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Images: How Union City's first new rentals in 15 years turned out Josh Green Fri, 03/22/2024 - 08:45 Situated off Interstates 285 and 85, just southwest of Atlanta, 27,000-resident Union City describes itself as being one of South Fulton County’s most thriving cities right now. But while its industrial development has taken off, Union City’s dearth of new rentals has made it the anti-Midtown in another regard.

But that’s starting to change.

According to Dave Lemco, director of development with Austin-based RPM Living, which bills itself as the nation’s sixth largest multifamily management company, not a single new-construction apartment community had taken shape in Union City since 2008.

That changed last year, when RPM completed a 15-building, 156-unit mix of apartments and rental townhomes called Kinwood. It’s located at 5740 Buffington Road, about seven miles southwest of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

“The site was vacant land prior to our development,” Kinwood tells Urbanize Atlanta. “I’m really proud of how it turned out.”

Facades and landscaping along a Kinwood lane. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Kinwood includes a resort-inspired saline pool with cabanas. Other amenities: coffee bar, resident clubhouse, and yes a pet agility park.

Current rent options start at $1,452 for one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments in 750 square feet. The largest apartments start at $1,932, which gets three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,179 square feet.

Meanwhile, the townhome plans—two bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms across 1,152 square feet and two stories—start at $2,438.

The complex is currently dangling a month of free rent as an incentive.

The club room. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

These days, Kinwood isn’t alone in Union City, as new rental ventures go.

A 295-unit project by South Carolina-based Woodfield Development called Union Green is under construction, and nonprofit organization Christian City is pulling together plans for a 15-acre village that would include residential.

In the gallery above, have a closer look at the finished Kinwood property today.

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5740 Buffington Road Kinwood Union City Legacy Ridge RPM Living Atlanta apartments Atlanta Development OTP South Fulton Fulton County Rental Townhomes Atlanta Townhomes exterior design Infill Development Townhomes for Rent For Rent in Atlanta

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Kinwood's 5740 Buffington Road location in relation to the airport and other cities southwest of Atlanta. Google Maps

Site plan for the 15-building mix of apartments and townhomes. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Facades and landscaping along a Kinwood lane. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

The club room. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Communal fitness center. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Rendering of the saline pool. Courtesy of RPM Living/Kinwood

Subtitle 15-building Kinwood project claimed vacant acreage near Atlanta airport

Neighborhood South Fulton

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Topped-out Midtown tower unveils name, forecasts opening Josh Green Thu, 03/21/2024 - 16:49 First came Nomia. Then Emmi. And now, meet “Loria.”

The last of three high-rise apartment developments to top out recently in Midtown’s northern blocks has officially been christened “Loria Ansley,” as a nod to the adjacent historic neighborhood to the east.

According to a new project landing page, the 1441 Peachtree St. building is on pace to start opening this summer, following its topping out in late 2023.

Pre-leasing has yet to begin, and rents haven’t been specified.

The 28-story project is promising “unparalleled elegance and lavish amenities” and a location where renters can draw inspiration from “both the modern energy of Atlanta’s iconic Arts District and the roots that run deep throughout historic Ansley Park.”

A fresh glimpse of Loria branding bound for the tower's upper floors over Peachtree Street. Atlantic Residential

Demotion for the project started two years ago, taking down internet company EarthLink’s former low-rise offices. The multi-firm project—formerly known as “Rhapsody”—was initially expected to include for-sale condos. Instead, it’s developing 350 apartments with the stated goal, like other new high-rises in the area, of upping the bar on amenities and finishes for Midtown rentals.

It marks the third luxury rental tower to rise within a few blocks over the past two years, following the new Nomia building and JPX Works’ forthcoming Emmi Midtown project.

Capital City Real Estate bought the 1.5-acre property from  EarthLink in 2019 for $15.2 million. The Washington, D.C.-based developer is partnering with Atlantic Residential, FIDES Development, and Mitsui Fudosan America, the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's largest real estate company, on the project.

Beyond apartments, according to Midtown Alliance, the project will include 463 parking spaces and 3,000 square feet of retail space at street level.

Loria Ansley will offer rentals ranging from studios to three-bedroom floorplans, many with balconies or terraces, plus finishes such as gourmet kitchens and LED lighting packages found in upscale condo buildings, per the development team.

Amenity levels will be placed amid a stair-stepped design leading down toward residential Ansley Park on the backside of the building. Two restaurant spaces at the lobby level will include large glass windows and tall ceilings.

Elsewhere, an internal sky bridge will lead to collaborative and private coworking spaces, a gym, wine bar, pool with sundeck, and a rooftop bar and lounge with views from Buckhead to Midtown, according to developers.

