UrbanizeAtlNewsBot

Midtown's latest tower tops out; design improvements promised Josh Green Mon, 04/22/2024 - 16:45 Peeking over the southwestern fringes of Piedmont Park like a curious neighbor, Midtown’s latest glassy residential high-rise has topped out.

Closer to the building’s base levels, developers say design improvements are also on the way.

The 32-story Modera Parkside project officially topped out last week (with an amenities level on the roof) at 180 10th St. in Midtown, according to Phil Carson, vice president of development for Mill Creek Residential, the project developer.

Carson noted that renderings unveiled in December, however, no longer depict what the tower’s final façade conditions will be.

An updated view from the south, per a rendering released to Urbanize Atlanta in December. The building's final appearance is being revised. Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

The Modera Parkside project as seen earlier this month during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Design changes meant to enhance the aesthetic of the building’s parking podium along 10th Street have been implemented, and Mill Creek is also exploring options for large murals on both a portion of the parking podium and vertically along the western façade, facing Peachtree Street, per Carson.  

“We do not and will not have renderings factoring these new additions,” Carson wrote via email, “but they will be completed as the building progresses.”

Joining a dozen other Modera-branded projects across metro Atlanta, Modera Parkside broke ground in fall 2022 at a site that had been a fenced-off hole since the Great Recession, when a 19-story condo proposal called Onyx was hit with a lawsuit and ultimately failed to take off.

Mill Creek officials have said the project will add 361 apartments to Midtown’s densifying core, with units ranging from studios to three-bedrooms with dens.

The latest rendering depicting the Modera Parkside project's west facade, toward Peachtree Street, over Fire Station 15. Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

How retail and entries are expected to meet 10th Street. Other aspects of the facade are being revised. Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

Those will include rental penthouses on top floors with what developers have described as unencumbered and preserved views of Atlanta’s skyline and Piedmont Park “on the very edge of high-rise zoning.”

The Midtown tower will join another Modera-branded complex near the BeltLine in Reynoldstown, a two-phase project in Buckhead, and Modera Decatur as Mill Creek’s latest finished ITP endeavors. Elsewhere, the company has started work on a 402-unit community called Modera Southside Trail in Peoplestown and Modera Westside Trail in English Avenue.

Mill Creek also built the highly amenitized, 29-story Modera Midtown on 8th Street near the downtown Connector seven years ago.

Plans for the Modera Parkside amenities package include a rooftop pool deck and gym, a golf simulator, a clubroom with skyline views, fire pits high off the street, valet dry cleaning, coworking stations, a cybercafe, EV charging stations, and bike storage, plus dedicated dog runs and a pet spa.

The building will also include 451 parking spaces, according to Midtown Alliance.

At street level, expect 3,400 square feet of retail for a signature restaurant with outdoor seating along 10th Street. That should add life to what’s been a blank spot in the otherwise vibrant street for ages.

According to Carson, current timelines call for Modera Parkside to open its first units in December, with construction finishing in the third quarter of 2025.

Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

180 10th Street NE Modera Parkside Mill Creek Residential Piedmont Park Rainbow Crosswalks Midtown Atlanta Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Atlanta apartments Retail retail development Midtown Development Midtown Construction

Images

The Modera Parkside project as seen earlier this month during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

An updated view from the south, per a rendering released to Urbanize Atlanta in December. The building's final appearance is being revised. Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

The latest rendering depicting the Modera Parkside project's west facade, toward Peachtree Street, over Fire Station 15. Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

How retail and entries are expected to meet 10th Street. Other aspects of the facade are being revised. Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

Mill Creek Residential; designs, Gresham Smith

Subtitle Modera Parkside near Piedmont Park is undergoing aesthetic changes, developer reports

Neighborhood Midtown

Background Image

Image

Associated Project

180 10th Street NE

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Downtown 'jewel' of a hotel conversion shows signs of life Josh Green Mon, 04/22/2024 - 14:38 A South Downtown hotel project that’s been called an important historical save and “jewel” of redevelopment has been held up by construction issues but is hardly D.O.A., according to sources involved with the project.

The Origin Hotel Atlanta, a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property, is turning a 1950s office building at 166 Pryor St. into a boutique hotel with 121 guest rooms and suites with a private event space on the top floor, plus an onsite restaurant and bar. It’s located about a block south of Underground Atlanta, or two blocks west of the Georgia State Capitol building.

Nearby residents have reported recently that interior renovations are ongoing and that exterior improvements were underway in recent days.

Exterior work spotted last week at the 166 Pryor St. building in South Downtown. Submitted

Wyndham officials referred all questions to local franchisees, who haven’t responded to inquiries. But Detric Fox-Quinlan, owner of the all-day Butter + Scotch restaurant concept that’s signed on to operate at the Origin hotel, said both the hotel and restaurant are now on pace to open later this spring or summer, following complications.

“We’re still working,” Fox-Quinlan, who also owns the celebrated Che Butter Jonez restaurant, wrote to Urbanize Atlanta via email Monday.

“The construction crew ran into a few hurdles that have delayed us significantly, both for our restaurant Butter + Scotch, and the hotel as a whole,” said Fox-Quinlan. “But construction is back on track and everything promises to be absolutely beautiful upon completion. We've had to resubmit our alcohol license application because of the delays, and the hotel has recently added an event space and have submitted an application for alcohol as well. Based on their application, they've given summer as their ‘go live’ date, pending no more issues.”  

The building stands at the intersection of Pryor and Mitchell streets, roughly two blocks east of where developer Newport revived downtown’s historic Hotel Row before handing over its portfolio to foreclosure. Tech-focused Atlanta Ventures has since purchased those properties and taken over redevelopment.

The Origin Hotel Atlanta's location where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet, in the context of South Downtown. Google Maps

A 50-foot art installation in the hotel’s lobby will serve as “a graceful nod to the neighborhood’s thriving arts community,” while bike rentals will be free for hotel guests. Plans for the loft-like aesthetics are described as a combination of high concrete ceilings and exposed brick walls with “signature details like toile-patterned wallpaper featuring Atlanta landmarks,” per the Origin website.

It joins other hotels under the Origin brand in Austin, Lexington, Baton Rouge, and Red Rocks (Colorado), among others.

Mississippi-based The Thrash Group paid $16 million for the six-story office building two years ago, when plans were announced to complete a stalled renovation and open the former offices as a unique downtown lodging option. Officials noted the hotel’s proximity to two MARTA stations—Five Points and Garnett—as a selling point at the time.

