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At Portman's massive Midtown build, demo to set stage for next phase Josh Green Thu, 10/19/2023 - 08:22 Another demolition project is in the cards for one of Midtown’s most rapidly changing streets, but it won’t necessarily signal the beginning of another big project.

As eagle-eyed readers have noticed, Portman Holdings recently filed for demolition permits to raze two low-rise buildings at 1050 and 1056 Spring Street, where the third building of Portman’s massive Spring Quarter project has been planned for years.

The boarded-up, former residential building at 1050 Spring was most recently home to the Golden and Malachi law firm. The nondescript, one-story brick structure immediately to its north will also be demolished, pending city approval.

Portman reps tell Urbanize Atlanta the demo is moving forward for safety and liability reasons in relation to the larger Spring Quarter project, which is currently transforming a block in Midtown where 10th Street meets the Connector expressway. 

Spring Quarter construction progress as of last month and the two properties set for demolition. Google Maps

Since Spring Quarter’s inception, Portman’s plans for the northernmost section of the Spring Street site, where the demolition is planned, have called for the shortest of three new towers.

That was initially planned to be a hotel, but during a tour this past spring, Portman officials said they were leaning toward high-end residential instead.

Those plans being finalized is “still a ways out” as the future of that parcel is “still very much TBD,” and no timeline for construction has been established, the Portman rep said this week.

View from the Sora apartments toward the properties set for Spring Quarter's third phase, as seen this past spring. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

On the flipside of Midtown, Portman made news in August by tapping the brakes and drastically shrinking its plans for a multi-block redo of Ponce de Leon Avenue, citing today’s challenging financing markets and other factors. Elsewhere, the company recently declared finished its first BeltLine project, Junction Krog District, and unveiled placeholder plans for a redeveloped Amsterdam Walk.

Back on Spring Street, Portman Residential’s 30-story luxury apartment tower, Sora at Spring Quarter, topped out in April and has since started leasing.

That building will include 370 apartments—all of them designated as “luxury” grade—and roughly 11,000 square feet of retail. The retail will be arranged in spaces at street level and in a public paseo (a European-style, pedestrian alleyway, that is) linking Sora with the historic H.M. Patterson & Sons-Spring Hill Chapel next door. The mortuary is being converted into a restaurant with a single operator, along with offshoot lounges and an events space, officials said earlier this year.

Alongside Sora, the 1020 Spring office tower broke ground in early 2022 and continues to rise toward an eventual height of 25 total stories.

That 528,000-square-foot building will include 8,000 square feet of retail at its base and a centerpiece restaurant with an elevator to an eighth-floor patio overlooking Georgia Tech and Atlantic Station.

All facets under construction now are expected to be finished in the third quarter of next year, Portman officials have said.

The upscale Sora tower, at left, the mortuary, and 1020 Spring offices.Courtesy of Portman

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• Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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1000 Spring Street NW Portman Chapel Sora at Spring Quarter 1000 Spring Spring Quarter 1020 Spring Philip Trammell Shutze Portman Holdings Portman Residential National Real Estate Advisors 10th Street Fogarty Finger Cooper Carry JE Dunn H.M. Patterson House Midtown Alliance Connector Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Spring Hill Chapel H.M. Patterson & Sons-Spring Hill Chapel Atlanta Restaurants Atlanta History Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive-Reuse Historical Preservation Historic Atlanta Kimley-Horn Kimley-Horn & Associates

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Spring Quarter construction progress as of last month and the two properties set for demolition. Google Maps

View from the Sora apartments toward the properties set for Spring Quarter's third phase, as seen this past spring. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The upscale Sora tower, at left, the mortuary, and 1020 Spring offices.Courtesy of Portman

Subtitle But when that might come for Spring Quarter project is anyone's guess

Neighborhood Midtown

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Cobb County city’s first new apartments in decades debut Josh Green Wed, 10/18/2023 - 16:04 A seasoned Atlanta developer has officially cut the ribbon on what’s being called the first upscale renting options—and the first new apartments of any kind—in a growing Cobb County city with ambitions of becoming more of a regional player.