In the gallery above, find a closer look at what’s on tap for this summer.

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1441 Peachtree Street NE Loria Ansley Atlantic Residential FIDES Development Capital City Real Estate Mitsui Fudosan America Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction High Museum of Art Piedmont Park Ansley Park Atlanta apartments Rhapsody Earthlink Midtown Skyline Atlanta Skyline

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Loria Ansley's 1441 Peachtree location in the northern blocks of Midtown. Google Maps

A fresh glimpse of Loria branding bound for the tower's upper floors over Peachtree Street. Atlantic Residential

Planned lighting scheme of the flat-fronted 1441 Peachtree Street building. Courtesy of Atlantic Residential

Retail and lobby arrangement along Peachtree Street. Courtesy of Atlantic Residential

Courtesy of Atlantic Residential

The property's planned pool and sundeck above parking levels. Courtesy of Atlantic Residential

The building's stair-stepped eastern face, overlooking Ansley Park. Courtesy of Atlantic Residential

Subtitle "Loria Ansley" project promises "unparalleled elegance and lavish amenities"

Neighborhood Midtown

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Photos: Midtown's growing art plaza certainly has balls Josh Green Thu, 03/21/2024 - 12:33 Midtown’s promenade of public art, curated landscaping, and beefed-up pedestrian infrastructure is making strides between two MARTA stations, both at ground level and dangling above.

Midtown Alliance reports the first phase of the ½-mile Art Walk project was substantially finished in December, following nearly two years of Astra Group construction. It stretches between 10th and 11th streets, connecting residential complexes and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta with the Midtown MARTA station.

In addition to an array of “color-changing custom light spheres” hung from catenary wires overhead that help with wayfinding, upgrades along the Peachtree Walk corridor include new public furniture, specialty concrete, landscaping, security bollards, and sidewalk upgrades for a more shared-street vibe, per Midtown Alliance. 

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Eventually the Art Walk is planned to stretch five blocks between the Midtown MARTA and Arts Center MARTA stations, incorporating both private property and public space.  

Sections of the remaining four Art Walk phases have been completed in conjunction with private development, including the dual-branded AC/Moxy hotel (2019) and Selig’s 1105 West Peachtree mixed-use complex (2021). Phase two, between 11th and 12th streets, was moved from initial concepts toward design development and construction last year, per Midtown Alliance.

The final piece—phase five, between 14th and 15th streets—is pending future redevelopment of the failed No2 Opus Place parcel.

Find a quick tour of what’s artful and new in the gallery above.

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Midtown Atlanta Midtown Alliance Art Walk Midtown Art Walk Peachtree Walk Midtown Greenspace Midtown Parks Atlanta Parks Pocket Parks Astra Group

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We begin at a bird-topped entry point to Midtown MARTA station, just north of 10th Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where light poles have been installed to support the catenary system, from which "color-changing custom light spheres" hang over pedestrians today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

At center is the “Lift” installation by sculptor Andrew Crawford, a staple public art piece around Midtown. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Looking south across new plantings and another bird-topped MARTA entry point. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A look at Art Walk's sizable landscape planters, each with steel edges or walls. Nine large Breezeway Nuttall Oak trees were also planted, per Midtown Alliance. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Decorative plaza stones that can double as seating. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

This section of Peachtree Walk abuts the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta parking facilities—an aesthetic downer. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Widened sidewalks buffered from the street by eye-pleasing landscapes. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

South view that shows, at left, new security bollards placed along sidewalks. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The spheres continue up the hill toward 11th Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

More bollards and stones, which sounds like an English rock band. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where new bulbouts (and more bollards) were implemented to "tighten the intersection of 11th Street to shorten pedestrian crossing distances," per Midtown Alliance. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

East view on 11th Street and recent sidewalk upgrades, including bulbouts. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Westward view down 11th Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

We conclude with a lovely southern view toward downtown (and bulbouts) from an 11th Street hilltop, where recent Art Walk improvements end. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Actually, those are Art Walk "color-changing custom light spheres"

Neighborhood Midtown

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BeltLine: Murphy Crossing clears hurdle toward groundbreaking Josh Green Thu, 03/21/2024 - 11:17 Nearly three years after its search began again, Atlanta BeltLine Inc. has officially installed a development team to transform vacant but historic property abutting a section of popular trail in Southwest Atlanta, bumping the project to its next phase.

In separate meetings this month, the board of directors for both the Atlanta BeltLine and Invest Atlanta voted to select Culdesac and Urban Oasis Development as developers for the vacant Murphy Crossing property along the Westside Trail in Oakland City.

