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Disco Kroger redevelopment announces wave of retail signings Josh Green Wed, 03/13/2024 - 08:13 The Disco Kroger party may have ended, but exactly how its Publix-anchored replacement might come to life with a fresh face and new slate of retailers is becoming clearer.

Two years after Atlanta’s second most famous nicknamed Kroger closed, developers behind what’s now rebranded “Buckhead Landing” have revealed a wave of tenant signings that will nearly fill the 3330 Piedmont Road shopping center.  

The U-shaped shopping center, formerly named Piedmont Peachtree Crossing, is situated around a core of surface parking in the shadow of the subdistrict’s tallest high-rises. Work to create what’s being called a Complete Street project (to the chagrin of local urbanists) is ongoing near the Buckhead Landing main entry.

Regency Centers, a national shopping center owner and developer, is replacing the once-rollicking, 1970s Kroger with a Publix, while revising retail storefronts throughout the 11-acre site.

Revised look of Buckhead Landing shops, with Publix in the distance, off Piedmont Road.Courtesy of Regency Centers

Redevelopment began in the first quarter of 2023. According to Regency officials, vertical construction on the 55,000-square-foot Publix is underway, and the grocery is on pace to open in late 2024.

Beyond that, the tenant lineup will include a new mix of local and national brands. Here's a quick rundown of the seven signings announced this week:   

• Atlanta-based Carter's, Inc.—which owns the Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Little Planet, and Skip Hop brands—will open its first Carter's flagship store at Buckhead Landing.
• The family-owned Aviva by Kameel, an Atlanta Mediterranean concept.
• New-to-market ice cream shop Handel's Homemade Ice Cream. It’ll be the second location for the Ohio-based company.
• SkinSpirit*, a national aesthetic skin and body care provider.*
• Waxing the City*, the country’s second-largest waxing franchise, will open its third Atlanta location.*
• Alloy*, a fitness studio offering customized workout programs.*
• And Boston-based Burtons Grill & Bar, offering “made-from-scratch American classics [and] robust gluten-free options,” is opening its first Atlanta location.

According to Regency officials, tenants will open in three phases until redevelopment finishes next year.  

Buckhead Landing in the context of other shopping hubs and landmarks. Regency Centers

Courtesy of Regency Centers

Existing retailers that have remained include Piu Bello, Urban Wu, Eye Gallery, Relax the Back, The Joint, Buckhead Alterations, Jamison Shaw, Lush Nails & Spa, Coast Dental, and a standalone Starbucks near the main entrance. 

The Piedmont Road center’s revamp is reducing square footage slightly to 150,072 and building the new grocery farther west, to better align with an entry drive. The layout calls for 24 fewer parking spaces overall (but still a nucleus of surface parking), according to previously approved plans.

Regency currently owns and operates 23 properties in metro Atlanta, most of them clustered in Buckhead (seven properties total), Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody. (According to marketing materials, the average home value within three miles of the Buckhead Landing shopping center is a whopping $1.26 million.)

Disco Kroger (RIP) was the first in Atlanta to have a moniker stick, named for nightclub culture in the area that often led to shenanigans in the store’s isles, such as frozen turkey bowling, following last call. It outlived the city’s most famous nicknamed location, the original Murder Kroger, which was replaced by BeltLine-adjacent development in 2016.

The 3330 Piedmont Road shopping center (as seen from Disco Kroger's entry) prior to redevelopment. Google Maps

Vacancies and retail breakdown as it stands now. Regency Centers

In the gallery above, find more context and imagery for Disco Kroger’s replacement.

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• Buckhead news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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3330 Piedmont Road NE Buckhead Landing Disco Kroger Hiscutt & Associates Architecture Piedmont Peachtree Crossing Regency Centers ASD|SKY Livable Buckhead Kroger Buckhead Development Review Committee Kimley-Horn & Associates Publix Carter's OshKosh B'gosh Little Planet Skip Hop Aviva by Kameel Handel's Homemade Ice Cream SkinSpirit Waxing the City Alloy Burtons Grill & Bar Piu Bello Urban Wu Eye Gallery Relax the Back The Joint Buckhead Alterations Jamison Shaw Lush Nails & Spa Coast Dental Starbucks

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Buckhead Landing in the context of other shopping hubs and landmarks. Regency Centers

Vacancies and retail breakdown as it stands now. Regency Centers

Revised look of Buckhead Landing shops, with Publix in the distance, off Piedmont Road.Courtesy of Regency Centers

Courtesy of Regency Centers

Courtesy of Regency Centers

The 3330 Piedmont Road shopping center (as seen from Disco Kroger's entry) prior to redevelopment. Google Maps

Subtitle Plus a Publix outlook at what’s been rebranded “Buckhead Landing”

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Poll: How fit will downtown Atlanta be for hosting World Cup 2026? Josh Green Tue, 03/12/2024 - 15:34 In 27 months from now, Atlanta will host the first of its eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. That’s about 820 days. And each one of those global soccer contests—spread across a full month, in Atlanta’s case—has been compared to a Super Bowl, in terms of gravitas, hoopla, and economic impact.