Selig Enterprises officials say the 10-building Heartwood Powder Springs project is unlike anything else in the Powder Springs submarket, marking the area’s first new multifamily community in about 20 years.

It also marks Selig’s first multifamily project outside the City of Atlanta

The 300-unit complex is located at 4493 Brownsville Road off U.S. Highway 278, just south of Powder Springs’ downtown and the city’s prized connections to the Silver Comet Trail.

Located in southwest Cobb, Powder Springs counts an estimated population of 17,000 today that’s more than 21 percent larger than in 2010.

The Heartwood Powder Springs main amenities area. Courtesy of Selig Enterprises

The 10-building community’s 4493 Brownsville Road location is billed as being less than 30 minutes from Atlanta and near the Silver Comet Trail. Google Maps

Greg Lewis, Selig’s senior vice president of development, said the goal with Heartwood is to satisfy unmet demand for upscale renting options by “elevating garden-style living” in Powder Springs. The first resident move-ins for one, two, and three-bedroom apartments are scheduled this month, per a project announcement. 

Perks include 5 acres of greenspace, an obligatory pickleball court, walking trails, a game room, an indoor/outdoor bar, a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse with coworking spaces, and a swimming pool described as resort-quality.  

So what’s it cost to live there?

Rents start at $1,657 monthly for one-bedroom, one-bathroom units with 752 square feet.

The largest options—three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,439 square feet—cost $2,464 monthly and up.

The Powder Springs project marks the debut of the Heartwood brand, which Selig now hopes to expand into other suburban markets, according to company officials.

Courtesy of Selig Enterprises

Powder Springs longtime Mayor Al Thurmond (in hat) cutting the ribbon on Heartwood Powder Springs alongside Selig officials this month. Courtesy of Selig Enterprises

Partners in the project include RangeWater Residential (leasing and property management), True North Companies (general contractor), and Silver Studio (architect).

Closer to Atlanta’s core, Selig also recently deliver the 306-unit multifamily community Westbound at the Works as part of the broader adaptive-reuse district in Underwood Hills.

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• Powder Springs news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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4493 Brownsville Road Heartwood Powder Springs Cobb County Selig Enterprises Cobb County Development Cobb County Construction RangeWater Residential True North Companies Silver Studio SilverCap Partners Wells Fargo Bank Atlanta apartments

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The 10-building community’s 4493 Brownsville Road location is billed as being less than 30 minutes from Atlanta and near the Silver Comet Trail. Google Maps

The Heartwood Powder Springs main amenities area. Courtesy of Selig Enterprises

Courtesy of Selig Enterprises

Powder Springs longtime Mayor Al Thurmond (in hat) cutting the ribbon on Heartwood Powder Springs alongside Selig officials this month. Courtesy of Selig Enterprises

Subtitle Selig Enterprises’ 10-building Heartwood Powder Springs geared toward accommodating growth

Neighborhood Powder Springs

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First look: A ‘mini Serenbe’ is taking shape around ITP Atlanta farm Josh Green Wed, 10/18/2023 - 12:48 Most Atlantans don’t associate working farms—or actual farmers—with anything ITP.

But that’s exactly what’s coming together in the Briarcliff Woods community in northeast Atlanta, just east of the point where Interstate 85 meets Clairmont Road, north of Emory University.

Tucked at the end of a wooded drive off Briarcliff Road, an 8.7-acre project called Pendergrast Farm is building a variety of housing and communal spaces with the goal of blending “farm-to-table living with urban convenience,” or what project reps are calling a “mini Serenbe, but intown.”

Plans call for 20 energy-efficient residences overlooking a 1-acre working farm, with a half-mile trail system, meadows, and other features tucked around the site.

Pendergrast Farm's James Alley location in northeast Atlanta near Interstate 85. Google Maps

Plans for the finished residential buildout. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm; Nicolae Trifu architecture

According to developer Healthy House of Georgia, 70 percent of the DeKalb County site will be preserved, to include 5 and ½ acres of woods. A full-time professional farmer will live on site and help residents grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers while leading educational walks and kids’ activities, according to project officials.

