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Bike lanes on car-heavy Memorial Drive: How's that sound? Josh Green Fri, 02/16/2024 - 08:04 Anyone who’s tried to travel the sidewalks of Memorial Drive on a bike near Oakland Cemetery knows how harrowing that experience can be. Ditto for pedaling from the BeltLine to many points west along Memorial, such as Petit Chou. And ditto for pretty much the rest of Memorial to downtown, too.  

But according to Propel ATL, that’s set to change.

The bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy group (formerly Atlanta Bicycle Coalition) reports this week that plans for a legitimately safe, two-way protected bike lane are moving forward on Memorial Drive that would link downtown Atlanta with the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail.

How the two-way cycletrack would function next to the iconic walls of Oakland Cemetery. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

According to Propel ATL executive director Rebecca Serna, a petition drive put together by the advocacy group last year—following years of requests to government officials—is starting to pay dividends.

New Georgia Department of Transportation designs for Memorial Drive west of Pearl Street in Reynoldstown show how the busy roadway would include a two-way cycletrack for non-drivers on wheels, passing landmarks such as Oakland Cemetery and Daddy D'z BBQ Joynt.

The lanes would end at Trinity Avenue downtown near the Gold Dome, according to GDOT’s drawings.

That would replace what Serna describes in a project update as a “free-for-all of five lanes of traffic” that is Memorial Drive today.

Memorial Drive changes proposed at Cherokee Avenue next to Oakland Cemetery. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

The stretch of Memorial Drive in question during an evening last April. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

To create a truly safe and cohesive alternate transportation option, Serna says some details still need to be worked out with GDOT, including the design of physical bicycle-car separation and bus stop integration. Other safety upgrades on the route would include a mid-block pedestrian crossing.  

The changes would follow another campaign from 2017 that resulted in GDOT reconfiguring Memorial Drive to the west, through neighborhoods such as Edgewood and Kirkwood, and sharply decreasing the number of accidents, according to Serna.

The timeline for GDOT’s next round of Memorial Drive safety improvements is TBD for now. But as Serna notes, “we're excited to see a new look for Memorial Drive!” 

Ditto. 

The view over Memorial Drive and Pearl Street. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

How the Memorial Drive cycletrack would meet Trinity Avenue, the proposed end-point, downtown. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

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• Recent Cabbagetown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Propel ATL Bike Lanes Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Rebecca Serna Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Atlanta Bike Infrastructure Atlanta Bike Lanes

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The view over Memorial Drive and Pearl Street. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

Memorial Drive changes proposed at Cherokee Avenue next to Oakland Cemetery. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

How the Memorial Drive cycletrack would meet Trinity Avenue, the proposed end-point, downtown. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

How the two-way cycletrack would function next to the iconic walls of Oakland Cemetery. GDOT/Pond; via Propel ATL

The stretch of Memorial Drive in question during an evening last April. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Plans pushed by Propel ATL call for protected, two-way cycletrack into downtown

Neighborhood Cabbagetown

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Photos: On downtown Decatur corner, boldly modern structure rises Josh Green Thu, 02/15/2024 - 16:16 Visitors to the southeastern fringes of downtown Decatur may have noticed a recent injection of modern design where Church Street meets a biking path to Stone Mountain.

That’s where an independent production company called Cardón Pictures is staking its psychical presence in a boldly contemporary way. 

The topped-out building at 104-108 Church Street is located between Twain’s Brewpub and Billiards and the Agnes Scott College campus. The PATH Foundation’s Stone Mountain Trail is just to the south, and the revitalized Blair Building is a few doors in the other direction.

The studio production facility replaces a former residential structure—most recently home to Reagin Optometric Group—next to the Decatur School of Ballet.

The 104 to 108 Church Street property in question in 2021, prior to recent demo. Google Maps

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to Decatur City Commission meeting records, the Cardón Pictures facility will total 5,400 square feet, next to an 11-space parking lot. Uses will include studio, office, and retail space.

We’ve reached out to Cardón Pictures for more details and will update this story with any additional information that comes.

The project was designed by Decatur’s Office of Design architects, and Conyers-based Forgay-Passarella Construction is leading construction.

Find more context and a closer look at construction progress in the gallery above.

