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First look: Pint-sized build set to break ground near Westside BeltLine Josh Green Fri, 05/17/2024 - 14:46 A unique Westside infill project that blends uses in the middle of a historic neighborhood is set to move forward in coming weeks, according to development officials.

The project by OaksATL Community Development is planned for a relatively small corner site—just .13 acres—where Lindsay Street meets North Avenue in English Avenue.

Situated about five blocks east of the BeltLine’s under-construction, final Westside Trail section, the parcel has been used as a pocket greenspace since a dilapidated home was demolished there several years ago.  

The three-story project is set to break ground in June, with an expected construction timeline of 10 months, according to Invest Atlanta.

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

Location of the English Avenue corner site in relation to the Westside Trail corridor, Midtown, and Westside Park. Google Maps

Floorplans show a café, barbershop, leasing office, laundry, and other uses on the project’s ground floor.

Above that, plans call for six apartments with two bedrooms and one bathroom each, all of them capped at affordable housing rates, per project leaders. Square footages are expected to range between 791 and 866 square feet.

Initially, OaksATL Community Development intended to offer all apartments at rates for residents earning 50 to 60 percent of the area median income or less.

But following delays, the developer is grappling with enough increases in construction costs—including a change in requirements from the project’s lending partners—that two of the apartments will need to be raised to a max of 80 percent AMI, according to Invest Atlanta.

That means rents will range from $1,148 to $1,553 monthly, according to project leaders.

The corner site where Lindsay Street meets North Avenue today. Google Maps

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

The full development budget is just $2.67 million—but that’s a hike from the original cost estimate of $1.34 million. Westside TAD grants, City of Atlanta Home Program funding, and philanthropic donations are expected to cover more than $1.2 million of the cost.

Head up to the gallery for more 557 Lindsay St. context and images. Below is a breakdown of what each space in the building is scheduled to rent for. 

Planned breakdown for 557 Lindsay St. unit rents, both residential and commercial. Invest Atlanta

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• English Avenue news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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557 Lindsay Street NW Westside TAD Resurgens Fund Westside Invest Atlanta affordable housing Affordability affordable apartments Atlanta apartments Mixed-Use Development Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail OaksATL Community Development

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Location of the English Avenue corner site in relation to the Westside Trail corridor, Midtown, and Westside Park. Google Maps

The corner site where Lindsay Street meets North Avenue today. Google Maps

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

Planned breakdown for 557 Lindsay St. unit rents, both residential and commercial. Invest Atlanta

OaksATL Community Development; via Invest Atlanta

Subtitle On empty, postage-stamp size site, mix of commercial, residential uses in pipeline

Neighborhood English Avenue

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Construction timeline released for $13M greenspace upgrades Josh Green Fri, 05/17/2024 - 13:42 For devoted patrons of Dresden Park, the growing-pains phase is about to begin.

According to the City of Chamblee, the popular greenspace is set to officially close May 28—or the day after Memorial Day Weekend—for at least 14 months of construction that aims to provide an upgraded greenspace with modernized facilities.

Construction is now expected to continue through the spring of next year, with a grand opening forecasted sometime in summer 2025.

Nearly $13 million in park upgrades are planned, starting with demolition of existing Dresden Park structures.

Entries and overall architecture for the planned Dresden Park Community Center. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Final masterplan for the 24-acre greenspace. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Dresden Park is tucked off Buford Highway, just south of DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, at 2301 Dresden Drive. At 24 acres, the greenspace is 2 acres larger than Centennial Olympic Park downtown. City officials finalized a contract in February with Integrated Construction and Nobility to remake the park.

Revitalization plans call for a new modern-style community center, a rectangular field with artificial turf and a multi-use field, a dog park, tennis courts, a large playground, a walking trail, a pavilion, and a new concessions building. Infrastructure upgrades such as new lighting, terraced seating, restrooms, and a new parking lot are also planned.  

The bulk of park upgrades is being paid for with COVID-19 relief funding—specifically, $10.8 million from American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds. The Chamblee City Council approved another $2 million to pay for the larger community building earlier this year, nudging the total renovation budget up to $12.8 million.

Chamblee Mayor Brian Mock has called the ARPA funding “likely a once in a lifetime opportunity” that will create “the crown jewel of the neighborhood” for an area that’s been underserved.

Example of a planned Dresden Park pavilion. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Interior layout for a Dresden Park community room. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Until summer 2025, programming usually held at Dresden Park will be moved to Keswick Park and other privately owned field locations. Chamblee officials are urging parkgoers to use other city greenspaces for picnics and family outings, too. 

In recent years, other parts of Chamblee have seen an award-winning municipal facility take shape and a multi-use trail system grow as developers pack in hundreds of new housing options near the ITP city’s historic core.

The park's 2301 Dresden Drive location (in red) near the City of Chamblee's southeastern border. Google Maps

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• Chamblee news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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2301 Dresden Drive Chamblee Dresden Park Atlanta Parks Greenspaces Chamblee Parks Park Upgrades American Rescue Plan Act Chamblee City Council Atlanta Greenspaces ITP Parks Parks and Rec Parks and Recreation Dresden Park Community Center City of Chamblee Integrated Construction and Nobility Keswick Park DeKalb-Peachtree Airport

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Final masterplan for the 24-acre greenspace. Courtesy City of Chamblee

The park's 2301 Dresden Drive location (in red) near the City of Chamblee's southeastern border. Google Maps

Example of a planned Dresden Park pavilion. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Entries and overall architecture for the planned Dresden Park Community Center. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Interior layout for a Dresden Park community room. Courtesy City of Chamblee

Subtitle Overhaul will close Chamblee's popular Dresden Park for 14 months, at least

Neighborhood Chamblee

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Move over, Spaghetti Junction. Here comes the ‘Perimeter Pretzel’ Josh Green Fri, 05/17/2024 - 08:02 After seven years of construction and “profound delays” for car commuters, the $800-million remake of Interstate 285’s interchange with Ga. Highway 400 is almost fully baked—and in true Hotlanta fashion, it’s trying to make a questionable nickname stick.