Pendergrast Farm’s overarching goal is to "set a new standard for sustainable living within Atlanta’s Perimeter,” while preserving “the last key remnant of farm and woodland on Briarcliff Road,” per marketing materials.

A site plan indicates homes will range between 1,600 and 3,000 square feet with garage options and courtyards.

Site plan for the 8.7-acre property with gardens, woodlands, meadows, and a trail system. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

What’s available now are three built homes on the larger end of that spectrum, priced from $1.27 million, while others are under construction and custom plans are ready. The least expensive unsold option, homesite three, counts five bedrooms and four bathrooms over a two-car garage.

According to Dennis McConnell, Healthy House of Georgia president, each home is solar-panel ready, wired for EV charging stations, and rated as using 50 percent less energy than comparable new housing built to current codes.

“I came out of retirement to build this one-of-a-kind conservation community,” McConnell noted in a project announcement, “that seamlessly blends the beauty of nature with the convenience of city living." 

Existing housing at Pendergrast Farm today. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Other Pendergrast Farm amenities will include a communal saltwater pool, central green, and a Common House where wine tastings, exercise classes, book clubs, and exercise classes are planned.

Find more context, site plans, and photos in the gallery above.

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2155 James Alley Pendergrast Farm Briarcliff Woods Healthy House of Georgia Emory University Atlanta Farms Sustainable Living Atlanta homes HERS rating Atlanta Housing Atlanta Homes for Sale Homes For sale Interior Design Nicolae Trifu sustainability Sustainable housing sustainable planned community

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Pendergrast Farm's James Alley location in northeast Atlanta near Interstate 85. Google Maps

A closer look at the community's location in Briarcliff Woods. Google Maps

Plans for the finished residential buildout. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm; Nicolae Trifu architecture

Site plan for the 8.7-acre property with gardens, woodlands, meadows, and a trail system. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Existing housing at Pendergrast Farm today. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

The least expensive finished home currently available at Pendergrast Farm is the 3,000-square-foot, $1.27-million homesite three. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm; Nicolae Trifu architecture

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm; Nicolae Trifu architecture

Example of facade designs planned at Pendergrast Farms; other designs are under construction now. Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Courtesy of Pendergrast Farm

Subtitle Pendergrast Farm project targets "new standard for sustainable living within Atlanta’s Perimeter"

Neighborhood North Druid Hills

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Images: Reynoldstown block doing its best Brooklyn impression Josh Green Wed, 10/18/2023 - 08:19 The feel and functionality of blocks constituting Reynoldstown’s Atlanta BeltLine frontage is rapidly changing.

Nowhere is that more apparent than the southeast corner of Empire Communities’ growing Stein Street project, which has transformed formerly industrial and vacant properties into something akin to Atlanta’s version of older East Coast cities, with aspects echoing New York boroughs and even Charleston, to a degree.

Demolition at the longstanding steel plant of the same name started in early 2021, and Empire officials consider ongoing work phase two.

Along a newly created street called Beardon Circle, the unique mix of stacked condos in brick-clad buildings (the Milltown section), townhomes, and other components is the densest portion of the 6.5-acre project to date.

The throwback-style Milltown section includes single-level flats and multi-level stacks, each with parking in dedicated slots at ground level.

Where stacked condos have changed the look and feel of Gibson Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

According to Empire marketing materials, two condos remain without pending contracts that can close before year’s end. Priced in the $530,000s, both have two bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms in 1,270 square feet.

A cheaper, smaller option—the one-bedroom Friend floorplan, with 691 square feet—was offered earlier this year in the $330,000s.

Empire’s two-bedroom townhomes, meanwhile, have been selling from the high $500,000s on the block this year. 

