune 500 company founded in 1967, Toll Brothers has earned its reputation as the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. The company’s Intown locations offer residents access to outstanding amenities, including the Atlanta BeltLine, parks, local restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, and public transportation.

Toll Brothers builds communities in the heart of where Atlantans want to live. Whether they are looking for scenic views and access to natural features, or proximity to schools, commuter routes, and entertainment—or all of it and more—Toll Brothers is committed to building communities of luxury homes with the features home buyers want in the most highly desirable areas of Atlanta.

Exterior viewToll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers is currently building in Intown locations throughout Atlanta, including Morningside, Vinings, Grant Park, Decatur, Oakhurst, Chosewood Park, and West Midtown. Luxury condominiums, townhomes, and single-family homes are available with starting prices ranging from the mid-$200,000s to the upper $600,000s.

With its 57 years of experience building luxury homes and a national presence, Toll Brothers holds a prominent place in the industry with seasoned leadership and strong trade partners. Embracing an unwavering commitment to quality and customer service, Toll Brothers has been named to Fortune’s World's Most Admired Companies™ list for 10 years in a row*.

Home buyers will experience one-stop shopping at the Toll Brothers Design Studio in Alpharetta. Designer Appointed Collections by Toll Brothers offer design choices for home buyers with a selection of finishes that are perfectly suited to their home and personal style. Buyers choose from an array of ensembles coordinated by professional Toll Brothers Design Consultants to include cabinetry, countertops, flooring, backsplashes, and more. Designer details, including fixtures and finishes, are carefully curated in every Toll Brothers home to create modern, sophisticated spaces, providing the perfect setting for a dynamic urban lifestyle in Atlanta.

Dining areaToll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers has homes available for buyers on every timeline, including the option to select a Build to Order home, a quick move-in home already under construction, or a home that is move-in ready. During the Toll Brothers Quick Move-in Home Sales Event, taking place June 1 through June 30, home buyers can take advantage of limited-time savings on select homes with Designer Appointed Features available to home buyers on their ideal timeline. Atlanta home buyers can trust that with Toll Brothers, they are choosing the best in the business, and the company’s impeccable standards are reflected in every home they build.

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*From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.

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Subtitle New Homes with Designer Details in Atlanta’s Premier Neighborhoods Create the Perfect Setting for a Dynamic Urban Lifestyle

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Reader poll: How gentrified is Atlanta right now? Josh Green Fri, 05/31/2024 - 15:06 When it comes to the urban landscapes of America today, is there a more divisive, subjective, and explosive word than “gentrification”?

Gentrification generally refers to the process of more affluent residents settling in a lower-income area and altering its character. Though gentrification’s roots trace back as far as ancient Rome and Roman Britain, the term still can hold wildly different meanings, though it’s typically considered negative in cities today.

In Atlanta, gentrification is usually synonymous with extraction, eviction, erasure, and the pushing out of lesser privileged residents for pricey housing and things like artisan dog spas with wine-tasting components.

But if we had a buck for every time we’ve heard an Atlantan—across all demographics and age groups, truth be told—use “gentrification” as shorthand for cleaning up neighborhoods and generally making them safer and more vibrant, we’d have at least $89.

A Summerhill scene in 2020. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

So it boils down to differing viewpoints, in the same city. And a simple question: How gentrified is Atlanta today, nearly 30 years after the Centennial Olympic Games swept through, and almost 15 years since a gangbusters, post-recession development cycle began that appears to have no end date?

With one-bedroom rents commonly in the $2,000 range and the city’s median home price now more than $420,000, according to Redfin, the barrier to entry in Atlanta is unquestionably higher than it was a decade ago. But even as a top-six metro market now, the ATL commonly finishes high on rankings of most affordable big U.S. cities.

So we’re gentrified, but not too gentrified?

Let’s hear your thoughts on this hot topic, Atlanta, as another summer in the city dawns. Please take a second to cast a vote in the reader poll below, and the comments will be wide open below that.  

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Urbanize Polls Polls City of Atlanta Gentrification Atlanta Development Atlanta home prices Atlanta Quality of Life Friday Fun Bag Department of Random Questions

Subtitle With median ATL home prices well over $400K, let's rate this situation on a scale from 1 to 5

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On popular trail, Piedmont Park pedestrian bridge now off-limits Josh Green Fri, 05/31/2024 - 14:01 Heads up, bike commuters, trail walkers, and generally active people of Atlanta:

Piedmont Park’s Clear Creek bridge, which connects portions of a well-liked gravel path that runs through the park, officially closed to the public late last week.

