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Next door to Atlanta airport, 7-building project declared finished Josh Green Wed, 11/29/2023 - 08:20 Spanning nearly a full city block, a mixed-use project designed to serve as a residential gateway to Hapeville’s burgeoning downtown and other southside attractions is officially complete.

Called Signal, the South City Partners development erected commercial space and a variety of apartments across seven buildings on a 397 N. Central Avenue site that had been home to a comedy club and events center, surrounded by a moat of surface parking.

The project’s contractor, McShane Construction Company, reports this week all seven buildings and 4,400 square feet of commercial space are finished, after having broken ground in summer 2021. Signal includes 285 new rentals total, all of them described as luxury.

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal took shape on 8 acres across from the Atlanta airport and Porsche’s recently expanded North American headquarters complex, about eight miles south of downtown. It marked another investment—among many—by developers angling to capitalize on Hapeville’s location and relatively inexpensive land.

Since the project’s inception, South City Partners—the Atlanta-based developer behind Inman Quarter and Midtown’s Centergy student housing tower, among other projects—has said Signal will function to expand downtown Hapeville’s walkability and village-like feel. The largest multifamily component began leasing on Hapeville’s version of Main Street last fall, counting amenities that include a “sky lounge” for watching jets take off and land.

As designed by The Preston Partnership, Signal includes two carriage house buildings, two podium-style buildings standing four stories, and other wood-framed structures that lend the appearance of townhomes.

Overview of massing for the seven-building Signal project. Signal/Alpha Management Partners

The 297 N. Central Avenue block in question as infrastructure work was underway, with Porsche's HQ expansion below, the airport at left, and Interstate 75 at right. Google Maps

Discounted rental rates are starting at $1,599 right now, according to the project’s website. The smallest apartments listed as being available have one bedroom and one bathroom in 724 square feet.

The priciest options, meanwhile, are renting for $2,999 per month, which gets two bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms in 1,331 square feet. All units include granite countertops, in-unit washer and dryer, shaker-style cabinets, and ceiling heights ranging between nine to 14 feet.

Elsewhere is more than 7,000 square feet of amenity spaces, including a saltwater pool area with fire pits and a pizza oven, dog park, pet spa, private offices, and a multimedia clubroom with a demonstration kitchen, billiards, and lounge.

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Illinois-based McShane is also currently building two more multifamily projects for South City Partners in metro Atlanta: CroftHouse McDonough, a 280-unit venture in McDonough, and Renaissance Park, a 288-unit mixed-use community in Fairburn.

Have a closer look at this latest addition to growing Hapeville in the gallery above.

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Overview of massing for the seven-building Signal project. Signal/Alpha Management Partners

The project's centralized amenities area today. Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

Signal/Alpha Management Partners

The 297 N. Central Avenue block in question as infrastructure work was underway, with Porsche's HQ expansion below, the airport at left, and Interstate 75 at right. Google Maps

Construction progress along King Arnold Street in late March. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Corner space for Signal retail along North Central Avenue. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress along King Arnold Street in late March. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Signal's site prior to construction, with Porsche's North American Headquarters and adjacent Kimpton Hotel across the street. Google Maps

Subtitle Block-sized Signal community also near Porsche HQ, Hapeville’s growing downtown

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Images: Finished project south of downtown called best deal around Josh Green Tue, 11/28/2023 - 16:38 Having replaced a weedy lot in the northern fringes of Mechanicsville, a pocket of new housing is being described by project leaders as the best townhome deal in Atlanta for what it offers right now.

The 17-unit infill development, Point 5, has taken shape over the past couple of years in the 300 block of Eugenia Street, just west of Windsor Street, or what becomes Ted Turner Drive a few blocks north in downtown.

It’s positioned just south of Interstate 20 exits, and beyond that, Centennial Yards, Castleberry Hill, and downtown coliseums. Mechanicsville’s Rosa L. Burney Park is located about a block south.

Where the Point 5 project has finished construction on Eugenia Street, directly south of I-20 and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Google Maps

Facades and the main, gated entry point today along Eugenia Street. Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Marketing materials describe the Point 5 townhomes as being “half-a-mile to everything” and “one of Atlanta’s most exciting investment opportunities” with “incredible” skyline views from the roofs.

Listing agent Jonathan Rich of Keller Knapp Realty tells Urbanize Atlanta the most expensive units in the community—four-bedroom, two-and-½ bedroom townhomes priced at $624,900—have been released in recent days in what’s called the 500 building. Square footages are listed at 1,850, with $203 monthly HOA fees and a two-car garage.  

“They have some greenspace and a lot of privacy in the back of community but larger rooftops and some of the best views of Mercedes-Benz [Stadium] and the downtown skyline,” Rich wrote via email.

Square footages vary across four different floorplans, with some counting larger rooftops and others finished terrace levels with bedrooms and bathrooms, according to Rich.

The project's location just west of Windsor Street/Ted Turner Drive today. Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Once priced as high as $614,900, the cheapest option in the bunch is now asking $525,000 for three bedrooms, two and ½ bathrooms, an unfinished terrace level, and a one-car garage.

