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Images: Prose-branded project continues Cartersville growth spurt Josh Green Fri, 11/17/2023 - 08:46 A national multifamily developer with projects dotted around metro Atlanta has delivered a housing option in Atlanta’s far northwestern suburbs it calls relatively affordable and surrounded by recreation and employment options. (For OTP renters who don’t mind the prospect of seeing bears, that is.)

Alliance Residential Company announced Thursday that Prose Cartersville has opened in the Interstate 75 corridor, marking the company’s fourth Prose-branded complex in metro Atlanta, following another in Gainesville that debuted last month.

Alliance’s strategy is to position new housing options near areas with high job growth. The developer considers Cartersville one of Atlanta’s fastest-growing suburbs, counting major employers that include Anheuser-Busch, Shaw Industries Group, and Toyo Tires. The area is expected to pack on thousands of additional jobs and more than $500 million in new capital investment over the next few years, per Alliance officials.

With 336 units across eight separate buildings, Prose Cartersville claimed 50 acres at 100 Overlook Parkway. The site is positioned just east of I-75, a few miles northwest of the Cobb County border near Lake Allatoona. Atlanta is located about 30 miles in one direction, and Chattanooga 80 miles in the other, according to Alliance.

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Cartersville's location between Atlanta and Chattanooga in the I-75 corridor. Google Maps

Noah Randall, Alliance’s managing director, pointed to Cartersville’s “distinctive charm” as another selling point in a project announcement this week.

Alliance officials have described Prose Cartersville’s offerings as affordable, workforce housing, with one and two-bedroom rentals averaging 987 square feet of interior space. All apartments include granite countertops, Samsung washers and dryers, wood plank-style floors, and what’s described as “on-trend grey shaker cabinets.”  

The least expensive option listed today is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with 810 square feet for $1,382 monthly.

Available two-bedroom pads with 1,182 square feet top out at $1,705 monthly.

Around the community, amenities include a pet park, pool with sun shelf, coworking spaces, and a clubhouse with a catering kitchen and entertainment lounge.

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Across intown Atlanta, Alliance has delivered apartment projects in Kirkwood, Bolton, Summerhill, and now Grant Park in recent years. The first two Prose-branded projects—Prose Concord in Jefferson and Prose Fairview in Covington—opened last year, and Alliance officials say four more are in the development pipeline in Georgia.

Elsewhere in Bartow County, plans were unveiled last year for an upscale, $16-million RV resort (no, for real) that’s also banking on proximity to I-75, featuring a beach-entry pool, lazy river, airstreams, glamping tents, and pickleball, among other amenities.  

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100 Overlook Parkway Cartersville Prose Cartersville Bartow County Alliance Residential Company Atlanta Development Shaw Industries Group Toyo Tires Anheuser-Busch OTP Chattanooga Interstate 75 Workforce Housing Affordable Housing Arcadia Cartersville Atlanta apartments Atlanta Construction

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Cartersville's location between Atlanta and Chattanooga in the I-75 corridor. Google Maps

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Courtesy of Alliance Residential

Subtitle Active Atlanta developer Alliance Residential aims to capitalize on area's jobs influx

Neighborhood Cartersville

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Officials: Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment takes key step forward Josh Green Thu, 11/16/2023 - 14:41 In a move that’s being called a “transformative step forward” for an iconic but long-dormant piece of Atlanta’s architectural history, Atlanta Housing has struck a formal deal with developers to finally start converting a section of the Atlanta Civic Center into more active uses officials say will boost the neighborhood.

Atlanta Housing’s Board of Commissioners on Wednesday entered a Master Development Agreement, or MDA, with an LLC called Atlanta Civic Center Partners to redevelop 4.36 acres of Performing Arts Center structures and plaza space where Old Fourth Ward meets downtown.  

Permitting documents were also filed with the city’s Office of Buildings this week for work at the Civic Center’s 395 Piedmont Avenue property. Those plans—filed with the Concept Review Committee, a program that allows developers to meet with city staff prior to submitting plans—identify the scope of the project only as “redevelopment of Civic Center phase 1.”

Renovating the historic PAC would mark the first step in a much larger redevelopment of the full property across nearly 19 acres, where a wave of housing and other uses is expected to be built in coming years.

The breakdown of expected Civic Center uses, as seen looking southwest, into the heart of downtown Atlanta. Atlanta Housing

Last year, Atlanta Housing picked national developers The Republic Family of Companies (Washington D.C.-based) and The Michaels Organization (New Jersey-based), alongside Atlanta-based, minority-owned development firm Sophy Capital for the Civic Center redevelopment.

It marked the third time a development team has stepped up to tackle the job since the lights went out at the Civic Center nine long years ago.  

The development team, known collectively as CCP, presented plans for the Civic Center’s PAC section that jibed with Atlanta Housing’s goal to “transform the site into a culturally inclusive destination, bringing together arts, culture, and community intertwined with affordable housing in a mixed-income model,” according to an announcement today.