The 1950s building in question, where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet. Google Maps

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Downtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

166 Pryor Street SW Origin Hotel Atlanta Origin Hotel Berkadia Access Point Financial The Thrash Group Atlanta Hotels Adaptive-Reuse Berkadia Hotels & Hospitality Life Company Proprietary Bridge Lending Capital Markets Advisory Services Downtown Atlanta Atlanta Construction Wyndam Wyndam Rewards Butter +Scotch

Images

Exterior work spotted last week at the 166 Pryor St. building in South Downtown. Submitted

The Origin Hotel Atlanta's location where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet, in the context of South Downtown. Google Maps

The building's six-story facade over Pryor Street, as seen in September. Google Maps

Subtitle Origin Hotel Atlanta concept has grappled with construction delays on Pryor Street

Neighborhood Downtown

Background Image

Image

Associated Project

Origin Hotel Atlanta

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Massive Bankhead proposal on BeltLine takes step forward Josh Green Mon, 04/22/2024 - 13:08 Two years after paying $31 million for the site, an active intown developer has taken another step toward starting a mixed-use project that could bring sweeping changes to Bankhead and the BeltLine’s Westside Trail.

The Allen Morris Company submitted Development of Regional Impact paperwork to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs on Sunday that outlines the scope and other details of what could take shape at 1060 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, a 15.5-acre site that’s home to warehouses and open industrial land today.

Allen Morris—the Florida-based developer behind the Star Metals District on Howell Mill Road and other intown projects—is aiming to build a new village where the parkway meets the BeltLine. According to the DRI filing, the project would entail 1,600 multifamily units, 575,000 square feet of office space, and 125,000 square feet of retail across the linear site, which fronts the Westside Trail for the equivalent of several blocks.

Developers file DRI submissions with the state when projects could be large enough to impact infrastructure on a regional scale. Allen Morris also submitted the 1060 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway proposal for mixed-use rezoning with the City of Atlanta last month.

The overall project completion date is listed as 2031 on the DRI filing. But some public-accessible aspects of it could be ready sooner.

Spencer Morris, the development firm’s president, tells Urbanize Atlanta the project’s retail phase is expected to start construction in the third quarter of 2025. (BeltLine officials say construction on the Westside Trail’s adjacent Segment 4—the last unfinished section of that trail—is slated to be finished in summer 2025.)

Morris said project renderings, branding, and other details will be released in coming months.

We’re speculating here, but a project listed as being under active land refinancing with Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group could lend a preview of the Bankhead project’s aesthetics. The lone available rending appears to include the address “1060 DLH” and the name “Ironside” on what’s also a 15.5-acre site on the city’s Westside.

A 15.5-acre project listed as undergoing land financing on Atlanta's Westside with street-level branding that appears to match the site's address. via Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group

Allen Morris’ plans call for direct access to the BeltLine next door and a new parking garage for visitors and employees arriving by car.

Much of the property is vacant today, with the exception of a nonprofit facility and community organization called Village Skatepark ATL. According to the skatepark’s website, it’s conducting a 2024 fundraiser to help secure a new building and permanent location. 

This site is just east of the Maddox Park greenspace, MARTA’s Bankhead station, and Microsoft’s ballyhooed but postponed 90-acre Westside campus development. 

The linear site in question along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. Brock Built's Ten29 West townhome project is seen at left, as construction began a few years ago. Courtesy of Allen Morris Company

Allen Morris will be the site’s lead developer, but the former owner, Tenth Street Ventures, will stay involved as a partner, officials announced in May 2022 when the land sold. The redevelopment was described at the time as becoming a neighborhood destination that activates the BeltLine and serves the community.  

Elsewhere in Atlanta, Allen Morris is currently building a major new residential facet to its $500-million Star Metals District and recently opened a multifamily project called Bryn House in North Druid Hills.

The site's proximity to Midtown, at right, the Bankhead MARTA station, and Westside Park. Google Maps

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Bankhead news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

1060 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW The Allen Morris Company Star Metals District Westside West Midtown Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway Brock Built Atlanta Development Big Deals Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail Tenth Street Ventures Trez Capital Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group 1060 DLH LLC Ironside 1060 DLH

Images

A 15.5-acre project listed as undergoing land financing on Atlanta's Westside with street-level branding that appears to match the site's address. via Patterson Real Estate Advisory Group

The site's proximity to Midtown, at right, the Bankhead MARTA station, and Westside Park. Google Maps

The linear site in question along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. Brock Built's Ten29 West townhome project is seen at left, as construction began a few years ago. Courtesy of Allen Morris Company

The Donald Lee Hollowell industrial property in question. Google Maps

Subtitle Project by Star Metals District developer calls for 1,600 residences, retail spaces, offices

Neighborhood Bankhead

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

As Braves season unfolds, another project near Truist Park tops out Josh Green Mon, 04/22/2024 - 08:05 The Braves’ wins tally isn’t the only thing going up around Truist Park right now.

As the Major League Baseball season unfolds, the Atlanta Braves and their real estate arm, Braves Development Company, have provided Urbanize Atlanta with photography showing how a new facet of The Battery Atlanta mixed-use complex is taking shape, two years after the project was announced.

Situated just outside the Braves’ 41,000-seat stadium walls, essentially behind home plate, the two-building, Class A office project under development now will serve as the new national headquarters for Truist Securities, Truist’s full-service corporate and investment bank.

It marks the latest development to move forward as part of a current growth spurt in and around The Battery.

The Truist Securities office project today, in relation to the MLB ballpark. Courtesy of Atlanta Braves/Braves Development Company

As shown prior to groundbreaking, the property along Battery Avenue where Truist Securities' new national headquarters has topped out. Braves Development Company

The 250,000-square-foot office building has risen to its full height of nine stories on the northwest side of Truist Park, up the street from the orange parking deck and Coca-Cola Roxy music venue. An adjoining parking deck with 750 spaces is also being built.

The project remains on schedule to be completed later this year, with Truist employees moving in sometime in 2025, according to officials.

At the outset, Truist Securities employees will occupy only about half of the building, according to terms of the 15-year leasing deal. The idea is that Truist will have the option to house more employees and grow its business presence at The Battery over time. Officials have said the office building will eventually house about 1,000 Truist Securities employees, roughly 300 feet behind the ballpark. Also in the plans is a 42,000-square-foot trading floor.