Which begs the question: Will downtown Atlanta be ready to welcome the world?

As with many urban centers across the U.S., downtown Atlanta has seen a tug-of-war recently between optimism and investment versus economic stumbles and downright tragedy.

Just as another hip performance venue is announced at Underground Atlanta, there’s a business permanently shuttering in the wake of continued violence at its doorstep.

Just weeks after tech entrepreneurs swooped in to pull more than 50 buildings from the clutches of foreclosure—promising hundreds of new tech jobs in South Downtown by the end of 2025—a cornerstone of necessities retail for legions of college students and other downtown residents has announced it is closing for good.

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

In another contrast, a new student living high-rise dripping with amenities debuted downtown last year, a few months after an empty lot next to MARTA transit failed to attract any interest from developers, instead becoming a temporary housing initiative for the city’s homeless.  

And though cranes have finally jutted up from the long-dead Gulch, MARTA has conceded its busiest station, Five Points, will still be a work-in-progress construction zone as fútbol fanatics arrive in 2026

So on and so forth.

Of course, no reasonable visitor should expect any major city to be perfect, but it all could make one wonder if downtown will be in a position to put a truly respectable foot forward in 800 days. What say you, Atlanta?

Subtitle Faced with recent turbulence, the city's oldest historic district will welcome the world in 27 months

Neighborhood Downtown

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Feds announce $207M windfall for downtown Stitch, BeltLine link Josh Green Tue, 03/12/2024 - 13:48 In an announcement that City of Atlanta leadership is calling “monumental,” legislators from Georgia revealed today that more than $200 million in federal funding has been secured for two of the most ambitious transportation and recreation infrastructure projects in city history: Downtown’s highway-capping Stitch and the Atlanta BeltLine.

According to U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office, the “historic” federal funding will total $208 million, or enough to cover construction of the Stitch’s initial phase, plus pieces of a new multi-use pathway branching off the BeltLine for a project called the Flint River Trail.

Both projects are designed to help unite neighborhoods and boost alternate transportation options.

Ossoff made the announcement alongside two other champions of both projects at the federal level, Sen. Raphael Warnock and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta. The grant funding is part of the fruits of a bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by Congress in 2021.

The lion’s share of funding, $157 million, will go toward funding phase one of the Stitch. That calls for up to 5 acres of new park space over the downtown Connector between Peachtree and Courtland streets, multimodal improvements for the area’s street network, aesthetic upgrades, and easier access to MARTA’s Civic Center bus and rail station.

Central Atlanta Progress

The Stitch’s planning team applied for the $157 million in funding in the form of a FY23 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant in September. Eventually, the Stitch’s scope calls for 14 acres of new public space spread across 3/4th of a mile, all intended to restitch neighborhoods torn apart by downtown freeway construction.

The project’s design phase kicked off last month and is expected to be finished this summer, to be followed by engineering. Stitch spearheads have previously said construction could start in 2026, pending funding. 

Atlanta Downtown Improvement District officials say the phase-one funding will cover improvements to seven different downtown streets. Overall the funding will help downtown start realizing a dream that’s been percolating for 20 years, said A.J. Robinson, Central Atlanta Progress and ADID president, and Jack Cebe, Stitch development manager, in a joint statement.  

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

Meanwhile, $50 million will go toward helping build out an eventual BeltLine-Flint River Trail connection. That’s a project led by Atlanta Regional Commission to provide a link to both trails and hospitals, schools, job centers, and MARTA transportation in between.

According to the AJC, the $50 million will pay for construction of two trail sections: a 1.6-mile segment in East Point and another mile in Clayton County. Plans call for the Flint River Trail to eventually span 31.5 miles between the BeltLine’s Southside Trail and Lovejoy.

Williams, who passed legislation that funded the infrastructure grants in Atlanta, predicted the Stitch “will reclaim a massive part of our city from infrastructure that divided the Black neighborhoods of Buttermilk Bottoms, Bedford Pines, and Sweet Auburn,” per a statement. “And with a new connection to the BeltLine,” Williams continued, “we are increasing pathways to opportunity for communities that have historically been overlooked for federal investments.”

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

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Subtitle Lion's share of funding will cover Connector-capping park's initial phase

Neighborhood Downtown

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Still-rare condo building begins delivering west of Midtown Josh Green Tue, 03/12/2024 - 08:25 A block-altering residential project in Blandtown is continuing to introduce condos in a section of the city, like most, where new housing is more dominated by apartments, townhomes, and single-family builds.

The latest facet of Empire Communities’ Longreen has started coming to market in recent weeks, listing condos (some with two-story layouts) generally larger than what’s previously been offered at the project.

Marketing materials peg the new building’s Longreen Terrace location as being “steps from the BeltLine,” an “eight-minute drive to Westside Park,” and a “four-minute drive to The Works” mixed-use warehouse complex.  