Specific details weren’t shared, but Atlanta Housing officials say the revived PAC space will meet the needs of a modern-day audience by leveraging partnerships to attract a variety of artists and performers from the community.

Atlanta Housing plans to use the same master developer for the entire property to streamline the process and “provide efficiencies and cost savings with shared resources such as infrastructure and parking,” officials said.

“We have an immense opportunity here to not only preserve a part of Atlanta history but also to empower the community by providing jobs, beautiful community spaces, and access to prime amenities such as a state-of-the art theater,” Eugene E. Jones, Jr., Atlanta Housing president and CEO, said in a prepared statement.

Added Larry Stewart, Atlanta Housing Board of Commissioners chairman: “This initiative returns the performance space to its rightful status as a civic anchor, yet the plans also honor the legacy of Buttermilk Bottom, the storied African-American neighborhood that preceded the Civic Center on these very grounds.”

Aerial of the centerpiece Performing Arts Center, which will be retained. Historic Atlanta; 2018

Atlanta Housing announced in August 2022 the trio of companies was selected to transform the historic Old Fourth Ward property into an ambitious blend of affordable and market-rate housing, retail, offices, education space, and hospitality uses, alongside public-accessible open spaces that could ultimately spell a $1 billion investment.

The development team’s $575 million plan is so large, it would take a decade to fully realize across multiple phases, Atlanta Housing officials said at the time. Beyond new buildings, it would reconnect the area’s street grid and include pedestrian connectivity and public greenspace, while generally emphasizing inclusivity, sustainability and affordability.

In terms of housing, the development team’s plan calls for 1,311 units—or about five times the number of apartments offered a few blocks away at Ponce City Market, according to Atlanta Housing.

More than one-third of those homes (525) would be offered as affordable housing for people earning at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income. The majority of those (305 units) would include Atlanta Housing HomeFlex subsidies, which are typically provided to families earning 60 percent of AMI max, officials have said.

An overview of the area's context, with the full 19-acre Civic Center property outlined in blue. Atlanta Housing

All told, 1.8-million square feet of new mixed-use development, plus a new school, could rise around the Civic Center’s iconic buildings. Plans call for a grocery, structures with rooftop gardens, open spaces and recreational areas, plus a civic square and outdoor zone for local food, according to Atlanta Housing.

The deal goes that Atlanta Housing would enter into a 99-year ground lease with developers and recoup the $41.7 million it paid for the idle Civic Center property in 2017.

The Civic Center, a New Formalist landmark, was designed by Harold Montague of Robert & Co. and opened in 1965 as a home base for arts in the city. The property has hosted the Metropolitan Opera, Theater of the Stars, Atlanta Opera, and more recently television shows such as Steve Harvey’sFamily Feud. It’s been empty and idle, apart from some concerts and events, since 2014.

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395 Piedmont Avenue NE Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center Atlanta Housing The Republic Family of Companies The Michaels Organization Sophy Capital SoNo Downtown Midtown Atlanta Civic Circle Atlanta Civic Center Performing Arts Center Steve Harvey Weingarten Realty Publix SciTrek Science & Technology Museum of Atlanta) Southface Energy Institute Harold Montague of Robert & Co. Atlanta Opera Family Feud Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction

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Broad context of the area in question, looking toward the BeltLine's Eastside Trail. Atlanta Housing

Site breakdown. Atlanta Housing

The breakdown of expected Civic Center uses, as seen looking southwest, into the heart of downtown Atlanta. Atlanta Housing

Aerial of the centerpiece Performing Arts Center, which will be retained. Historic Atlanta; 2018

The PAC and plaza. Atlanta Housing

A peek inside the Performing Arts Center today. Atlanta Housing

An overview of the area's context, with the full 19-acre Civic Center property outlined in blue. Atlanta Housing

The highest density scenario—all hypothetical—as outlined in the RFQ. Atlanta Housing

One relatively dense scenario with an emphasis on new housing. Atlanta Housing

Subtitle Atlanta Housing inks agreement with development group for historic property’s first 4.3 acres

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

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Agent: 1.5 years later, dramatic condo to set Cabbagetown record Josh Green Thu, 11/16/2023 - 14:33 Fans of inimitable Atlanta buildings and interior design have seen one notable loft after another blip the listings radar at Cabbagetown’s Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts—aka, The Stacks—over the years.

But as first profiled on these pages in May 2022, it's doubtful anyone has seen a Stacks unit quite like this. 

Following seismographic price adjustments, Unit E412 is set to close Dec. 15 for a whopping $900,000, marking the highest sale ever at the Cabbagetown adaptive-reuse landmark, according to listing agent Hayden Kelly of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

Naturally, that price would mark the most expensive Cabbagetown condo sold in general in recent years—and likely ever—according to Zillow records.