The 750-space parking deck is shown in the foreground here. Courtesy of Atlanta Braves/Braves Development Company

How the project is expected to look from Truist Park's entrance behind home plate, according to 2022 renderings. Braves Development Company; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Billed as “Atlanta’s Premiere Entertainment District”—or what Los Angeles baseball media has described as a "sterile shopping-mall" (never forget)—The Battery totals more than 2.25 million square feet of development today.

Truist Securities’ headquarters isn’t the only substantial project in the district’s pipeline.

On the flipside of the stadium, a two-tower project called “The Henry”—an homage to late Braves legend Hank Aaron—is in development beyond Truist Park’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.

Elsewhere, an apartment venture called Ellison Parkview (formerly The Optima Apartments) is expected to open this summer on nearby Windy Ridge Parkway, claiming what used to be 4 acres of hilly woods about a block west of the ballpark. Expect 298 rentals, 6,000 square feet of space for restaurants and retail, and a new rideshare pick-up and drop-off area. Pre-leasing has yet to begin, according to that project’s website.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Smyrna news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

800 Battery Avenue SE Truist Securities tower The Battery Atlanta Braves Development Company Atlanta Braves Smyrna Cobb County Vinings MLB Mixed-Use Development Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Truist Financial Corporation Truist Securities Cumberland CID Office Space Nelson Worldwide Nelson Architects Brasfield & Gorrie Brasfield and Gorrie JLL Uzun+Case

Images

As shown prior to groundbreaking, the property along Battery Avenue where Truist Securities' new national headquarters has topped out. Braves Development Company

The Truist Securities office project today, in relation to the MLB ballpark. Courtesy of Atlanta Braves/Braves Development Company

The 750-space parking deck is shown in the foreground here. Courtesy of Atlanta Braves/Braves Development Company

How the project is expected to look from Truist Park's entrance behind home plate, according to 2022 renderings. Braves Development Company; designs, Nelson Worldwide

The planned offices, at left, and the adjoining parking deck. Braves Development Company

Terrace views toward the stadium. Braves Development Company

Site plan for the offices and a 750-space parking deck along Battery Avenue. Braves Development Company

Subtitle Two-building Truist Securities venture taking shape behind home plate

Neighborhood Smyrna/Vinings

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Photo tour: Nearby Athens emerges as grade-A biking destination Josh Green Fri, 04/19/2024 - 14:27 Atlanta has its budding BeltLine, Columbus the lovely Chattahoochee Riverwalk, and Savannah innumerable flat streets, bike lanes, and leafy parks. But when it comes to Peach State biking destinations, don’t sleep on the Classic City.

Sixty miles miles from downtown Atlanta, Athens is close enough for diehard ATL bicyclists to, well, bike there. For the rest of us, we’ve made the trek to the Clarke County seat (Georgia’s smallest county, in fact) to provide the photo essay and how-to primer below.

Athens is famous for deep musical roots, big-time college football, a raucous party atmosphere, and a downtown with European-grade walkability that’s bursting with great food (hello, Trapeze and Last Resort Grill) and drink (could Creature Comforts be Georgia’s best brewery?). Not to mention that classic campus.

Now, thanks to infrastructure upgrades in recent years, the downtown area is chockfull of well-connected biking routes with one Insta-worthy moment after the next that you won’t find in Atlanta. Plus, there’s legit mountain biking—basically in the shadow of Sanford Stadium.

Like finding your way around Athens in the first place, locating these biking options can be tricky. Come along for a quick guided ride, as led by a tireless 10-year-old on a glorious spring day, beneath blue Southern skies in one of America’s great college towns... 

Atop the Firefly Trail's towering trestle bridge, with Dudley Park at right in downtown Athens. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A biking adventure in Athens can certainly be a there-and-back day trip from anywhere in metro Atlanta. But if you prefer to lodge overnight, crashing after a long ride in the painless way, the retro-cool Graduate Athens on the northern rim of downtown near the Oconee River is a solid option.

Unlike downtown hotels with more limited space, the Graduate offers complimentary bike rentals and racks within view of the lobby for locking up. Visit Athens GA officials tell Urbanize Atlanta the hotel has no instances of stolen bikes over the past decade. A peek:

Inside the Graduate Athens' adaptive-reuse lobby. Weekend rates start around $350 per night right now. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Fun fact: Blacksmiths once crafted famed works like the UGA Arch and Double-Barreled Cannon in the hotel's Foundry building, now home to a coffee shop and live music venue. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

When biking around downtown Athens, the best bet for getting started is to head toward the Broad Street Trailhead of the Firefly Trail. This interactive bike map can help guide the way.

Or if online biking maps make your eyes go crossed, just do this: Get to main-drag Broad Street and head east, so that University of Georgia’s campus is on your right and the bulk of downtown on your left.

Catch the bike lanes and head down a large hill. The Firefly’s trailhead will be on your right.

On Broad Street, heading east to the Firefly Trail downtown entry point. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Now you’re on a multi-use trail that—following an extension two years ago—shoots about three miles east of downtown to Winterville Road.

In between is a great variety of relatively flat terrain and scenery ranging from forests and new residential areas to industrial patches that wash out into the suburbs. It’s a leisurely ride of maybe 20 minutes, one way, with kids. Every bit of it feels brand-new.

One show-stopping highlight along the way is the Georgia Railroad Trestle, part of a historic 1800s railway now remade as a soaring multi-use pathway in and out of downtown.

The trestle was immortalized on the back cover of Athens-born R.E.M.’s debut full-length album, Murmur, in 1983. Preservationists fought to save the abandoned structure—and won—two decades ago.

The famed, restored trestle bridge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Sky-high views of Trail Creek. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Recent residential development alongside the Firefly Trail brings to mind the BeltLine back home. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

If you reach the end of the Firefly Trail and start heading back to downtown, a word to the wise: About halfway back, branch off onto the Oconee River Greenway’s (clearly marked) East Campus Connector Trail.

This trails and parks system currently counts eight miles of paved multi-use pathways, with the newest section opening just this month.

It’s chockfull of moments, especially near the rushing Oconee, that feel far removed from any sort of traffic or urban scenario.

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A thrilling, swooping, serpentine section of the trail. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A resting area provides great nature and North Oconee River views just blocks from downtown and campus. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

After looping back to downtown’s Broad Street, if you’re game for a little off-road riding, 113-acre Walker Park is just a few blocks away—with pro-grade mountain biking. 