The finished facade at 1291 Longreen Terrace for the latest facet of the Empire Communities project. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

The Empire Longreen project's location off Huff Road, between Westside Park and Atlantic Station. Google Maps

Listed condo offerings in the new Longreen building today range from $459,730 (two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,025 square feet, but under contract) to a two-level unit on the top floor asking $584,600 (three bedrooms, two and 1/2 bathrooms, 1,529 square feet).

Both options offer one-car garages at ground level. Monthly HOA fees are listed as $143 for the smaller condo, and $215 for the larger.

Named for a finished, .4-acre public greenspace along Booth Avenue that’s part of the development, Longreen is situated less than a block from the Northwest Trail route the BeltLine picked in 2022 to snake through the area.

The site spans three city blocks and five and ½ previously vacant acres in West Midtown’s historic Blandtown neighborhood.

The .4-acre public greenspace that inspired the project's name. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Project branding on a sidewalk wall. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Once finished, Longreen will include 179 condos and townhomes in the 900 block of Huff Road. An Atlanta Regional Commission grant lent fresh hope last year that multimodal roadway improvements could come to that corridor, allowing alternate means of travel on a road increasingly known for traffic congestion as the area fills in.

As with Empire’s Stein Steel project in Reynoldstown, Longreen has incorporated condos alongside townhomes, which were priced from the low $500,000s. (Empire officials said last summer all townhomes in Longreen’s first phase had sold out.)

Ultimately, the Longreen breakdown will be 152 condos and 27 townhomes, ranging from 600-square-foot one-bedrooms to more standard three-bedroom plans of about 1,800 square feet.

Empire closed on the property in late 2020 and broke ground the following year.

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

For-sale condominium products have popped up across Atlanta in recent years but remain relatively rare in comparison to new apartments. Examples range from ritzy (Graydon Buckhead) and glassy (Seven88 West Midtown) high-rises, to BeltLine-adjacent boutiques (The Roycraft) and throwback buildings (Kirkwood’s Pullman Flats) that echo their surroundings. 

More recently, for-sale condo ventures have moved forward in locales such as Chosewood Park on the southside and Sandy Springs up north. 

In the gallery above, find more context and glimpses at how Longreen’s latest condo component is coming together.

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The Empire Longreen project's location off Huff Road, between Westside Park and Atlantic Station. Google Maps

The finished facade at 1291 Longreen Terrace for the latest facet of the Empire Communities project. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Project branding on a sidewalk wall. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

The .4-acre public greenspace that inspired the project's name. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

The look of finishes and other aspects of condo interiors at Longreen's latest building. Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Empire Communities; EAH Brokerage

Previous land conditions where the Longreen condos and townhomes are in development, roughly a block from the Goat Farm Arts Center, seen at bottom right.Google Maps

Subtitle Latest facet of Longreen project priced from mid-$400Ks

Neighborhood Blandtown

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Empire Longreen - 981 Huff Road

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East of Atlanta, 300 more rentals debut beside multi-use trail Josh Green Mon, 03/11/2024 - 16:39 Despite EV automaker Rivian's plans to tap the brakes on mega-factory construction, developer optimism in Atlanta’s eastern suburbs shows few signs of abating.  

The latest example, from active intown developer Crescent Communities, is called Render Covington. It's now officially finished and open at 9300 Delk Road, just south of Interstate 20 near downtown Covington.

The Covington project marks the Charlotte-based developer’s first under the Render brand. Crescent officials say it joins more than 3,000 apartments across 10 properties they’ve either delivered or are actively developing across metro Atlanta, where officials say demand for housing continues to rise.  

Render Covington's location in relation to the city's historic downtown and Interstate 20. Google Maps

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

National developer Alliance Residential (318 apartments) and Alpharetta-based Parkland Communities (nearly 400 homes) are examples of other developers putting together eastside OTP projects near the I-20 corridor. (Crescent is also building a second Covington project, the six-building Render Turner Lake, with expectations of opening it in 2025, next door to Newton County Turner Lake Park.)

According to Crescent’s leadership team, the company is actively pursuing more development sites across the Atlanta region and plans to announce several more projects soon.

In Covington, the Render project has brought 315 rentals across seven main apartment buildings ranging from one to three bedrooms. It counts a direct connection to the city’s Eastside Trail (not that Eastside Trail), a 2.5-mile multi-use greenway for pedestrians and cyclists.

Another perk of the location—“just” 40 minutes outside Atlanta’s urban core, per developers—is its proximity to Stanton Springs industrial park eight miles away. That’s a 1,600-acre hub of jobs for Takeda, Facebook, and Three Ring Studio employees, among others, per Crescent officials.

The community is offering six weeks of free living right now, with rents beginning at $1,449.  

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Unlike much of the new intown multifamily product these days, the entry-level rentals in Covington aren’t necessarily shoeboxes. The smallest options listed today count a true bedroom and one bathroom in 720 square feet.