You know Spaghetti Junction. The Grady Curve. The Cobb Cloverleaf. The downtown Connector. And just maybe the Brookwood Split.

Now it’s time to meet, uh… the “Perimeter Pretzel.”

That’s the official moniker a Perimeter Community Improvement Districts branding campaign has applied to the I-285/400 interchange, which was previously considered one of Georgia’s worst traffic bottlenecks. (Official slogan right now: “Hungry for a smoother commute? Knot much longer.”)  

The Top End Perimeter project near the King and Queen office high-rises does include twists and turns of 12 miles of new connecting lanes, less hectic exits, reconstructed bridges, and a new multi-use pathway that will connect to Buckhead’s PATH400 trail. Apart from repaving work and punch-list items, it’s all but finished, according to PCID. The agency points out that GoTo Foods, owner of pretzel maker Auntie Anne’s, is actually headquarter in Perimeter, making the pretzel moniker even more fitting.

The nickname could also be apt because it’s a mouthful, the interchange took a lot of dough to make, and let’s be honest, it’s cheesy AF.

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

The project is part of GDOT’s “Transform 285/400” overhaul that began construction in 2017 and was supposed to have wrapped in summer 2020, until the scope was expanded to include new bridges on nearby connecting roads and other components. Now, the finished interchanged is expected to be only slightly smaller than Spaghetti Junction. Its goal is to open up a tangle of roadways used by more than 400,000 drivers per day—although it was originally designed to handle just 100,000.

The branding campaign also includes a “hyper-real sneak peek” video into how the Pretzel will function that’s sure to leave a salty taste in transit enthusiasts' mouths. 

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

This being an era of beefs, the video begins with Pretzel proponents dissing the problematic traffic “over by Spaghetti Junction” and extolling the virtues of “the addition of all those connecting lanes” in Sandy Springs.  

One narrator to the other: “I actually passed through the Pretzel on my commute this morning. The new lanes are a huge improvement,” she says cheerily. “No more left-hand turns. No more awkward merges. No more bottlenecks. I have to say—it just works… It’s exciting to hear there’s so much going on in the community.”

The male counterpart responds: “It really does feel like this place is getting the new and exciting chapter it deserves.”

H/T to Rough Draft Atlanta for sharing the day-brightening Pretzel video in a recent newsletter. The same publication ran a reader poll in 2019 with other suggestions—“GDOT Knot,” “Traffic Twister,” and “Rush-Hour Ramen”—that saw the Perimeter Pretzel moniker come out on top.

Any other suggestions for what metro Atlantans might call this twisty thing?

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• Sandy Springs news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Perimeter Central Perimeter Dunwoody Brookhaven Atlanta Interstates Atlanta Construction Ga. Highway 400 Interstate 285 Perimeter Pretzel Atlanta Pretzel Perimeter Construction GDOT Georgia Department of Transportation Perimeter Community Improvement Districts Cobb Cloverleaf Spaghetti Junction

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Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Where the checklist of "Perimeter Pretzel" construction items stands today. Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

Subtitle Cheesy moniker is part of campaign to rebrand $800M Interstate 285, Ga. Highway 400 overhaul

Neighborhood Sandy Springs

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Photo rewind: Full BeltLine trail to close soon. Here's how it started Josh Green Thu, 05/16/2024 - 16:39 Atlanta BeltLine leaders are sending one reminder after the next: This weekend marks your last chance to enjoy the interim, unpaved western sections of the Southside Trail, y’all.

The Southside Trail’s Segments 2 and 3—stretching for 1.9 miles from Boulevard around to the Pittsburgh Yards district—are set to officially close to the public Monday. The corridor won’t open again until it’s paved and lighted. BeltLine leaders are targeting early 2026 to make that happen.

Which makes this a perfect time to remember how the full Southside Trail corridor started, just after the city had purchased its 4.5 miles and 63 acres for $26 million from longtime owner CSX.

The status of construction and completion for the BeltLine's U-shaped, southernmost sections. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Below are snapshots— commissioned on a cloudy day in April 2018—from a much rawer, blighted urban landscape. It was prior to the corridor being cleared of old rails and debris, its bridges being stabilized, and other efforts to make it generally fit for ATLien habitation. The trail wouldn’t officially open in an interim state for another year and ½.

According to BeltLine officials, long days of Segment 2 and 3 trail work are expected to begin at 7 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with weekends not off the table as make-up days for weather delays. Once it’s finished, nearly 18 miles of continuous BeltLine overall will be in place.

But before all of that, let’s have a quick trip down memory lane and recall how things began…

In 2018, graffiti-covered walls behind Maynard Jackson High School marked the beginning of the Southside Trail’s nearly 4.5 mile crescent from Glenwood Avenue around to University Avenue. The 194-unit Argos Apartments have since been built here. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

A large modern residential compound has replaced the shuttered house seen below on Vera Street. Decommissioned railroad tracks have also long since been removed. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

View of the Trestletree Village Apartments from an elevated, overgrown section of the trail. Separate bridge infrastructure has recently been installed here (at bottom) where the Southside Trail will be routed. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Another view of Trestletree Village and the old tracks. This section, from Glenwood Park to Boulevard, is fully under construction and scheduled to reopen next spring. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The 24-home Farmhouses at Ormewood Park project was just beginning to take shape in 2018. These dwellings would later become some of the neighborhood's first with $1-million pricing and up. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Backside of Oldfield at Grant Park townhomes overlooking tracks six years ago. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The Cold Storage building at the BeltLine-Boulevard crossing has been replaced with the 323-apartment Boulevard at Grant Park project, where a Mellow Mushroom is being installing, taking about half of the project's 3,400 square feet of retail space. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Pictured at bottom, a large sinkhole was a major source of BeltLine concern for urban wanderers in 2018. It's since been remediated. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