Formerly known as Trail Creek Park, this quiet, rolling greenspace is a little more than a mile and ½ from Sanford Stadium but could pass for North Georgia in places. It includes more than five miles of hiking and professionally built mountain biking trails for all skill levels. The wilder, tougher trails have Athens-centric names like “Drive-By Truckers,” “Panic,” and “Widespread.”

The more advanced, gravity trails at Walker Park are thrilling. A half-mile uphill return trail brings you back to the start. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The multi-use entry to Walker Park. Wooded, easier mountain biking trails branch off to the left and right. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

To get there by bike, keep taking East Broad Street east, away from downtown, for a couple of blocks until it turns into First Street; hoof up the steep hill, take the first right on Vine Street, and the park’s multi-use trail entrance will be up on the left.

Be careful to not end up on the park’s gravity-fueled expert trails by accident (speaking from experience, without the right equipment at the time) and absorb the serenity alongside Trail Creek.

Once you’ve sufficiently worked up a sweat, pedal back a few blocks to downtown.

To pack on a couple more Strava miles and stray off the beaten path, round out a great day of riding with a trip to Normaltown Brewing Co. It’s a cozy spot set amid Cabbagetown-style industrial ruins, located about a mile and ½ from the heart of downtown in the eclectic, historic neighborhood of the same name.

Hoist the cold beverage, because you’ve earned it.

Calling it a day, and heading back to downtown for dinner at Trapeze, after 20-plus miles on two wheels around Athens. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

In the gallery up top, find more photos depicting all that's described above. 

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Athens news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

Road Trips City of Athens Alternative Transportation Clarke County Oconee River Biking Bicycling Bicycling Infrastructure Mountain Biking Atlanta Mountain Biking Visit Athens GA Athens Georgia The Classic Center

Images

Inside the Graduate Athens' adaptive-reuse lobby. Weekend rates start around $350 per night right now. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Fun fact: Blacksmiths once crafted famed works like the UGA Arch and Double-Barreled Cannon in the hotel's Foundry building, now home to a coffee shop and live music venue. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Even the hotel's key cards nod to UGA and Athens' musical history. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Graduate's fleet of bikes for complimentary rentals. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

On Broad Street, heading east to the Firefly Trail downtown entry point. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The famed, restored trestle bridge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Atop the Firefly Trail's towering trestle bridge, with Dudley Park at right in downtown Athens. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Sky-high views of Trail Creek. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Brunch at Mama's Boy Restaurant: highly recommended biking fuel. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Handy bike repair stations are dotted around Athens trails. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Recent residential development alongside the Firefly Trail brings to mind the BeltLine back home. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Handy new restroom facilities in Dudley Park, linked to the Firefly Trail downtown. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Exiting downtown on the Firefly. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where the trail currently ends. Longterm plans call for extending it nearly 40 miles from downtown Athens to Union Point (and possibly to Savannah one day). Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A thrilling, swooping, serpentine section of the trail. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Entering Oconee Hill Cemetery on the trail. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A resting area provides great nature and North Oconee River views just blocks from downtown and campus. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The multi-use entry to Walker Park. Wooded, easier mountain biking trails branch off to the left and right. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The more advanced, gravity trails at Walker Park are thrilling. A half-mile uphill return trail brings you back to the start. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Walker Park's pump track. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

An intermediate-grade loop trail at Walker Park. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Adaptive-reuse in the old sections of Normaltown. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Calling it a day, and heading back to downtown for dinner at Trapeze, after 20-plus miles on two wheels around Athens. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle A few hours on two wheels—on street and dirt—around the Classic City's downtown

Neighborhood Athens

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Near BeltLine's Eastside Trail, affordable mixed-use underway Josh Green Fri, 04/19/2024 - 12:46 A mixed-use infill project expected to inject affordable housing into one of Atlanta’s hottest real estate submarkets is barreling forward with demolition and construction, though later than originally expected.

Replacing an aging apartment complex of the same name, the Henderson Place apartments are set to include 76 units—all of them deemed affordable—in a quickly developing section of Old Fourth Ward, roughly three blocks from where Irwin Street meets the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail.

The former 58 apartments at 514 Irwin St. were built in 1951, renovated in the late 1990s by owners Historic District Development Corporation, and refreshed in the early 2010s. But in recent years the cinder-block buildings had started to deteriorate beyond repair, violating numerous code and accessibility requirements, officials have said.

Updated look at the Henderson Place project's Irwin Street frontage. Goode Van Slyke Architecture

The 1950s community prior to demolition. Courtesy of HDDC, Mercy Housing Southeast

Plans call for commercial space suited for a small grocery store or community market, and one, two, and three-bedroom rentals reserved for both longtime residents and new arrivals earning no more than 60 percent of the area's median income. Onsite amenities will include a fitness center, laundry facility, clubhouse, and business center, officials have said.

As of 2021, the project was expected to cost $20 million, financed with Eastside TAD and Invest Atlanta bonds, among other sources. Twelve on-site parking spaces are planned, with additional parking on nearby streets.

In August, Invest Atlanta announced that a $12.5 million tax-exempt loan, along with an additional $3.26 million Housing Opportunity Bond Fund loan, would help fund construction.

Perks of the location include the expanded, modernized David T. Howard Middle School next door and proximity to Hope Hill Elementary School a couple of blocks away. The original complex was built during a period of decline in early 1950s Old Fourth Ward and later became infamous as a den of crime and drugs, per HDDC.

The HDDC—an agency cofounded in 1980 by Coretta Scott King that strives for equitable housing—partnered with Mercy Housing Southeast to replace the complex with what they call mission-based, mixed-use housing.  

According to HDDC, no longstanding, low-income residents will be displaced and excluded from amenities in the area such as the BeltLine. (A "relocation specialist" was hired in 2021 to manage temporary accommodations for former residents.)

Site plan with Irwin Street shown at bottom. Goode Van Slyke Architecture

HDDC bought Henderson Place in 1995 and has been offering rentals to families earning 50 percent AMI or less, or roughly $26,000 per year. It’s named for Valena Henderson, a longtime O4W resident and noted advocate of the civil rights movement.

When Henderson Place was originally announced, project officials said it was scheduled to break ground in October 2021 and fully deliver by June 2023. An Invest Atlanta media rep gathering more information on the project this week did not respond by press time.

…

MIDTOWN—In other development news, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports an affiliate of Dallas-based Trammel Crow Co. is under contract to buy—wait for it—the 4-acre site on 14th Street in Midtown where the fabled No. 2 Opus Place skyscraper proposal went bust and tumbled into foreclosure proceedings last fall.