The construction site in relation to Decatur Square and Agnes Scott College. Google Maps

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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104 Church Street Decatur Film Studio Project Office of Design Forgay-Passarella Construction Downtown Decatur Cardon Pictures Tv and film industry Atlanta Film Industry Lights Camera Action

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The construction site in relation to Decatur Square and Agnes Scott College. Google Maps

The 104 to 108 Church Street property in question in 2021, prior to recent demo. Google Maps

Construction progress this week at the 104-108 Church Street site, located southeast of the Historic Decatur Square.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The building's southern face, toward Agnes Scott College. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Mixed-use project replaces former Church Street home turned offices

Neighborhood Decatur

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Census: Georgia becomes rare state with 11M+ residents Josh Green Thu, 02/15/2024 - 13:40 The U.S. tallied its largest population growth in five years in 2023, and Georgia was among the leading states driving that boost, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

In fact, the Peach State exceeded a new population threshold for the first time in history, joining just a handful of U.S. states with 11 million or more people, according to Vintage 2023 population estimates released in December by Census officials.

According to the analysis, Georgia added 116,077 residents across the year ending in July, for a total population of 11,029,227.

Only eight states count 11 million or more people. And just three states grew more than Georgia last year. 

As the country’s eighth most populous state, Georgia ranks just below Ohio, with about 750,000 fewer residents than the Buckeye State, per the Census data.

United States Census Bureau

Overall, the U.S. population is back on the upswing, with 1.6 million additional residents (a 0.5 percent growth rate) to just shy of 335 million people—the largest population boost in any year since the COVID-19 pandemic started. (A 9 percent decrease in deaths was also credited with helping sustain population numbers.)

As the nation’s most populous region, the South accounted for 87 percent of U.S. growth in 2023, continuing its trajectory as the only region to maintain population growth throughout the pandemic era.

Over the past year alone, more than 706,000 people came to the South region via net domestic migration, while nearly 500,000 arrived via net international migration, according to Census estimates.

United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

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Georgia Population Georgia Growth Atlanta Growth Atlanta Population Census U.S. Census U.S. Census Bureau Texas South Carolina North Carolina Florida Vintage 2023

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United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

Subtitle The South chalked up 87 percent of nation’s growth in 2023, analysis finds

Neighborhood Citywide

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ARC sets $168B transportation forecast for metro Atlanta Josh Green Thu, 02/15/2024 - 10:32 What should metro Atlanta’s vast network of roadways, transit systems, and more human-scale transportation alternatives look like in 26 years? It’s tough to say, but the region’s planning and intergovernmental coordination agency has officially updated its forecast.

On Wednesday, the Atlanta Regional Commission Board approved a major update to the Atlanta Metropolitan Transportation Plan, or MTP, which happens about every four years, providing groundwork for upgrades and maintenance across the 20-county metro.

The revised MTP allocates $168 billion in federal, state, and local funding to improve both transportation and safety between now and 2050. The ARC expects metro Atlanta to swell by another 1.8 million people by then, pushing the total population to 7.9 million.

The MTP is intended to create a roadmap for accommodating that population boost. It advocates for channeling billions toward transit expansion and bicycling-pedestrian infrastructure improvements such as unfinished BeltLine segments—but also toward hundreds of miles of new road lanes. Other aspects are meant to encourage alternative commute options, such as teleworking and carpooling.

ARC officials collaborate with local governments and transportation agencies to revise the MTP blueprint every few years. Encouragingly, it identifies transit expansion as “a critical investment that is needed as the Atlanta region continues to grow and become denser.”

Brett Barnhill/Shutterstock

Obviously, the MTP isn’t a $168 billion check toward making these things happen. But the ARC does mandate that projects included in the MTP are fiscally constrained, meaning that “funding is reasonably anticipated to be available within the time period,” per the ARC.

The lion’s share of hypothetical funding—roughly $105 billion, or 63 percent of the total—is earmarked for maintaining, modernizing, and operating existing transportation infrastructure, including road resurfacing, bridge repair, and the replacement of aging railcars and buses.

The final step in the MTP approval process is having the U.S. Department of Transportation sign off on it, signifying that it meets all federal planning requirements for cities, and that metro Atlanta can proceed with implementing projects.

According to ARC officials, that decision can take up to a month after all MTP documents are submitted.

Below are some highlights of priorities outlined in the $168 billion, metro-wide plan:

$10 billion:

Constructing, sustaining transit services

Specific projects:

• Atlanta Streetcar East Extension, from Jackson Street to Atlanta BeltLine/Ponce City Market.
• Campbellton Road bus rapid transit, from Oakland City MARTA station to Greenbriar Mall.
• Clayton Southlake bus rapid transit, from College Park MARTA station to Southlake Mall.
• Buford Highway Arterial Rapid Transit, from Lindbergh MARTA station to Doraville MARTA station.
• Candler Road Arterial Rapid Transit, from Avondale MARTA station to GSU Perimeter College.