An old warehouse set back from Milton Avenue has been replaced by the sprawling Maverick apartment and townhome community. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Approaching the McDonough Boulevard train tunnel—sure to become one of the most iconic features of the entire BeltLine loop soon. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Inside the bridge (with active traffic lanes and rail overhead) before tracks were removed and lighting and flood mitigation measures were put in place. (Dude on mountain bike was having second thoughts.)Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Western side of the historic brick tunnel. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The previous state of an ailing bridge crossing at Pryor Street. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Graffiti and railroad infrastructure beneath the Interstate 85 overpass, due south of downtown.Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The overgrown Southside Trail corridor and what would become the 31-acre Pittsburgh Yards jobs hub. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

View of vast property now owned by the BeltLine and Pittsburgh Yards in the distance. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Crossing over Metropolitan Parkway—with a bridge reminiscent of the Eastside Trail structure, prior to refurbishment, that passes over Ponce de Leon Avenue.Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Lastly, how the Southside-Westside trail's junction near University Avenue appeared six years ago. Try to imagine all the above six years from now. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

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• Chosewood Park news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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Grant Park Peoplestown Capitol View Connector Southside Trail Beltline The Beacon Atlanta BeltLine BeltLine Construction Jonathan Phillips Photo Essays Visual Journeys Urbanize Photos

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In 2018, graffiti-covered walls behind Maynard Jackson High School marked the beginning of the Southside Trail’s nearly 4.5 mile crescent from Glenwood Avenue around to University Avenue. The 194-unit Argos Apartments have since been built here. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

A large modern residential compound has replaced the shuttered house seen below on Vera Street. Decommissioned railroad tracks have also long since been removed. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

View of the Trestletree Village Apartments from an elevated, overgrown section of the trail. Separate bridge infrastructure has recently been installed here (at bottom) where the Southside Trail will be routed. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Another view of Trestletree Village and the old tracks. This section, from Glenwood Park to Boulevard, is fully under construction and scheduled to reopen next spring. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The 24-home Farmhouses at Ormewood Park project was just beginning to take shape in 2018. These dwellings would later become some of the neighborhood's first with $1-million pricing and up. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Backside of Oldfield at Grant Park townhomes overlooking tracks six years ago. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The Cold Storage building at the BeltLine-Boulevard crossing has been replaced with the 323-apartment Boulevard at Grant Park project, where a Mellow Mushroom is being installing, taking about half of the project's 3,400 square feet of retail space. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Pictured at bottom, a large sinkhole was a major source of BeltLine concern for urban wanderers in 2018. It's since been remediated. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

An old warehouse set back from Milton Avenue has been replaced by the sprawling Maverick apartment and townhome community. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Approaching the McDonough Boulevard train tunnel—sure to become one of the most iconic features of the entire BeltLine loop soon. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Inside the bridge (with active traffic lanes and rail overhead) before tracks were removed and lighting and flood mitigation measures were put in place. (Dude on mountain bike was having second thoughts.)Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Western side of the historic brick tunnel. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The previous state of an ailing bridge crossing at Pryor Street. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Graffiti and railroad infrastructure beneath the Interstate 85 overpass, due south of downtown.Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

The overgrown Southside Trail corridor and what would become the 31-acre Pittsburgh Yards jobs hub. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

View of vast property now owned by the BeltLine and Pittsburgh Yards in the distance. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Crossing over Metropolitan Parkway—with a bridge reminiscent of the Eastside Trail structure, prior to refurbishment, that passes over Ponce de Leon Avenue.Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Lastly, how the Southside-Westside trail's junction near University Avenue appeared six years ago. Try to imagine all the above six years from now. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips Photography

Subtitle A look back at Southside Trail corridor's raw beginnings on eve of construction closure

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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Photographer Jonathan Phillips

Photographer Link https://jonathanphillipsphotography.com/portraits/

 

In shadow of Braves stadium, mixed-use project finally nears debut Josh Green Thu, 05/16/2024 - 13:55 Three years after breaking ground, a low-rise mixed-use venture in the shadow of the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park expects to finally start welcoming residents this summer.

Tucked off Cobb Parkway, the Ellison Parkview project (formerly called The Optima) is planning to start hardhat tours soon for prospective residents at 2801 Windy Ridge Parkway, across the street from The Battery Atlanta and the MLB ballpark.

According to developer Flournoy Properties Group, Ellison Parkview’s first residents are scheduled to start moving in sometime in August, prior to what’s expected to be another Braves playoff push.

The 298-unit project, which topped out at five stories in early 2023, will also include 6,000 square feet of space for restaurants and retail at the base. That retail section will front a large plaza with water features, seating, and public gathering spaces.

One key design feature, according to architects with Dynamik Design, is the “expansive streetscape [meant] to accommodate rideshare pick-up and drop-off for busy game days and events.” A crosswalk into The Battery is also located at Ellison Parkview’s doorstep on Heritage Court. Beyond The Battery, developers have pointed to less-than-a-mile proximity to Cumberland Mall as a selling point.

Ellison Parkview's frontage along Windy Ridge Parkway, with Cobb Parkway located to the left. Flournoy Properties Group; designs, Dynamik Design

Covered social space at Ellison Parkview's rooftop "sky lounge." Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development; designs, Dynamik Design

Amenities are set to include communal workspaces, a poolside clubroom, and a “sky lounge” with an outdoor patio on the fifth floor that overlooks the plaza and Braves stadium. (Find fresh renderings in the gallery above).

The smallest unit currently offered at Ellison Parkview is relatively cavernous compared to foot-in-the-door studios popping up at many multifamily developments closer to Atlanta’s core. That S2 plan includes one bedroom and bathroom in 597 square feet.

The largest apartment floorplan listed—1,557 square feet, with a sizable, triangular balcony—has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

A phone call seeking pricing details on those units led to an automated message that says pre-leasing has yet to begin. We’ve left a message and will update this story with any additional details that come.