An early rendering shows No2 Opus Place when it was designed to be taller—a 730-foot glass statement piece to rival the condo towers of Manhattan and Tokyo. Plans were later scaled back. Perkins+Will/No2 Opus Place

Developers aren’t commenting on what potential redevelopment of the centrally located, blighted site might entail, but sources tell the ABC residential is in the works for a parcel large enough to fit 1,800 units at max density across several towers. Local investment firm Peachtree Group successfully bid $40 million and took the site back during a foreclosure auction in November.

It's been six and ½ years since the property’s former owner, Olympia Heights Management affiliate OHM Atlanta, staged a dynamite-packed “groundbreaking” at the Midtown site, across the street from the Four Seasons Atlanta Hotel, where 53-story Opus’ craggy gravesite remains.

Soil testing activity at the 14th Street site in February 2022. Submitted

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Old Fourth Ward news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

514 Irwin Street NE HDDC Mercy Housing Southeast Affordable Housing David T. Howard Middle School Hope Hill Elementary Historic District Development Corporation Goode Van Slyke Architecture No. 2 Opus Place Midtown Atlanta Old Fourth Ward Development Midtown Development Trammell Crow Peachtree Group

Images

Updated look at the Henderson Place project's Irwin Street frontage. Goode Van Slyke Architecture

The 1950s community prior to demolition. Courtesy of HDDC, Mercy Housing Southeast

Site plan with Irwin Street shown at bottom. Goode Van Slyke Architecture

Subtitle Meanwhile, activity spotted at failed No. 2 Opus Place skyscraper site in Midtown

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Here now, an AI-generated update on ATL real estate development Josh Green Fri, 04/19/2024 - 07:55 With the Artificial Intelligence renaissance/apocalypse on the horizon, it seemed like a good time this week to set aside biases and finally give it a shot. But where to start?

How about with ChatGPT, or what’s been called “the meteoric… poster child of this new technological revolution.”

For the scoop on Atlanta real estate development, we turned to ChatGPT 3.5, the free version of the tool available to anyone. Yes, there is an improved and updated version that costs $20 per month, but for creative people, that would be like dinosaurs crowdsourcing meteorites.

How’d it go? In some instances, ChatGPT sounds like it’s campaigning for office, or auditioning to be a PR firm’s lead apologist. Other responses seem generally well-informed, especially as it relates to big-picture topics bereft of specific details or nuance. Although it does manage to hyphenate Virginia-Highland.

Below is our maiden voyage with AI. Answers in a couple of places have been lightly edited for space.

...

Urbanize Atlanta: How many tall buildings are under development in Midtown Atlanta right now?

ChatGPT 3.5: As of my last update in January 2022, I don't have real-time data on the number of tall buildings under development in Midtown Atlanta. However, Midtown Atlanta has been experiencing significant development in recent years, including several high-rise projects.

To find the most up-to-date information on tall building developments in Midtown Atlanta, you can check local news sources, real estate websites, or the official websites of development companies involved in projects in the area. Additionally, you may find updates from city planning departments or economic development organizations.

…

UA: Show an image of Mötley Crüe on electric bicycles with André 3000 throwing flutes at them. Please.

ChatGPT: Sorry, I can't assist with that.

…

What's the latest news on the Atlanta BeltLine's construction?

ChatGPT: As of my last update in January 2022, I don't have access to real-time data or news updates. However, you can stay updated on the progress of the Atlanta BeltLine's construction by checking local news websites, the official Atlanta BeltLine website, or following their social media accounts for announcements and updates.

Additionally, local government websites and community organizations may also provide information on construction progress and any related developments.

…

UA: What's the status of HUB404 construction in Buckhead?

A depiction of how HUB404 could be placed over Ga. Highway 400 with connections to Lenox Road. HUB404

ChatGPT: I'm sorry, but as of my last update in January 2022, there wasn't any specific information available about a construction project called Hub404 in Buckhead. It’s possible that developments have occurred since then, but without more context or recent updates, I can't provide current information.

You might want to check local news sources or the official website of the City of Atlanta for the latest updates on construction projects in Buckhead.

…

UA: So is Atlanta a good city?

ChatGPT: Atlanta has many qualities that make it a desirable city for many people. It's known for its diverse population, vibrant culture, booming economy, and renowned institutions. The city offers a rich tapestry of arts, music, and cuisine, and its diverse neighborhoods cater to a wide range of interests and lifestyles.

However, like any city, Atlanta also has its challenges. Traffic congestion can be significant, especially during rush hours, and the city's public transportation system is not as extensive as in some other major cities. Additionally, like many urban areas, Atlanta faces issues related to affordable housing, inequality, and access to healthcare and education.

Ultimately, whether Atlanta is a "good" city for you depends on your individual preferences, priorities, and circumstances. Many people love living in Atlanta for its opportunities and amenities, while others may find it less appealing due to its drawbacks. It's always a good idea to visit and explore the city yourself to see if it aligns with your lifestyle and goals.

…

UA: What's the status of downtown Atlanta's Gulch redevelopment?

Centennial Yards' 18-story apartment tower—the first ground-up new building of many planned in the Gulch—has crested over raised nearby streets. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

ChatGPT: As of my last update in January 2022, the redevelopment of the Gulch area in downtown Atlanta was still underway, although specific details and timelines may have evolved since then. The Gulch redevelopment project, led by CIM Group, aims to transform the underutilized area into a vibrant mixed-use district with office spaces, retail, residential units, and public amenities.

The project has faced various challenges and delays, including negotiations with local government entities and financing issues. However, progress has been made on some fronts, with infrastructure improvements and preliminary construction work taking place.

For the most up-to-date information on the Gulch redevelopment project, I recommend checking recent news articles or official statements from the developers or local authorities involved in the project.

…

UA: Is Atlanta still affordable?

ChatGPT: As of my last update in January 2022, Atlanta was generally considered more affordable compared to many other major cities in the United States, particularly in terms of housing costs. However, affordability can vary depending on factors such as neighborhood, housing type, and individual financial circumstances.

Atlanta has experienced significant growth and development in recent years, which has contributed to rising housing costs in certain areas, particularly in popular neighborhoods close to the city center or with desirable amenities. Additionally, like many urban areas, Atlanta faces challenges related to affordable housing, gentrification, and income inequality.

