UrbanizeAtlNewsBot

Moxy hotel tower a go in downtown Atlanta, filings indicate Josh Green Fri, 01/12/2024 - 14:51 Paperwork filed with the City of Atlanta indicates another relatively tall hotel has entered the pipeline in downtown’s tourist and stadium district.

According to recent filings with the city’s Office of Buildings, developers hope to soon demolish a low-rise building at 329 Marietta St. to set the stage for intown’s second Moxy by Marriott hotel.

The development team of Nexera Capital and Emerge Hospitality Group has previously said they hope to build the 13-story hotel as soon as possible, with downtown set to host FIFA World Cup matches in two years.

Current building on the 329 Marietta St. property today, with downtown's Hyatt Place shown to the left and behind. Google Maps

The 183-room lodge would rise next to and over downtown’s Hyatt Place hotel, within a quick walk of Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, Georgia World Congress Center, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, among other attractions.

Plans call for a rooftop lounge, open-air bar at street level, a speakeasy, and several other gathering spaces around the property.

The lone available rendering, as drawn up by Elevate Architecture Studio, indicates the hotel will also include multi-story, lighted signage wrapping a corner of the building over entries.

Inquiries to Moxy media representatives and the project’s permitting applicant in Atlanta were not returned this week.

How the .35-acre plot is slotted along Marietta Street. Fulton County Government/Board of Assessors

Fulton County property records indicate the .35-acre site sold for $4 million in summer 2022.

Marriott bills the Moxy concept as being more “playful, affordable, and stylish” than more upscale brands under its flag. More than 125 locations operate around the world.

Atlanta development wonks may recall Marriott opened its other Atlanta Moxy hotel—actually a dual-branded fusion of Moxy and its European-inspired AC Hotel brand—on 14th Street in Midtown just in time for another epic event: Atlanta’s 2019 Super Bowl.

Moxy by Marriott; designs, Elevate Architecture Studio

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Downtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

329 Marietta St. Moxy by Marriott Moxy Georgia Aquarium Moxie hotels Atlanta Hotels Downtown Hotels Hotels Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Georgia World Congress Center Centennial Olympic Park Elevate Architecture Studio Nexera Capital Emerge Hospitality Group

Images

Current building on the 329 Marietta St. property today, with downtown's Hyatt Place shown to the left and behind. Google Maps

How the .35-acre plot is slotted along Marietta Street. Fulton County Government/Board of Assessors

Moxy by Marriott; designs, Elevate Architecture Studio

Subtitle Plans have called for Moxy by Marriott to open in time for Atlanta World Cup matches

Neighborhood Downtown

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Exclusive: Restaurant, dog 'oasis' bound for prominent Decatur corner Josh Green Fri, 01/12/2024 - 13:24 For the second time this week, eastside construction activity has been revealed on these pages to be the start of new dog-centric hangout concepts coming to town.

Officials have confirmed to Urbanize Atlanta that Off Leash—billed as a “state-of-the-art oasis for canines and dog owners”—is slated to open this year on a prominent downtown Decatur corner across the street from Kimball House restaurant and the city’s popular Dairy Queen.

It will mark the second location for Off Leash, with another expected to open in June on Alpharetta’s South Main Street.

According to Michael Wess, a Bull Realty partner who brokered the deal, Off Leash hopes to begin construction at 240 E. Trinity Place this spring and open sometime in fall 2024.

The 240 East Trinity Place site this week as it was being prepped for demolition and site work. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A company statement provided to Urbanize describes the concept as a “premium dog park” where “doggie dreams come true.” Expect an indoor restaurant (for humans) offering a “casual, yet elevated, dining experience” with a large patio attached. That patio, naturally, will be dog-friendly.

Next to that will be a private dog park, partially covered, that “will provide space for year-round play so pups and their people can let loose rain or shine,” reads the company statement.

Off Leash will also offer doggie memberships for return visitors. The company promises a team of trained “dogtenders” will be on hand to ensure cleanliness and that pooches are behaving their wild selves. No renderings for the Decatur Off Leash location were available this week.

The .65-acre property, for now, includes an open field that’s long been a blank spot in downtown Decatur’s otherwise walkable and vibrant fabric. Next door is a low-rise building where Joe May Cleaners, a dry-cleaning business, had operated before recently vacating to a new location nearby.

Bull Realty's marketing materials described the property as being “one-of-a-kind” for downtown Decatur, positioned within a seven-minute walk of the city’s historic square.