The project's largest option has three bedrooms in 1,557 square feet. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

A rendering depicting the Ellison Parkview pool courtyard. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

The project broke ground back in 2021 and was initially expected to deliver last year but has grappled with delays. It claimed 4 acres of hilly woods about a block west of the stadium as the crow flies. 

According to the developer’s website, Ellison Parkview is scheduled to finish construction in 2025, with its apartments averaging 855 square feet.

Ellison Parkview joins a flurry of new construction within steps of the Braves stadium.

At a site behind home plate, a 250,000-square-foot office building has recently topped out that will serve as national headquarters for Truist Securities, Truist’s full-service corporate and investment bank. The nine-story project has risen on the northwest side of Truist Park, just up the street from the Coca-Cola Roxy music venue, with an adjoining 750-space parking deck.

Meanwhile, on the flipside of Truist Park, a two-tower project called “The Henry”—an homage to late Braves legend Hank Aaron—is in development beyond the stadium’s left and centerfield walls. The Henry’s plans call for a mix of more than 500 upscale apartments, a 250-key Marriott Autograph hotel, retail space, and 54 condos, the latter representing a rare for-sale residential option for the district.

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As Braves season unfolds, another project near Truist Park tops out (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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2801 Windy Ridge Parkway SE Ellison Parkview The Optima Flournoy Construction Group Flournoy Properties Group The Battery Atlanta Atlanta Braves The Battery Baseball Braves Cobb County Atlanta Development Atlanta apartments Mixed-Use Development Dynamik Design Kimley-Horn B+C Studio Mitsch Design Flournoy Development

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The 2801 Windy Ridge Parkway site in relation to the Braves' ballpark and entertainment district. Google Maps

Ellison Parkview's frontage along Windy Ridge Parkway, with Cobb Parkway located to the left. Flournoy Properties Group; designs, Dynamik Design

Covered social space at Ellison Parkview's rooftop "sky lounge." Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development; designs, Dynamik Design

Virtual golf in the sky lounge. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

The plans for onsite vending fridges. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

The onsite coffee lounge at Ellison Parkview. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

Example of a B1 floorplan kitchen. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

A rendering depicting the Ellison Parkview pool courtyard. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

The Uber-friendly front plaza located a home run from the Cobb County stadium. Flournoy Properties Group; designs, Dynamik Design

The smallest, 597-square-foot option listed at Ellison Parkview today. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

The project's largest option has three bedrooms in 1,557 square feet. Ellison Parkview/Flournoy Development

Subtitle Now called "Ellison Parkview," development includes restaurant space, outdoor hangout

Neighborhood Smyrna/Vinings

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Image A large brick and glass development under blue skies in Atlanta with a corner plaza in the front with fountains, under construction.

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The Optima - 2801 Windy Ridge Parkway

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First step for creating downtown's Stitch is happening. Right now Josh Green Thu, 05/16/2024 - 12:03 Believe it or not, nearly eight years have passed since Atlantans got their first peek at plans for a city-altering, multifaceted park created from thin air above downtown freeway lanes. But as of this week, the symbolically named Stitch has reached a new level of progress.

According to project spearheads Central Atlanta Progress, the Stitch’s planning, design, and engineering phase has officially kicked off, following public visioning meetings attended by hundreds and a windfall of crucial funding from the federal government this year.

But don’t hold your breath for a showy groundbreaking ceremony soon—or for the park to debut in its entirety in the near term.

Current pre-construction work is focused on what’s been designated phase one of the Stitch. According to CAP, this will include a 300-foot cap stretching between today’s Peachtree Street and Courtland Street bridges.

That’s roughly a city block. It's situated in the shadow of downtown landmarks including the historic Imperial Hotel, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Truist Plaza (formerly SunTrust Plaza, Atlanta’s second tallest building), and for better or worse, the long-vacant Medical Arts Building.  

A phased breakdown of the Stitch's expected construction plan. Central Atlanta Progress

Details will be finalized through design and engineering, but according to CAP, the Stitch’s initial phase will see between 4 and 5 acres of new park space downtown. (For context, Woodruff Park is 6 acres.) Updated visuals for the Stitch depict this area as the "Peachtree Green," or a centralized main park. 

To the delight of urbanists everywhere, phase-one designs will also include six and ¼ miles of new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, alongside streetscape improvements, on city streets that connect with the Stitch, as project officials specified this week.

Another focal point will be easier access to MARTA’s Civic Center bus and rail station, officials have said.

The lion’s share of phase one engineering and construction is being funded by $158 million awarded to the Stitch in March from the federal program Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods—a grant described by project leaders at the time as “monumental.”

According to the most recent Stitch timeline, the project’s engineering and design phase is expected to last for two years, with construction beginning in 2026.

All three phases are scheduled to be designed, constructed, and open to the public by 2030, which also happens to be the Atlanta BeltLine’s deadline for completing its 22-mile multipurpose loop.

Eventually, the Stitch’s scope calls for 14 acres of new public space spread across 3/4th of a mile, all intended to restitch neighborhoods torn apart by downtown freeway construction.

The Stitch’s “Peachtree Green” section would reconnect a downtown street grid and create an active greenspace, setting the stage for park-oriented, high-rise development. Thestitchatl.com

Updated overview of the Stitch's planned components when finished across 14 acres spanning 3/4ths of a mile. Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

Stitch leadership reported this week roughly 350 people attended visioning workshops held in April and May atop Bank of America Plaza. The team “had important conversations around the master planning focus areas and collected crucial feedback from a diverse group of citizens from around metro Atlanta,” per CAP.

Anyone who missed those meetings can still toss in their 2 cents regarding Stitch design, programming ideas, and policy through the project’s engagement portal. It will be open through June 7.