“I think these are the greatest opportunity and value for three-plus bedrooms new with a two-car garage and city view in the entire city right now,” Rich noted.

Listing records indicate three units have sold to date, topping out with a sales price of $600,000. The address’ Walk Score clocks in at 65, or what’s considered “Somewhat Walkable.”

Head up to the gallery for more context and photos of finished Point 5 product.

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Where the Point 5 project has finished construction on Eugenia Street, directly south of I-20 and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Google Maps

The Mechanicsville site in question at 340 Eugenia Street prior to construction. Google Maps

Keller Knapp Realty/Jrichatlanta

Facades and the main, gated entry point today along Eugenia Street. Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

The project's location just west of Windsor Street/Ted Turner Drive today. Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Layout of the 17-home venture off Eugenia Street. Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Example of downtown views from Point 5 rooftops. Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Photography by Will Dodgen/Jrichatlanta

Subtitle Townhome cluster Point 5 now starts in low $500Ks

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Georgia Tech takes step to make campus core car-free, boost parks Josh Green Tue, 11/28/2023 - 13:17 The last time Georgia Tech put together a comprehensive plan for ambitious growth and enhanced livability around campus was way back in 2004.

However dusty, that document ended up being potent, in that it laid the groundwork for several defining enhancements around not just the institute’s campus but Midtown, including the development of Tech Square, the innovative EcoCommons greenspace, and the John Lewis Student Center, collectively an estimated capital investment of $2 billion.

Now Georgia Tech is at it again.

Following two years of analysis, data collection, and outreach efforts that included town halls, campus tours, surveys, and meetings with neighborhood associations and Atlanta city leadership, Georgia Tech has unveiled the 2023 Comprehensive Campus Plan, outlining a bevy of thought-provoking possibilities for growth and infrastructural retrofitting.

The CCP study delineates the campus into zones where land use recommendations and development guidelines hope to create a uniform vision. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

The CCP sets no timelines for changes in stone, as it’s meant to function more as an adaptable, flexible “living document” that supports “the growing needs of the campus community for the next 10 years and beyond,” according to a school announcement. It does delineate the campus into zones where land use recommendations and development guidelines hope to create a uniform vision.

Highlights include the possible removal of the tired, low-rise Peters Parking Deck located just north of Bobby Dodd Stadium for a versatile new greenspace called Peters Park. Another idea calls for permanently reopening the Third Street tunnel, which tuned-in observers note would create “a true game-changer” with the first dedicated bicycle and pedestrian crossing of the Connector freeway in the area.

Other aspects of the plan call for making areas defined as Georgia Tech’s core campus car-free, installing pathways and gathering spaces where streets currently exist.

The CCP's recommended concept for Peters Park, looking south toward Bobby Dodd Stadium and downtown, where a low-slung parking deck currently exists. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

The Peters Parking Deck today, with Bobby Dodd Stadium in the distance. Google Maps

Other big ideas call for new residence halls, a thermal energy plant, a North Avenue Welcome Center, and a new performing arts center, the latter as part of the proposed redevelopment of longstanding Ferst Center into a broader district known as Arts Square.

In general, the CCP encourages more vertical development (over five stories) as opposed to larger building footprints. Also recommended are better connections to three innovation areas (BioSciences, Tech Square, and the growing Science Square district to the west) via improved infrastructure such as bridges.

The CCP is designed to address campus-wide goals in coming years that include 2,000 new beds for first-year students, another 2.2 million square feet of development, and a 26 percent increase in the overall population of on-campus students, faculty, and staff.  

Next steps include pinpointing campus priorities for near and long-term capital projects, plus transit and parking feasibility studies, and climate action analyses that hope to tackle stormwater runoff and other issues.

Potential view along Hemphill Walk, looking northwest, per the CCP study. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

In the CCP’s intro, Georgia Tech president Ángel Cabrera says the plan will enhance the campus for generations by providing “a bold future for enrollment, environmental stewardship, housing, research, student life, transit, utilities, and the workplace at Georgia Tech while enhancing and preserving the beauty of our campus.”

The full, 130-page CCP report—a paradise of planning strategies, campus visuals, and wonk-friendly research—can be viewed here.

View of what's called the Marietta Ridge Corridor, looking north, per the CCP study. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

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The CCP study delineates the campus into zones where land use recommendations and development guidelines hope to create a uniform vision. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

Potential view along Hemphill Walk, looking northwest, per the CCP study. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

View of what's called the Marietta Ridge Corridor, looking north, per the CCP study. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

The CCP's recommended concept for Peters Park, looking south toward Bobby Dodd Stadium and downtown, where a low-slung parking deck currently exists. Georgia Tech Comprehensive Campus Plan

The Peters Parking Deck today, with Bobby Dodd Stadium in the distance. Google Maps

Subtitle Tech’s first Comprehensive Campus Plan in two decades envisions “bold future” of growth, sustainability

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Analysis: Atlanta ranked No. 2 hottest rental market in the country Josh Green Tue, 11/28/2023 - 08:35 If it seems like there’s an endless construction pipeline of new rental properties in your Atlanta neighborhood, this could help explain why.