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

One potential layout option with an emphasis on patios and greenspace, as shown in Bull Realty marketing materials. These renderings don't necessarily reflect how the Off Leash concept will look. Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

The announcement follows news this week that a 1950s office complex in Edgewood near Pullman Yards is expected to become the first Georgia location ofSkiptown, a “Disneyland for dogs” that hopes to open by this summer.

In the gallery above, find more context and marketing materials that vividly illustrate how the Decatur corner site could be brought to life.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Decatur news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

240 E. Trinity Place Decatur 250 E. Trinity Place Bull Realty Land for Sale Downtown Decatur Adaptive-Reuse Decatur Dairy Queen Twain’s Kimball House Offering Memorandum Adaptive-Reuse Development Robert M. Cain Architect Off Leash Dogtenders

Images

The 240 East Trinity Place site this week as it was being prepped for demolition and site work. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Overview and context of the properties today. Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

One potential layout option with an emphasis on patios and greenspace, as shown in Bull Realty marketing materials. These renderings don't necessarily reflect how the Off Leash concept will look. Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Courtesy of Bull Realty; designs, Robert M. Cain, Architect

Subtitle Concept called Off Leash aiming for spring construction launch

Neighborhood Decatur

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Atlanta's beloved Goat Farm plots 2024 comeback Josh Green Fri, 01/12/2024 - 08:12 In the works for well over a decade, the Goat Farm’s transition from a creative institution of performance spaces and artist studios in historic buildings to a more dynamic, art-bedecked, mixed-use district is expected to start bearing fruits in coming months, according to project leaders.

The Goat Farm announced Thursday a phased reopening of its expanded, 12-acre campus on Blandtown’s southern fringes will start this spring, marking a comeback for a complex considered vital to Atlanta’s arts scene.

The project is a partnership between the Goat Farm and Atlanta-based real estate development firm TriBridge Residential. Goat Farm leadership says the expanded campus will help achieve a goal—using its real estate to better fund and support art and culture—they’ve been exploring since 2010.

Goat Farm/Apartments.com

Long-term plans call for growing the Goat Farm campus to roughly half a million square feet of residential spaces, art studios, creative offices, exhibition space, and multidisciplinary venues. That’s set to be accomplished with three newly built structures and 12 historic buildings being renovated on site.

Other components will include a restaurant and bar, an art book shop, and a café, according to Goat Farm heads.

New York-based Bureau V Architecture, or BVA, is designing the overall project; its roster of clients includes San Francisco Opera, Brooklyn Public Library, and National Sawdust, a cutting-edge Brooklyn performance venue.

The first section to open this spring will see more than 200 apartments (pre-leasing has begun) and an initial phase of art studios totaling 60,000 square feet. According to the Goat Farm, 98 percent of that studio space is already pre-leased, and the current waitlist includes 1,218 creative businesses and practitioners.

Apartments.com pegs the range of Goat Farm living options from 539-square-foot studios to 1,112-square-foot two-bedrooms but lists no prices yet.

A rendering of the Goat Farm's newly constructed art/work studios and live spaces. Bureau V Architecture (BVA)

Alternate view of the residential and art studio section of campus. Goat Farm/Apartments.com

The reimagined campus will also house artist-in-studio residency programs for both The Creatives Project and Tila Studios. Arts programming is expected to resume sometime in 2025.

Across the campus, expect enough public art from prominent local artists—both permanent and rotating, interior and exterior—to qualify as a free public space gallery. That will include a mix of interactive new media, sculpture, large-scale works, and an annual juried collection of smaller installations, according to the Goat Farm’s announcement.

Scheduled to open next year, the Goat Farm’s 12 historic structures will include performance/exhibition venues, art/work studios, creative offices, and food-and-beverage spaces. Courtesy of the Goat Farm

How MOCA GA is expected to look on the Goat Farm campus. Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects

Last but not least, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia expects to begin construction this yearon its strikingly modern, 26,000-square-foot new permanent home at the Goat Farm, as designed by noted Atlanta-based architecture firm Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects.

Right now, according to Goat Farm officials, MOCA GA is finalizing architecture designs and wrapping the final stage of a capital fundraising campaign.

In this aerial from September, the Goat Farm redevelopment is shown in the context of Atlanta's mixed-use districts west of Midtown.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Recent aerial development tours around the city (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

1200 Foster Street NW Goat Farm Arts Center West Midtown Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development aerial tours Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Niles Bolton Associates The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia Huff Road TriBridge Residential Bureau V Architecture Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects The Creatives Project Tila Studios

Images

A rendering of the Goat Farm's newly constructed art/work studios and live spaces. Bureau V Architecture (BVA)

In this aerial from September, the Goat Farm redevelopment is shown in the context of Atlanta's mixed-use districts west of Midtown.