Amenities include a resident clubhouse, large fitness center and pool, and work-from-home office spaces, per Crescent reps.

The developer’s second Render property—the 297-unit Render Stockbridge, located 30 minutes south of Atlanta—is under construction with hopes of welcoming residents later this year.

Closer to Atlanta’s core, Crescent opened Novel West Midtown in the fall and sold off the high-rise Novel Midtown in the fourth quarter of last year, fetching the city’s highest price for a multifamily community in 2023.

Eric Liebendorfer, Crescent’s recently installed managing director for Georgia, pointed to the Atlanta market’s “tripling of last year’s population growth and the fifth-highest employment base increase in the nation since the pandemic” as reasons for optimism in a Render Covington announcement today.

In the gallery above, have a closer look at how the Covington project turned out.

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9300 Delk Drive Covington RENDER Covington Crescent Communities Novel Render RENDER Stockbridge OTP Covington Development Atlanta Suburbs Atlanta Development Suburban Development Atlanta apartments For Rent in Atlanta Covington Apartments Suburban Apartments Newton County Turner Lake Park Stanton Springs Stanton Springs Industrial Park

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Render Covington's location in relation to the city's historic downtown and Interstate 20. Google Maps

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

Courtesy of Crescent Communities

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Subtitle Render Covington joins 3,000 apartments Charlotte-based developer is bringing to metro Atlanta

Neighborhood OTP

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Adaptive-reuse brewery project pitched along BeltLine corridor Josh Green Mon, 03/11/2024 - 14:13 A new brewing and dining concept has entered the pipeline along an Atlanta BeltLine corridor that’s scheduled to see construction soon.

Representatives for Monday Night Brewing have submitted plans to the BeltLine Design Review Committee for an adaptive-reuse project that would remake an old storage building at 1500 Northside Drive—a stone’s throw from the brewery’s original location on Trabert Avenue, near the Atlanta Waterworks complex in Berkeley Park.

The building also overlooks one of five segments of the BeltLine’s Northwest Trail, an arc of multipurpose pathways that will link the Westside to Buckhead.

Kimley-Horn/Gensler, via BeltLine DRC

Where the Monday Night Brewing brewhouse and pizza addition would be tucked beside the Northwest Trail corridor. Kimley-Horn, via BeltLine DRC

Monday Night Brewing’s plans call for converting the metal building—previously used as a storage warehouse and still zoned for industrial purposes—into a brewery and pizza kitchen, per a Special Administrative Permit filing.

Renderings describe the back portion of the building as “The Grove.”

Plans call for adding a new storefront, overhead doors at openings, an exterior canopy, and a new roof. Minor demolition will create openings in exterior walls, interior partitions, and roof panels, per the SAP filing.

Exterior changes would see new access pathways built to the BeltLine and hardscaped areas for an outdoor patio.

Kimley-Horn/Gensler, via BeltLine DRC

The planned route of the BeltLine's Northwest Trail (in purple), with the original Monday Night Brewing facility and the proposed expansion (blue circle). A former carpet business (red star) fronts Northside Drive. Google Maps; ABI

The BeltLine section in question—Segment 3 of the Northwest Trail—will eventually span 1.2 miles and cross beneath Interstate 75 at Tanyard Creek. The BeltLine is permitting the small section of trail between Trabert Avenue (near Monday Night Brewing’s current facility) and Northside Drive, in hopes that construction can begin there as early as this month.

Designs for the rest of Segment 3 are scheduled to be 60 percent finished by May, with Astra Group contracted to help with construction scheduling, budgeting, and other logistics.

We’ve reached out to Monday Night Brewing reps for information on the project’s size and potential timeline for opening. This story will be updated with any further details that come.

The facility in question is tucked behind these buildings fronting Northside Drive. Google Maps

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1500 Northside Drive Monday Night Brewing Gensler Atlantic Companies The Grove Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Northwest Trail Atlanta Breweries Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Project Kimley Horn Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates

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The planned route of the BeltLine's Northwest Trail (in purple), with the original Monday Night Brewing facility and the proposed expansion (blue circle). A former carpet business (red star) fronts Northside Drive. Google Maps; ABI

Where the Monday Night Brewing brewhouse and pizza addition would be tucked beside the Northwest Trail corridor. Kimley-Horn, via BeltLine DRC

The facility in question is tucked behind these buildings fronting Northside Drive. Google Maps

Kimley-Horn/Gensler, via BeltLine DRC

Kimley-Horn/Gensler, via BeltLine DRC

Subtitle Northside Drive proposal calls for new Monday Night Brewing facility, restaurant

Neighborhood Berkeley Park

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Images: Atlanta's civil, human rights museum lifts veil on expansion Josh Green Mon, 03/11/2024 - 12:27 One of Atlanta’s most cherished museums has begun construction on a project that will make it more than 50 percent larger, and new renderings provided to Urbanize Atlanta illustrate more clearly than ever what that expansion will look like.