Of the 150 largest U.S. cities by population in the contiguous U.S., the ATL has been ranked as the second “most desired” city among renters in November, according to a new analysis by nationwide apartment search website RentCafe.com.

Atlanta’s rental scene has performed well in the monthly study throughout 2023, especially when the city was slotted as the No. 1 hottest rental market in April, marking the beginning of the high season. November’s No. 2 ranking was three spots higher than the previous month’s.

“Atlanta has ranked among the top 10 cities ever since [April] as renters have been intensely searching for apartments here all through the year,” a RentCafe.com rep wrote to Urbanize Atlanta.

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

The heaviest weight is given to each city’s apartment availability rate. That's calculated by dividing the total vacant units for the most recent month by the city’s total units and a year-over-year comparison of the same. The lower that rate, the more points each city earns.

According to analysts, a relatively small 1 percent increase in Atlanta’s available apartments in November is reflective of high demand. That’s despite a solid decade of multifamily development growth across the city.  

RentCafe.com credits Atlanta’s status as “one of the South’s most dynamic tech hubs” with helping set it apart.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

In addition to Atlanta locals looking to switch apartments, the majority of out-of-state searches were tracked to New York City, Chicago, and Orlando, showing “significant growth in the number of favorited listings and saved personalized searches,” per the analysis.

For the first time, Minneapolis claimed the No. 1 spot on the renting-demand hotlist this month.

Atlanta and Orlando (No. 8) were the only Southern cities to make the top 10.

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Subtitle Renters have been "intensely searching for apartments" in city throughout 2023

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In heart of Brookhaven, 7 tenants unveiled for mixed-use venture Josh Green Mon, 11/27/2023 - 14:45 Although roughly a year of construction remains, a mixed-use venture that’s transforming a significant portion of Brookhaven’s de facto Main Street is fielding “substantial interest” from local and regional brands, resulting in a wave of new retail leases, officials announced today.

Atlanta-based developer Connolly revealed seven signed tenants for its $70-million project Parkside on Dresden, which broke ground in summer 2022 to continue the densification of Dresden Drive just east of the city’s MARTA station.

The retail signings—in spaces between 1,000 and 5,000 square feet—include new-to-market concepts and what Connolly officials call “some of Atlanta’s most popular names in dining and group fitness.”

Construction progress at Parkside on Dresden as of last month. Connolly

Parkside on Dresden is rising across a four-acre site at 1350 Dresden Drive with 32,000 square feet of commercial space, an adjacent public plaza (aka, “City Park”), and a six-level parking deck. It will also include seven townhomes and 176 luxury apartments being developed by Charlotte-based Terwilliger Pappas.

In preparation for new development, a former county building and several other small structures were cleared from the Brookhaven Village site, which also included a large empty lot.

Meghan Schmidt, Connolly director of development, says the goal with Parkside’s retail component is to create a vibrant and diverse lineup of wellness, culinary, and independent boutique options. “Space is at a premium along this high-energy corridor that is surrounded by a strong, loyal consumer base,” noted Schmidt in today's announcement.  

The proposed look of boutique shopping and multifamily residences next to a new communal greenspace.Courtesy of Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio

The initial tenant lineup is described by the development team as follows, edited for length:

• Confab Kitchen and Bar*(3,600 square feet with patio adjacent to City Park)—inspired by the dining culture of Europe, Confab is a gathering place designed for people to eat, drink, and converse with friends around food, beer, wine, and spirits. It’s a new concept in metro Atlanta from local restaurant operator Doug Gross.*
• Honeysuckle Gelato (1,000 square feet facing City Park)—a creamery serving gelato inspired by decadent flavors and desserts of the South. It’s the fourth metro Atlanta location serving up scoops, pints, gelato sandwiches, and milkshakes.
• Café Vendôme (1,000 square feet facing City Park)—an authentic artisanal French pastry bakery café that offers refined pastries, baguettes, and croissants along with coffee, sandwiches, salads, quiches, macaroons, and desserts in a traditional Parisian atmosphere. Both of the current locations are in Sandy Springs.
• Clean Juice Brookhaven (1,100 square feet adjacent to the park)—the first and only USDA-certified organic juice and food bar franchise that serves the brand's popular all-organic, handmade smoothies; wraps; salads; acai bowls, and more. There are currently seven locations throughout metro Atlanta.
• El Valle (2,900 square feet with patio at the corner of Dresden Drive and the park)—offering Mexican cuisine that showcases unique ingredients and flavors prepared with contemporary techniques alongside a wide selection of Mexican and Latin American wines and craft cocktails. It’s the second metro Atlanta location.
• F45 Training Brookhaven (3,000 square feet along Dresden Drive)—a global fitness community offering innovative, high-intensity functional group workouts. The training facility is owned by a local franchisee with two existing locations around Atlanta.
• MIRAE*(5,000 square feet with patio at the corner of Dresden and Parkside Drives)—from an operator with a successful restaurant in Chamblee, MIRAE (meaning “future” in Korean) is a new modern Asian concept that fuses Korean, Japanese, and other Asian flavors alongside a craft bar.*

Overview of planned uses at Parkside on Dresden. Connolly

Officials say remaining storefront spaces range from 1,000 to 2,500 square feet for soft goods and services boutiques.