Here’s a sample page from the questionnaire:

Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

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Stitch The Stitch U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail Multi-use Trails Southside Downtown Connector Downtown Atlanta Parks and Recreation Atlanta Regional Commission Central Atlanta Progress Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act Flint River Trail Lovejoy Stitch

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Updated overview of the Stitch's planned components when finished across 14 acres spanning 3/4ths of a mile. Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

A phased breakdown of the Stitch's expected construction plan. Central Atlanta Progress

Depiction of a Stitch greenspace between several landmark and hypothetical buildings. Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

The Stitch’s “Peachtree Green” section would reconnect a downtown street grid and create an active greenspace, setting the stage for park-oriented, high-rise development. Thestitchatl.com

Vision for Hospital Square. Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

Vision for The Stitch's greenspace-heavy Energy Green section. Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

As seen in winter 2018, the Stitch would cap this 3/4-mile section of the Connector with greenspace, from the Civic Center MARTA station to just east of Piedmont Avenue. Courtesy of Jonathan Phillips

The 14-acre project could spur billions in private development, advocates have said. Courtesy of Atlanta Downtown Improvement District

Central Atlanta Progress; thestitchatl.com

Subtitle Planning, design, and engineering for ambitious highway-capping park officially underway

Neighborhood Downtown

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Image A rendering of a new park built over a highway under blue skies in Atlanta.

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MARTA's airport station on track to fully reopen next week Josh Green Wed, 05/15/2024 - 17:14 Frequent rail riders to and from the world’s busiest airport can breathe a sigh of relief: MARTA officials say the transit authority’s Airport station is expected to open on schedule next week.

MARTA temporarily closed one of its busiest stations for six weeks beginning April 8 to more efficiently tackle renovations on platform and concourse levels. Officials say the station will reopen, for now, bright and early Monday morning.

By all indications, the temporary closure caused more concern prior to the station being shut down than actual headaches when it was no longer open. For the past few weeks, MARTA has provided shuttle buses between its College Park station and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, logging between 7,000 and 9,000 customers each day, as agency officials reported this week.

The Airport station typically sees roughly 11,000 MARTA customers pass through daily, suggesting that some airport travelers have recently opted out of public rail transportation.  

MARTA officials say the closures will help renovations be completed safely for customers and workers—and 17 months quicker than if the station remains open. Work recently completed includes new flooring, infrastructure for a new elevator, and fresh ceilings and lighting.

Designs for the MARTA canopy structure that will echo larger airport canopies. Courtesy of MARTA

Broader design work at the station will aim to mimic terminal canopies at the airport next door, but on a smaller scale. According to MARTA, the $55 million canopy installation and other renovations will boost “the safety and appearance of the rail station to best serve travelers and employees” coming to and leaving the airport. 

Additional upgrades in the pipeline include a new RideStore, a rehab of the station’s elevator, a public art installation, renovated employee spaces, and replacement of all signage.

Revised look of MARTA Airport station interiors in the works now. Courtesy of MARTA

Courtesy of MARTA

To finish the project, MARTA says the station will also be closed nightly for 10 months sometime in 2025. Another six-week closure is also possible after that, when the new canopy structure will be installed at the end of the construction process.

As the southernmost stop on MARTA's Red and Gold lines, Airport station will lend a first impression for legions of World Cup fans arriving in the city for eight matches scheduled in summer 2026.

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• Images: Atlanta airport embarks on one of ‘most ambitious projects to date’(Urbanize Atlanta) 

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MARTA MARTA Airport Station Airport Station Atlanta Airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority MARTA Stations MARTA Construction Airport Station Construction MARTA Closures MARTA RideStore Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation

Subtitle Well that was pretty quick

Guest Author(s) Southside

Neighborhood Southside

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Image A new MARTA station shown with a glass canopy overhead with a giant airport next door in Atlanta.

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Images: Well-known Old Fourth Ward public art reborn as park Josh Green Wed, 05/15/2024 - 14:59 One of Atlanta’s trendier, historically rich, and most rapidly changing neighborhoods officially lays claim to two new public spaces, including one in the shadow of a well-known art installation by the late artist Sol LeWitt.

That’s the word today from Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association officials, who are calling the Highland Avenue pocket parks both “transformative” and a “major step forward in the area's revitalization,” in that they help enrich O4W’s recreation and cultural landscape.

The first project, “54 Columns Park,” has taken shape at the highly visible corner of North Highland Avenue and Glen Iris Drive.

Upgrades around LeWitt’s public art installation “54 Columns”—which is Fulton County’s most valuable art holding, according to nonprofit organization Fourth Ward Neighbors—include seating areas, a terraced wall, a winding pathway, improved landscaping, fresh signage, and new entry points.

How the "54 Columns" corner site appeared along Highland Avenue prior to construction of its new pocket park. Courtesy of Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

Entry to the "54 Columns" park space today. Courtesy of Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

LeWitt installed the piece—a collection of 54 concrete columns between 10 and 20 feet tall—on donated land at the corner in 1999. The columns were designed to evoke Atlanta’s ever-changing skyline, but not all observers have been impressed.

Two decades ago, irked neighbors planted trees to block the minimalist installation from public view, but those were later removed by the city. And as Atlas Obscura once put it, the “strange assortment of concrete pillars inspires reflection in some, confusion in others,” as it’s been mistaken for an incomplete construction project and a destroyed building. (But the most enduring art, after all, can be divisive, even when it’s nondescript.)

The push to turn the sculptures’ greenspace into a more functional public gathering place comes as part of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners’ Highland & Sampson Revitalization Plan.

Officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta the project cost was roughly $100,000. Park Pride also contributed significant funding through its Grantmaking Program, as did the Mark Taylor family, which was instrumental in funding the original project and collaborating with LeWitt  25 years ago, according to family spokesperson Chuck Taylor.

“We’re excited that the neighborhood is taking the sculpture to the next level, inspiring more visitors and more conversations about this fabulous piece of artwork,” Taylor noted in the announcement.

Courtesy of Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

Board Chairman Robb Pitts, who spearheaded the initiative, said in a prepared statement commissioners are “thrilled that we were able to help fund [the greenspace] to enhance the enjoyment of arts and culture for the residents and visitors” of the city and county.

The street’s second new parklet can be found next to breakfast and brunch spot Bomb Biscuits Atlanta.