The approvals provide a green light for BeltLine officials to enter into a contract with the developers—and to move forward with “substantial development activities” including entitlement and community engagement for the "transformational" project, ABI announced today.

The 20-acre site—situated where Oakland City meets Adair Park and Capitol View—once operated as the Georgia Farmers Market and currently includes about a dozen warehouses and other buildings.

(Observers will recall that both Arizona-based Culdesac and Urban Oasis Development, a minority-owned firm in Atlanta, were picked as finalists to remake Murphy Crossing in September 2022; that generated buzz for the relatively dense, transit-oriented project’s prospects, but little has happened in the way of progress in the year and ½ since—at least not publicly, or in terms of physical changes on site.)

Culdesac won the BeltLine’s favor for its innovative approach to creating thriving, walkable districts less reliant on vehicles than typical developments. Joel Dixon, an Urban Oasis Development principal, predicted in today’s announcement that Murphy Crossing will evolve into “a beacon for economic inclusion, job creation, and affordable housing and commercial spaces” not far from two MARTA stations (West End and Oakland City).

Murphy Crossing site rendering by Culdesac

According to BeltLine officials, the public-private partnership will require that developers deliver about 1,100 new housing units—with 30 percent of the rental component reserved for tenants earning between 60 and 80 percent of the area median income for at least 30 years.

Any for-sale affordable housing component must be accessible for individuals and households earning up to 120 percent AMI, per BeltLine leadership.

“Culdesac also intends to market a portion of the retail and light industrial spaces at an affordable rate to small businesses in the area, for a period of 30 years,” the BeltLine announcement notes. “Inaugural small businesses occupying the affordable commercial spaces will receive one-time business grants.”  

Other aspects of the Murphy Crossing remake call for pathways, bike lanes, plazas, courtyards, a dog park, and a community garden. High-speed Wi-fi throughout the property, rotating public art exhibits, and interpretive signage made by local artists are also in the works.

The 1050 Murphy Avenue site (bottom, left) in relation to downtown Atlanta. Google Maps

Overview of the 20-acre site today, where three Southwest Atlanta neighborhoods meet. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

The next phase before development calls for gathering more community input. BeltLine officials say an advisory committee with stakeholders from nearby neighborhood planning units and other groups has been put in place, in addition to a business advisory committee comprised of locals that will aim to ensure small and minority businesses are included in Murphy Crossing investment.

“We will have more community engagement opportunities as the vision for this transit-oriented, accessibility-focused neighborhood comes to life,” BeltLine president and CEO Clyde Higgs said in a prepared statement.

“The revitalization of Murphy Crossing is only possible because the BeltLine controls the land, helping us secure long-term commercial and residential affordability within a walkable, transit-oriented development," Higgs continued. "This is a great example of public-private partnership.”

Culdesac

Culdesac

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The 1050 Murphy Avenue site (bottom, left) in relation to downtown Atlanta. Google Maps

Overview of the 20-acre site today, where three Southwest Atlanta neighborhoods meet. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

The 20-acre property's scope, bordered by a MARTA line in Southwest Atlanta.Photo by The Sintoses, courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Murphy Crossing site rendering by Culdesac

Culdesac

Murphy Crossing site rendering by Culdesac

Culdesac

Culdesac

Culdesac

Culdesac

Culdesac

Subtitle Invest Atlanta, ABI officially approve development team for "transformational" Oakland City project

Neighborhood Oakland City

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Hundreds sign on for PATH400's first 'social ride' this weekend Josh Green Thu, 03/21/2024 - 08:07 Livable Buckhead has a message for Atlantans who’ve been curious about the growing PATH400 project but haven’t made time to explore it: Come on up, y’all.  

The nonprofit organization is partnering with advocacy group Propel ATL (formerly the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition) and local retailer Big Peach Ride+Run to host what’s being called the first-ever Big Peach Social Ride on PATH400 this weekend.

A Livable Buckhead rep informs Urbanize Atlanta that “hundreds of people have already signed up to participate.”

The six-mile, guided ride will depart at 2 p.m. Sunday from Eclipse di Luna restaurant, located next to a main PATH400 entrance in Buckhead’s Miami Circle district. The ride will also end at the restaurant, which is offering food and drink specials that include “complimentary refreshments,” per organizers.

Passing under MARTA tracks, the PATH400 section from Miami Circle to the Lenox Square area opened in 2021. PATH 400/Livable Buckhead

The goal is to showcase the multi-use project as unique destination for biking that blends natural splendor with urban sightseeing along its eventual 5.2-mile route, which will stretch from the Lindbergh area up to Sandy Springs. Denise Starling, Livable Buckhead executive director, will provide updates along the way regarding PATH400’s ongoing construction and future connections. (Water stations will be dotted along the route.) 