As announced by BeltLine officials earlier this year, the bridge closure and accompanying refurbishment comes after the completion of Segment 1, Phase 1 of the BeltLine’s Northeast Trail project.

That trail section runs alongside Clear Creek and opened to the public last month, marking the first new completed BeltLine project to debut across Atlanta in 2024.

However, several aspects of the closure remain uncertain, despite multiple inquiries to BeltLine media reps this week. 

As shown last weekend, the Piedmont Park gravel trail in relation to the BeltLine's Northeast Trail, Segment 1 (phase two) construction, at left. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

In addition to an undefined construction timeline, it's unclear whether this refurbishment will extend to the park’s popular gravel trail. Officials have not commented on whether the trail will be altered, left alone, or even if it will remain accessible to the public in any capacity once the Northeast Trail's Piedmont Park section fully opens. 

There is no official rendering depicting what the bridge may look like following refurbishment, either. 

But in the gallery above, find a quick visual update on the gravel trail and adjacent construction today—and the point where Atlantans are forbidden from going, for now. 

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Heading north along the gravel trail toward Buckhead. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

As shown last weekend, the Piedmont Park gravel trail in relation to the BeltLine's Northeast Trail, Segment 1 (phase two) construction, at left. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Passing Amsterdam Walk's low-rise warehouses, which Portman Holdings plans to redevelop. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where trail access is restricted before the Clear Creek bridge, requiring that gravel trail patrons turn around. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle North end of gravel trail inaccessible as bridge refurbishment begins

Guest Author(s) Elijah Imlay

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MARTA’s mini-city station makeover takes key step forward Josh Green Fri, 05/31/2024 - 12:15 MARTA’s ambitious plan for turning its easternmost station into a self-sustaining, transit-connected mini city has taken a key step forward.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has approved rezoning of 64 acres that encompass Indian Creek station to allow for Transit Oriented Development uses at the final eastern stop on the system’s East/West line, according to MARTA officials.

The Indian Creek site will be rezoned to MU-4, or a mixed-use high density designation, that MARTA and its DeKalb County partners say aligns with the 2050 DeKalb Comprehensive Plan.

A TOD master plan for Indian Creek calls for more housing density that stresses affordable living options, parks and greenspaces, and walkable areas designed for multiple modes of transportation—all key elements for attracting federal funding support, according to MARTA.

The full scope of the Indian Creek Village vision, with the unrelated Avondale East residential project shown at bottom left. Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

When the project’s initial phase might move forward with construction hasn’t been determined, MARTA officials tell Urbanize Atlanta. The goal of a forthcoming Request for Proposals will be to identify a development partner as a first step toward building.

The first phase will include the transit component of the TOD, with a customer parking deck, a new bus facility and MARTA Police precinct, and a transit plaza, plus some residential, food-and-beverage, and small grocery store space. “There will be more info to provide once we have a development partner,” a MARTA spokesperson relayed Friday. 

Dubbed “Indian Creek Village,” the nearly 1.7-million-square-foot TOD calls for swapping parking lots just south of Indian Creek station with a dense collection of buildings, greenspaces, plazas, and parking structures, all located just outside the Interstate 285 loop in Stone Mountain. Should it come to fruition as shown in master-planning documents, the project would dwarf all others in MARTA’s TOD portfolio.

The full project calls for 1,600 residential units consuming the vast majority of new development, set among 4 acres of parks and recreation space with a multi-use trail.

Other components: food and beverage (25,000 square feet); retail/grocery and a community center (20,000 square feet each); and office/institutional space (300,000 square feet). The bus transfer facility spanning 45,000 square feet would also be in the mix—along with 3,800 parking spaces in eight different garages, according to a MARTA presentation.

An artful plaza area with tree-like structures called “The Canopy” would be another notable facet.

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

MARTA general manager and CEO Collie Greenwood called the rezoning decision a “crucial step towards transforming Indian Creek station into a vibrant community hub” in a prepared statement Thursday.

“This project will significantly enhance community connectivity and access to essential services,” added DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson. “The TOD at Indian Creek is a key milestone in our efforts to create a more vibrant and inclusive community.”