The "Highland Avenue PATH Greenspace” is described as a welcoming urban greenspace with seating at a popular O4W entrance to the Freedom PATH Trail, which links downtown to Stone Mountain.

Other recent rejuvenation efforts led by the Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association include cleanup and plantings at a small park where Corley Street meets Highland Avenue. That space now hosts free yoga sessions, with new planters in the avenue’s median, a new bike corral, and painted crosswalks that help create a safer, welcoming atmosphere.

“This has been a two-year journey, and it could not have been achieved without the support of dedicated neighbors, elected officials, committed donors, and the business community,” said Tom Boyle, Fourth Ward Neighbors president. “We are immensely grateful for their time and funding."

As shown in earlier renderings, revitalization plans at the "54 Columns" park where North Highland Avenue meets Glen Iris Drive. Fulton County Board of Commissioners/Perennial Properties

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• Old Fourth Ward news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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North Highland Avenue NE at Glen Iris Drive NE 54 Columns Old Fourth Ward Sol LeWitt Highland & Sampson Revitalization Plan Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts City of Atlanta Perennial Properties Public Art Pocket Parks Atlanta Parks Parks and Recreation Atlanta Public Art PATH Foundation Park Pride Highland Avenue Path Greenspace Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

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How the "54 Columns" corner site appeared along Highland Avenue prior to construction of its new pocket park. Courtesy of Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

Entry to the "54 Columns" park space today. Courtesy of Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

Courtesy of Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association

As shown in earlier renderings, revitalization plans at the "54 Columns" park where North Highland Avenue meets Glen Iris Drive. Fulton County Board of Commissioners/Perennial Properties

Subtitle Second "transformative" pocket park also installed at Highland Avenue PATH Trail entrance

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

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Image A rendering of a new park space around many sculptures in Atlanta.

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English Avenue mixed-use build called 'The Proctor' moves forward Josh Green Wed, 05/15/2024 - 10:32 Three years after it was formally announced, a mixed-use venture in English Avenue has filed plans with the city to move forward with construction.

Atlanta-based Windsor Stevens Holdings plans to build a 142-unit apartment complex called “The Proctor” on vacant land at 698 Oliver St., roughly a block south of the Westside BeltLine Connector greenway trail.

The eight-story building would also include 10,000 square feet of retail space at ground level. Apartments would average 813 square feet, according to Windsor Stevens reps, who filed permitting paperwork with the City of Atlanta’s Office of Buildings last week.

The site in question is tucked off Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, immediately west of Brock Built Homes’ 30-unit Oliver Street Townhomes. That project made headlines several years ago for its record prices in the $400,000s in a neighborhood that had been plagued by disinvestment and displacement. 

How the 148-unit The Proctor building's balconies and retail would face cross streets. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton Associates architects

Other landmarks in the area include The Salvation Army Bellwood Boys and Girls Club (about two block east) and the Westside Motor Lounge food-and-drink component of the Echo Street West project (six blocks east).

According to Windsor Stevens, The Proctor will also see a three-level parking deck take shape with 160 spaces. Plans for amenities call for a pool deck, fitness and yoga room, dog spa, and a “chill room” equipped with a full kitchen.

Promotional materials point to MARTA’s Bankhead station a mile west, and Microsoft’s 90-acre property about 1.8 miles away, as walkable plusses of the location. The development is described as being transit-focused overall.

Proposed lighting scheme at The Proctor. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton Associates architects

The 698 Oliver St. site in question, just north of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and a few blocks from Westside Motor Lounge. Google Maps

Plans for The Proctor unveiled in 2021 called for a little more retail space but 14 fewer apartments, with funding and guidance from Invest Atlanta helping ensure a portion of the units would remain affordable for 20 years.

Property records indicate an LLC called WS Proctor Co. purchased the assemblage of properties for $3.4 million in March 2022. (Earlier reports specified the project will rise at 703 Lindsay Street, which is a property on a different side of the same block.)

Windsor Stevens was founded by Atlanta developer Rod Mullice, whose portfolio includes transit-focused projects such as The Pad on Harvard in College Park. Mullice had previously called The Proctor’s proximity to Georgia Tech’s campus another selling point.

When the project was announced three years ago, the development team also included H.J. Russell and Company (construction), Niles Bolton Associates (architecture), Eberly and Associates (engineering), The Dragon Group (sustainable consulting), Nelson Mullins (legal), and Aprio (accounting).

Find additional context and images in the gallery above.

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• English Avenue news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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698 OLIVER St. NW The Proctor Windsor Stevens Holdings H.J. Russell Co. Eberly & Associates The Dragon Group Nelson Mullins Niles Bolton Associates Aprio Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Atlanta apartments Mixed-Use Development Joseph E. Boone Boulevard Bankhead For Rent in Atlanta Westside BeltLine Connector Rod Mullice

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The 698 Oliver St. site in question, just north of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and a few blocks from Westside Motor Lounge. Google Maps

How the 148-unit The Proctor building's balconies and retail would face cross streets. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton Associates architects

The vacant site in question, at left, as seen in early 2023 with Brock Built Homes’ Oliver Street Townhomes next door. Google Maps

Proposed lighting scheme at The Proctor. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton Associates architects

A mural perspective on the backside of the proposed building. Windsor Stevens Holdings; designs, Niles Bolton Associates architects

Subtitle Proximity to MARTA, BeltLine connector, Microsoft's potential campus cited as plusses

Neighborhood English Avenue

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Image An image showing a development site where a large apartment complex with neon and shops is being built on an Atlanta corner on the westside.

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Property owner on fence about key intown corner. Any suggestions? Josh Green Wed, 05/15/2024 - 08:18 As intown corner lots go, it might not be the so-called beachfront property you’ll find along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, but it could be close.

And exactly what will become of it remains to be seen.

Atlanta development wonks went bananas last month when a crumbling, 2,482-square-foot commercial building from 1945 was razed at 142 Whitefoord Ave., having been vacant for more than a decade with a collapsed roof and trees growing inside.