How Empire's townhome row along Kirkwood Avenue has turned out. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Reynoldstown block in question in 2016. Google Maps

Stein Steel will eventually see dozens of housing units arranged around new streets and a greenspace component, joining the new adaptive-reuse restaurant and bar Breaker Breaker. It’s replacing land previously occupied by a BeltLine-fronting steel plant, heavy equipment, and gravel lots.

Find a quick tour of the Milltown buildings and other sections of the block as they stand today in the gallery above.

For a broader look at the new community at large—including “no-car homes” and designs adjacent to the Eastside Trail—head to our most recent coverage here.  

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933 Kirkwood Avenue SE Empire Stein Steel Stein Steel Square Feet Studio Empire Communities Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail Beltline Lang-Carson Park Smith Dalia Architects Troy King Lord Aeck Sargent Local Architects KTGY Lessard Kimley-Horn & Associates Merritt Lancaster Bridger Properties Breaker Breaker Atlanta Restaurants Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Atlanta Condos Atlanta Condos for Sale

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The Reynoldstown block in question in 2016. Google Maps

Where new brick-clad Stein Steel Milltown buildings have been erected at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Gibson Street, a block east of the BeltLine. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How Empire's townhome row along Kirkwood Avenue has turned out. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Turning south onto Holtzclaw Street, the juxtaposition of siding-clad townhomes and another brick building of stacked condos is apparent. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress on Stein Steel's latest stacked condo building, facing west toward industrial properties and the BeltLine's Eastside Trail. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Looking north into a new roadway called Beardon Circle, the entry toward an internal area behind the condos and townhomes and garage entries. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where stacked condos have changed the look and feel of Gibson Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Project branding above breezeways. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Facing west, back at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Gibson Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A revised breakdown of uses across the Stein Steel site, with the under-construction Milltown section in question at bottom left. Empire Communities/Stein Steel

Construction progress across Stein Steel's 6.5 acres in January. Empire Communities/Stein Steel

The Stein Steel project location in relation to downtown Atlanta and eastside landmarks. Google Maps

Subtitle Stein Steel project adding brick-clad density to former vacant, industrial properties near BeltLine

Neighborhood Reynoldstown

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Study: Being 'cool' in Old Fourth Ward now requires $71K salary Josh Green Tue, 10/17/2023 - 15:11 Atlanta old-timers may recall when buying or renting in Old Fourth Ward was considered a cost-friendly alternative to basically every centrally located neighborhood between Grant Park and Morningside.

That affordability ship may have sailed, but on a national basis, the historic neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born and buried is still a relatively affordable place for high living at lower cost.

That’s the main takeaway from an Architectural Digest Reviews ranking of the so-called 14 trendiest neighborhoods in American cities today, spanning from hip places such as Greenwich Village to Chicago’s West Loop and Venice Beach.

The study’s goal was to gauge what living a comfortable, cultural, and yes cool existence costs these days in each place.

The good news: O4W ranked near the bottom of the list in terms of salaries required to comfortably live in each trendy neighborhood, bested only by Austin’s South Congress (No. 13) and Philadelphia’s Fishtown (No. 14), respectively.

Also in O4W,  spending 13 percent of monthly salaries is needed for residents hoping to live it up with “social costs,” including dinners, arts, and entertainment. That’s the lowest percentage of any neighborhood on the list—and less than half of the priciest for social costs, Miami’s Wynwood, which clocks in at 31 percent of salaries.   

O4W’s price of a meal and cocktails, per the study, is “only” around $29 per person—also good for the No. 1 cheapest slot among neighborhoods on the list.

Where multiple large-scale developments have replaced surface parking, low-rise warehouses, and an urban dump around what's now Historic Fourth Ward Park.

More troubling to O4W residents who aren’t exactly raking cheddar is the fact that, per the ADR analysis, individual salaries of at least $70,760 are required to live comfortably in MLK’s old stomping grounds these days.

“Having access to the Eastside Trail and Ponce City Market is desirable, but living trendy comes with a price tag many people of Atlanta are willing to pay,” the team wrote in summary.

Below is a quick breakdown of what being O4W cool costs. (ADR assumed residents would be attending an entertainment venue and art venue once a week each, dining out and buying coffee five times a week, and enjoying a cocktail twice per week.) 