Scheduled to open next year, the Goat Farm’s 12 historic structures will include performance/exhibition venues, art/work studios, creative offices, and food-and-beverage spaces. Courtesy of the Goat Farm

How MOCA GA is expected to look on the Goat Farm campus. Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects

Goat Farm/Apartments.com

Alternate view of the residential and art studio section of campus. Goat Farm/Apartments.com

Subtitle Expect phased reopening for hub of performance, art, and now, apartments

Neighborhood Blandtown

Background Image

Image

Associated Project

Goat Farm Arts Center

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Hundreds of new EV charging stations bound for Atlanta Josh Green Thu, 01/11/2024 - 17:05 Finding a place to juice up electric vehicles in metro Atlanta should be easier in the near future.

The Atlanta Regional Commission has received a $6.1-million federal grant to install between 300 and 400 EV charging ports across metro Atlanta in coming months, officials announced today.

In an effort to boost equity and greener infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Transportation grant funding will be used to focus on areas where EV charging is scarce today across a 20-county region, according to the ARC.

All of the EV ports will offer what’s referred to as Level 2 charging—for free.

Today, roughly 1,800 to 2,000 Level 2 EV charging stations are dotted around metro Atlanta for public use, per ARC estimates. That charging infrastructure, for now, is clustered in more affluent and densely developed sections of the metro, according to John Orr, ARC managing director of transportation planning.  

The funds are being sourced through the Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.

The first round of new EV ports is expected to be installed within the next year to 18 months.

The Level 2 class of charging ports takes four to 10 hours to charge an EV battery from empty to 80 percent full. The 240V or 208V ports it uses are common in public, workplace, and home charging, according to ARC officials.

The ARC plans to partner with a private company to install and maintain each of the hundreds of new charging options.  

“As a region, we must prepare for the EV revolution that we know is coming, in a way that ensures no community is left behind,” Anna Roach, Atlanta Regional Commission executive director and CEO, said in the funding announcement. “We’re grateful that the U.S. Department of Transportation chose to invest in the Atlanta region’s future."

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Study: Atlanta anointed top U.S. city for renters to watch in 2024 (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

Atlanta Electric Vehicles EVs Electric Vehicles Atlanta EV Ports Atlanta Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Atlanta Regional Commission ARC

Subtitle Federal grant will focus on more free, electric-vehicle ports in underserved areas, per ARC

Neighborhood Citywide

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Images: In West Midtown, vision emerges for multifaceted urban park Josh Green Thu, 01/11/2024 - 15:24 Renderings and details have emerged for what designers are calling Atlanta’s most innovative urban park.

According to Miami-based Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design, or R&B, a concept called the Star Metals Urban Park is in the pipeline for what’s currently a row of low-rise buildings between Northside Drive and Howell Mill Road.

Plans for the 690 11th Street park site call for repurposing the structural framework of an existing 20,000-square-foot, single-story building immediately west of another project by the same developer, The Allen Morris Company’s Stella at Star Metals.

That 21-story, 327-unit apartment project is rising as the Star Metals District’s next component now.

Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design

The urban park site plan located immediately west of the rising Stella at Star Metals tower. Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design

According to R&B, the 40,000-square-foot Star Metals Urban Park will strive to be an immersive hangout that incorporates sports (read: pickleball), nature, gastronomy, general community, and cynophilists (fancy speak for dog lovers) in West Midtown, a quickly growing section of Atlanta that’s relatively starved for park space. It will also aim to nod to the area’s industrial past.

Parts of existing buildings including concrete walls and roof support structures will be retained as a trellis system that allows vines and native plants to flourish. Expect a large dog park beneath the hanging gardens, and three pickleball courts on what’s described as the sloped site’s upper terrace, per the architects.

The park proposal's 690 11th Street location, as shown prior to construction on the 21-story Stella at Star Metals tower next door, to the right. Google

A new streetscape will be designed to link to the rising apartment tower. Other sections call for a beer garden, plus a café, small offices, and food concepts in converted shipping containers.  