Not a big deal, except that this particular .26-acre lot enjoys a front-row seat along the Eastside Trolley Trail—the popular BeltLine-to-Kirkwood connector trail installed by the PATH Foundation last year—and is part of a budding commercial hub for Edgewood.

Rumors abounded about a possible breakfast concept being built at the corner, which is the northeast corner of Whitefoord Avenue’s intersection with Arkwright Place, across the street from wildly popular taqueria El Tesoro.

 

But the property’s new owner, Sara Thurston, a real estate agent and sales consultant by day, did not confirm that. Reached by email, Thurston offered to answer questions, and responded to them with a single sentence, “I’m still solidifying my plan,” and an offer to provide more details when they’re ready.  

Which means it’s time to get hypothetical and wonder what should go there.

The 1/4-acre site at 142 Whitefoord Ave., following demolition last month in Edgewood. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Brief history: The vacant 142 Whitefoord Ave. property came up for sale two years ago and quickly went under contract (at least to an initial potential buyer). According to a previous LoopNet listing, the building was part of a corner lot (11,400 square feet) with dedicated parking at the back. It neighbors a separate building occupied by the Viking Motorcycle Club.

Longtime neighborhood residents say the building housed a dry cleaners years ago. We’re told that most buildings in the immediate area are within a Sugar Creek floodplain that’s hasn’t been an issue in recent years. Parking in the area, however, has been a sticking point, following El Tesoro’s rise as an eastside destination.

Next to El Tesoro, to the north, a former 1950s auto garage will become a local pizzeria and neighborhood market with patio seating in front and some parking in the rear, as the building and business owner, Sid Weinstein, told Urbanize Atlanta this month. Weinstein hopes to open the businesses by late summer or early fall, operating them seven days a week.

The site's proximity to a building that will house a pizzeria and market (at left) across the street, per ownership. A longstanding motorcycle club occupies the building next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 142 Whitefoord Ave. site's location at an Edgewood intersection with commercial uses and low-rise apartments. Google Maps

Zooming out, retail and restaurant options in recent years have cropped in other Edgewood places that had no commercial activity before. That includes neighborhood wine shop Vin ATL and sandwich emporium and cocktail bar Bona Fide Deluxe, which have both taken root in the mixed-use, transit-oriented redevelopment of Edgewood’s MARTA station parking lots. Just east of there, a massive, 662-home venture by national developer Toll Brothers will also include a retail component.

Meanwhile, two blocks due south of El Tesoro, former butcher and sandwich spot Chop Shop is being converted into a concept by local chef and restaurateur Hudson Rouse called Pure Quill Superette. Rouse, who owns Rising Son in Avondale Estates and Whoopsie’s in Reynoldstown, described the Memorial Drive destination to the AJC in February as “the best of the coolest country stores and bodegas and Italian delis I’ve been to” with a lunch counter, beer and wine sales, and a bar for socializing.

So, given that context, what do you, dear readers, hope to see become of the 142 Whitefoord Ave. corner?

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• Edgewood news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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142 Whitefoord Avenue SE Maple Realty Inc. Sara Thurston Viking Motorcycle Club Adaptive-Reuse Sidney Weinstein El Tesoro Rudy's Auto Eastside Trolley Trail

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The 142 Whitefoord Ave. site's location at an Edgewood intersection with commercial uses and low-rise apartments. Google Maps

The 1/4-acre site at 142 Whitefoord Ave., following demolition last month in Edgewood. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The site's proximity to a building that will house a pizzeria and market (at left) across the street, per ownership. A longstanding motorcycle club occupies the building next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Cleared Edgewood property abuts BeltLine connection trail, near new retail, popular restaurant

Neighborhood Edgewood

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Image A street corner in Atlanta with dirt where a small corner building was recently bulldozed.

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MARTA switches plans, opts for direct rapid bus route to ATL airport Josh Green Tue, 05/14/2024 - 14:30 MARTA has tweaked plans for an extensive, bus rapid transit route planned for south metro Atlanta to include direct access to the world’s largest airport and Georgia’s biggest employer.

MARTA’s Board of Directors has adopted an amended locally preferred alternative route, or LPA, that will link the authority’s planned Rapid Southlake system directly with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Domestic Terminal—and thousands of airport-related jobs.

Previously, plans called for the 15-mile BRT route to snake up through Clayton County and a corner of Fulton County before ending at MARTA’s College Park transit station.

The Rapid Southlake route, which MARTA calls the first BRT system of its kind in the region, will link Southlake Mall to the airport. In between will be what MARTA calls “rail-like stations”—with seating, digital signage, and off-board fare payment—at key stops such as Southern Regional Medical Center, the Shops of Riverdale, and the Riverdale Mobility Center.

MARTA’s revised map shows 16 stations dotted along the BRT route. The system’s high-capacity buses are expected to run in a mix of new, dedicated right-of-way and traffic lanes mixed with regular vehicles on today’s roads.

Courtesy of MARTA

Example of a planned BRT stop on MARTA's future Southlake route. Courtesy of MARTA

Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO, said the project will provide “generational impacts” for people working, living, and traveling around Clayton County, while the direct airport connection will “strengthen the project’s federal funding competitiveness,” according to a MARTA announcement.

The revised route is also expected to allow for more dedicated BRT lanes along Riverdale Road near the airport. 

The project has advanced to the 30-percent design phase following the board’s LPA adoption. MARTA leaders plan to submit an application for Federal Transit Administration, Capital Investments Grants, and Small Starts funding this summer. 

Courtesy of MARTA

Courtesy of MARTA

According to MARTA’s timeline projections, the Rapid Southlake route is expected to be fully constructed and open for service in 2030.  

Find more context for the BRT project in the gallery above.