Architectural Digest Reviews

Let’s compare that with Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, the least affordable option on the list based on required salaries, where average rents are flirting with $4,300, per the ADR study:

Architectural Digest Reviews

ADR researchers pegged O4W social costs overall at $184 per person, per week. Again, that ranked near the top, as affordability metrics go.

“While it still attracts history buffs,” researchers wrote of O4W, “it has also evolved into one of Atlanta’s trendiest neighborhoods, thanks to a revamp of the Historic Fourth Ward Park and the emergence of culinary hotspots, alluring nightlife, and unique music venues, including the converted movie-theater-turned-concert-hall Variety Playhouse,” which isn’t actually in the neighborhood, but is pretty close.  

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Architectural Digest Reviews O4W Eastside Trail Ponce City Market Market Studies Atlanta Rankings Intown Neighborhoods Best Atlanta Neighborhoods

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Where multiple large-scale developments have replaced surface parking, low-rise warehouses, and an urban dump around what's now Historic Fourth Ward Park.

Architectural Digest Reviews

Architectural Digest Reviews

Subtitle Historic O4W makes Architecture Digest cut of 14 trendiest U.S. neighborhoods

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

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BeltLine calls MarketPlace successful, seeks fresh small businesses Josh Green Tue, 10/17/2023 - 13:02 Those colorful nodes of commerce in remade shipping containers along the BeltLine’s Eastside and Westside trails are apparently just the beginning.

Atlanta BeltLine Inc. says the MarketPlace program it launched last year as means of incubating small local businesses has proven successful. So the agency is launching its next cycle this week for the year spanning between 2024 and 2025.

The goal is to lower the barrier into business for local entrepreneurs who occupy more affordable retail space in customized containers along the BeltLine—and have immediate exposure to its more than 2 million annual visitors. BeltLine officials say the goal is to eventually expand MarketPlace locations around the 22-mile trail loop, with funding from Atlanta’s philanthropic community helping to scale up.

As of this week, BeltLine officials are encouraging all businesses to apply, though priority will be given to Minority Business Enterprises and others owned by women, veterans, families, and LGBTQ+ community members, per the agency.

Some businesses are also picked for an incubator program that teaches everything from cash flow to marketing.

The BeltLine's Indie Market Experience under an overpass in Old Fourth Ward. Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

BeltLine CEO and president Clyde Higgs said many of the program’s “first group of alumni… are going on to open permanent locations along the Atlanta BeltLine” in a Monday announcement. During its initial season, through the end of third quarter 2023, six small businesses selected by the BeltLine last year have generated more than $150,000 in sales, per the agency.

Businesses are required to meet specific criteria to qualify. That includes being in business for at least a year; having an annual revenue of at least $50,000; and employing at minimum two people who are capable of working at least five hours per day, seven days a week, at a MarketPlace location.

A MarketPlace hub along the Westside Trail. Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

A $750,000 grant from the Kendeda Fund helped design and build retail locations and set the program in motion, while a $250,000 grant from Google continues to support the effort, according to BeltLine officials. Financial and payment services tech company Fiserv is equipping each business with a management system to ensure secure transactions.

The MarketPlace program covers space construction and tenant buildout costs and offers what the BeltLine calls competitive lease rates, all below market value.

The BeltLine’s application process for businesses opened this week, and the deadline to apply is Oct. 30. Find more details here.

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The BeltLine's Indie Market Experience under an overpass in Old Fourth Ward. Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

A MarketPlace hub along the Westside Trail. Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

Subtitle Incubator program generated $150K in sales for first round of tenants, agency reports

Neighborhood Citywide

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City's stunning, empty Gateway building heads back to drawing board Josh Green Tue, 10/17/2023 - 10:45 January will mark three years since Grant Park’s award-winning, parking-lot-replacing Gateway project was finished.

Nonetheless, its eye-catching jewel box of a retail space remains vacant, despite its location next to a top Atlanta tourist attraction in an alluringly historic neighborhood, with no concrete hope for tenant occupancy in sight.