A standalone, 4,150-square-foot restaurant building with a large patio is also still available, with Lavista Associates heading leasing efforts.

Find more context and imagery in the gallery above.

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Construction progress at Parkside on Dresden as of last month. Connolly

Overview of planned uses at Parkside on Dresden. Connolly

The proposed look of boutique shopping and multifamily residences next to a new communal greenspace.Courtesy of Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio

Courtesy of Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio

Courtesy of Terwilliger Pappas; designs, Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio

Connolly

Where less-dense uses including a small former county building were cleared in Brookhaven's commercial core, as seen in November 2022.

Subtitle $70M Parkside on Dresden project claiming acreage on ITP city’s main drag

Neighborhood Brookhaven

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Is banning Old Fourth Ward hospital redevelopment the right move? Josh Green Mon, 11/27/2023 - 12:41 Could the third time be a charm? Or an example of government overreach?

Thirteen months after Atlanta Medical Center abruptly and disconcertingly shuttered in Old Fourth Ward, the Atlanta City Council has enacted a moratorium for the third time that blocks any redevelopment of the nearly 25-acre campus that had housed a hospital for a century.

The move will allow the city council and community leaders to better get their bearings and chart a course forward, city officials have said.

But it also means—as Atlanta urbanists have pointed out—the neighborhood will likely be staring at a hulking, empty hospital for a long time.

The AMC site's barricaded entries along Boulevard, north of John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Google Maps

The city council voted 11-1 last week without discussion to extend the moratorium for another 180 days, which means Atlanta’s planning department must reject any applications for building permits, rezoning, land disturbances, or other paperwork associated with redevelopment, as the AJC reported.

The moratorium applies to 15 parcels that were part of AMC’s campus and operated by Wellstar Health System, the current owner, since 2016. Following the council's vote, Wellstar won’t be able to move forward with a new purpose for the site until at least May 2024. But signs point to the process taking significantly longer. 

District 2 Councilmember Amir Farokhi, whose district covers part of the hospital site, was the lone dissenter in last week’s council vote. Farokhi has voiced concerns over the former hospital property devolving into a blight on that section of Old Fourth Ward, located just north of Boulevard’s intersection with John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

Given its nonprofit healthcare system status, Wellstar pays no property taxes on the land—which carries an assessed tax value of nearly $119 million—in one of Atlanta’s hottest neighborhoods for redevelopment over the past decade, as the AJC noted. The parcels span more than a city block and carry various zoning designations now, including BeltLine affordable workforce housing district and community business district.

Wellstar has previously told the newspaper it has no current plans for the site but is in talks with community members to evaluate solutions and determine the best future use.  

Rough approximation of the 25-acre O4W property spread across more than a city block. Google Maps

Opinions on what to do with the properties have varied. Councilmember Keisha Sean Waites, for one, has introduced a plan to create a diversion and crisis center from the Wellstar site that provides short-term emergency housing, along with medical services and mental health, drug, and alcohol treatment.

In the meantime, city officials plan to launch a study and hire a contractor to determine how best to move forward. As 11Alive reported earlier this month, that contractor will be tasked with hosting a number of public meetings and consulting with Wellstar, community leaders, and area residents.

That contractor’s proposal for the site might not come together before late next year. Wellstar, meanwhile, says its helping the city in the evaluation process.

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The AMC site's barricaded entries along Boulevard, north of John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Google Maps

Rough approximation of the 25-acre O4W property spread across more than a city block. Google Maps

Subtitle Six-month moratorium again applied to idle Atlanta Medical Center site

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Another transit-oriented MARTA development officially underway Josh Green Mon, 11/27/2023 - 08:06 A project that MARTA officials say will provide an injection of attainable housing with steps-away transit access in unincorporated DeKalb County is officially moving forward.

MARTA officials have scheduled a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday afternoon alongside Housing Authority of DeKalb County leadership for a Kensington Station transit-oriented development that’s been coming together over the past couple of years.

The 3413 Kensington Road site in Decatur is already under construction, according to MARTA officials.

In the pipeline is a residential component with 100 percent affordable senior and workforce housing, a new HADC headquarters, and other community amenities, according to MARTA.

How a communal green could take shape near retail, echoing MARTA's mixed-use overhaul of the system's station in Edgewood. MARTA

Kensington is the second-to-last station on MARTA’s eastbound route before final stop Indian Creek station. It’s located just west of Memorial Drive, inside the Interstate 285 loop, east of Avondale Estates and downtown Decatur. The mixed-use Phoenix Station project has risen across the street. 

Plans in coming years call for Kensington to become a regional transportation center and mixed-use neighborhood gathering place that increases ridership and revenue, in the vein of the Edgewood/Candler Park station, according to a Kensington Station Master Plan completed by MARTA and DeKalb County for the 35 acres in question in May.

Three “framework” designs for the Kensington TOD emerged in May, showing variations of how buildings and amenities might be arranged around a new town green (see the gallery above for visuals). We’ve asked MARTA officials for clarification on exactly what’s being built now and will update this post with any additional details that come.