The park project’s budget is listed as $1.5 million, but no timeline for implementation is specified. Find more context and a closer first look in the gallery above.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Marietta Street Artery news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

690 11th Street NW Star Metals Urban Park Star Metals Hotel + Residences Stella at Star Metals Star Metals Star Metals Atlanta Oppenheim Architecture Square Feet Studio Atlanta Architecture Atlanta Development The Allen Morris Company Star Metals District West Midtown Atlanta apartments Marietta Street Artery OMFGCo Prevail Coffee Savi Provisions Flight Club PlantHouse Santander Bank TD Bank Brasfield & Gorrie Brasfield and Gorrie Atlanta Construction

Images

The park proposal's 690 11th Street location, as shown prior to construction on the 21-story Stella at Star Metals tower next door, to the right. Google

The urban park site plan located immediately west of the rising Stella at Star Metals tower. Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design

Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design

Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design

Royal Byckovas Architecture and Design

Subtitle Meet the Star Metals Urban Park—a planned pickleball, beer garden, and dog park paradise

Neighborhood Marietta Street Artery

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Savannah's version of Atlanta BeltLine advances with new funding Josh Green Thu, 01/11/2024 - 08:09 Stop us when this sounds familiar: A multi-use trail system designed to loop old neighborhoods back together, while attracting new private investment and making city dwellers not just safer but healthier. Oh, and a fresh source of tax funding to help bring it all to fruition.

Likened by project leaders to a nascent (but potentially longer) version of the Atlanta BeltLine, Savannah’s Tide to Town Urban Trail System has high hopes for the new year, following spurts of construction progress and the recent passage of an increased hotel-motel tax to help build out the vision.

A collaborative effort between the City of Savannah and serval local and government organizations, Tide to Town’s core route calls for 30 miles of protected walking and biking pathways—spanning from the Hostess City’s tourist-magnet downtown to its waterways and marshes—in one of Georgia’s most dangerous places for vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, according to project officials.  

The first three-mile segment of the Tide to Town network, the Truman Linear Park Trail, opened in 2020. Tide to Town.org

The grand plan calls for stitching together 62 diverse neighborhoods across the city. Along the way will be 30 local schools, three major hospitals, and four colleges and universities. Eventually the protected trails could be extended beyond city limits, with one branching to Tybee Island, according to the Tide to Town masterplan.  

The system’s first 3.1-mile segment, the Truman Linear Park Trail, opened in late 2020. And the future appears to be bright. 

The Georgia General Assembly in March passed a 2 percent bump in taxes on hotel stays within Savannah city limits to fund improvements to the trail system, Rousakis Plaza on River Street, and a historic Waterworks building in West Savannah.

According to the Savannah Morning News, that measure allowed the city to award the Tide to Town project $10 million in July with no additional burden to taxpayers. (In a similar vein, the BeltLine’s current flurry of new construction is being funded in part by a Special Service District tax paid by commercial property owners near the 22-mile loop that was implemented in 2021.)

Savannah’s WTOC 11 news reported last week the financial bump is expected to continue paying dividends in 2024 as Tide to Town boosters aim to connect it to 75 percent of Savannah’s neighborhoods. No timeline for completing the system has been determined, however.

Tide to Town.org

One aspect working in Tide to Town’s favor is the plan to build it along existing public rights-of-way on canals and streets—a means to significantly reduce costs.

Project heads point to multi-use trail success stories in other Georgia cities—Athens, Columbus, and Carrolton specifically—and say “reliable data” show that paved trail systems spur long-term economic development and provide communities with a four-to-one return on investment.

Here’s a big-picture Tide to Town overview:

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Savannah news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

Tide to Town Tybee Island Urban Trails Multiuse Trails Beltline Tide to Town Urban Trail System Chatham County Truman Linear Park Trail Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation

Images

The first three-mile segment of the Tide to Town network, the Truman Linear Park Trail, opened in 2020. Tide to Town.org

Tide to Town.org

Tide to Town.org

Subtitle Tide to Town project aims to stitch together 75 percent of Hostess City neighborhoods

Neighborhood Savannah

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Toll Brothers Hosts Community Showcase in Georgia on Saturday, January 20 and Sunday, January 21 Steven Sharp Wed, 01/10/2024 - 08:00 Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, is hosting a two-day Community Showcase event across the Company’s new home communities in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. Taking place on Saturday, January 20 from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday, January 21, from 1pm to 6pm, home buyers are invited to spend an afternoon exploring exceptional luxury home communities. Toll Brothers experts will guide attendees through spacious and stunning model homes, quick move-in homes, and onsite amenity centers, providing an insider look at the 20+ distinct Toll Brothers communities across Atlanta.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

“We are looking forward to giving our home buyers behind-the-scenes tours and showing off the beautiful model homes, clubhouses, and amenities at our luxury communities across Atlanta during this very special event,” said Eric White, Division President of Toll Brothers in Georgia.

Guests will enjoy light refreshments while walking through professionally decorated and landscaped model homes located in the most sought-after locations in Georgia. Toll Brothers Sales Consultants will be on hand to answer questions and provide home buyers with insights on the latest trends in home design and the personalization options available through the unique Toll Brothers Design Studio experience.