In fact, only a handful of standalone homes have fetched north of $850,000 in the neighborhood, topped by an “enchanting” circa-1920 property with seven total bedrooms that went for $1.25 million just last month.

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

The overhauled two-story dwelling is the work of renovation pro Alison Victoria, star of certain TV shows we’re not allowed to name. Victoria specializes in transforming long-in-the-tooth historical properties in a certain blustery city where she’s from, and the results are often a striking blend of sexy, restrained modernism and vintage glamour.

Unit E412 at The Stacks is no exception—and it’s clear at a glance that few details weren’t attentively chosen.

Victoria was drawn to Atlanta by friends who live at The Stacks and encouraged her to give the Big Peach a try a few years ago—after which she was sold on the city and the building, according the condo's previous sales reps. 

A pioneering adaptive-reuse project, the 500-unit landmark just east of downtown had originally functioned as a 19th century cotton mill. Transformed into lofts in the 1990s, it withstood a wicked fire in 1999 and a tornado in 2008.

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

After closing on the two-bedroom, two-bathroom loft in question, Victoria hired a team of local vendors and contractors for her first Atlanta flip. The palette was an 1,856-square-foot unit on the fourth floor—the top level, with views of the complex’s courtyard and iconic water tower—until an extension of the mezzanine brought the space closer to 1,950 square feet.  

The loft underwent a full personality switch, beginning with the walls and ceiling being painted bright white to make the airy space feel even more vast. The original asking price was $899,000 last year—but that soon ticked up to $949,999. 

The iron staircase—a common motif in the building—was reconfigured for more kitchen space, with a blown-glass finial rolled in 24-karat gold leaf added for drama. The kitchen now includes a built-in, peek-a-boo espresso machine and artistic, focal-point range hood.

Victoria took a cramped closet and bathroom in the upstairs primary suite and added a custom, walk-through storage system, oversized shower, and freestanding tub punctuated by aesthetically appropriate brass fixtures.

Back downstairs, a custom banquette flanked by a beefy built-in shelving system adds functionality and flair. Ditto for the towering industrial windows.

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

“This is a one-of-a-kind home in a one-of-a-kind community full of history, uniqueness, and character, designed by a top designer,” the original sales team told Urbanize Atlanta last year. “She took a loft that was full of potential and made it into a home that's elevated and luxurious, blending it seamlessly with the essence and architectural characteristics of The Stacks."

Find a thorough tour in the gallery above.  

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170 Boulevard SE Unit E412 Alison Victoria HGTV Compass Adaptive-Reuse Windy City Rehab The Stacks Atlanta Condos Interior Design Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts Historic Preservation Atlanta Lofts Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

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Exterior of the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills, a Cabbagetown landmark with sections that date to 1885. Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Entry to the two-bedroom unit expanded to 1,936 square feet.Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

“The iron spiral staircase features an antique, solid metal newel post topped with a one-of-a-kind, blown-glass finial rolled in 24-karat gold leaf,” previous listing agent Armando Morales noted in 2022. Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

The location counts a solid 81 Walk Score, aided by proximity to the BeltLine's Eastside Trail a few blocks away. Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Photography by Bartolotti Media; courtesy of Compass

Subtitle Towering Stacks Lofts unit was overhauled by HGTV designer Alison Victoria

Neighborhood Cabbagetown

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Safe streets overhaul of South Boulevard shows signs of life Josh Green Thu, 11/16/2023 - 08:43 As chronicled on these pages time and again, there’s a residential explosion afoot along Boulevard, south of Zoo Atlanta. Be it BeltLine-fronting apartments in Grant Park, townhomes in Benteen, or what’s practically a new small town under construction in Chosewood Park, all signs point to a population influx on the horizon.

A means of more safely getting those people between points of interest without the use of vehicles is coming into clearer focus, following several years of planning.

According to the Grant Park Neighborhood Association, the Atlanta Department of Transportation and district city councilmember Jason Winston are hosting a South Boulevard Complete Streets info meeting for the general public at 6 p.m. this evening at the Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center (250 Georgia Ave.).

Project officials will be providing updates and soliciting input for a safe streets project of significant scale—stretching from just south of Oakland Cemetery on the north end (Woodward Avenue) to McDonough Boulevard at the south terminus, at the doorstep of Atlanta’s federal prison—that could be open for use in about two years, should projections prove accurate.

Full scope of South Boulevard's planned safe streets overhaul from north of Interstate 20 to McDonough Boulevard. Atlanta Department of Transportation

Plans call for the Complete Streets initiative to stretch for more than two miles through Grant Park, Boulevard Heights, Chosewood Park, and Benteen, providing a safer connection to the Atlanta BeltLine by way of protected bike lanes and better pedestrian infrastructure. (Alongside Moreland Avenue, Boulevard is one of the straightest major road corridors in Atlanta, FWIW.)