Soccer in the Streets opened a temporary soccer pitch and community garden at Kensington Station in summer 2022. A MARTA Market with fresh produce is also now open at the station from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.   

“By investing in communities around our bus and rail services, MARTA aims to foster urban development, strengthen local economies, and provide equitable access to reliable transportation,” MARTA general manager and CEO Collie Greenwood said in an announcement for the Kensington groundbreaking.

General retail concepts for Kensington Station's remake. MARTA

The project’s location just inside Interstate 285, east of Avondale Estates and downtown Decatur.Google Maps

According to the planning study, MARTA determined that market demand through 2030 near Kensington could support 525 units of dense residential housing in two buildings standing four or five stories, either wrapping or next to parking decks. More than 100 three-story townhomes with two-car garages could also be built.

On the commercial side, the market could support about 22,000 square feet of “traditional retail” for uses such as restaurants, coffee shops, and a pharmacy. Other facets of the project could see roughly 30,000 square feet of more service-oriented office space and retail, such as banks, dry cleaners, and hair salons.

Elsewhere, project designers were tasked with reimagining the station’s stormwater pond as a usable public greenspace, increasing bike and pedestrian access with more trails and sidewalks, making access to the station’s bus bay easier, incorporating smaller-scale buildings for housing and retail, and including a permanent space for a StationSoccer field.

Prior to plans being finalized, MARTA succeeded in having the property rezoned to MU-5, or high-density mixed-use, a designation that supports the 2050 DeKalb Unified Plan for building up the area into a regional center.

Plans generally call for transitioning from higher density at the project’s core to lower intensity at its edges, per MARTA.

The station’s overhaul could join transit-oriented development plans recently set in motion around MARTA stations in Bankhead, the southern fringes of downtown (now delayed indefinitely), and at H.E. Holmes, the system’s westernmost transit hub.  

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The project’s location just inside Interstate 285, east of Avondale Estates and downtown Decatur.Google Maps

Site conditions around the 3342 Kensington Road transit hub today. Google Maps

How a communal green could take shape near retail, echoing MARTA's mixed-use overhaul of the system's station in Edgewood. MARTA

How a permanent StationSoccer pitch could fit into the mix. MARTA

General retail concepts for Kensington Station's remake. MARTA

Breakdown of site conditions today. MARTA/Kensington Station Master Plan

MARTA

MARTA

The first of three potential "framework" plans. MARTA

MARTA's team includes Perkins&Will (planning lead), Sycamore Consulting (engagement lead), Noell Consulting & HR&A Advisors (market analysis), Kimley-Horn (transportation and parking lead) and HNTB (quality control).MARTA

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Subtitle MARTA: Kensington Station project will feature exclusively affordable housing

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Photos: New building touts fresh 'iconic Atlanta skyline' perspectives Josh Green Tue, 11/21/2023 - 14:02 Earlier this month, we spotlighted a recently opened residential project that’s being marketed as the “crown jewel of Memorial Drive.” Today, developers Alliance Residential Company provide what they consider photographic evidence.

With its rooftop pool hangout and uniquely, wildly exotic interiors, the Broadstone 2Thirty complex has delivered another 278 apartments just off Memorial Drive, continuing a billion-dollar redevelopment surge along the east-west corridor in the Oakland neighborhood, next to Grant Park.

Alliance officials say the mix of rentals—from studios up to three-bedroom options—average 790 square feet, some of them with “uninterrupted downtown views.” The same can be said of the rooftop pool and clubroom with its game parlor and walls of glass that frame the city in ways not seen before.

With its north and west-facing windows, the opulently decorated Broadstone 2Thirty clubroom offers what developers call sweeping views of Atlanta's skyline. Photos courtesy of Alliance Residential Company

Noah Randall, Alliance’s managing director, described the building’s Skydeck as “the ultimate intown oasis” in a project announcement. “The property’s standout feature is the rooftop pool that offers sweeping views of the iconic Atlanta skyline,” said Randall. “These views never get old, and it’s the perfect place to host friends and enjoy the sunset.”

Formerly called Broadstone Metal Works, the 230 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive apartments took shape between Oakland Cemetery and downtown. Leasing tours began in October, and six weeks of free rent is currently being offered as an incentive, per Alliance reps.

According to Broadstone 2Thirty apartment listings, one-bathroom studio units with 530 square feet start at $1,680 monthly—the least expensive floorplan right now.

The priciest unit being offered at the moment rents for $2,855 monthly. That gets two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,218 square feet, plus a balcony.

A three-bedroom floorplan with 1,465 square feet and $3,185 rents will be available in January, according to the Broadstone 2Thirty website.

Alliance bought the 2.53 acres in question for $11.8 million in December 2021 and broke ground on Broadstone 2Thirty shortly thereafter.

At the southeast corner of the site, Nick’s Food to Go—a family-owned, Greek takeout institution that’s operated in a small corner building since 1994—still defiantly stands, with the apartments having risen around it.

The site previously housed old warehouse buildings once occupied by Conklin Metal Industries. Georgia State University’s football and soccer practice facilities are next door, on the opposite side as Nick’s.