As a means of commemorating its 10th anniversary, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is refreshing its current facilities and expanding its recognizable downtown building with two new wings—totaling about 24,000 square feet—to add classrooms, more exhibits, and event spaces. The project is expected to cost $56 million.

The current NCCHR, which opened with 42,500 square feet in June 2014, was designed by the late, award-winning architect Philip Freelon in partnership with HOK. Its designs were chosen following an international competition.

The Perkins & Will-designed expansion project calls for new wings added around the NCCHR’s symbolic, multicolored façade, both of them swooping from Pemberton Place around toward Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard.

A rendering of the NCCHR expansion, as seen from across Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Plans for the east wing expansion. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

The ongoing NCCHR expansion will be substantial enough to temporarily close the museum between January and August 2025, according to project officials.

The center’s new wings are scheduled to open sometime in the fall of next year.

Protective fencing installed around the museum’s perimeter will remain in place through the duration of construction, per officials. The museum's Pemberton Place and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard entrances will remain accessible throughout 2024.

To foot the bill for a larger facility, NCCHR’s “Fulfilling the Vision” capital campaign has raised more than $52 million, with a goal of eventually bringing in $56 million. Additional efforts geared toward community fundraising “to generate broad participation in the expansion project” will begin this spring, per project leaders.  

How the reimagined King Gallery is expected to look and function. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Rendering of new wings as seen over Pemberton Place. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Officials tell Urbanize Atlanta more than two dozen companies, foundations, and individuals have contributed to the expansion campaign to date.

A $15 million gift from the Arthur M. Blank Foundation “anchored” the fundraising efforts. Other public and private funding has included $10 million from the City of Atlanta, $8.5 million from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, and $5 million from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation. 

The NCCHR won’t be idle during its 2025 closure. Staff plan to host community events across metro Atlanta that include NCCHR’s Truth programs, which are designed to “bring history to life and address contemporary rights issues” at area restaurants, coffee shops, and event and performance venues, per the center.

As seen today, the multi-toned NCCHR facade was designed to represent "a mosaic of different nationalities [and] the idea that people from all walks of life can work together in harmony," per the center. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights

NCCHR will also continue to administer its current programming—such as K-12 education, the LGBTQ+ Institute, and human rights training for law enforcement—throughout the closure.

Find more imagery in the gallery above.

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100 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard National Center for Civil and Human Rights NCCHR Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation downtown construction Downtown Development Atlanta Museums Atlanta Development Civil Right Museum Atlanta Landmarks Atlanta Architecture Architecture Phil Freelon HOK Perkins & Will

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As seen today, the multi-toned NCCHR facade was designed to represent "a mosaic of different nationalities [and] the idea that people from all walks of life can work together in harmony," per the center. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights

The NCCHR entry off Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard today. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Rendering of new wings as seen over Pemberton Place. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Ground-level view from Pemberton Place, near the Georgia Aquarium. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Plans for the east wing expansion. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

How the reimagined King Gallery is expected to look and function. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

A rendering of the NCCHR expansion, as seen from across Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

A planned classroom space at the expanded NCCHR. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Example of planned classroom space. Courtesy of National Center for Civil and Human Rights; designs, Perkins & Will

Subtitle Project will temporarily close National Center for Civil and Human Rights in 2025

Neighborhood Downtown

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Downtown Walgreens in landmark building to shutter soon Josh Green Mon, 03/11/2024 - 08:18 A downtown Walgreens considered an economic bright spot and crucial resource for downtown dwellers will permanently close in a matter of weeks.

The Walgreens store that’s operated for seven years in the remade, historic Olympia Building at 25 Peachtree Street will shutter April 9, according to signage posted on the business’ doors.

That signage indicates customers will be able to get prescriptions filled at any other Walgreens location, as WSB-TV reports, but the closure will leave a void for downtown residents and workers who’ve come to rely on the store for other necessities.

We’ve reached out to Walgreens corporate staff for information on the logic behind the closure, and this story will be updated with any additional details that come.

Walgreens announced plans in 2019 to close some 200 stores across the U.S., shrinking its 10,000-store footprint as customers increasingly shop online. Under new leadership last year, Walgreens vowed to cut $1 billion in costs and close stores and clinics, with some in Atlanta likely among them.

The Olympia Building's remade Art Deco facade on Woodruff Park. Google Maps

When rumors swirled last year that Walgreens’ closure was imminent downtown, an online petition was launched that gathered nearly 800 signatures in hopes of persuading the business to stay. That Change.org petition painted the Walgreens as an important asset for Georgia State University’s thousands of students and downtown residents overall, adding: “Everyone that lives in the community understands how convenient and crucial this store is.” 

“I live downtown, and with no grocery store, this store is crucial,” wrote one signee. “Closing this would be a step [in] the wrong direction for the type of downtown residents want.”

“As a GSU student,” wrote another, “we need this.”

Topped with an iconic, circular Coca-Cola sign, Walgreens’ two-story Olympia Building underwent a total renovation, finished in 2016, that restored its Art Deco appeal and marked a considerable investment by Walgreens.