Other points of interest along the route include Zoo Atlanta, Grant Park, Boulevard Crossing Park, Red’s Beer Garden, and El Progresso #14 (aka, Prison Tacos).

The full South Boulevard project remains in the preconstruction phase now, with procurement and construction to follow.

Tentative plans for Complete Streets implementation where Boulevard meets the BeltLine's Southside Trail. City of Atlanta; 2021

According to ATLDOT estimations, the project’s design phase is tentatively scheduled to conclude in August next year.

Construction will start in January 2025 and finish in December that year, per ATLDOT.

On a related note, the paved BeltLine is on pace to finally reach Boulevard in the spring of 2025, stretching via Southside Trail segments 4 and 5 from Boulevard up to Glenwood Park.

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South Boulevard Atlanta Bicycling Southside Trail Boulevard Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Zoo Atlanta Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Complete Streets Pedestrian Safety

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Full scope of South Boulevard's planned safe streets overhaul from north of Interstate 20 to McDonough Boulevard. Atlanta Department of Transportation

Tentative plans for Complete Streets implementation where Boulevard meets the BeltLine's Southside Trail. City of Atlanta; 2021

Subtitle Project will link several neighborhoods, Zoo Atlanta to forthcoming BeltLine

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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Images: Digital signage pitched for iconic torch over Connector Josh Green Wed, 11/15/2023 - 15:27 Plans are percolating to turn one of Atlanta’s most recognizable Olympics relics into a flashy billboard.

But that vision for the Centennial Tower at 70 3rd Street—colloquially known as torch tower, or the torch—encountered some resistance from Midtown development arbiters this week.

Standing for nearly 30 years between the 15-lane Connector expressway, an alley, and The Varsity’s parking lots, the 123-foot-tall Centennial Tower was erected as a climbable tourist attraction by late developer Taz Anderson in advance of the 1996 Summer Olympics. 

The tower's defining feature: a metal flame in full blaze, standing about 20 feet tall atop the structure.

A team that includes Atlanta-based Smallwood architecture is proposing alterations to the tower that would renovate an 1,800-square-foot, cylindrical building at its base and apply a ring of digital signage closer to the old observation deck and torch.

How the Centennial Tower appears today over the downtown Connector. Google Maps

Rendering illustrating how digital signage could wrap the recognizable structure. Smallwood; via Midtown Alliance

The digital signage would be static, according to plans filed with the Midtown Development Review Committee, but visible to hundreds of thousands of motorists per day on the Connector. Plans indicate a conversion of part of the property would allow for an office and visitor ticketing uses. 

Midtown DRC members raised concerns during Tuesday’s monthly meeting that the project, as proposed, isn’t practical for office and ticketing uses and doesn’t meet applicable code.

DRC members raised concerns the proposed signage conflicts with the city’s ordinance prohibiting signs above roofs and allowing only “signature signs” on buildings standing four or more stories, according to a meeting recap.

The tower's base near The Varsity as seen in 2017. Google Maps

The size of proposed signage “greatly exceeds” what’s allowed by the city ordinance, which limits signs to only 5 percent of the area of walls they’re affixed to, the DRC noted.

DRC members plan to ask city staff to review signage plans to determined exactly what’s allowed. They also requested updated plans regarding proposed security fencing around the tower’s base.

All plans are expected to come up for review again at a future DRC meeting.

Initial plans for the digital wrap beneath the torch portion. Smallwood; via Midtown Alliance

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70 3rd Street Centennial Tower Schreeder Wheeler & Flint Midtown Alliance The Varsity Midtown Torch Downtown Connector Midtown Development Review Committee Atlanta Landmarks Smallwood

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How the Centennial Tower appears today over the downtown Connector. Google Maps

The tower's base near The Varsity as seen in 2017. Google Maps

Rendering illustrating how digital signage could wrap the recognizable structure. Smallwood; via Midtown Alliance

Initial plans for the digital wrap beneath the torch portion. Smallwood; via Midtown Alliance

Subtitle Not so fast, says Midtown DRC

Neighborhood Downtown

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Redevelopment of century-old warehouses moves forward downtown Josh Green Wed, 11/15/2023 - 13:29 Georgia Tech’s westward expansion is again showing signs of life.

A rezoning application filed this week with the city indicates Georgia Tech’s remake of the former Randall Brothers Construction Materials headquarters—a century-old complex at 665 Marietta Street—is beginning to move forward.  

The 7.5-acre property is located where North Avenue meets Marietta Street, a few steps north of downtown and directly west of Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech officials have said an arts-focused redevelopment will replace the longstanding building supply company.

Paperwork filed with the city’s Concept Review Committee indicates the project would see mixed-use development with “multifamily, dormitory, hotel, office, and commercial uses.”