Expected to last about two hours, the Big Peach Social Ride is free, but organizers are asking that attendees register in advance before showing up. To get there, MARTA's Lindbergh station is nearby, and parking near the restaurant is free. 

Bike rentals will be available through Musette ATL (promo code RIDEPEACHY gets $10 off), a service that offers free delivery in the city. 

In case you’re wondering, AccuWeather calls for idyllic pedaling weather on Sunday: Mostly sunny, a high of 64 degrees, with a 1 percent chance of rain.  

Construction progress on the next northward leg of PATH400 is seen during a recent public tour. Courtesy of Livable Buckhead/PATH400

How PATH400 is expected to fit into a growing regional network of trails. The first dotted sections north of existing trails are under construction now. Livable Buckhead/PATH400; PATH Foundation

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Subtitle Goal of six-mile, guided event is to showcase multi-use trail project as unique destination

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Kirkwood's throwback Pullman Flats leases retail portion Josh Green Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:39 More than a year after construction wrapped, a boutique project in Kirkwood has begun building out its retail portion on an eastside corridor that’s filled in with hundreds of new townhomes, condos, and apartments in recent years.

Restore Wellness and MedSpa, a primary care and wellness service provider helmed by Dr. Kimberly Eide, has claimed the main retail portion at Pullman Flats, a condo building with unique architectural details fronting Rogers Street. (Renderings since 2022 have shown the building’s 2,400-square-foot retail space housing a medical clinic with upscale design.)

Restore is aiming to open this spring, offering a monthly membership fee structure for patients and clients that’s described as being transparent, personalized, and affordable.

New signage and interior buildout visible from Rogers Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

In addition to physicals and disease management services, Restore offers IV vitamin and hydration therapy (including a “hangover infusion” cocktail meant to reduce or prevent that self-inflicted malady), B 12 injections, weight loss support, and massage therapy.

Monthly pricing for individuals starts at $115 (ages 8 to 17), or $300 for families (one adult, two children), according to Restore’s website.

For non-members, initial office visits costs $275, which can be applied to membership fees. A one-time enrollment fee of $99 applies to all memberships.

Pullman Flats' arched windows and brick facade that echo the historic train yard across the street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Rogers Street mixed-use venture is surrounded by apartment and townhome development on previously vacant lots (plus soccer fields).

Proxima Residential’s Pullman Flats brought 60 for-sale residences, office floorplates, retail spaces, and 63 embedded parking spaces to less than an acre along Rogers Street, all facing the Pullman Yards mixed-use district. (The building's residential mix includes at least one ultra-swank condo.) 

Above the retail, all 17,000 square feet of open-floorplan, creative office space remains available on the second and third floors, according to commercial listing agents with NAI Brannen Goddard.

The project’s condo portion, as designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, aimed for a timeless style, with amenities that were marketed as being “exceptional.”

Projected look of the finished Pullman Flats facade on Rogers Street. Courtesy of NAI Brannen Goddard/Proxima Residential; designs, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

The overall look of the building nods to the historic, 27-acre Pullman Yards district across the street, where Alliance Residential opened more than 350 apartments in 2022 and an entertainment and events district (now with balloons, through May 19) continues to evolve.

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112 Rogers St. NE Pullman Flats Restore Wellness and MedSpa Pullman Yards IV Hydration Therapy Massage Therapy Rogers Street Kirkwood Retail Kirkwood Businesses Atlanta Retail Atlanta Primary Care Retail Space NAI Brannen Goddard

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Pullman Flats' arched windows and brick facade that echo the historic train yard across the street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

New signage and interior buildout visible from Rogers Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Projected look of the finished Pullman Flats facade on Rogers Street. Courtesy of NAI Brannen Goddard/Proxima Residential; designs, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

The Rogers Street mixed-use venture is surrounded by apartment and townhome development on previously vacant lots (plus soccer fields).

Subtitle Good news for eastside hangover sufferers

Neighborhood Kirkwood

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Movie studio erects 'iconic' LED tower near Atlanta interstate Josh Green Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:23 No, that’s not a super-slim apartment stack or bungee-jumping platform.

A tower recently built of steel beams that peers down on Interstate 285 travelers from the Assembly Atlanta TV/film studio complex will actually soon be clad in LED panels to serve two functions: a gigantic message board and statement piece near the main studio entry.

According to Third Rail Studios, which is part of the Doraville complex, the “iconic” tower component is expected to be finished and lit up soon. It stands 140 feet tall (nearly three times the height of Marietta’s famed Big Chicken, another WTF roadside landmark) and 23-feet wide.