The complex project cleaved out the building’s full interior, leaving only the stone walls, braced by steel beams. It revealed clues that while the façade dates to the 1930s, the building’s bones are actually much older, dating to the 1800s.

Prior to Walgreens’ makeover, the building had been largely vacant for years, a retail sore spot at the edge of Woodruff Park. What should go there now?

The iconic, illuminated Coca-Cola sign overlooking Woodruff Park from atop the Walgreens was also rehabbed a few years ago. Google Maps

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The iconic, illuminated Coca-Cola sign overlooking Woodruff Park from atop the Walgreens was also rehabbed a few years ago. Google Maps

The Olympia Building's remade Art Deco facade on Woodruff Park. Google Maps

Subtitle Petition to save Peachtree Street retailer called it a crucial downtown resource

Neighborhood Downtown

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Six-home project breaks ground on insanely steep street Josh Green Fri, 03/08/2024 - 16:15 Atlantans pining for a taste of San Francisco in the Georgia countryside could be in luck.

Serenbe officials send word that a six-unit project called Mado Hillside Homes has recently broken ground, with vertical construction expected to commence next month.

The vertically inclined dwellings are being stacked on quad-burning topography in Serenbe’s Mado. That section is positioned near the southern border of the growing, biophilic community set among pastures and woodlands about 35 miles southwest of Atlanta. 

The Mado Hillside Homes are being developed by Atlanta-based South Haven Builders, whose portfolio includes single-family, intown projects spanning from Kirkwood to Brookhaven, along with projects in northern suburbs.

According to Serenbe’s marketing team, the hillside residences will each have a different layout, ranging from two to four bedrooms. Some homes will feature balconies and courtyards, others lofts and offices.

The project is on pace to see move-ins in late 2024, but pricing has yet to be released. (For context, the least expensive single-family option at Serenbe right now is asking $625,000 for two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,136 square feet.)

Unique exteriors of the half-dozen homes in Mado's next section. South Haven Builders; courtesy, Serenbe

An updated overview of Serenbe's buildout and future development plans southwest of Atlanta, with the Mado section depicted at bottom. Serenbe

The project’s topography recalls the steep inclines of Serenbe’s Lupo Loop, a section of more than 50 residences designed with Danish aesthetics in mind across a nearby hillside.

In other Serenbe housing news, a four-home multifamily building coined “Modern in the Woods” is coming together (priced from $1.29 million); the push to sell bespoke “farmette” sites is heating up; and Walking Dead star Norman Reedus’ sleek modern estate remains on the market (and not budging at $3.85 million).

Below is a mapped breakdown of how the Mado district is coming together, with future commercial space shown in dark red and existing commercial space in dark brown. Red dots indicate homes for sale, while purple dots show for-lease properties:

Serenbe

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An updated overview of Serenbe's buildout and future development plans southwest of Atlanta, with the Mado section depicted at bottom. Serenbe

Unique exteriors of the half-dozen homes in Mado's next section. South Haven Builders; courtesy, Serenbe

Serenbe

Subtitle Late 2024 move-ins projected with next section of Serenbe’s Mado

Neighborhood Serenbe

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Buckhead leadership demands mixed-use project be halted Josh Green Fri, 03/08/2024 - 13:27 A developer’s plans to remake a vacant Buckhead corner are veering toward full-blown saga status.

Buckhead’s SPI-9 Development Review Committee is urging city officials to slam the brakes on a mixed-use proposal called The Buckhead Collection because it skipped a crucial step toward gaining permits to move forward.

The Buckhead Collection concept first appeared on the DRC’s radar in late 2022—and it was significantly revised last year in light of design concerns.

The property in question includes two ailing buildings along a popular Buckhead restaurant strip—one a former restaurant/residential structure, the other long-empty, low-rise offices—in the 3100 block of Piedmont Road, roughly a block south of Peachtree Road in central Buckhead.

Renovation and expansion plans call for a trendy hub of retail, restaurant, and offices melding several architectural styles. Neighbors generally loathe it. 

According to the DRC, Buckhead leadership learned in February the city’s Office of Planning and Zoning had approved a Special Administrative Permit that would allow the redevelopment process to proceed. That came without required official commentary from the DRC and violated the process for new proposals—and one, in this case, that’s faced significant pushback from the surrounding community, per the DRC.

DRC officials asked the planning and zoning office last month to rescind the approval, bring the project back to DRC, and follow “appropriate procedures,” per February meeting minutes. At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the DRC again requested that The Buckhead Collection be officially paused.

A planning and zoning department staff member, Thomas Otoo, informed the board Wednesday the Piedmont Road project will be placed on hold, and that the applicant—architect Robb McKerrow of the r*development firm and his cohorts—will be notified, per a meeting recap. DRC staff asked to be copied on that notification.