Brickwork on a main warehouse structure along Marietta Street. Google Maps

How the 7.5-acre property long owned by Randall Brothers Construction Materials relates to Marietta Street, Coca-Cola's complex, and campus.Google Maps

The adaptive-reuse project would continue Georgia Tech’s growth spurt on the western rim of campus and beyond, where the university’s first new student housing since 2005 is planned and the Science Square project topped out earlier this year.

According to paperwork filed with the City of Atlanta Office of Buildings, the Marietta Street development team is seeking to have the former warehouse property rezoned from industrial uses (I-1) to mixed-use (MRC-3).  

Randall Brothers initially put the Marietta Street property up for sale in early 2018, citing the area’s post-Olympics boom and rise in property value during the current long development cycle. In November that year, Georgia Tech Foundation paid $36 million for the 7.5-acre property, noting that its bones and adaptive-reuse potential echo two success stories on the flipside of downtown: Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market.

The 665 Marietta Street warehouse site in relation to Georgia Tech, the downtown Connector, and other landmarks. Google Maps

The 7.5-acre cluster of warehouses, at left, with downtown ahead in the distance. Google Maps

We’ve reached out to a project representative for more information on the project’s scope and a potential groundbreaking. This story will be updated with any further information that comes.

After selling the Marietta Street property, Randall Brothers relocated its Atlanta facility to an overhauled headquarters building overlooking Atlanta Road near Interstate 285.

General overview of how ongoing redevelopment projects in the area west of Georgia Tech's main campus could come together over the next few years. Georgia Tech

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665 Marietta Street NW Randall Brothers Construction Materials Randall Brothers Development Georgia Tech Georgia Institute of Technology Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive Reuse Marietta Street Downtown Atlanta Hotels Atlanta Development Troutman Pepper Troutman Pepper Hamilton

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The 665 Marietta Street warehouse site in relation to Georgia Tech, the downtown Connector, and other landmarks. Google Maps

How the 7.5-acre property long owned by Randall Brothers Construction Materials relates to Marietta Street, Coca-Cola's complex, and campus.Google Maps

Brickwork on a main warehouse structure along Marietta Street. Google Maps

General overview of how ongoing redevelopment projects in the area west of Georgia Tech's main campus could come together over the next few years. Georgia Tech

The 7.5-acre cluster of warehouses, at left, with downtown ahead in the distance. Google Maps

Subtitle Paperwork filed with city for Georgia Tech’s expansion to former Randall Brothers headquarters

Neighborhood Georgia Tech

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West of Midtown, 3 Palms project is fresh take on midcentury modern Josh Green Wed, 11/15/2023 - 08:08 A trio of distinctive new homes claiming an empty corner lot west of Atlantic Station is clearly taking design cues from midcentury-modern immortals such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra. 

But it’s Joseph Eichler’s democratization of midcentury modern homes—a philosophy that delivered style to the masses at approachable prices—that’s really guiding a project collectively known as 3 Palms, according to developer Wole Oyenuga, the co-principal of Urban Oasis Development and Sims Real Estate Group CEO.

“Our intention is that this will be the first of thousands [of similar homes] and will open the door to a new, elevated kind of living,” Oyenuga tells Urbanize Atlanta. “[They’re] designed to blur the lines between inside and outside… through open courtyards, patios, and windows allowing the body and the mind to see and experience nature and natural light.”

Sample facade and parking arrangement at 3 Palms. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Example of internal courtyards provided with each home. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Designed by the Xmetrical architecture firm, which has active projects dotted across the city, 3 Palms is described as “Atlanta’s Modern Dream” in the city’s “trendiest zip code—30318” in marketing materials.

Each dwelling fronts Abner Place in the Carver Hills neighborhood of Atlanta’s so-called Upper Westside, neighboring places such as Blandtown, Bolton, and Scotts Crossing.  

Oyenuga says all three homes—three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,650 square feet each—will be completed and on the market in early December, priced in the high $500,000s.

The first option listed earlier this month, priced at $599,999—the ceiling of the $500,000s indeed.

How the trio of throwback-modern dwellings front Abner Place. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

The 3 Palms project's Abner Place location west of Midtown in the Carver Hills neighborhood. Google Maps

With bold roof lines, interior courtyards, clerestory windows, and ceilings up to 13 feet (not to mention the project’s name), the goal at 3 Palms was to evoke the easy-breezy, livable feel of Palm Springs. According to the development team, the properties will be the only net-zero ready homes on the Atlanta market priced less than $1 million.

Each is wired for two EV charging stations and optional solar panels, wrapped in specialized insulation with low-energy appliances inside, among other energy-efficient features, per Oyenuga. 

“We started by asking ourselves the question: How do we design a house that can truly make someone’s life better? A home that will actually improve your health, your mental state, and work in concert with the environment?” Oyenuga wrote via email. “What if we could build a house that had the potential to create more ‘clean’ energy than it used? And what if, visually, it was livable art? These homes are the result of those questions.”