Elsewhere in Atlanta, Alliance has delivered apartment projects in Summerhill, Kirkwood, and Bolton in recent years.

Have a closer look at what Broadstone 2Thirty has brought to the transit-connected area between downtown and Grant Park, as depicted in fresh photography, in the gallery above.

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230 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Broadstone 2Thirty Broadstone Metal Works Alliance Oakland Alliance Residential Company Atlanta Development Oakland Cemetery Nick’s Food to Go Eberly & Associates Memorial Drive Atlanta Restaurants Institutions Conklin Metal Industries Georgia State University football GSU Soccer Alliance Residential

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With its north and west-facing windows, the opulently decorated Broadstone 2Thirty clubroom offers what developers call sweeping views of Atlanta's skyline. Photos courtesy of Alliance Residential Company

The Broadstone 2Thirty project's 230 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive location, just east of downtown and north of Memorial Drive. Google Maps

How Broadstone 2Thirty took shape around longstanding eatery Nick’s Food to Go, just south of MARTA tracks. Google Maps

Subtitle "These views never get old," says developer

Neighborhood Oakland

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How decidedly modern townhome row near BeltLine turned out Josh Green Tue, 11/21/2023 - 12:15 A sign of Atlanta’s residential times is nearing the finish line in Grant Park—at least in terms of its first phase.

Having replaced three relatively small, one-story houses, a distinctively modern townhome venture called Twelve on Berne has installed landscaping and finished all but a few exterior checklist items in Grant Park, less than a block west of the BeltLine’s under-construction Southside Trail segment.

Sharing that same block is a 194-apartment project called Argos that Avila Development is finishing along the BeltLine corridor now.  

The first phase of the C4 Developers townhome project stands on a corner site at 816 Berne Street, near the junction of Grant Park and Ormewood Park. The Warren Boys & Girls Club is directly across the street, to the west.

How townhome facades appear along Berne Street, just west of the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor, today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Stephen Eichelberger, C4 Developers managing partner, recently told Urbanize Atlanta the first six townhomes will soon be followed by a second phase of six units tucked back from Berne Street. Expect three or four bedrooms and three and ½ bathrooms in square footages that range between roughly 2,350 and 2,600 square feet.

Each townhome will stand four stories, spanning from one and two-car garages at the base level to rooftop decks with attached flex spaces. 

Listing services indicate Twelve on Berne townhomes have yet to hit the market. Eichelberger said in July prices are expected to start in the high $800,000s and climb to the $1 million range, with “pretty cool” interiors brandishing “all the modern bells and whistles.”

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The corner Berne Street site's position near the BeltLine's Southside Trail. Google Maps

Elsewhere intown, C4 Developers built the Farmhouses at Ormewood community nearby and is currently developing The Leon on Ponce condos in Old Fourth Ward. Atlanta-based construction firm Level Craft is building the Berne Street project.     

Find a Renderings vs. Reality comparison, interior imagery, and more context in the gallery above.

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816 Berne Street SE Twelve on Berne C4 Developers S House Design Level Craft Atlanta Moderns Modern Atlanta Townhomes Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Beltline Southside Trail Atlanta BeltLine Renderings vs. Reality modern design Modern Designs

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How townhome facades appear along Berne Street, just west of the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor, today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The townhome's west facades toward the Grant Park greenspace. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A peek at garage entries and outdoor spaces behind the first row of Twelve on Berne offerings. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The corner Berne Street site's position near the BeltLine's Southside Trail. Google Maps

A fourth-floor flex space and rooftop decks. Courtesy of C4 Developers

Expected look of Twelve on Berne kitchens and living rooms. Courtesy of C4 Developers

Sample bedroom space. Courtesy of C4 Developers

How the finished first row of six townhomes is expected to front Berne Street, according to project renderings. Courtesy of C4 Developers

The site in relation to Glenwood Park, Interstate 20, and Grant Park. Google Maps

Subtitle Project called Twelve on Berne replaces three houses a few steps from under-construction Southside Trail

Neighborhood Grant Park

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Images: Proposal aims to uplift Lakewood Heights' historic downtown Josh Green Mon, 11/20/2023 - 11:27 Plans are coming into clearer focus for a mixed-use proposal that aims to infuse housing options, commercial activity, and general vibrancy into the historic core of Lakewood Heights.

St. Vincent de Paul Georgia, a volunteer-driven nonprofit established in 1903 with a focus on providing housing and tackling hunger from 73 service hubs across the state, has owned a corner property at 1700 Lakewood Avenue since 2014.

Formerly home to a SunTrust Bank branch, the parcels are a prominent piece of several intersections that form Lakewood Heights’ commercial district.

SVDP plans to spend about $30 million—an unprecedented private investment in Lakewood Heights, according to neighbors—on a flagship development that would increase density and, in theory, help revitalize the downtown area.

The four-story redevelopment option being considered along Lakewood Avenue today. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia; designs, Cooper Carry

A series of four community workshops have been held to gather input this year. Those included a design update last month for two Cooper Carry-designed concepts as developers start to prepare the project for a rezoning application and civil engineering work.