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$3.9 billion:

Expanding regional bike and pedestrian networks

Specific projects, all scheduled within the next four years:

• Southwest and northeastern portions of the Atlanta BeltLine
• Separated bike-ped lanes on the 10th bridge over the downtown Connector
• PATH 400 multi-use trail along Ga. Highway 400 in North Fulton County
• Chattahoochee River Greenway Trail in Douglas County
• Rockdale River Trail extension in Rockdale County
• Chattahoochee RiverLands Trail pilot segment in Cobb County, part of the planned regional Chattahoochee RiverLands project.

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$13.8 billion

Major thoroughfare, interchanges improvements

Specific projects, each expected to start construction in the next decade:

• Managed express lanes on the top-end Perimeter, I-285 East, and I-285 West
• Interchange reconstruction – I-285 West at I-20 in Fulton County
• Interchange reconstruction – I-285 East at I-20 in DeKalb County
• New interchange at I-85 North and McGinnis Ferry Road in Gwinnett County
• Interchange reconstruction – I-20 East at SR 20/138 in Rockdale County

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$8.1 billion

Adding nearly 600 lane-miles of roadways to the region’s arterial network

Specific projects scheduled in the next decade:

• Piedmont Road widening from Lenox Road to Peachtree Road in Buckhead
• Tara Boulevard widening from Tara Road to SR 54 (Fayetteville Road) in Clayton County
• Panola Road widening from US 278 (Covington Highway) to Snapfinger Woods Drive in DeKalb County
• Sugarloaf Parkway extension from I-85 to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Gwinnett County
• South Barrett Parkway reliever from Barrett Lakes Boulevard to SR 5 connector in Cobb County

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Subtitle Revised outlook includes billions (hypothetically) for transit, bike-pedestrian infrastructure

Neighborhood Citywide

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City steps up push to finally fill Gateway-topping retail building Josh Green Thu, 02/15/2024 - 08:53 The City of Atlanta is officially seeking “visionaries” to fill a prominent retail space next to Zoo Atlanta that opened with striking designs three years ago and has sat vacant ever since.

For the second time since the city took ownership of the Grant Park Gateway, the Department of Parks and Recreation issued a Request for Proposals on Monday to solicit ideas for the eye-catching, modern jewel box of a retail space overlooking the LEED-certified parking garage’s green roof.

Drone footage distributed by the city this week on social media stresses the Gateway’s proximity to downtown, Grant Park greenspaces, and yes, elephants.

For the first time, the latest RFP specifies how large the shell space is: 7,056 square feet. And it reiterates what officials have told Urbanize Atlanta in the past—that a single operator is being sought to fill the entire building.

Screenshot from drone footage distributed this week by the City of Atlanta to promote the Grant Park Greenway space. City of Atlanta

A site visit for prospective tenants is scheduled for Feb. 27, and the deadline to submit proposals this time around is April 4.

City officials aren’t too specific in what they’re looking for. The RFP calls for an enterprise that will use the Gateway space “to create something” that will “increase the property value of the neighborhood, improve the area’s livability, serve as a convenience to neighborhood residents and visitors, and continue Atlanta's forward progress.” 

The city managed to take ownership of the Gateway space from the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority early last year—a key first step in getting it leased and occupied, officials said at the time.

But a similar RFP issued last February didn’t attract a single bid from prospective tenants.

The city’s Department of Procurement, which is charged with helping lead the tenant search, concluded that rising construction costs spurred by inflation, combined with increased interest rates, contributed to the lack of bids.

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

Atlanta City Council member Jason Winston, whose District 1 covers Grant Park, told Urbanize Atlanta last fall the city plans to partner with Invest Atlanta to offer financial assistance to the right restaurant operator during this next solicitation process. More open communication and tours of the property are also expected to help with leasing it, Winston said.

Since officially opening in January 2021, the 2.5-acre greenspace has become a magnet for people flying kites, skateboarders, roller skaters, bicyclists, picnickers, and kids who spy elephants, giraffes, and zebras at the zoo next door. But the restaurant space designed by Smith Dalia Architects and Winter Johnson Group, situated at the elevated park’s south end, has never been used. 