See for yourself in the gallery above.  

Interior buildout progress with clerestory windows over the kitchen. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

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2115 Abner Place NW 3 Palms Urban Oasis Development Sims Real Estate Group Carver Hills Blandtown Bolton Scotts Crossing Upper Westside Joseph Eichler Keller Knapp Realty Midcentury Midcentury Modern Midcentury design Interior Design Atlanta homes Atlanta Home Design Atlanta Homes for Sale Xmetrical

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The 3 Palms project's Abner Place location west of Midtown in the Carver Hills neighborhood. Google Maps

How the trio of throwback-modern dwellings front Abner Place. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Sample facade and parking arrangement at 3 Palms. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Example of internal courtyards provided with each home. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Back patios and yards. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

A recent photo showing exterior construction progress at 3 Palms. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Interior buildout progress with clerestory windows over the kitchen. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

The project's branding in listings. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Sample floorplan at 3 Palms. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Attractions in the area include Westside Park, Proctor Creek Greenway, and the forthcoming BeltLine Northwest Trail. 3 Palms/ Urban Oasis Development/Sims Real Estate Group; via Keller Knapp Realty; designs, Xmetrical

Subtitle Trio of throwback residences called “Atlanta’s Modern Dream”

Neighborhood Blandtown

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In shadow of Atlanta airport, relatively inexpensive homes pop up Josh Green Tue, 11/14/2023 - 14:33 A townhome project taking shape just up the road from the world’s busiest airport is offering new-home prices lower than many found around the ITP universe, provided homebuyers don’t expect to walk everywhere.

Called Monticello, the DRB Homes venture is coming to market in the Glenrose Heights neighborhood, just east of Interstate 75 and Hapeville. Downtown Atlanta is about seven miles directly north.  

According to marketing materials, $10,000 builder incentives are on the table now, in addition to other perks, for this “incredible opportunity” where “your dream home awaits today!”

The Monticello site plan indicates 169 units will eventually be built along a new roadway carved into the long, deep site off Empire Boulevard, about two miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.  

Listing records indicate at least 10 units are under contract now at Monticello.

The Monticello project's proximity to downtown, Hapeville, and the ATL airport. Google Maps

Example of finished Monticello facades. DRB Homes/Monticello

Alongside sub-$10 rideshares to the airport, the chief draw here is new product priced at roughly half what townhomes of comparable sizes are going for in more centralized neighborhoods. Each Monticello townhouse has three stories and either three or four bedrooms and two to three and ½ bathrooms.

Prices today are starting from $317,090, which gets 1,941 square feet and—like each home—a one-car garage at base level.

The priciest four-bedroom listings at the moment are asking $330,570. HOA fees are listed in the $160 range monthly, which takes care of exterior maintenance and groundskeeping.  

The Monticello site plan off Empire Boulevard, at left. DRB Homes/Monticello

Perks in the community include in-home game rooms, quartz countertops, his and her walk-in closets, and covered back patios.  

The “Car Dependent” Walk Score of 25 won’t earn many non-driver fans—and ditto for the low 15 Bike Score. But if airport access and lower mortgage notes top a buyer’s wish list, that may not matter so much.

Find a closer look in the gallery above.   

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60 Werner Brook Way SW Empire Boulevard at Werner Brook Way Monticello Brookgreen Glenrose Heights Orchard Knob Hapeville DRB Homes DRB Elevate Atlanta Townhomes Atlanta Homes for Sale Homes For sale Atlanta Airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta Construction Empire Boulevard

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The Monticello project's proximity to downtown, Hapeville, and the ATL airport. Google Maps

The Monticello site plan off Empire Boulevard, at left. DRB Homes/Monticello

Example of finished Monticello facades. DRB Homes/Monticello

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Subtitle Large-scale Monticello townhouse project is priced from low $300Ks

Neighborhood Southside

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ATL’s first regional-transit trip app launches, called ‘game changer’ Josh Green Tue, 11/14/2023 - 11:00 There’s good news afoot for metro Atlantans who’ve wanted to, say, catch an afternoon Braves game, swing from South Downtown to Stone Mountain, or swoop into the airport without driving to those places or paying for rideshare. 

ATL Rides—a means of planning regional trips on transit via smartphones that’s being called “a game changer for Atlanta commuters”—is now real.

Officials with Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, or ATL, on Monday announced the region’s first transit trip planning app is available for download, following months of Beta testing that started in the spring.

The goal of the new ATL Rides technology is simple (in a balkanized region where transit connections often aren’t): To enable transit customers to plan seamless trips, by way of a one-stop-shop app, for crossing systems in 13 counties operated by six different agencies.

Those include Xpress, MARTA, Ride Gwinnett, CobbLinc, Connect Douglas, and the Cherokee Area Transit System, or CATS.