Toll Brothers homes and communities are perfectly situated throughout the entire Atlanta, Georgia area. The Company’s communities allow home buyers to be close enough to experience everything Atlanta offers, with a choice to be right in the city's hub, or in the exclusive suburbs like Decatur.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

For more information about Toll Brothers communities and to RSVP for the event, call 888-686-5542 or visit https://www.tollbrothers.com/rsvp/1742/GA-ATL_2599193-georgia-community-showcase.

About Toll Brothers

Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation's leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 56 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TOL.” The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states.

Toll Brothers was named the #1 Home Builder in Fortune magazine’s 2023 survey of the World’s Most Admired Companies®, the eighth year it has been so honored. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com.

©2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse the products or services of, Toll Brothers.

Tags

Sponsored by Toll Brothers Toll Brothers

Images

Toll Brothers will host a Community Showcase event in Georgia – home buyers are invited to tour model homes and get an inside look at luxury homes under construction.Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Toll Brothers, Inc.

Subtitle Home buyers are invited to tour model homes and get an inside look at luxury homes under construction.

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post On

Sponsored By Toll Brothers, Inc.

After 9 long years, revived Decatur project aims to finally finish Josh Green Wed, 01/10/2024 - 14:51 A modern-style node of Decatur townhomes that began initial construction way back in 2015 could finally be finished this year, project leaders tell Urbanize Atlanta.

Following years of setbacks involving disputes with buyers and owners, labor shortages, weather issues, stop-work orders, inflated material prices, and permitting delays, the 33-unit project rechristened Overlook at Moda (formerly Moda Decatur) has a new development and sales team—and a fresh flank of townhome offerings.

Situated about a mile north of downtown Decatur, at the corner of Church Street and Forkner Drive, the Moda project has been a strange juxtaposition of high-design contemporary dwellings and unsightly empty land for years.

“The property sat there for a while because of permittings and stuff like that, but that’s been taken care of. We’re moving forward,” said Anthony Acosta, an associate broker with Harry Norman Realtors, who was brought on last month to help lead sales. “There has been a lot of progress on the property.”

Overlook at Moda's restarted construction progress at 108 Forkner Drive, north of downtown Decatur. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to Acosta, a bank assumed control of the property following financial issues with the previous developer, St. Clair Holdings. An independent developer, Curtis Hicks, purchased the remaining property in February 2021 and has enlisted builder Nick Beaudry to finish the community. 

Construction on a fresh Moda phase began in August, with 12 total homes remaining to be built.

“Seven [new townhomes] are out of the ground right now, and as soon as we sell the first two, we can start construction on the next five,” said Acosta. “We’ve got three potential buyers at the moment.”

The seven current listings at Moda range from $899,900 to $939,900, all marketed as being “where modern architecture meets affordability.” Each unit includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms in 3,140 square feet.

All remaining units at Moda will have elevators and rooftop decks, according to Acosta, who points to nearby attractions and employers such as Suburban Plaza, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University, and downtown Decatur as perks.

A communal pool and gas grills were installed by the previous developers.

Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Example of interior finishes at a standing Overlook at Moda property. Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Should all go as planned, Acosta says the Overlook at Moda schedule calls for finishing construction sometime in the summer of 2024.

See where the project stands now in the gallery above.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Decatur news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

Tags

108 Forkner Drive Decatur Overlook at Moda Atlanta Townhomes Decatur Townhomes Suburban Plaza Downtown Decatur Atlanta Construction Harry Norman Realtors Curtis Hicks Nick Beaudry Emory Moda Decatur Decatur Homes for Sale Modern Architecture Modern Homes Modern Designs Modern Townhomes for sale

Images

Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Overlook at Moda's restarted construction progress at 108 Forkner Drive, north of downtown Decatur. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress today on a new flank of Moda townhomes. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Communal fire pit area and existing Moda residences. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The communal amenities area at Moda. Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Example of interior finishes at a standing Overlook at Moda property. Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Overlook at Moda/Harry Norman Realtors

Subtitle Rechristened “Overlook at Moda,” modern-style townhomes have new development, sales team

Neighborhood Decatur

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Study: Atlanta anointed top U.S. city for renters to watch in 2024 Josh Green Wed, 01/10/2024 - 13:33 Following a year in which renters across the country were “intensely searching for apartments” in Atlanta, the Big Peach has been named the top U.S. city to watch in 2024 as the apartment market is concerned.

That’s according to the RentCafe Year-End Market Report, which found that Atlanta attracted the highest rental activity on national apartment search website RentCafe.com over the past 12 months.