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

Screenshot from drone footage distributed this week by the City of Atlanta to promote the Grant Park Greenway space. City of Atlanta

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537 Park Avenue SE Zoo Atlanta Atlanta Parks Grant Park Grant Park Gateway Parks and Recreation HGOR Smith Dalia Architects Epsten Group Winter Johnson Group Boulevard Jason Winston

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Screenshot from drone footage distributed this week by the City of Atlanta to promote the Grant Park Greenway space. City of Atlanta

City of Atlanta

Screenshot from drone footage distributed this week by the City of Atlanta to promote the Grant Park Greenway space. City of Atlanta

Subtitle Will second time be a charm for unique, vacant Grant Park space?

Neighborhood Grant Park

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4,000 Gulch homes; Atlanta population at 8M; MARTA Markets Josh Green Wed, 02/14/2024 - 16:18 **DOWNTOWN—**Atlanta’s long-festering urban gash, the Gulch, reborn as a thriving community with housing options by the thousands? It’s going to happen, according to Centennial Yards Company president Brian McGowan.

Forecasting the growth of Centennial Yards and downtown Atlanta in general, McGowan recently told the Atlanta Business Chronicle the 50-acre, CIM Group megaproject is eventually going to build 4,000 apartments, which he predicted “is going to transform downtown.” The rapid lease-up of the project’s first 165-unit residential building, Centennial Yards South, proved that demand for living in South Downtown is there, said McGowan.

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

Alongside a 292-key hotel, Centennial Yards first ground-up new apartment tower has begun vertical construction in the Gulch, en route to topping out at 18 stories. It’s expected to deliver 304 new rentals next year.

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**CITYWIDE—**Good news for growth enthusiasts:According to a forecast released today by the Atlanta Regional Commission, the 21-county metro is expected to balloon to 7.9 million residents by 2050. That would be an increase of 1.8 million people over the U.S. Census’ 2020 baseline.

Atlanta Regional Commission

The forecast is part of long-range population and employment predictions ARC issues roughly every four years to help shape transportation investments and planning. According to ARC, the metro’s growth will be driven by a strong economy, with another 856,000 jobs added by 2050, for a total of 4.6 million jobs.

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**CITYWIDE—**Mini farmers markets are en route to five MARTA stations across the transit agency’s system, with a goal of providing fresh, healthy, and free food to neighborhoods around the city.  

The MARTA Market Food Pantry kicked off its 2024 season today in partnership with Community Farmers Markets. (This week, it’ll also pop up from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday at College Park and Kensington stations, and Friday at Doraville and Five Points stations.)

Courtesy of MARTA

The free food pantry events will take place for two hours one day per week at the four stations listed above, plus H.E. Holmes station, until April 26. CFM is partnering with Urban Recipe, Second Helpings, and InTown Cares to distribute fresh produce, shelf-stable, and frozen food items at MARTA Market locations. Visitors can also sample and provide feedback on plant-based recipes as part of the MARTA Test Kitchen. Find more details here.

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ATL News Roundup Gulch Centennial Yards Centennial Yards apartments Atlanta Regional Commission Atlanta Population MARTA Markets Urban Recipe Second Helpings InTown Cares Community Farmers Markets

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

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200 rentals, many affordable, to break ground soon near BeltLine Josh Green Wed, 02/14/2024 - 14:33 Another 200 apartments are set to enter the development pipeline soon in the booming southside neighborhood that is Chosewood Park.

That’s according to a project update issued by Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm, regarding the first facet of a sprawling proposal called Englewood, located just south of the Atlanta BeltLine’s Southside Trail corridor.

The majority of the first Englewood apartments would qualify as affordable housing, next to a senior housing complex that’s also part of the first phase.

According to Invest Atlanta, the apartments are set to break ground this year and deliver sometime in 2026, following a 26-month construction schedule.

Also in the plans is 15,000 square feet of commercial space. Amenities will include a swimming pool and fitness center, a business center with computers, and a clubhouse with community and meeting rooms.

The 200-unit project's eastern face, just south of the BeltLine. Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

The 200-unit project in question at 535 Englewood Ave., at top left. Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

The development is a joint venture between The Benoit Group and Atlanta Housing. It’s unique in that Benoit plans to offer a variety of services to residents onsite via its “Social Expression Program.”

The majority of the apartments—160—are planned to rent at 60 percent of the area median income or below. That means the smallest units (one bedroom, 715 square feet) will rent for $1,149 monthly.

From there, two-bedroom options with 950 square feet would rent for $1,378, and three-bedroom apartments with 1,150 square feet would go for $1,593 monthly. (It’s important to note that with Atlanta Housing HomeFlex vouchers residents would not be required to pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent.)