How the LED tower is expected to eventually lord over an Assembly Atlanta greenspace. I-285 is pictured at top right here, beyond a future phase of development. Gray TV; building designs, Smith Dalia Architects; landscapes, HGOR

Third Rail Studios/@thirdrailstudios

The tower will display news on events, advertisements, and other announcements, as Third Rail Studios relayed on Instagram.

Early project renderings referred to the lighted structure as the “Iconic Tower,” meant to make an impression on Assembly Atlanta visitors as they approach an entry just south of I-285.

Assembly has remade Doraville’s former General Motors plant site into 22 new soundstages resembling a Los Angeles-style studio city. Backlots have taken shape with distinctive facades designed to mimic brownstones in New York City, a grittier section with exposed fire escapes called “Tribeca,” a fancier district that will stand in for streets in European capital cities, and another area meant to be the French Quarter in New Orleans.

The first Smith Dalia Architects-designed phase alone is expected to cost $305 million and include more than 1 million square feet of film-production space—from warehouses to dining halls and bungalows for private production—across 53 acres. In addition to I-285, it’s situated next to MARTA’s Gold Line, about 11 miles north of Midtown.

Another phase-one section is a public-accessible greenspace called Assembly Commons, featuring a 2-acre central lawn and large retaining pond with water jets at the bottom that create fountain effects.

Atlanta-based Gray Television, the project developer and one of the nation’s largest owners of broadcast TV stations, says the studios will be among Georgia’s largest, eventually claiming 135 acres.

As seen in January from I-285's many lanes, the under-construction tower and Assembly's movie-backdrop facades. Google Maps

The project today, and how it's expected to glow soon. Third Rail Studios/@thirdrailstudios

GM’s factory shuttered in 2008, ending a 60-year run and leaving the site in limbo for years. Gray bought the property from Atlanta developer Integral Group in 2021, acquired the site’s existing Third Rail Studios a few months later, and launched soundstage construction in 2022. 

A ceremony was held in February last year to mark the end of phase one’s vertical construction. 

Aspects of the project that won’t move forward as planned—at least for now—include housing, hotel rooms, eateries, and shops. Last year, Gray officials blamed “macroeconomic concern about real estate,” including supply issues, for bumping back the timelines for developing Assembly’s more traditional mixed-use facets.

As shown in an early rendering, the LED tower planned as a statement piece at the studio city's main entry.Gray TV; building designs, Smith Dalia Architects; landscapes, HGOR

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5801 Peachtree Road Assembly Atlanta Third Rail Studios Assembly Yards Chamblee Gray Television Warner Brothers NBC Warner Bros. Netflix Capstone South Assembly Integral Group General Motors Plant Dan Rosenfelt Smith Dalia Architects Georgia Film Office Peach State BAILEY CONSTRUCTION AND CONSULTING Bailey Construction Hilton Howell

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As seen in January from I-285's many lanes, the under-construction tower and Assembly's movie-backdrop facades. Google Maps

The project today, and how it's expected to glow soon. Third Rail Studios/@thirdrailstudios

How the LED tower is expected to eventually lord over an Assembly Atlanta greenspace. I-285 is pictured at top right here, beyond a future phase of development. Gray TV; building designs, Smith Dalia Architects; landscapes, HGOR

As shown in an early rendering, the LED tower planned as a statement piece at the studio city's main entry.Gray TV; building designs, Smith Dalia Architects; landscapes, HGOR

Third Rail Studios/@thirdrailstudios

Subtitle Standing 120 feet tall, unmissable Assembly Atlanta project is nearing completion

Neighborhood Doraville

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Atlanta BeltLine rail supporters plan downtown rally Josh Green Wed, 03/20/2024 - 08:13 Proponents of light-rail transit on the Atlanta BeltLine are planning to show up en masse downtown Friday in hopes of calling attention to their cause and reminding the city’s mayor of campaign promises that forecasted a brighter, more equitable future with BeltLine rail.

It’s another sign the BeltLine rail debate is heating up during crucial months in 2024, as MARTA and BeltLine leaders set plans in motion for extending today’s streetcar loop to Ponce City Market via the Eastside Trail.

Nonprofit advocacy group BeltLine Rail Now has scheduled the rally for 12:45 p.m. Friday at the steps of Atlanta City Hall on Mitchell Street.

According to BRN, schedule speakers include former Atlanta City Council president (and early BeltLine champion) Cathy Woolard, citizen activist and equity expert Dr. Lawrence Miller, BRN’s president Matthew Rao, and longtime Atlanta transit activist Angel Poventud.

The rally’s goal, according to BRN leaders, is to provide a stage for Atlanta’s rail supporters to be heard ahead of Mayor Andre Dickens’ annual State of the City address on Wednesday.