While Atlanta may still be more affordable than some other major cities, affordability concerns persist for many residents, particularly those with lower incomes or facing housing instability. It's essential to consider factors such as housing prices, cost of living, transportation expenses, and access to amenities when assessing the overall affordability of living in Atlanta.

…

UA: Dear ChatGPT, have you been to Magic City?

ChatGPT: As an AI, I don't have physical form or the ability to visit places. However, I'm aware that Magic City is a well-known strip club and adult entertainment venue in Atlanta, Georgia. It has gained recognition for its entertainment offerings and has become somewhat of a cultural landmark in the city.

…

UA: Who wins a fight between Jeff Fuqua and John Dewberry?

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I can't predict or speculate on the outcome of hypothetical fights, especially involving specific individuals. It's important to remember that violence is never a solution to disagreements or conflicts.

It's much better to resolve differences through peaceful means, such as dialogue, compromise, and mediation. If there are disputes between Jeff Fuqua and John Dewberry or any other individuals, they should seek constructive ways to address them, such as through legal channels or professional mediation services.

...

UA: Why does Charlotte hate Atlanta?

ChatGPT: It's not accurate to say that Charlotte as a city hates Atlanta. While there may be some friendly sports rivalries or competitive dynamics between cities in the same region, like Atlanta and Charlotte in the Southeastern United States, it's important to recognize that these sentiments are often limited to specific contexts, such as sports matchups.

On a broader scale, cities typically maintain friendly and mutually beneficial relationships with one another, collaborating on regional initiatives, sharing ideas, and fostering economic ties. While there may be occasional friendly banter or competition between cities, it's not accurate or productive to frame it as "hate."

It's always best to approach discussions about cities and their relationships with respect and a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved.

…

UA: Tell me the best and worst neighborhood in Atlanta, please.

ChatGPT: Declaring a single "best" or "worst" neighborhood in Atlanta is subjective and depends on various factors such as personal preferences, safety, amenities, affordability, and individual experiences. Atlanta is a diverse city with many neighborhoods, each with its own unique characteristics and qualities.

Some neighborhoods are celebrated for their historic charm, cultural diversity, vibrant nightlife, and thriving arts scenes. Examples of such neighborhoods include Midtown, Virginia-Highland, Inman Park, and Old Fourth Ward.

Conversely, some neighborhoods may face challenges related to crime rates, poverty, or lack of investment. However, it's important to avoid stigmatizing any neighborhood as the "worst" without considering the broader context and complexities that contribute to its condition.

…

UA: Who wins a wrestling match between Jeff Fuqua and John Dewberry?

ChatGPT: As with a hypothetical fight, predicting the outcome of a wrestling match between specific individuals is not something I can do. Wrestling matches, like any sport, depend on various factors such as skill, strength, technique, and strategy.

It's also worth noting that both Jeff Fuqua and John Dewberry are known more for their business endeavors rather than wrestling.

If such a match were to occur, the result would depend on the abilities and training of each individual. However, it's important to approach these kinds of hypothetical scenarios with respect and refrain from promoting or glorifying violence in any form.

...

UA: Do you love Atlanta?

ChatGPT: I don't have personal feelings like love, but I can certainly appreciate Atlanta! It's a vibrant city known for its rich history, diverse culture, and bustling atmosphere. From its iconic skyline to its thriving arts scene and delicious cuisine, there's a lot to admire about Atlanta.

...

UA: Do you love Charlotte?

ChatGPT: Hell no.* 

…

UA: Who let the dogs out—woof, woof, woof?

ChatGPT: “Who Let the Dogs Out” is a popular song released by the Bahamian group Baha Men in 2000.

The song's catchy chorus features the repeated refrain “Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof, woof,” but the identity of the person or group responsible for letting the dogs out is not specified in the song. It’s more of a playful and energetic chant than a serious inquiry.

* Response jokingly altered.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Remembering the Atlanta map that offended everyone (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

AI Atlanta BeltLine HUB404 Buckhead Midtown Downtown ChatGPT artificial intelligence John Dewberry Jeff Fuqua Friday Fun Bag

Subtitle Let's ask ChatGPT for the scoop on what's really going on

Neighborhood Citywide

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Introducing Urbanize National Steven Sharp Fri, 04/19/2024 - 07:00 We are pleased to announced the launch of Urbanize National.

As you may already know, Urbanize Media is a network of digital publications covering real estate, architecture, and urban planning news with a hyperlocal focus. Since launching in Los Angeles in 2015, we have added sister sites coveringAtlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York, Seattle, and Toronto.

Urbanize National brings them all under one umbrella - news from all of our city sites in one place, as well as big picture stories which impact all corners of the commercial real estate industry.

Stay tuned to see more.

Subtitle News from our entire network in one place

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Photos: Black-painted project has transformed Reynoldstown corner Josh Green Thu, 04/18/2024 - 15:25 Marketed as the “epitome of luxury living in Reynoldstown,” a duplex project that could qualify as an inhabitable statement piece has claimed a high-profile intown corner and recently come to market.

Located south of Little Five Points, the corner in question is the northwest quadrant of the intersection where Moreland Avenue meets Boulevard Drive and Hosea Williams Boulevard.

The area’s been been flush with modern-style townhome and duplex construction for more than a decade, but with their trendy Darth Vader aesthetic and sprawling rooftop hangouts, these three-level A and B options at 10 Moreland Ave. do stand out.

Designed by Rawlings Design architects and built by Kimball Homes, each unit includes five bedrooms and four and ½ bathrooms in 2,713 square feet, with two-car garages. Both are asking $1.32 million, which would set a record for homes in Reynoldstown if achieved. (Two larger duplex units on nearby Cleveland Street are currently on the market for the same price.)

With four patios and balconies (including a screened porch and kitchen on the roof), neither unit is lacking for outdoor spaces to hang out.

The corner's previous state in 2021 as two neighboring 1920s bungalows came to market. Both have since been replaced with large, modern-style duplexes. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The duplex properties are emblematic of Reynoldstown's infill residential trends in recent years. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Other perks include a chef’s kitchen with quartz countertops and Brighton tech, five-inch wood flooring throughout, programmable Lutron dimmers, and a flex-space bedroom on the base level.

Across the street is One Moreland, a restored commercial building that’s home to Whoopsie’s restaurant (formerly Hodgepodge Coffeehouse), Chi Chi Vegan Taco Shop, Cutters Lounge, and Project: Body ATL.