Revised exterior designs for The Buckhead Collection proposal. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

The location of the two properties in question, just south of Peachtree Road in central Buckhead. Google Maps

DRC members noted this week the adjacent Peachtree Park Civic Association is “vehemently opposed” to plans for The Buckhead Collection as they currently stand.

In past meetings, Peachtree Park Civic Association members have expressed concerns with traffic snafus that could result from drivers trying to access new parking from Martina Drive, an entry point to residential blocks off Piedmont Road. (Developers countered that parking would mostly be used by employees and valet staff to help keep traffic flowing.)

Neighbors also have qualms with proposed rooftop patios toward the back of the development, which they feel could create sound issues in close proximity to single-family homes.

DRC members have supported the neighborhood group in that concern and have recommended glass walls be constructed around patios as a sound barrier, with “amplified outdoor sound” restricted.

Located where Piedmont Road meets Martina Drive, both buildings are damaged and currently share the same parking lot, according to ownership group Partina Land LLC, which bought the property for $3.75 million in August 2020.

Earlier designs called for the office building, 3121 Piedmont Road, to be converted to three stories of retail with a restaurant and large patio on the roof. But that idea has been scaled back.

The latest renderings show two stories of retail above a new underground parking section and generally sleeker designs overall.

Tweaked, two-story plans for the retail building. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

The 3121 Piedmont Road structure was formerly called the HRS building but has been abandoned for many years. It’s suffering from water intrusion from both the roof and foundation and has also been stripped of its copper, according to the development team.

The building's proposed renovation calls for fully reconstructing and expanding it, while excavating the basement for 12 underground parking spaces. Plans call for converting the building to a multi-tenant space geared toward professional services and boutique retail, according to an earlier presentation.            

Next door, the 3125 Piedmont building—a former home, constructed of brick, that’s suffered fire damage—housed popular Persian restaurant Divan for 16 years, before it uprooted to Midtown’s historic Castle building.

Breakdown of the current Piedmont Road layout and proposed additions.Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Current plans call for demolishing the kitchen, constructing a two-story addition where the current kitchen is, and adding upstairs dining rooms along with a two-story entrance for restaurant uses.

Renovations of the site beyond the buildings would include reconfigured parking, new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and landscaping, per the applicants. (Another sticking point is a proposed new curb cut along Martina Drive that developers claim was approved in the 1980s but have yet to prove, per the DRC.)

Other landmarks in the area include Greek restaurant Kyma and the newer location of Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steak House to the south, and Red Pepper Taqueria just to the north.

The applicants have said that a broader future vision for the Piedmont Road corner calls for more buildings that would be brought up to the road, with townhomes and a boutique hotel sharing a pool deck. 

In the gallery above, find more context and a detailed look at revised plans for this corner of Piedmont Road, per the most recent drawings available.

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Revised exterior designs for The Buckhead Collection proposal. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

The initial three-story plans for properties at 3121 and 3125 Piedmont Road, a block south of Peachtree Road. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

The location of the two properties in question, just south of Peachtree Road in central Buckhead. Google Maps

Piedmont Road frontage of the former retail building, at right, and Divan Restaurant today. Google Maps

Frontages along Martina Drive today. r*development; via Buckhead DRC

How the current structures meet a parking lot at Piedmont Road and Martina Drive. r*development; via Buckhead DRC

Breakdown of the current Piedmont Road layout and proposed additions.Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Tweaked, two-story plans for the retail building. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

How a rooftop restaurant would now crown The Buckhead Collection's retail portion. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

A more detailed look at plans for 12 new parking spaces excavated from the basement of the current retail building. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Plans for the first level above the underground parking and the restaurant next door. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

The arrangement of retail spaces planned for the second story. Partina Land LLC; designs, r*development

Subtitle DRC: Concept called The Buckhead Collection "vehemently opposed" by neighbors

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Downtown affordable housing; BeltLine streetcar route; Rivian balks Josh Green Fri, 03/08/2024 - 08:11 DOWNTOWN—For Atlantans who’ve stared at that still-empty, grassy lot across the street from Atlanta City Hall and wondered what’s going on, there’s good news this week: The 200 workforce apartments planned there are not D.O.A. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Trinity Central Flats project has scored 4 percent, low-income housing tax credits that should generate about $50 million in funding via the Georgia Department of Community Affairs—or the bulk of the project’s expected $72 million cost. (A backlog in that funding source triggered by inflation had delayed other projects around town, including the under-construction Lodge venture near East Atlanta Village, developers have said.)

The 1.3-acre, empty downtown lot has been the source of affordable housing talks for eons, and it’s been more than two years now since city leaders picked Radiant Development Partners and Capitol Hill Neighborhood Development Corporation—a neighborhood booster group established in the early 1990s—as project leaders.