“BRN and citizens who elected [Dickens] as Atlanta’s ‘Transit Mayor’ hope that he will accelerate the project and take a stronger public stand in favor of moving quickly to build the Streetcar East Extension,” reads a media release announcing the Friday rally. “Dickens garnered huge support for his candidacy from rail proponents because of his repeated and strong assurances, both in writing and verbally, that he supported BeltLine rail.”

Where a crossing would be placed just east of Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall. Kimley-Horn/MARTA 2040; via Vimeo

The gathering would follow a March 12 event held in Inman Park that saw about 200 residents hashing out the prospects of rail on the 22-mile loop—most of them being against the idea, according to the AJC—but few fireworks.  

Meanwhile, BRN’s formal opposition, Better Atlanta Transit, continues to call for BeltLine rail alternatives such as micro transit and insist that transit funding for the pricey rail extension would be better spent elsewhere in the city. BAT leadership is distributing their own interpretation (and unsavory renderings) for a trail-meets-rail project they contend the majority of Atlantans don’t want.  

BeltLine CEO and president Clyde Higgs told reporters earlier this month that designs for the downtown-Ponce City Market streetcar extension remain just 30 percent completed—meaning, on the bright side, there’s still time for citizen input to help shape the project.

Meanwhile, MARTA has compiled a preliminary land-acquisition blueprint for how to make the extension a reality, identifying land for utilities, stations, and tracks needed to bring the light-rail system eastward. The transit agency is working to secure the needed land through purchases and easements, with eminent domain being a last resort.

Last summer MARTA picked HDR, an architecture and engineering firm, to complete final designs for the project. The two-mile route would bring the streetcar along Edgewood Avenue, Randolph Street, Auburn Avenue, and Irwin Street into the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail corridor and extend it to Ponce City Market’s doorstep, with five new stops in between.

MARTA’s revised outlook calls for breaking sometime next year and collecting the first streetcar extension fares from passengers in 2028. MARTA officials estimate the extension’s cost will be $230 million at least.

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Atlanta Streetcar MARTA 2040 MARTA Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Edgewood Avenue Ponce City Market Streetcars Streetcar East Extension project Downtown Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Kimley Horn Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates BeltLine Rail Now! Hans Klein Georgia Tech Georgia Tech School of City and Regional Planning Georgia Tech School of Public Policy BeltLine Rail Streetcar Expansion Better Atlanta Transit BAT

Subtitle As debate heats up, BeltLine Rail Now calls for mayor to uphold campaign promises; others unsold

Neighborhood Downtown

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Suburban Smackdown tourney returning soon, with new format Josh Green Tue, 03/19/2024 - 17:10 March Madness is upon us, and that means it’s time to crown a college basketball champion—and to anoint one OTP downtown the best in metro Atlanta for the second year running.

After three weeks of heated competitions and tens of thousands of votes, Alpharetta edged Duluth to become the inaugural victor in the March Madness-style Suburban Smackdown tournament last year.

Again, congrats to A-retta, which certainly bought its A-game in ’23.  

Because Urbanize Atlanta has changed since then (most notably, a paywall went live last month), and to help ensure a fair and honest tourney, we’re implementing important tournament changes, too.

A few quick notes:

• 1. The 2024 contest will be comprised of the 16 OTP downtowns and city centers that garnered the most pre-tourney NOMINATIONS last year. This will give each original contestant a fair shake, once again.
• 2. Voting for all Round 1 contests will open at the same time in coming days, with 16 options to vote for in one round
• 3. The four contestants with the most Round 1 votes will constitute the Final Four. The top two in that contest will determine the Championship.
• 4. That makes three contests total. (Our paywall allows for five free stories each month, which will permit proud OTP dwellers new to Urbanize Atlanta to vote in all three contests. Our new sign-in system should also help eradicate nefarious voting.)
• 5.  The top OTP Downtown of 2024 will be crowned in early April, with many thousands of metro Atlantans watching.

Based on 2023 nominations, which were open to any city within roughly a half-hour of the Interstate 285 perimeter, Alpharetta will take pole position in the 2024 tourney with the most nominations of any OTP downtown, followed by Roswell, Marietta, Lawrenceville, Woodstock, and so forth. See the bracket below. 

Contests will start soon. Can Alpharetta climb atop Suburban Smackdown Mount Olympus and be victorious once again? Or will a fresh champion rise above so many great OTP places to take the throne?

Only time, and your votes, will tell.