The market-rate apartments, meanwhile, will rent for between $1,450 for one-bedroom plans and $2,100 for a couple of three-bedroom options that will be offered, according to Invest Atlanta.

Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

Invest Atlanta recently approved $3 million in BeltLine Tax Allocation District financing for the apartment project, which is estimated to cost $84 million.

Overall, the 30-acre Englewood project is expected to see more than 900 housing units and “neighborhood-serving” retail sprout in five multifamily buildings and other, smaller components along Boulevard. 

The project will border the Chosewood Park greenspace and athletic fields, with the first phase of the BeltLine’s Boulevard Crossing Park across the street to the north.

The community that formerly stood on site, Englewood Manor, was built in 1970, eventually housing 324 families. It was demolished in 2009, according to Invest Atlanta.

Atlanta Housing—one of the nation’s largest housing authorities—has described Englewood as being among the biggest planned developments on its docket. About 76 percent of the community will be reserved as affordable for people earning 80 percent of the area median income or less, agency officials have said.

Meanwhile, several Chosewood Park residential projects are under development within a few blocks of the Englewood site. Those include the 396-apartment Upton complex, 128 townhomes called Maguire at Skylark, and one of the largest southside private developments to date, the 34-acre Empire Zephyr project.

Invest Atlanta

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535 Englewood Avenue SE 1271 Gault Street SE Englewood Englewood Development Housing Program Atlanta Housing Englewood Manor Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail Peoplestown Chosewood Park Grant Park Boulevard The Michaels Organization The Benoit Group Affordable Housing Atlanta Development Southside

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The 200-unit project's eastern face, just south of the BeltLine. Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

The 200-unit project in question at 535 Englewood Ave., at top left. Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

Atlanta Housing; The Benoit Group

Invest Atlanta

Subtitle It's first component of sprawling Atlanta Housing project in Chosewood Park

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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In downtown Avondale Estates, veil lifts on new arts center Josh Green Wed, 02/14/2024 - 13:27 Until it’s inevitably wiped out by development in the future, a new downtown Avondale Estates destination has opened that aims to boost local artists and foster community.

Avondale’s Downtown Development Authority on Saturday celebrated the opening of the Avondale Arts Alliance's new Avondale Arts Center, which has remade a former retail space and clothing boutique. It’s a 4,500-square-foot, freestanding structure with an exterior that echoes other Tudor buildings down the street in the DeKalb County city’s distinctive downtown.

The arts center building is immediately east of Avondale Estates’ new Town Green, which is adding its first mixed-use component.  

Future phases of development next to the park (including a planned boutique hotel) will eventually replace the arts center.

Avondale Arts Center

The Avondale Arts Center's 84 N. Avondale Road location in downtown, next to the city's new park. Google Maps

But for now, the new facility is hosting an art show called “Neighbors & Friends” with a diverse collection of more than 100 works by 58 local artists. Those include photography, sculptures, paintings, drawings, collages, interactive pieces, and more, according to city officials.

The space, which serves as headquarters for the Avondale Arts Alliance, will also offer workshops, art camps, and special events.

Rendering depicting the gallery space interiors today. Avondale Arts Center

Avondale Arts Center

“Until it is demolished for a new development at a future date, we will love and care for the building while providing a central home for visitors to learn more about Avondale Estates,” the Alliance states on its website.  

The Avondale Arts Center will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Sunday during the Avondale Estates Farmers Market through April 7.

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84 N. Avondale Road Avondale Arts Center Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority Atlanta Arts Atlanta Art Adaptive-Reuse Art Downtown Avondale Estates

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The Avondale Arts Center's 84 N. Avondale Road location in downtown, next to the city's new park. Google Maps

Avondale Arts Center

The center's main gallery space shown under construction recently. Avondale Arts Center

Rendering depicting the gallery space interiors today. Avondale Arts Center

Avondale Arts Center

Avondale Arts Center

Avondale Arts Center

Avondale Arts Center

Avondale Arts Center

Subtitle Revised building neighbors Avondale's celebrated Town Green

Neighborhood Avondale Estates

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New owner: Dead property near BeltLine in interest-rate limbo Josh Green Tue, 02/13/2024 - 16:29 A cleared site along Memorial Drive that was supposed to see nearly 200 apartments topping out this year a few steps from the BeltLine will instead house… nothing. At least for the foreseeable future.