The study also took into account which rental markets are poised to be popular in the new year, based on four key factors.

The findings are based on RentCafe.com’s research team’s analysis of millions of interactions on its website pertaining to apartment stock in the country’s 150 largest cities.  

Atlanta was named the No. 1 market to watch in 2024, followed by smaller cities Kansas City and Cincinnati, respectively.

Analysts cited Atlanta’s “transformed Midtown and IT brainpower source Georgia Tech” as major factors keeping the city on renters’ radar throughout the year that was.

“In fact, renters favorited 60 percent more Atlanta apartments in 2023 compared to 2022, which shows an increased intent to move to this welcoming Southern city,” according to the year-end summary. “The city’s appeal to renters was also shown by the overall high rate of saved searches on RentCafe.com as Atlanta ranked first among all 150 cities we analyzed for this specific metric.”

RentCafe

Atlanta’s rental scene performed well in RentCafe’s monthly studies throughout 2023, especially when the city was slotted as the No. 1 hottest rental market in April, marking the beginning of the high season. 

More broadly, the South saw nine cities make the top 30 for renter activity in 2023. That was topped, however, by the Midwest’s 12 cities in that bunch, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Columbus, Indianapolis, and others.

Below is a snapshot of RentCafe.com’s top 20 cities to watch for rental activity in 2024. The ranking is based on the sum of scores across four categories: availability of apartments, pageviews among millions of listings, apartments saved as favorites, and saved personalized searches:

RentCafe

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Atlanta (again) crowned best city in U.S. for working remote (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

RentCafe Atlanta apartments Renting in Atlanta Atlanta Rentals Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Renting Renting Trends Rents Apartments

Images

RentCafe

Subtitle City's "transformed Midtown and IT brainpower source Georgia Tech" cited as top draws

Neighborhood Citywide

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Photos: Mixed-use Bryn House arrives in burgeoning medical district Josh Green Tue, 01/09/2024 - 13:05 Two years after it broke ground, an apartment project marketed as offering “curated modern residences” in the burgeoning North Druid Hills Medical District has officially arrived.

Leasing efforts have begun at Bryn House, a $100-million, Class-A rental project from The Allen Morris Company, the developer behind West Midtown’s transformative and growing Star Metals District.

Bryn House is banking on the pull of nearby Emory University and medical projects including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s massive $1.5-billion Arthur M. Blank Hospital expansion a few blocks away.

The formerly wooded, 6-acre site is located in the 2400 block of North Druid Hills Road, next to a shopping district anchored by Target, just east of Interstate 85.

A 7-acre development called Manor Druid Hills is also in the pipeline on the flipside of Target.

According to Bryn House builders Juneau Construction Company, the project features 337 units overall, including four townhomes, spread across two separate buildings. (The unit breakdown beyond that: 168 one-bedrooms, 138 two-bedrooms, and 27 three-bedroom units).

The project's stance over North Druid Hills Road, with Buckhead's skyline and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s $1.5-billion Arthur M. Blank Hospital expansion shown in the distance. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

Tiered landscaping and amenities at Bryn House today. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

Other facets include 11,000 square feet of amenity space, with an onsite bar, a pool deck with cabanas, a leasing lobby with mezzanine, three courtyards, a dog park, and fitness center.

Allen Morris reps have previously said the main five-story building will feature about 2,000 square feet of retail space at one corner, to include a coffee shop and wine bar connected to a pocket park with games and shaded seating. Thus, the mix of uses.  

Floorplans listed to date start from $1,880 monthly for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit with 689 square feet.

The highest rent price listed is $3,727 monthly. That’s the starting rent for units with three bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,517 square feet. A month of free rent is currently being offered as an incentive.

Buckhead views from a furnished living room. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

The goal with Bryn House was to fill a void of “high-quality rental housing” as the area’s base of high-paying jobs grows, fueled by expanding medical campuses and additional growth at Emory University, officials have said.

Elsewhere in Atlanta, Allen Morris is fully construction with the Stella at Star Metals project, a sleek 21-story apartment stack marking the district’s next phase off Howell Mill Road.