The location carries a 91 Transit Score, which qualifies as “world-class,” according to listings. Previously, two 1920s bungalows had stood at the corner; by 2021, when both properties came to market, they’d been shuttered and graffiti-strewn for a couple of years.

The chef's kitchen is described as a "culinary masterpiece."Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Have a closer look at how those properties’ super-sized replacement turned out in the gallery above.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Reynoldstown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

10 Moreland Avenue 14 Moreland Avenue Atlanta Duplexes Duplex Duplexes Atlanta Homes for Sale Infill Development Moreland Avenue Whoopsies The Seeby Group One Moreland Keller Williams Realty Intown Atlanta Kimball Homes Rawlings Design Jones Design Associates Modern Modern Homes Atlanta Modern modern design

Images

How the two three-level, semi-detached units replaced a vacant bungalow where Boulevard Drive meets Moreland Avenue. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

The corner's previous state in 2021 as two neighboring 1920s bungalows came to market. Both have since been replaced with large, modern-style duplexes. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

One of three outdoor spaces with Unit A, situated at the corner. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

According to listings, the open floorplan "seamlessly blends contemporary design with timeless charm." Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Interiors at 10 Moreland were designed by Jones Design Associates. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

The chef's kitchen is described as a "culinary masterpiece."Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

The duplex properties are emblematic of Reynoldstown's infill residential trends in recent years. Photos by 3CL Photography; courtesy of Coldwell Banker Realty

Subtitle Are these tri-level duplex options worthy of record prices?

Neighborhood Reynoldstown

Background Image

Image

Associated Project

14 Moreland Ave

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Vacant tower's conversion to transit-friendly rentals has finished Josh Green Thu, 04/18/2024 - 13:25 Following two years of construction, a $24-million tower renovation that adds lower-priced rentals near East Point’s transit station, restaurants, and shops has officially delivered.

East Point city officials have scheduled a ribbon-cutting, mural dedication, and grand opening Tuesday morning for the Aya Tower, a formerly vacant, nine-story eyesore that’s been turned into an affordable housing venture with a towering mural paying homage to a former East Point mayor.

National housing developer The Vecino Group and the East Point Housing Authority partnered on the 88-unit project (formerly the Nelms House building), which officials say offers exclusively affordable housing with one and two-bedroom rentals a few blocks north of MARTA’s East Point station.

Amenities include Atlanta skyline views from some units, plus a fitness center, business center, a community room with shuffleboard, and unique support services.

Prior to Aya’s groundbreaking in early 2022, the tower had stood vacant since 2004.

via Ayatower.com

Rendering of the building's new club room. via Ayatower.com

One-bedroom rental options at Aya range between 426 and 456 square feet. The two-bedroom apartments, meanwhile, are either 700 or 738 square feet. Aya’s rental rates have not been published online; we’ve asked project officials for more information and will update this post with any that comes.

Developers have previously said rents will be capped at 40 to 60 percent of the area’s average median income. According to a project announcement, move-ins have begun, and all apartments are reserved for families earning between $30,000 and $40,000 annually.

The tower will also offer access to health and social services administered by Grady Health and Goodwill Industries in adjacent buildings, per project leaders.

The “Aya” name refers to a symbol representing strength and endurance in the ancient Adinkra alphabet of West Africa.

Easily viewed from passing MARTA trains, the seven-story mural on the building’s east face honors former East Point Mayor Patsy Jo Hilliard, who made history in 1993 by being elected East Point’s first female and Black mayor—and the first Black woman to hold that office in Georgia history. She remains East Point’s longest-tenured mayor to date.

via Ayatower.com

The Aya Tower's west facade, opposite the side where the mural has been applied. Courtesy of The Vecino Group

Developers commissioned Atlanta artist Erica Chisolm to hand-paint the mural, which includes Adinkra symbols, a portrait of Hilliard, and the former mayor’s favorite saying, “Be True To Thyself.” Living Walls, a local art collective that specializes in large-scale public art with cultural inspirations, also contributed.

Living Walls reps have told Urbanize Atlanta the painting, which overlooks Main Street and Tri-Cities High School, spans 51 by 47 feet, or 2,397 square feet, starting above the brick portion of the revitalized building.

A lifelong educator like her late husband, Asa Hilliard, Mayor Hilliard served in East Point between 1993 and 2006. She’s credited with revitalizing East Point’s public library and fostering growth with civic and business leaders.

The nine-story property's condition in 2021, prior to renovations. Google Maps

The Aya Tower redevelopment has been hailed as an investment that could continue—or help spark—projects that make downtown East Point more walkable, vibrant, and inclusive.

About two blocks from the tower site, East Point officials unveiled plans in late 2021 for a 9-acre, mixed-use project, The Commons. That $111-million proposal has been called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to inject equitable development into the heart of downtown, but it has yet to break ground.

Directly across the MARTA tracks, on a site linked to downtown via the city’s pedestrian bridge, a Kairos Development Corporation proposal called East Point Exchange envisions 21 acres of apartments, greenspaces, and retail meshed with landmark buildings. That project was announced more than three years ago. Its website remains active, but it also has yet to break ground.

For more Aya Tower context and images, head up to the galley.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• East Point news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

1600 Connally Drive East Point Aya Tower Nelms House Affordable Housing Tri-Cities High School East Point Housing Authority Vecino Group UnitedHealth Group Area Median Income Atlanta Construction Tri-Cities Adaptive-Reuse MARTA MARTA East Point Station Goodwill of North Georgia Eat Point Exchange

Images

Aya Tower's 1600 Connally Drive location just north of downtown East Point's retail and transit. Google Maps

The nine-story property's condition in 2021, prior to renovations. Google Maps

The former Nelms House, as seen in a previous listing. LoopNet

via Ayatower.com

Rendering of the building's new club room. via Ayatower.com

via Ayatower.com

Communal social room at the Aya Tower. via Ayatower.com

The Aya Tower's west facade, opposite the side where the mural has been applied. Courtesy of The Vecino Group

Subtitle Mural-bedecked, $24M Aya Tower adds affordable apartments in downtown East Point

Neighborhood College Park/East Point

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Atlanta ranks 3rd in nation for build-to-rent homes. Uh oh? Josh Green Thu, 04/18/2024 - 08:22 Over the past several years, metro Atlanta has firmly established itself as a national leader when it comes to building houses for renting instead of purchasing—for better or worse.

That’s according to a new analysis by RentCafe, which has found that metro Atlanta ranked third in the U.S. for the amount of build-to-rent, or BTR, houses constructed in 2023.