That’s the word today from Arthur Cohen, an experienced Atlanta developer and partner in an LLC called KCC Capital.

KCC Capital bought the 952 Memorial Drive property in Reynoldstown in December where beloved local business Reid’s Body Shop had operated for nearly 70 years before closing in 2022.

Toro Development Company convinced the body shop to sell its 1.6 acres for $6.8 million and then completed demolition work at the block-sized site early last year. Then it all went quiet. 

TDC, headed by former North American Properties executive Mark Toro, had planned to build 185 apartments in two phases called The Reid Flats, a nod to the property’s longtime owner.

According to Cohen, those plans—like any other plans—are off the table for now, in light of tough capital markets for developers.

“As of now, no concrete plans,” Cohen wrote to Urbanize Atlanta via email. “[We’re] waiting to see how interest rates move.”

The first conceptual look at plans for The Reid Flats along Memorial Drive. Toro Development Company; designs, Dynamik Design

Property records indicate the Memorial Drive land traded in December for $4.8 million, or a discount compared to what TDC had paid. Cohen confirmed his group spent “in that vicinity” to acquire the property.

Cohen is also the cofounder and a partner with real estate brokerage, development, and property management firm Cross-Town Realty and a principle with developer Tecton.

The latter company has built creative loft office and residential projects that include The Willoughby offices and Sager Lofts in Old Fourth Ward, The Ten Forty Commercial Lofts in Grant Park, The Elliot in the Armour Yards district, and South City Kitchen.

The corner building housing popular diner Home Grown, shown at right, wasn't impacted by demolition. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the property in question excludes the popular breakfast and lunch spot next door. Fulton County Government/Board of Assessors

For Toro, The Reid Flats project was intended to mark his return to intown real estate development and fourth venture along the Eastside Trail corridor. Others include Edge OTB, Anthem on Ashley, and Camden Fourth Ward (formerly BOHO4W). The Reid Flats marked TDC’s first new multifamily project to break ground—at least in terms of demolition. Meanwhile, the company’s much larger mixed-use venture in suburban Johns Creek—the 43-acre Medley project—continues to move forward.

The Memorial Drive project joins two other proposals within a few blocks that have recently changed course in the same neighborhood. Those include Colgate Mattress Lofts (now cancelled) and a 2-acre site at 195 Chester Ave., which national developer Toll Brothers has sold to Atlanta-based Embry Development Company to build a mix of 85 townhomes and condos.

Reid’s was one of Memorial Drive’s last big landowner holdouts near the Eastside Trail. In a statement when the shop’s closure became news in 2022, owner Robert Reid said the family was “excited to see this become a great new place for people to live.”  

TDC’s plans called for a range of studios up to two-bedroom units, with a pool on the roof. Fifteen percent of the rentals would have been reserved as affordable housing—as required by the BeltLine’s inclusionary zoning ordinance—at 80 percent of the area’s median income. 

The apartments were planned to rise on a sloped site next to popular diner Home Grown at the corner of Memorial Drive and Holtzclaw Street, just north of the Madison Yards mixed-use complex. No new retail was planned.

The Reid Flats were scheduled to begin vertical construction in May and to start delivering in summer 2025. Instead, for the time being, it’s crickets.

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952 Memorial Drive SE The Reid Toro Development Company Memorial Drive Reid’s Body Shop Atlanta apartments Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Home Grown Affordable Housing Edge OTB Anthem on Ashley BOHO4W Camden Fourth Ward Beltline Eastside Trail Atlanta BeltLine Mark Toro Dynamik Design The Reid Flats Arthur Cohen Cross-Town Realty Tecton

Subtitle Nearly 200 rentals were planned to rise over Memorial Drive, popular diner

Neighborhood Reynoldstown

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Townhomes at Interlock project see price slices up to $150K Josh Green Tue, 02/13/2024 - 14:27 Two years ago, the marketing team behind West Midtown’s growing, mixed-use The Interlock reported that demand for the district’s first six townhomes was so insatiable they sold out “almost instantly.”

Twenty-four months and a parade of interest-rate hikes later, it appears to be a different story.

The Interlock’s first two dozen townhomes stand in a row of four buildings today, tucked amongst transformative growth in Home Park and the Marietta Street Artery from projects such as the Star Metals District’s and Interlock’s next phases.

So far, the Monte Hewett project has delivered townhome options with between two and four bedrooms, starting with just shy of 1,900 square feet.