The 1700 Lakewood Avenue site is situated about a mile east of Lakewood Amphitheatre, roughly four miles from downtown Atlanta. Neighboring properties house historic Lakewood Heights storefronts, an Amoco gas station, idle lots formerly home to fast-food franchises, and a Family Dollar store.

The sprawling, post-industrial property where the Sawtell development has recently shown signs of life is located a few blocks to the northeast in Chosewood Park.

According to SVDP’s latest presentation, the project would create a pedestrian-oriented environment with new living options within the commercial district to help “support a more sustainable and varied business environment.” Two adjacent single-family parcels facing away from Lakewood Avenue would be include in the redevelopment, according to the latest plans.  

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia

The most recent design iterations—two configurations are being considered—call for 72 apartments and 7,500 square feet of retail space. One concept calls for a three-story building and the other four, with the massing shifted in the latter to allow for a communal greenspace on one corner.

SVDP officials say the building will have a mixed-income rent structure, with roughly 30 percent of units being three-bedroom apartments that are more conducive to families. A third of the apartments would rent at fair market rates for Lakewood Heights, according to SVDP.

Community feedback so far indicates neighbors want to see the commercial space used for food options such as a sandwich shop, a family healthcare provider, a bank branch, or a combination of those.

The 1700 Lakewood Avenue site in relation to downtown Atlanta and the airport area. Google Maps

The three-story redevelopment option being considered along Lakewood Avenue today. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia; designs, Cooper Carry

We’ve reached out to SVDP officials for information on when they hope to break ground, and we’ll update this story with any additional intel that comes.

According to the latest meeting summary, the Lakewood Avenue project is scheduled to go before the city for land-use amendment and rezoning hearings (from residential to MRC-1 for mixed uses) in March.

Find more context and project imagery in the gallery above.

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• Lakewood Heights news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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1700 Lakewood Avenue Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia Lakewood Heights Community Association Cooper Carry John C. Burdine Center Crippen Consulting Group PCCI Downtown Lakewood Heights Infill Development Infill Housing Affordable Housing Mixed-Use Development Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Southside

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The 1700 Lakewood Avenue site in relation to downtown Atlanta and the airport area. Google Maps

The wedge-shaped corner site in question near a longstanding commercial row in Lakewood Heights' downtown core. Google Maps

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia

The former bank branch on site today that Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia has owned for nearly a decade.Google Maps

The three-story redevelopment option being considered along Lakewood Avenue today. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia; designs, Cooper Carry

The three-story Option C. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia; designs, Cooper Carry

The four-story redevelopment option being considered along Lakewood Avenue today. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia; designs, Cooper Carry

The four-story Option D. Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia; designs, Cooper Carry

Subtitle Community planning sessions reshape Lakewood Avenue project prior to rezoning push

Neighborhood Lakewood Heights

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In East Atlanta Village, infill project begins vertical construction Josh Green Mon, 11/20/2023 - 10:16 Despite headwinds such as spiking interest rates in the commercial real estate industry, the densification of East Atlanta Village continues.

Vertical construction has begun on a project that’s bringing more than three dozen new housing options and retail space to a village lot that’s housed surface parking, outdoor dining space, and seasonal Christmas tree sales over the past 15 years.

Atlanta-based Pellerin Real Estate, a firm best known for the Beacon warehouse redevelopment in Grant Park, broke ground on the boutique mixed-use venture this past summer. It’s claiming a 462 Flat Shoals Avenue site immediately north of Argosy restaurant and bar.

Pellerin’s principal, Philippe Pellerin, says the four-story building is on pace to deliver in fall 2024, marking the company’s sixth project in EAV.

The first components of vertical construction at the 37-unit, mixed-use project's .65-acre site in East Atlanta Village. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Plans call for 37 apartments, ranging from studios to two-bedrooms, atop roughly 5,000 square feet of retail space along Flat Shoals, all screening a new parking lot in back. The main façade will be bookended by balconies, according to designs by TSW architects.

The .65-acre site includes 160 feet of frontage along Flat Shoals, where an opening in the building’s façade will serve as the entry point for parking behind it.

According to a LoopNet listing, the project is already seeking restaurant and retail tenants.

Plans originally called for breaking ground in summer 2022, but Pellerin took last winter to mitigate turbulence in the industry, refine the project’s design, obtain necessary permits, and finalize pricing, the developer previously told Urbanize Atlanta. The apartments-over-retail concept has simplified designs versus the more retro, brick-clad building initially planned, though the project’s scope hasn’t changed.

Overview of the two EAV lots in question with a combined .65 acres. LoopNet

Pellerin Real Estate; designs, TSW architects

Pellerin’s projects elsewhere in EAV have remade numerous properties along nearby Glenwood Avenue.

Those include Southern Feed Store, a six-stall food hall concept that overhauled longtime EAV destination Graveyard Tavern. The developer also finished construction last year on a three-story, mixed-use project called The Marbut, next to Hippin Hops Brewery and Oyster Bar. It includes 6,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial spaces, topped by 21 one-bedroom apartments.

Other Pellerin projects in EAV include three revitalized storefronts on Glenwood Avenue where OxFit gym, OxWork business club, and a fusion coffee shop concept by The Victorian plant purveyor and Bellwood Coffee have opened.