Across metro Atlanta, 1,981 BTR homes popped up last year, marking a 10-year high. Only the metro areas of Phoenix (4,030 units) and Dallas (2,694), respectively, saw more, according to RentCafe, a national apartment search website.

Over the past five years, BTR construction in metro Atlanta has exploded by 646 percent, accounting for more than 3,500 homes, according to the analysis. Again, Atlanta ranks third in the nation for the sheer amount of BTR construction over that time period.

Between 2014 and 2018, just 217 BTR homes were built across metro Atlanta, illustrating how the trend has caught fire in more recent years, as RentCafe analysts point out.

Courtesy of RentCafe

The product type has drawn criticism from some municipalities and residents in metro Atlanta who contend it consumes valuable, limited land with housing that doesn’t allow occupants to build equity through homeownership.

Proponents argue the housing type allows for more flexibility than mortgages, and that it's key in transient markets like metro Atlanta. RentCafe, which obviously has a vested interest, calls BTR an “adaptation of the American Dream.”

On a national basis, the 45,000 BTR units in the U.S. pipeline represent an all-time high right now, with each of them expected to deliver over the next couple of years, per RentCafe’s third annual Build-to-Rent Construction Report.

Courtesy of RentCafe

It’s important to note the study—which relied on data from RentCafe’s sister company, Yardi Matrix—took into account only BTR communities with 50 single-family units or more. So that bungalow being flipped as a rental down your street doesn’t count.

On a related note, an earlier RentCafe study this year forecasted Atlanta as being the No. 1 city for rental activity in 2024, citing the city’s “transformed Midtown and IT brainpower source Georgia Tech” as major factors in keeping the city on renters’ radar.

Courtesy of RentCafe

Courtesy of RentCafe

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Friday fun bag: What will Atlanta look like 10 years from now?

Tags

Build-to-Rent Rental Homes Rental Townhomes For Rent in Atlanta RentCafe RentCafe Yardi Matrix Atlanta Housing Atlanta Housing Market Development Trends Atlanta Housing Trends

Images

Courtesy of RentCafe

Courtesy of RentCafe

Courtesy of RentCafe

Courtesy of RentCafe

Subtitle Analysis: Across metro, housing type that's drawn criticism hit 10-year high in 2023

Neighborhood Citywide

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Developer backs away from 9-building plans; another jumps in Josh Green Wed, 04/17/2024 - 15:15 One of Atlanta’s most active intown developers has stepped away from plans for a nine-building venture that would have risen near Hapeville’s main drag and the Atlanta airport.

But all indications are the site won’t see tumbleweeds for long.

Charlotte-based Terwilliger Pappas has introduced plans for a five-building, mixed-use project called Solis Hapeville that would rise at 3558 Elm St.

According to plans submitted to Hapeville’s Design Review Committee in late March, Solis Hapeville would see 310 rentals take shape in five wood-framed buildings, each standing three or four stories.

The main structure would include about 8,500 square feet of retail spaces fronting Porsche Avenue, plus a clubroom. Another would see a sky lounge.

The site in question, located at the intersection of Porsche Avenue and Elm Street, consists of 18 different parcels totaling about 9 acres. It’s next door to the world’s busiest airport, Porsche’s expanded North American headquarters, and the south ITP city’s artsy downtown row.

Plans for Solis Hapeville signage and street retail along the Porsche Avenue facade. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

How street retail (at bottom) is expected to be worked into plans. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

Previously, Mill Creek appeared ready to break ground on the same property for a 300-building, garden-style venture called Modera Hapeville. Early last year, that project received unanimous approval from the Hapeville Planning Commission for both plat consolidation and site plan.

But according to Phil Carson, Mill Creek’s vice president of development, company officials more recently decided to pull the plug and discontinue the project.

“This decision is attributed to unforeseen delays in the acquisition of a key city-owned land parcel,” Carson wrote via email, “in conjunction with constrained capital market conditions.”

The Solis project, as drawn up by Dynamik Design, would also see two ancillary buildings used as standalone parking garages.

Plans call for 470 parking spaces across the property overall—or 139 more than what Hapeville requires, according to project filings.

Overview of the planned five-building community. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

Plans for the small, standalone garages on site. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

The Hapeville project wouldn’t be the first new Solis-branded multifamily venture in the metro.

Terwilliger Pappas is behind another 214-unit Solis project in downtown Gainesville, and the residential component of the Parkside on Dresden development expected to debut in Brookhaven later this year.

In Hapeville, other residential developments recently delivered, or in the pipeline, near downtown include a 285-unit multifamily project called SCP Hapeville, 68 rental townhomes along main-drag North Central Avenue, and a relatively dense single-family enclave called the Stillwood. 

Elsewhere, Texas-based D.R. Horton, the country’s largest homebuilder, is planning to build more than 100 townhomes on another 8.3 acres immediately west of the Solis proposal.

Now cancelled, Mill Creek's plans for nine buildings of new construction with an existing car-repair business shown at bottom that proved a sticking point for these plans. Courtesy of Mill Creek Residential; designs, Dynamik Design

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Hapeville news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

3558 Elm Street Solis Hapeville Terwilliger Pappas Modera Hapeville Porsche Avenue and Elm Street Dynamik Design Kimley Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Mill Creek Residential Porsche Experience Center Atlanta Atlanta apartments Kimley-Horn Solis

Images

A closer look at plans for the Porsche Avenue facade. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

Plans for Solis Hapeville signage and street retail along the Porsche Avenue facade. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

Overview of the planned five-building community. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

The Solis Hapeville site plan, with the main building shown at right. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

How street retail (at bottom) is expected to be worked into plans. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

Plans for the small, standalone garages on site. Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Dynamik Design

Now cancelled, Mill Creek's plans for nine buildings of new construction with an existing car-repair business shown at bottom that proved a sticking point for these plans. Courtesy of Mill Creek Residential; designs, Dynamik Design

The Modera project's entry where Porsche Avenue meets Elm Street. Courtesy of Mill Creek Residential; designs, Dynamik Design

The Modera project's location in relation to Hapeville's historic row of buildings on North Central Avenue. Mill Creek Residential

As shown in 2022, the former Modera site's proximity to Porsche's expanded campus and longer Porsche Experience Center Atlanta track. Google Maps

Subtitle Solis Hapeville concept introduced near Porsche HQ, ATL airport, historic downtown

Neighborhood Hapeville

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off