How finished Interlock townhomes have come together along Vidalia Lane. Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Most of the available units have incurred discounts—including 665 Vidalia Lane, which has now undergone a substantial, $150,000 price slice to $849,900. That buys three bedrooms, three full bathroom, and three half-baths in 2,827 square feet.

The townhome was initially listed for sale at $1.15 million in October, records indicate.

It’s referred to in marketing materials as a “special gem” with high walkability and rooftop patio views across the district and beyond, offering JennAir appliances and a spa-like primary suite. (The property’s 88 Walk Score is certainly a plus.)

Records indicate the property, which carries a monthly HOA fee of $310, was finished in 2022.

Current townhome offerings at The Interlock range from $745,000 (three bedrooms, two and ½ bathrooms in 1,867 square feet) up to $1.15 million (a three-bedroom end unit with 2,827 square feet.)

Other townhomes have seen price adjustments between $25,000 and $50,000 in recent months.

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

The Interlock's townhomes come with one of “four distinct finish collections,” named the Howell, Interlock, Westside, and West Midtown, each designed to “meet the sophisticated and contemporary tastes of intown buyers,” according to Engel and Völkers Atlanta, which is marketing the project.

Future phases of Interlock’s townhome component have yet to be built on sites across Vidalia Lane.

Eventually, 41 Interlock townhomes will stand in an L-shaped node of six buildings, between the Windsor Interlock apartments and Star Metals Offices, project officials have said.

Elsewhere around the city, Monte Hewett sold out a pocket of townhomes with skyline views in nearby Loring Heights, and the company is building another, less expensive project called The Harman on the flipside of town, where Ormewood Park meets East Atlanta. North of Atlanta, the homebuilder is also adding to residential sections—both townhomes and standalone houses—at Forsyth County’s ever-evolving Halcyon district.

In the gallery above, find a closer look at what’s being offered for discounted rates at Interlock today.

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1115 Howell Mill Road NW Engel & Völkers Atlanta S.J. Collins Enterprises West Midtown Choate Construction The Interlock Publix Solis Interlock Bellyard Georgia Tech Marriott Terwilliger Pappas Monte Hewett Homes ASD|SKY Slater Hospitality Atlanta Townhomes Six Feet Under Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development SJC Ventures 665 Vidalia Lane Price Slices Discounts Marietta Street Artery

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How finished Interlock townhomes have come together along Vidalia Lane. Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Courtesy of Monte Hewett Homes/Interlock/Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Subtitle It's the first row of stacked living options at growing Howell Mill Road district

Neighborhood Home Park

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First segment of Atlanta’s Silver Comet Connector breaks ground Josh Green Tue, 02/13/2024 - 12:45 After years of planning and discussion, Atlanta’s trek toward the famed Silver Comet Trail has officially begun.

Construction is underway on the first segment of what’s called the Silver Comet Connector, a multi-use trail link that will extend from Atlanta’s postindustrial Upper Westside district toward Cobb County and the 61.5-mile Silver Comet’s Georgia component.

The first section, the Woodall Rail Trail, will follow Woodall Creek—a tributary to Peachtree Creek—through 10 acres of preserved forest land in a part of town exploding with residential development, officials tell Urbanize Atlanta.

At its southernmost point, the Woodall Rail Trail will begin at a future connection with the BeltLine’s Northwest Trail, where Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard meets Elaine Avenue.

From there, it will travel north to the intersection of Chattahoochee Avenue and Chattahoochee Row at The Works, an adaptive-reuse shopping, food, and nightlife destination in Underwood Hills. (Along the way, the trail will pass just to the west of Topgolf Atlanta, or essentially behind the facility). 

Courtesy of PATH Foundation/Upper Westside CID

The goal with the first section of the Silver Comet Connector, a project led by the PATH Foundation, is to preserve the forest and install a safe passage for walking and biking in a part of Atlanta known for lacking sidewalks and parks, according to project heads.

The Woodall Rail Trail will wind through sections of abandoned rail spurs—once part of a huge industrial network—and follow banks of the previously neglected creek. The Upper Westside Community Improvement District has partnered with the city’s Department of Watershed Management to design a bioswale—a vegetated area with special plants and soils—to capture and help clean runoff water from nearby streets before it enters the creek. A Georgia Department of Natural Resources grant helped fund that facet.

Partners on the trail project—PATH Foundation, Groundwork Atlanta, Trees Atlanta, and Upper Westside CID—selected IP Construction to build the Woodall Rail Trail following a public bidding process. (We’ve asked for information on how long the trail will be, and what it’s expected to cost, and we’ll update this story with any additional details.) The construction firm’s schedule calls for opening the trail in the first quarter of 2025.  