The Flat Shoals project would continue an influx of real estate investment across EAV that’s seen multiple storefronts and lots transformed, as more than 70 townhomes have popped up in three separate projects, claiming underused or vacant properties in recent years.

In the gallery above, find more site context and imagery that lends an idea of what’s to come.

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462 Flat Shoals Avenue SE EAV project LoopNet EAV Gene Kansas Mixed-Use Southern Feed Store The Marbut Gene Kansas Commercial Real Estate Argosy Pellerin Real Estate Urban Infill Atlanta Development Atlanta apartments Commercial Space Mixed-Use Development Economy Paryani Construction

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The first components of vertical construction at the 37-unit, mixed-use project's .65-acre site in East Atlanta Village. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The property in question, at left, in December 2020, with Argosy restaurant and bar just beyond. Google Maps

Overview of the two EAV lots in question with a combined .65 acres. LoopNet

How the site relates to Flat Shoals Avenue near Argosy restaurant and bar.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The site plan with parking behind the building at 456/462 Flat Shoals Avenue. Pellerin Real Estate; designs, TSW architects

Retooled designs for the mixed-use building's facade over Flat Shoals Avenue. Pellerin Real Estate; designs, TSW architects; via LoopNet

Pellerin Real Estate; designs, TSW architects

Subtitle Mix of housing, commercial space scheduled to arrive next year

Neighborhood East Atlanta

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Booming ATL neighborhoods on mission to build bridge, playground Josh Green Fri, 11/17/2023 - 13:26 About three years ago, Boulevard Heights resident Bobbie Spiller decided to put on her philanthropy hat and volunteer for a street-by-street cleanup of the neighborhood next door, Chosewood Park.

Spiller made friends that day, walked for about three miles picking up trash, and had a lightbulb moment alongside other volunteers: From where they stood, in order to get to Chosewood Park’s actually park—a 6-acre, wooded greenspace with a baseball field and tennis and basketball courts—it would require another mile of walking, well out of the way, though the park was within sight.

Spiller, a Keller Knapp Realty real estate consultant, joined the nonprofit Friends of Chosewood Park board, where the idea for a grassroots-funded bridge and other community-boosting amenities began to bounce.

“[The greenspace] is only accessible from the west side of the neighborhood,” says Spiller. “With the new bridge and walking trails, the north, east, and south side of the neighborhood will have much needed access to the park.”

Three years later, the organization has raised more than $3 million from fundraising events, developer donations, city funding, and recent grants from the likes of Park Pride and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. That includes $2.5 million for what they’re calling the Unity Bridge project, a Pond & Company-designed concept “the neighborhood loves but needs more funding for,” says Spiller.

Rendering for what neighbors call the Unity Bridge, a link into the Chosewood Park greenspace off Gault Street SE. Pond & Company; via Friends of Chosewood Park

Chosewood Park, like Boulevard Heights and other neighborhoods south of Grant Park, is being rapidly reshaped by development, with all sections of the BeltLine’s adjacent Southside Trail expected to be under construction next year.

According to Friends of Chosewood Park, the influx of development has created stormwater issues, with runoff now flowing directly into the park. Remediation, according to Spiller, will cost another $1 million. The ultimate goal, she says, is to build a retention pond similar to what’s found at Historic Fourth Ward Park.

“Working in real estate, I wanted to change the narrative that developers just come into the neighborhood, make their money, and leave,” says Spiller. “So I’ve reached out to some of the local developers in Chosewood to help with park improvements.”

Overview of potential playground plans. Friends of Chosewood Park; Integrated Land Design

Friends of Chosewood Park; Integrated Land Design

Grant monies will also go toward building a new playground, for which Spiller’s 3-year-old child helped select final designs. She’s also organizing a “huge” fundraiser for Jan. 24 next year to raise more working capital needed for designs and to apply for grants.

The fundraising goal that day: $100,000.

Overview of developments and greenspace expansion both planned and under construction in Chosewood Park, with proposed roads or extensions in yellow, and potential neighborhood pathways in dotted orange. Friends of Chosewood Park

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Integrated Land + Design Boulevard Heights Chosewood Park Benteen Grassroots Park Pride Friends of Chosewood Park Atlanta Nonprofits Fundraising Keller Knapp Realty Bobbie Spiller Pond & Company Robert W. Woodruff Foundation

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Rendering for what neighbors call the Unity Bridge, a link into the Chosewood Park greenspace off Gault Street SE. Pond & Company; via Friends of Chosewood Park

Overview of potential playground plans. Friends of Chosewood Park; Integrated Land Design

Friends of Chosewood Park; Integrated Land Design

Friends of Chosewood Park; Integrated Land Design

Recent mural update to public space in Chosewood Park. Friends of Chosewood Park

Overview of developments and greenspace expansion both planned and under construction in Chosewood Park, with proposed roads or extensions in yellow, and potential neighborhood pathways in dotted orange. Friends of Chosewood Park

Subtitle Grassroots push raises $3M+ in area with stormwater issues caused by development, leaders say

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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