Find more context—and glimpses at MARTA's TOD dreams—in the gallery above. 

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• MARTA news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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MARTA Indian Creek Station Indian Creek MARTA Station TOD Transit Oriented Development TODs Atlanta Development Atlanta apartments Stone Mountain Infill Development Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Electric Owl Studios Hummingbird Perez Planning + Design Bae Urban Economics Avondale East WSP WSP USA

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The Indian Creek station's location near Interstate 285 in Stone Mountain, just east of Avondale Estates. Google Maps

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Indian Creek Village's established timeline to date. Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

The full scope of the Indian Creek Village vision, with the unrelated Avondale East residential project shown at bottom left. Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics

Subtitle Indian Creek Village concept with 1,600 rentals, parks, more passes zoning muster

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At cusp of Piedmont Park, controversial storage facility roars ahead Josh Green Fri, 05/31/2024 - 10:07 By all indications, a Virginia-Highland project is moving forward that will create a controversial mini district of self-storage options at the cusp of both the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail and Piedmont Park.

Demolition has recently brought down low-rise commercial buildings at 1011 Monroe Drive and 597 Cooledge Ave. that had most recently housed Cantoni Furniture and Illuminations Lighting.

National self-storage provider Public Storage plans to build a larger facility to replace those structures—a use that has drawn the ire of both BeltLine development arbiters and neighborhood leaders.

But exactly what that project might entail isn’t yet clear.

Demolition progress at the site along Cooledge Avenue in Virginia-Highland this month. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A visual illustrating the site's proximity to Piedmont Park. City of Atlanta

A competing business, ExtraSpace Storage, has long operated another self-storage facility next door on the same block, along Kanuga Street. That’s a few yards from where the BeltLine is expected to start overhauling the Eastside Trail’s Monroe Drive crossing and entry to Piedmont Park in coming weeks.

Public Storage has vacated its existing Westminster Drive facility on the other side of Piedmont Park as part of a deal that will allow Atlanta Botanical Garden to expand by 7 acres, once that storage facility is removed. ABG officials revealed in 2022 a land swap involving the former Cantoni property would mean that Public Storage would relocate to new facilities where Virginia-Highland meets the city’s marquee greenspace. When that might happen and what the project will entail is fuzzy.

ABG officials referred all questions to the Public Storage team building the new facility.

Jarrod Yates, Public Storage regional vice president of development, responded to inquiries this week with an email stating he’s “working on something to help the community better understand the project.” Asked on Thursday if that could be shared this week, Yates replied: “It will take much longer.” (Urbanize Atlanta was inadvertently copied on emails between Public Storage officials this week in which the project was referred to as a “hot potato.”)

Heads of neighborhood oversight group Virginia-Highland Civic Association did not respond to a request for more information this week.

Records show the City of Atlanta issued a demolition permit for the former Cantoni and Illuminations Lighting spaces in October.  

Drawings shared by Public Storage representatives in early 2023 with the Atlanta BeltLine Design Review Committee—following several design updates—could lend an idea what’s in store for the intown corner.

Public Storage/Atlanta BeltLine DRC

Soil work where the Cooledge Avenue portion of the site meets Monroe Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to those plans, the self-storage project would include office space (and bike racks) with a large, ABG-themed mural on one wall.

The lack of retail space or residential uses such as townhomes, however, peeved BeltLine DRC members. They criticized the project in that incarnation as “a missed opportunity” and “a use that does not belong on the BeltLine or anywhere near it.” 

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1011 Monroe Drive Public Storage Atlanta Botanical Garden Virginia-Highland Civic Association Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Self-Storage Self-storage development Self-storage facilities Piedmont Park Eastside Trail Beltline Atlanta BeltLine

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Demolition progress at the site along Cooledge Avenue in Virginia-Highland this month. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Soil work where the Cooledge Avenue portion of the site meets Monroe Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Public Storage/Atlanta BeltLine DRC

A visual illustrating the site's proximity to Piedmont Park. City of Atlanta

Cantoni's familiar sign glowed next to Monroe Drive for nearly two decades. Mimms Enterprises

State of previous buildings on site as of early 2023, with a competing self-storage facility visible next door. Google Maps

Subtitle Monroe Drive self-storage project part of land-swap deal with Atlanta Botanical Garden

Neighborhood Virginia-Highland

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