Fleshed-out depiction of the proposal, rising 10 stories from the corner and linked to an existing parking garage. Invest Atlanta/Trinity Central Flats

According to renderings and planning documents, Trinity Central Flats calls for 218 units in 10 stories, both affordable and market-rate, rising just south of Atlanta City Hall. (Plans also call for 7,500 square feet of retail fronting Central Avenue.) Department of City Planning officials have described the site as being among the city’s “most convenient” in terms of transportation and walkability. Most of the rentals will be set aside for households earning 50 to 80 percent of the area median income, and the development team reportedly hopes to break ground sometime this year.

According to Invest Atlanta, which approved $3 million in Eastside Tax Allocation District funding for the project last fall, construction is expected to take 18 months.

The 1.3-acre parcel in question near City Hall. Atlanta Department of City Planning/Instagram

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EASTSIDE—A year after MARTA’s planning committee gave the thumbs-up to plans for extending the Atlanta Streetcar to the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail and Ponce City Market, the agency has compiled a preliminary land-acquisition blueprint for how to make that happen. The plan identifies land for utilities, stations, and tracks needed to bring the light-rail system eastward. MARTA is reportedly working to secure the needed land through purchases and easements, with eminent domain being a last resort.

Where the streetcar would deposit passengers at PCM's The Shed, returning the outdoor facility to its original rail-focused uses. Kimley-Horn/MARTA 2040; via Vimeo

Last summer MARTA picked HDR, an architecture and engineering firm, to complete final designs for what’s called the Streetcar East Extension. (That firm’s recent work in Atlanta includes Rodney Cook Sr. Park in Vine City.) 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 officials estimate the extension’s cost will be $230 million at least.

MARTA’s revised outlook calls for breaking sometime next year and collecting the first streetcar extension fares from passengers in 2028.

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

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OTP—In what could be a blow to developers banking on proximity to Rivian’s sprawling EV factory as a selling point, the California automaker has decided to pull back and pause construction on its $5 billion project east of Atlanta, despite substantial work completed already to clear the 2,000-acre site, the AJC reports.

Rivian is putting construction on ice indefinitely in Morgan and Walton counties, where 7,500 jobs (with $56,000 average salaries) were promised, to instead focus on producing its planned R2 crossover model at the company’s lone plant in Illinois by 2026. Rivian leadership released a statement saying the Georgia initiative remains “extremely important,” but there’s no outlook on when heavy equipment might get rolling again. On the bright side, as one peeved lawmaker told the newspaper, Georgia now has “a great mega site available to offer a willing, interested, and trusted future partner.”

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

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Underground Atlanta reveals new venue (with food component) Josh Green Thu, 03/07/2024 - 15:08 Underground Atlanta is preparing to debut a righteous new entertainment venue this month that leaders are calling a “significant milestone” in the district’s reinvention and revitalization.

Called Altar, the 250-person capacity room will include a food component with a walk-up window and seating beyond its doors that's meant to help activate historic Kenny’s Alley, while making the overall project more of a draw for locals and tourists.

Performances at Altar will be curated by The Masquerade—which is celebrating its 35th year in business in 2024—and include a lineup of local and nationally touring musicians. A comedy weekend each month curated by Atlanta Comedy Club’s former owners is also planned for Altar. 

Altar is considered a fourth room for The Masquerade’s mortality-themed trifecta: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.

Features will include “awe-inspiring architecture” and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, according to Underground leadership.

The Altar facade. Courtesy of Underground Atlanta

Altar will also be Underground’s first venue to offer a full kitchen (with health-focused, plant-based options included). The arrangement calls for the walk-up window and tables placed in Kenny’s Alley to help create a festive atmosphere.  

Onsite activations and a performance by artist Anthony Green are scheduled the evening of March 20 at Underground Atlanta as an official celebration of Altar’s opening.

Inside Underground's Heaven venue in 2023; expect more "awe-inspiring architecture" with Altar, according to project leaders. (Photos are pending). Courtesy of Underground Atlanta; photography by Desoto Photo

Courtesy of Underground Atlanta

In other Underground news, project officials say renovations continue on the former Dante’s Down the Hatch space and that MJQ Concourse is on pace to open there sometime this year.

Other concepts operating at Underground include the Pigalle Theatre and Speakeasy opened last year by Paris on Ponce vets, YELLE Beauty, Dancing Crepes, Daiquiriville (a 2,200 square-foot indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar with karaoke and other entertainment), and Peach Museum, an “18-and-over, adult-themed selfie experience” by the founders of the Original Selfie Museum. 

Also open are The Frisky Whisker, described as “an off-the-wall cat lounge, art space, and listening sound gallery,” Dolo’s Pizza Co, two-story, 14,000-square-foot Future Showbar and Restaurant, and ice cream parlor iScream Ice Cream.

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The Altar facade. Courtesy of Underground Atlanta

Inside Underground's Heaven venue in 2023; expect more "awe-inspiring architecture" with Altar, according to project leaders. (Photos are pending). Courtesy of Underground Atlanta; photography by Desoto Photo

Courtesy of Underground Atlanta

Subtitle Primed for music and comedy, "Altar" concept also aims to activate historic Kenny's Alley

Neighborhood Downtown

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