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• Alpharetta news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Suburban Smackdown March Madness OTP Atlanta Suburbs Suburban Atlanta Suburban Downtowns Gwinnett County DeKalb County Cobb County Fulton County Douglas County Alpharetta Suwanee Roswell Marietta Stone Mountain Conyers Covington Duluth Trilith Serenbe Lawrenceville Smyrna Norcross Tucker Woodstock Newnan Best OTP Downtown 2024 Best OTP Downtown

Subtitle Can Alpharetta be dethroned in March Madness-style Best OTP Downtown contest?

Neighborhood OTP

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Townhomes asking $700K pop up near Vine City, Clark Atlanta Josh Green Tue, 03/19/2024 - 14:53 Flaunting fourth-story hangouts with panoramic views from Midtown to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a townhome project has started delivering near downtown that aims to set a new pricing benchmark for the area.

Called Walnut Hill Heights, the project is located at 585 Parsons St. in Atlanta University Center blocks just south of Vine City, between Clark Atlanta University’s campus to the west and Castleberry Hill to the east. It’s claiming what had been a vacant lot and older, multiunit housing structure.

Three modern-style townhomes constituting the first of two phases started coming to market this week, each priced at $700,000, plus monthly HOA fees of $275.

That buys three bedrooms and three and ½ bathrooms across 2,254 square feet—for a breakdown of $310 per square foot.

How the first phase of Walnut Hill Heights meets the corner of Parsons and Walnut streets. Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

The four-story townhomes mark the only housing options in the area immediately southwest of downtown with price tags of $700,000 or higher right now, though some lofts in nearby Castleberry Hill have traded for much more.

The Walnut Hill Heights residences are marketed as being “perfect for homebuyers or investors,” and listing agent Camille Gonzales of Pro Realty tells Urbanize Atlanta all units are available for use as short-term rentals through services such as Airbnb.

Beyond proximity to AUC, The Benz, and other downtown attractions, perks of the gated community are marketed as being large two-car garages, oversized “statement windows” for natural light, roommate floorplans, two laundry rooms, and low-maintenance landscaping.

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

According to Pro Realty, multiple financing and grant options are available for the right buyers.

In the gallery above, find more Walnut Hill Heights context and a quick property tour.

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• Vine City news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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585 Parsons Street Walnut Hill Heights Atlanta Townhomes Atlanta Homes for Sale James Hicks Photography Mercedes-Benz Stadium Interior Designs Townhomes for sale Vine City Downtown Atlanta Atlanta University Center AUC Camille Gonzales Pro Realty Gated Communities B. Levett & Company

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The 585 Parson St. location in relation to Clark Atlanta University, Castleberry Hill, and other points of interest near downtown. Google Maps

How the first phase of Walnut Hill Heights meets the corner of Parsons and Walnut streets. Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Example of a fourth-floor rooftop hangout. Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Photos by James Hicks Photography, via Pro Realty

Subtitle It's the first phase of infill project called Walnut Hill Heights

Neighborhood Westside

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Photos: Piedmont Park's boardwalk is back—and glorious as ever Josh Green Tue, 03/19/2024 - 13:23 Those dicey plywood patches are officially a thing of the past at the boardwalk section of Atlanta’s marquee park.

As visitors to Piedmont Park’s woodsy northeast section may have noticed, the park’s winding, elevated boardwalk has been rebuilt through an area known as the Six Springs Wetlands, allowing for quick access to nature, with views of native plants and trees and a babbling creek near Atlanta Botanical Garden. 

According to the Piedmont Park Conservancy, the remade boardwalk reopened last month—now with sleeker, horizontal railings—following a closure last spring and extensive repairs. (Fun fact: The boardwalk and adjacent, gravel Six Springs Trail were originally opened back in 2009, after the conservancy had discovered six underground springs while expanding the area’s dog park.)

The Piedmont Park boardwalk section's "before" condition (left) as it was closed for recent repairs (right). Piedmont Park Conservancy

Piedmont Park's overhauled boardwalk reopened last month, providing an elevated pathway through nature and over Clear Creek. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Repairs to the boardwalk and gravel trail were funded via the $750 million “Moving Atlanta Forward” infrastructure bond package passed by Atlanta voters in 2022, according to the conservancy, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

Take a quick boardwalk tour in the gallery above—no pollen meds required.

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• Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Piedmont Park Piedmont Park Conservancy Piedmont Park Boardwalk Atlanta Parks Greenspaces Atlanta Greenspaces Nature Midtown Parks Parks and Recreation Parks and Rec Lichty Commercial Construction Atlanta Botanical Garden

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The Piedmont Park boardwalk section's "before" condition (left) as it was closed for recent repairs (right). Piedmont Park Conservancy

Piedmont Park's overhauled boardwalk reopened last month, providing an elevated pathway through nature and over Clear Creek. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Views from the boardwalk over Clear Creek and the Six Springs Wetlands, now clad in spring greens. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The boardwalk's redone eastern entrance near Piedmont Park dog parks for large and small pooches.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Six Springs Trail also reopened to public near Atlanta Botanical Garden

Neighborhood Midtown

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Survey: Forsyth County hungry for NHL hockey, $2B development Josh Green Tue, 03/19/2024 - 08:17 Like a slapshot from the ether, backers of a $2-billion mega-development in Forsyth County have released results of an independent survey they say definitively proves locals want the National Hockey League in their backyard—and that they’re willing to pay for it.