Head up to the gallery for a closer look at the Bryn House project today.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• In Brookhaven's southern fringes, huge mixed-use project advances (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

2490 N Druid Hills Road NE Druid Hills Target The Allen Morris Company DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Emory University Dwell Design Studio Bryn House Atlanta apartments Atlanta Development Mixed-Use Development Truist PNC Juneau Construction Company RangeWater Real Estate Rangewater

Images

The 6-acre property near North Druid Hills Road's intersection with Briarcliff Road, northeast of Midtown.Google Maps

Tiered landscaping and amenities at Bryn House today. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

The project's stance over North Druid Hills Road, with Buckhead's skyline and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s $1.5-billion Arthur M. Blank Hospital expansion shown in the distance. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

The main building as seen from North Druid Hills Road. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

Outdoor seating near the project's retail component. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

Interior courtyard. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

Example of a Bryn House kitchen. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

Rendering of the forthcoming fitness center. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

The community's entertainment bar. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

The two-story onsite offices. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

Mailroom and lounge. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

Buckhead views from a furnished living room. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

The largest floorplan listed to date carries a monthly rent of more than $3,700. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

With 608 square feet, this is the smallest floorplan listed to date. Price unspecified. Bryn House/The Allen Morris Company/Rangewater

Walkway to the project's townhome portion. Juneau Construction Company/Bryn House

The formerly wooded Bryn House acreage, with Target just ahead on the right, as seen prior to construction. Google Maps

Subtitle Project by Star Metals District developer claimed acreage along North Druid Hills Road

Neighborhood North Druid Hills

Background Image

Image

Associated Project

Bryn House - 2490 N Druid Hills Rd

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Photos: How Hapeville's only standalone home project is coming along Josh Green Mon, 01/08/2024 - 15:07 Since its announcement in summer 2022, Hapeville’s Stillwood project has been promising “next-level ITP living in Atlanta’s hippest borough.” The community can now lay claim to being close to the center of Atlanta’s Best Neighborhood (or ITP City) 2023 as well.

Given Hapeville’s recent triumph in the year-end Best of Atlanta tourney, it seemed an opportune time to check in with the city’s only new-construction neighborhood of single-family homes at the moment.

The Epic Development project is claiming vacant land about a block off North Central Avenue, Hapeville’s main drag, just east of Interstate 85 and north of Atlanta’s airport. It will eventually deliver 58 standalone homes in a way that’s designed to promote neighborliness and social interactions, developers have said.

Stillwood's 58-home site plan. Epic Development/ownstillwood.com

The Stillwood project's communal pool and pool house, a centerpiece of the project. Courtesy of Compass

Chris Ledermeier, a Compass Development Marketing Group project manager representing Stillwood, said current prices for finished homes range from $459,00 to $564,900 for floorplans with three or four bedrooms.

Five floorplans are offered overall, with sizes ranging from 1,620 to 2,025 square feet.

According to Ledermeier, Stillwood’s first phase is 75 percent sold, and the second phase is scheduled to deliver in March this year. (Project heads previously told Urbanize Atlanta the initial phase includes 12 houses.) The communal swimming pool and a large lounge area have also been completed.

Aspects of the project were designed to lend a more urban and walkable feel, including shallow setbacks, abundant sidewalks, plenty of courtyards and gardens, and a communal nature preserve.  

Courtesy of Compass

Example of interior finishes at the Epic Development project. Courtesy of Compass

The project is named for one of its streets, Stillwood Drive. It’s been described in promotional materials as “thoughtfully designed” to capture Hapeville’s “unique spirit,” with three-story architecture that “calls on classic American design with clean lines and sleek details.”  

Ledermeier noted that Stillwood’s model home is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3338 Springhaven Ave. in Hapeville.

Swing up to the gallery for more context and a look at finished Stillwood components.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Hapeville news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

3315 Stillwood Drive Hapeville Stillwood Epic Development ITP Homes For sale Atlanta homes Atlanta Construction Atlanta Airport Atlanta Development Arches Brewing Porsche Experience Center Porsche College Park East Point Compass Fletcher Bright Commercial

Images

The Stillwood Drive property in question, in 2019. Google Maps

Where the Stillwood community is currently under construction in Hapeville, with Atlanta's airport shown at bottom left. Epic Development/ownstillwood.com

Stillwood's 58-home site plan. Epic Development/ownstillwood.com

The Stillwood project's communal pool and pool house, a centerpiece of the project. Courtesy of Compass

Example of interior finishes at the Epic Development project. Courtesy of Compass

Courtesy of Compass

Courtesy of Compass

Courtesy of Compass

Courtesy of Compass

Courtesy of Compass

Courtesy of Compass

Subtitle Priced from $400Ks, Stillwood reports most of phase one has sold, with next phase en route early this year

Neighborhood Hapeville

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off

Report: Gwinnett Place Mall has lost nearly 88 percent of its value Josh Green Mon, 01/08/2024 - 13:04 Gwinnett Place Mall has slipped from a regional attraction over the past 20 years into a magnet for unfortunate headlines that’s empty enough for Netflix’s Stranger Things to transform its interiors into 1980s-style mall sets for two seasons. But that might not be the most tragic aspect of the mall’s decline.  