The service is free and quick (based on our test runs), and it’s extra handy in immediately providing total fare costs for each trip. Not being in a hurry, in most cases, will probably boost user satisfaction. 

An official online ad for the new service (click tab not enabled). ATL Rides

ATL officials say the navigation app differentiates itself from others, such as Google Maps, by providing updated route information, including bus and train arrival times, sourced directly from each transit agency. Another feature allows passengers with disabilities to select only wheelchair-accessible routes.

Upgrades to the app in the future will include on-demand services such as paratransit and micromobility options, including scooter and bike share, officials say.

ATL has been working since 2019 on a means of removing barriers for regional transit users and providing the info they need to make trips work. A limited number of users were invited to test ATL Rides and report back during the Beta phase this year, a process the agency calls successful.

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The app project was funded by a $20.3 million grant awarded in 2020 from the Federal Transit Administration’s Integrated Mobility Innovation program, with the state providing about $200,000 in matching funds. ATL was one of 25 recipients selected from 104 agencies that were eligible.

“The development of ATL Rides is the culmination of the strong partnership between these six transit agencies in the metro Atlanta area,” Jannine Miller, ATL executive director, said in a Monday announcement. “Creating and launching this new app is a result of a new level of coordination across the region’s transit agencies.”

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An official online ad for the new service (click tab not enabled). ATL Rides

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Subtitle Need to go from, say, Brookhaven to The Battery? There's now an app for that

Neighborhood Citywide

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Build-to-rent community near Trilith scores green light Josh Green Mon, 11/13/2023 - 14:19 A project that aims to continue metro Atlanta’s trend of build-to-rent housing and the building boom around Fayetteville has the green-light to move forward.

Alpharetta-based Parkland Communities recently secured zoning approval to develop 124 rental townhomes in Fayetteville’s Morgan Park, located within walking distance of the city’s historic downtown. The growing Trilith studio complex and mixed-use mini city is located about four and ½ miles to the northwest.

Parkland reps say Morgan Park, as the townhome project is called, will claim a 9.3-acre site where E. Lanier Avenue meets Booker Avenue and create “attainable housing options for the metro Atlanta area.”

The Morgan Park site location (in red) in proximity to downtown Fayetteville, Trilith (top left), and other local attractions such as Zac Brown's Camp Southern Ground (bottom left).Google Maps

Planned layout of the 124-unit community with a town green centerpiece. Courtesy of Parkland Communities

“With Morgan Park,” Parkland Communities president Jim Jacobi said in a project announcement, “we envision creating a community within a parklike setting that offers all the amenities that downtown Fayetteville has to offer.”

Beyond walkability, that will include “a picturesque town green” meant to serve as the project’s communal heart, plus a pool, cabana, mail kiosk, and what’s described as a state-of-the-art amenity center in a clubhouse.

Rents at Morgan Park will start at $2,400 monthly, to include all maintenance, according to Parkland reps.

Options will range from two-bedroom townhomes with 1,636 square feet up to three-bedroom units with 1,958 square feet, two and ½ bathrooms, and a loft. Each will include a rear-entry, one-car garage and covered outdoor living space.

Should plans come to fruition, Morgan Park will come together about 23 miles from downtown Atlanta.

The Parkland Communities' project site in relation to the rest of south OTP Atlanta. Google Maps

Elsewhere in the metro, the BTR model has drawn criticism for claiming available land that could have gone to for-sale housing, where first-time homebuyers especially could start to build wealth via equity. Advocates say the housing type allows occupants more flexibility and lower costs in many cases than traditional mortgages.

Other Parkland Communities projects in the works include a sprawling Stonecrest community east of Atlanta. That’s being marketed as a renting and buying option for the expected 7,500 future employees at EV carmaker Rivian’s under-construction manufacturing plant.

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E. Lanier Avenue and Booker Avenue Morgan Park Parkland Communities Atlanta Townhomes Atlanta Homes for Rent OTP Fayette County Trilith Build-to-Rent BTR Downtown Fayetteville

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The Parkland Communities' project site in relation to the rest of south OTP Atlanta. Google Maps

Planned layout of the 124-unit community with a town green centerpiece. Courtesy of Parkland Communities

The Morgan Park site location (in red) in proximity to downtown Fayetteville, Trilith (top left), and other local attractions such as Zac Brown's Camp Southern Ground (bottom left).Google Maps

Subtitle Fayetteville townhome project to span 9 acres, include ‘picturesque town green,’ rents from $2,400

Neighborhood Fayetteville

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Next to Busy Bee Cafe, mix of housing and retail enters pipeline Josh Green Mon, 11/13/2023 - 12:56 A mixed-use development is in the works that would claim a corner near an iconic restaurant and some of Atlanta’s most storied universities.