A market research study conducted by Alexander Babbage, an Atlanta-based research firm, shows “overwhelming support” for bringing NHL games and The Gathering at South Forsyth project to one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, according to the development team.

Results of the survey were released less than a week after a second campaign for a pro hockey-anchored mega-project in the northern suburbs—a potential redo of moribund North Point Mall, about six miles south of Forsyth County’s site—was announced, triggering a competition for a potential NHL expansion franchise that might not come to pass.

The Forsyth polling was conducted from March 8 to 10 at two popular local gathering places: Cumming City Center and NOFO Brewing.

The research team aimed to quiz 500 (presumably sober) locals on the prospects of luring the NHL to Forsyth County and outlaying an investment on par with Cobb County’s The Battery Atlanta to make that happen.

According to Frank Ferrara, the senior project executive with The Gathering’s spearheads, Krause Sports and Entertainment, nearly 550 individuals gave their 2 cents, with the majority of them (347 people) being registered Forsyth County voters.

The future location of pregame (or it is pre-match) hoopla? The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

According to The Gathering’s backers, key findings showed that 78 percent of registered voters in the county support an investment comparable The Battery, with 10 percent expressing uncertainty.

Meanwhile, among Forsyth County registered voters, 63 percent—or an “overwhelming majority”—showed strong interest in bringing the NHL back to Georgia in Forsyth. Overall, a supermajority 82 percent of all respondents said they were moderately to extremely enthusiastic about the prospects of NHL contests on Forsyth ice, according to the Krause team.

Vernon Krause, the group’s president and CEO, said in an announcement the results “affirm the tremendous interest, support, and enthusiasm” among county residents for the potential 80-acre mixed-use district unveiled last year. Beyond a 70,000-square-foot arena, The Gathering could see a whopping 1,800 multifamily units, 150 standalone homes, and 1.6 million square feet of buildings devoted to retail, office, and hotel uses.

All of that would take a monumental public investment of $390 million to make happen, should the NHL decide to expand, project backers announced last month. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners has approved an agreement on principal terms to allow Krause Sports and Entertainment to proceed with four-phase development plans alongside Ga. Highway 400, but no public funding would be allotted unless the NHL will indeed play at the proposed arena, the project’s anchor. 

As plans stand now, the Gathering would be built in four phases and finished in 2033, per developer projections.

A few miles south on Ga. Highway 400, the competing Alpharetta proposal is being put together by a conglomerate called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group comprised of city officials, influential sports figures, and the mall’s owner, New York Life.

So far, that big idea is short on details, apart from the fact the arena at the heart of the proposal would be designed by architecture legend Frank Gehry, marking the Pritzker Prize winner’s first work in Georgia, per the Alpharetta team. More details are reportedly forthcoming this spring.

Atlanta’s NHL drought has stretched well beyond a decade now, but the league has made no indication it will definitely expand, or that any team will move. The city’s Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980, and following a dozen years in downtown Atlanta, the Thrashers decamped to Winnipeg in 2011. Metro Atlanta’s population has swollen by another million and ½ people since then, making it the second largest U.S. market without a pro hockey team right now, following only Houston.

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• Forsyth County news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Union Hill Road at Ronald Reagan Boulevard The Gathering at South Forsyth NHL Hockey Professional Hockey Cumming South Forsyth Forsyth County Stafford Sports Vernon Krause Carl Hirsch The Battery Atlanta Nelson Architects Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates SCI Architects Stone Planning Dovin Ficken Greenberg Traurig Arizona State University Sun Devil Athletics JLL Novus Innovation Corridor Atlanta Regional Commission Alexander Babbage Atlanta Surveys Surveys Cumming City Center NOFO Brewing

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Where the Gathering at South Forsyth arena and other buildings would be located next to Ga. Highway 400. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

How the 100-acre project would be positioned where Ronald Reagan Boulevard meets Union Hill Road along Ga. Highway 400.The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

A main street and retail corridor in the multi-billion-dollar proposal. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

Closer look at a planned Gathering greenspace that would act as a centralized social hub. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

Subtitle Tug-of-war over hypothetical, north OTP pro hockey franchise heats up

Neighborhood Forsyth County

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