Atlanta developer Selig Enterprises, which owns The Works, funded and installed a crosswalk and traffic signal at Southland Circle. That’s intended to keep trail users safer as they cross Chattahoochee Avenue toward the mixed-use district, and vice versa.

Selig is also working with PATH Foundation and Upper Westside CID officials to bring the next Silver Comet Connector section through properties around The Works that front Chattahoochee Avenue alongside Woodall Creek. 

Courtesy of PATH Foundation/Upper Westside CID

The Silver Comet Connector isn’t the only good news in the area for ATL trail enthusiasts.

As finalized in 2022, BeltLine and PATH officials have decided to build the Northwest Trail in five phases, beginning with what’s known as Segment 5, in an effort to connect the Westside up to Buckhead.

That .7-mile section will begin where the Westside Trail currently ends at Huff Road and Marietta Boulevard and travel through Blandtown to a point at English Street and Culpepper Street.

According to BeltLine officials, requisite real estate work for that section is expected to finish this quarter, and a construction bid is scheduled to be posted either this month or next—as soon the properties in question close.

The BeltLine predicts construction on Segment 5 will take 18 months.

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Woodall Rail Trail Woodall Creek Peachtree Creek Groundwork Atlanta Trees Atlanta The Works ATL The Works Georgia Department of Natural Resources PATH Foundation Silver Comet Trail Beltline Northwest Trail Atlanta Trails Trails Multi-use Trails Upper Westside Upper Westside CID Upper Westside Community Improvement District Underwood Hills Selig Enterprises Selig IP Construction

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Courtesy of PATH Foundation/Upper Westside CID

Courtesy of PATH Foundation/Upper Westside CID

Subtitle Hip hip, hurray!

Neighborhood Blandtown

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In push for density, Habitat building first all-townhome project Josh Green Tue, 02/13/2024 - 08:05 As part of a push for higher-density affordable housing, a nonprofit organization is moving forward with its first all-townhome community on acreage north of Atlanta.

Roswell-based Habitat for Humanity–North Central Georgia recently received approval to move forward with a 50-unit community that’s been in the works for a year in Cherokee County’s Holly Springs.

The 6.3-acre site is located just east of Interstate 575 and north of Woodstock, about 30 miles from Midtown.

The Holly Springs City Council unanimously voted in January to approve the nonprofit builder’s request to annex and rezone the acreage on Edmondson Lane off Old Ga. Highway 5 to a designation more suitable for urban-style development. That followed a year of public hearings and community events that aimed to educate area residents on Habitat’s review and qualification process for its homeowners, according to project reps.

The target market for the townhomes will be qualified families who can't quite afford homeownership because of today's tough housing market, according to HFH–NCG.

North of Atlanta, the Habitat project's 6-acre site on Edmondson Lane off Old Ga. Highway 5. Google Maps

“This is a project that will have a generational impact on families living, working, and building better lives for themselves in our service area,” in an era of high mortgage rates and restricted housing supply, Mike Stafford, HFH–NCG’s president and board chair, said in a prepared statement.

“For several years now,” Stafford continued, “we have known that we need to have some higher-density settings in order to make homeownership affordable to the growing number of qualified Habitat for Humanity families.”

We’ve asked HFH–NCG representatives about the size and estimated pricing of the proposed townhomes—and the timeline for building them—but had not heard back as of press time. All units will qualify as affordable housing, according to the organization.

Amenities at the Edmondson Lane community will include pickleball courts, open greenspaces, and a nature trail. All townhomes will feature decks off the back and two-car garages, according to a project rendering provided to Urbanize Atlanta.

HFH–NCG was founded in 1994 and today serves North Fulton, Cherokee, Dawson, and Forsyth counties.

Find more information on volunteering and other services here. Have a look at the forthcoming Holly Springs project below. 

Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia

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Edmondson Ln & Old Hwy 5 Holly Springs Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia Cherokee County North Fulton North Georgia Community Housing Development Corporation Affordable Housing Atlanta Townhomes Holly Springs Homes Cherokee County Housing Edmonson Lane Community DGM Land Planning Consultants townhomes Atlanta Construction Edmonson Lane

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North of Atlanta, the Habitat project's 6-acre site on Edmondson Lane off Old Ga. Highway 5. Google Maps

Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia

Subtitle 50-unit community north of Atlanta aims to have “generational impact on families”

Neighborhood Cherokee County

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