According to a 2023 economic analysis prepared by KB Advisory Group for the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District, the mall has hemorrhaged 87.6 percent of its collective appraised tax value over the past two decades, despite the county’s population swelling around it.

That means Gwinnett Place Mall fell from an appraised value of $167 million in 1999 to just $20.6 million in 2022, as most stores vacated the property and just a handful of big-box tenants elected to remain, according to KB Advisory Group’s year-end analysis

Given its past importance to central Gwinnett’s economy, and the fact that redevelopment efforts have yet to begin a year and ½ after plans for the mall’s mixed-use overhaul emerged, the mall could be seen as an economic albatross. But Gwinnett Place CID leaders are carrying an optimistic tone as 2024 unfolds.

Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Following input from 2,500 area residents, a team of “Gwinnett Place To Be” revitalization strategists took the strongest elements from two drafts and fused them into one final redevelopment concept that came to light in summer 2022.

That residential-heavy plan, called Global Villages, would create a central park as the communal nucleus, remake all roadways as Complete Streets with connections to other key points in Duluth, and enhance transit with possible bus-rapid-transit options and a new transit center.

According to Leo Wiener, Gwinnett Place CID board of directors chair, one 2023 highlight saw the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners adopt an action plan for making the Global Villages development a reality. The current business district has a $15.9-billion statewide economic impact—a bump of $2.5 billion since 2020—despite the fact no significant redevelopment of mall property has begun, according to Wiener.

“Given the importance of this project to Gwinnett County government and community residents, thoroughness will be the guiding principle as county officials select the right partners for the revitalization of the Gwinnett Place Mall site over the coming years,” Wiener wrote in a 2023 year-end review distributed Thursday. “Gwinnett Place remains the economic engine of Gwinnett County. This small area of approximately 2,000 acres continues to have a big impact on the county, region, and state.”

Overview of big-box departures and tenants at Gwinnett Place Mall. Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

While no timeline for development has been set, the Global Villages plan’s scale is massive.

It calls for between 2,400 and eventually 3,800 new multifamily housing units, 55,000 square feet of retail, and 51,000 square feet of offices. Other aspects would see about 13 acres of new park space, a 750-space parking garage, and a new cultural and education center, according to Gwinnett Place CID’s most recent tally.  

The recent analysis compiled three models showing how the sooner Gwinnett Place Mall's projected two-decade redevelopment process begins, the more beneficial it could be for the county.

Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

“We believe that if Gwinnett County can begin the transformation of the former Gwinnett Place Mall site into the Global Villages concept that Gwinnett County and the community envisioned [in 2023], the economic impact of the area would grow exponentially,” Jonathan Gelber, KB Advisory Group vice president, said in a prepared statement. “The Global Villages redevelopment project is now set up and ready to go!”

The overarching concept for new construction, with existing big-box stores as standalone retail islands and greenspace woven throughout. Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Beyond the mall property, the 2,000-acre Gwinnett Place area counts more than 1.1 million square feet of real estate in various stages of development today, including 1,126 new housing units, according to KB Advisory Group.

Those projects include a 776-unit mid-rise multifamily building called Orchid Grove proposed along Pleasant Hill Road and a 36-room MainStay Suites Duluth hotel on Shackleford Road.

...

Follow us on social media:

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Gwinnett County news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

Tags

Gwinnett Place Mall Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District Gwinnett Place CID Atlanta Malls OTP North OTP Gwinnett Shopping Malls KB Advisory Group Duluth Dying Malls Interstate 85 Macy's Global Village Project Global Villages Orchid Grove Pleasant Hill Road

Images

Current state of the 1980s mall property off Interstate 85 in Duluth, with Stone Mountain in the distance. Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Overview of big-box departures and tenants at Gwinnett Place Mall. Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Gwinnett Place CID; KB Advisory Group

Gwinnett Place Mall's oval-shaped land of opportunity, as seen from thousands of feet above this month. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The overarching concept for new construction, with existing big-box stores as standalone retail islands and greenspace woven throughout. Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Overview of the concept preferred by the majority of 2,500 people quizzed about the mall property's future, according to project leaders. Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Gwinnett Place CID/ARC/GwinnettPlaceToBe.com

Subtitle But embattled Duluth property is finally poised for redevelopment, per Gwinnett Place CID leadership

Neighborhood Gwinnett County

Background Image

Image

Before/After Images

Sponsored Post Off