The four-story proposal would rise at 780 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW at Atlanta University Center, just south of Vine City and west of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The location is also one block east of legendary soul food restaurant Busy Bee Café, on the same side of the street, according to an application for mixed-use rezoning filed last month by New Market Hospitality.

The 780 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW property in question next to Busy Bee Cafe. Google Maps

Plans for retail and residences where the proposal's north facade meets MLK Jr. Drive. Goode Van Slyke Architecture; via New Market

Clad in brick, metal, and fiber-cement board meant to give the appearance of wood, the 16,581-square-foot building would see retail space at its base fronting MLK Jr. Drive. Above that would be 16 units of student housing, according to plans drawn up by Goode Van Slyke Architecture.

The project would replace a one-story building and empty lot at the southwest corner of MLK Jr. Drive and James P. Brawley Drive. No healthy trees are expected to be removed for redevelopment, the application notes.

The proposal is seeking rezoning from the SPI-4 SA4 classification to SPI-4 SA12 to allow for more density.

Plans for the east facade toward downtown. Goode Van Slyke Architecture; via New Market

Site plan illustrating how the building would front MLK Jr. Drive (top) at the AUC corner. Goode Van Slyke Architecture; via New Market

Blueprints filed with the city indicate the building would include about 3,300 square feet of retail at ground level.

A rezoning hearing for the project is scheduled Jan. 4 next year, according to the Department of City Planning.  

A one-story building today at the southwest corner of MLK Jr. Drive and James P. Brawley Drive.Google Maps

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The 780 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW property in question next to Busy Bee Cafe. Google Maps

A one-story building today at the southwest corner of MLK Jr. Drive and James P. Brawley Drive.Google Maps

Site plan illustrating how the building would front MLK Jr. Drive (top) at the AUC corner. Goode Van Slyke Architecture; via New Market

Plans for retail and residences where the proposal's north facade meets MLK Jr. Drive. Goode Van Slyke Architecture; via New Market

Plans for the east facade toward downtown. Goode Van Slyke Architecture; via New Market

Subtitle Martin Luther King Jr. Drive project seeks rezoning just west of downtown Atlanta

Neighborhood Vine City

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Unique, boutique residential project floated near Westside BeltLine Josh Green Mon, 11/13/2023 - 08:20 Design plans you don’t typically see in intown neighborhoods are being floated to boost density on a site near two Atlanta BeltLine trails.

Totaling about 1/6th of an acre, the property in question occupies a corner lot at 1102 Metropolitan Parkway in Pittsburgh. That’s about two blocks due east of the BeltLine’s Westside Trail, or three blocks north of the Southside Trail

Google Maps imagery indicates the existing, boarded-up home structure onsite has been vacant since at least 2011.

According to plans being floated by AMR Property Management, special planning permits have been approved in this BeltLine overlay district for turning the existing residential building into two units and adding a duplex behind it.

The asking price for the current property and those plans: $399,000.

The shuttered former residence onsite in January where Metropolitan Parkway meets Mayland Avenue. Google Maps

Metropolitan Parkway frontage, with a new duplex shown behind the existing structure. AMR Property Management

The concept is “ripe for experienced builders to deliver great R.O.I.” with “amazing profit potential!” according to marketing materials.

But let’s have a closer look.

According to listings, current approved plans would allow for 6,495 square feet of living space total, or four units with 10 total bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

Divided evenly, that would make for four residences with about 1,620 square feet each.

Building permit documents don’t specify whether the four homes would be for sale or rent. But listings that have emerged in the past few days estimate each unit could fetch $450,000, for a total of $1.8 million if the full complex was sold.

“With so many bedrooms and units, [there’s also] potential to keep for amazing rental income!” notes the listings spiel. “Seller is including architectural and structural fees to deliver the project in shovel-ready condition.”

The Pittsburgh corner property in relation to the BeltLine, Adair Park I, and other landmarks. Google Maps

AMR Property Management

The plans pertain to the northeast corner of where Metropolitan Parkway meets Mayland Avenue. Other attractions in the area include the Pittsburgh Yards jobs hub, the Adair Park I greenspace, and the adaptive-reuse Academy Lofts, now home to a Switchyards coworking space.

The Walk Score for the address lands at a “Somewhat Walkable” 66, while the 60 Bike Score is considered bikeable indeed.

Records indicate the property itself last traded in May 2022 for $245,000.

Find a preview of what the next incarnation could be, per listings, in the gallery above.

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How the 1102 Metropolitan Parkway site relates to downtown and other landmarks. Google Maps

The Pittsburgh corner property in relation to the BeltLine, Adair Park I, and other landmarks. Google Maps

The shuttered former residence onsite in January where Metropolitan Parkway meets Mayland Avenue. Google Maps

Metropolitan Parkway frontage, with a new duplex shown behind the existing structure. AMR Property Management

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Subtitle Plans in Pittsburgh call for four homes on corner property where one stands today

Neighborhood Pittsburgh

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