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Clayton County news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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MARTA Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority MARTA BRT BRT Bus Rapid Transit Bus Transportation Atlanta Bus Transportation Alternate Transportation Morrow Southlake Southlake Mall Clayton County Riverdale Atlanta Airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

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Courtesy of MARTA

Courtesy of MARTA

Courtesy of MARTA

Example of a planned BRT stop on MARTA's future Southlake route. Courtesy of MARTA

Courtesy of MARTA

Courtesy of MARTA

Subtitle BRT adjustment will unlock quicker access to jobs, boost federal funding chances, transit agency says

Neighborhood Clayton County

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After more cuts, Amsterdam Walk proposal scores neighborhood OK Josh Green Tue, 05/14/2024 - 12:23 After nearly a year of meetings, presentations, and negotiations, neighborhood governing boards have given the official green-light to Atlanta developer Portman Holdings’ plans to bulldoze and rebuild a commercial district where the BeltLine, Piedmont Park, and three tony intown neighborhoods meet.

Those plans, however, have been heavily scaled back from what development officials say they initially envisioned Amsterdam Walk becoming.

Leadership with both the Virginia-Highland Civic Association and Morningside Lenox Park Association have voted to recommend support for the rezoning and redevelopment of Amsterdam Walk, a former warehouse district spread across 11 acres that’s seen its cachet boosted by construction of the BeltLine’s Northeast Trail next door.

Comparison renderings showing the Amsterdam Walk redevelopment as initially proposed in renderings last year—and 17 percent smaller. Approved plans have been cut back about 4 percent more. SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

Portman officials first presented the redevelopment idea to both neighborhood groups in August. Renderings and project specifics calling for new buildings standing between seven and 17 stories, with 900 new apartments, 90,000 square feet of commercial space, and 400,000 square feet of offices came to light in more recent months.

The proposal at that scale triggered neighborhood pushback that’s included a campaign of naysaying yard signs.

Alongside a host of conditions, the plans approved in recent days by VHCA and MLPA officials have scaled back everything but the amount of commercial or retail space. About 300,000 square feet overall—or nearly 21 percent—of the original proposal’s density has been subtracted.

That's about 4 percent less density than Portman officials had brought to the table, with revised renderings, in meetings earlier this month. 

Portman’s revised scope now calls for 840 dwellings throughout the property, and less than half of the initial plans for office space, or 150,000 square feet. The total square footage now calls for 1.18 million square feet.

Under the current C-1 zoning classification, Portman’s buildings could have stood up to 225 feet tall at Amsterdam Walk. The negotiated scope approved by neighborhood groups will cap buildings at 85-feet tall that abut single-family homes, 140 feet for offices, and 180 feet max height for residential buildings. The taller, latter building types will be positioned at the northwest corner of the site along the BeltLine.

According to VHCA, the reduced density means car trips will be slashed from an estimated almost 4,000 to 2,362 trips each day, or 41 percent less, per traffic models.

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

Highlights of other development stipulations set by neighborhood groups include:

  • 20 percent of residential units must be affordable at 80 percent of the area median income for 99 years.
  • 12.5 percent of commercial space has to be designated affordable as a means of supporting local businesses.
  • A minimum of 100 EV parking spaces is required. Ditto for at least 150 public bike parking spaces and 100 for residents.
  • No minimum parking requirement is set, but the development can’t exceed 1,435 spaces total, most of it below grade or screened if above ground. (The parking cap proposed by the neighborhood would be the lesser of that total number, or .85 spaces per bedroom, and 0.85 spaces per 300 square feet of retail and office development.)
  • At least 20 percent of site must be preserved as publicly accessible open space; specific landscaping and streetscape improvements will be required.
  • 120 trees expected to be removed will be replaced by 432, four-inch caliper trees on site or nearby, instead of recompense payments made by developers to a city fund.
  • A plan that aims to improve traffic in the immediate area includes more than 15 conditions “focused on a safer, slower Monroe [Drive] and improved bicycle/pedestrian connectivity on the site and to the BeltLine,” per a VHCA recap. Vehicle access to the district is also now required from Amsterdam Avenue and Evelyn Street—and restricted from Orme Circle and Park Drive, in an effort to mitigate traffic impacts.

Overview of properties and streets VHCA says will be directly impacted by Amsterdam Walk's redevelopment. Virginia-Highland Civic Association

NPU-F is expected to vote on the Amsterdam Walk proposal Wednesday, which will serve as a recommendation to city government. A City of Atlanta Zoning Review Board meeting is scheduled on the matter for June 13.

Following those steps, the project still has to be vetted by the City of Atlanta’s Board of Zoning Adjustment and the City Council. Those hearings have yet to be scheduled.  

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Virginia-Highland news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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533 Amsterdam Avenue Amsterdam Walk Halpern Enterprises Adaptive-Reuse Portman Holdings Portman Fresh Renderings Renderings Beltline Piedmont Park Northeast Trail Atlanta BeltLine Mixed-Use Development Atlanta Development Lenox Park SOM Kimley-Horn & Associates Kimley-Horn NIMBY NIMBYs Morningside Morningside-Lenox Park Virginia-Highland Civic Association VHCA Planning Committee Virginia-Highland Master Plan Canvas Planning Morningside Lenox Park Association

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Overview of properties and streets VHCA says will be directly impacted by Amsterdam Walk's redevelopment. Virginia-Highland Civic Association

Comparison renderings showing the Amsterdam Walk redevelopment as initially proposed in renderings last year—and 17 percent smaller. Approved plans have been cut back about 4 percent more. SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

A closer look at revised plans fronting the BeltLine's Northeast Trail. SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

Updated rendering for The Laneway section of the proposal. SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

What's described as the Evelyn Street Farmers Market in updated renderings. SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

Naysayer yard signs like this dot surrounding neighborhoods. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

SOM has provided Google Earth Views from nearby streets showing views toward Amsterdam Walk with revised, future development collaged in.SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

SOM architects; courtesy of Portman Holdings

Subtitle Both offices, residential scope scaled back from Portman's initial plans over BeltLine, Piedmont Park

Neighborhood Virginia-Highland

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Image A rendering showing two versions of the same project along Atlanta's BeltLine near many trees.

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