The City of Atlanta, which now owns Grant Park’s “rooftop” space, hopes that will soon change.

At last check on the Gateway building’s status in February, the city had recently taken ownership of the modern-style structure from the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority. City officials called that a key first step in getting it leased and occupied.

The city formally issued a Request for Proposals solicitation in February in hopes of attracting a single restaurant concept to occupy the full space and open within roughly a year.

Atlanta City Council member Jason Winston, whose District 1 covers Grant Park, tells Urbanize Atlanta this week that RFP process closed in March—and not a single bid came in.

The Gateway building's still-hollow interior, as seen earlier this month. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The city’s Department of Procurement, which is charged with helping lead the tenant search, concluded that “rising construction costs associated with inflation and increased interest rates contributed to the lack of bids,” as Winston wrote via email this week.

But all hope isn’t lost for a unique food-and-beverage space with a large patio, manicured greenspace as a front yard, and views to both downtown and Zoo Atlanta.

According to Winston, the Department of Procurement has been compiling a new solicitation for the Gateway building that’s expected to be released within the next month. During the next RFP cycle, several open houses will be scheduled to help highlight the space and answer any questions potential operators might have.

A financial carrot will also be dangled this time around, according to Winston.  

“This time, [the Department of] Procurement and the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation will be partnering with Invest Atlanta to offer financial assistance to a potential restaurant operator,” the councilmember wrote.

“We’re hoping the financial incentives, along with more planned communication with the Department of Procurement, will lead to more interested bidders," Winston continued, "as the City of Atlanta remains committed to leasing out the space as a restaurant.”

Aerial of the Gateway illustrating its proximity to the zoo's elephant habitat and downtown. City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department; via Epsten Group

The underside of the patio's roof comes to life with lighting at night. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Winston has previously said that once a lease is signed, the city can’t dictate how long it takes an operator to open.

Like leasing rates, the voluminous restaurant space’s exact size wasn’t specified in the original RFP paperwork, but the Sustainable Sites Initiative pegs it at 4,000 square feet.

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

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

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

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The Gateway building's still-hollow interior, as seen earlier this month. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Aerial of the Gateway illustrating its proximity to the zoo's elephant habitat and downtown. City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department; via Epsten Group

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where the south facade of the restaurant building meets stacked parking. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The patio/pavilion area, looking west to Zoo Atlanta. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The spacious interior of the Gateway building, as seen in early 2021, looks largely the same today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The underside of the patio's roof comes to life with lighting at night. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The patio area has become a popular destination for roller skaters. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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

Subtitle Grant Park structure in prime location was built for restaurant occupancy, but filling it hasn't been easy

Neighborhood Grant Park

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Posh condo tower on Peachtree Road declared sold out Josh Green Mon, 10/16/2023 - 17:38 One of the largest for-sale condo towers to rise in Atlanta since the Great Recession has officially sold out.

That’s the word today from developer Kolter Urban and the sales team at @properties Development Group/Ansley Real Estate Christie's International regarding the 45-unit Graydon Buckhead building that finished construction in early 2022.  

The last four unsold Graydon units were all placed under contract within the past four weeks, according to project officials.

The 22-story tower marked the first project outside Florida for Kolter Urban, a division of Palm Beach County-based Kolter Group. The developer is now building another luxury condo stack across the street, Dillion Buckhead, that’s selling remarkably fast, according to sales officials.

Designed to evoke “a more elegant age” for buyers willing to pay the price, the restrained, classic Graydon building topped out in early 2021 in the 2500 block of Peachtree Road—months ahead of schedule.

Southward views from The Graydon toward Midtown and downtown. TheGraydon.com

Sales records indicate the Graydon has been closing units since March 2022, with prices ranging from $1.59 million to more than $8.2 million for the largest Graydon residence known as “The Estate” plan. That 5,850-square-foot penthouse is spread across the full 22nd floor, with another nearly 3,000 square feet of terraces crowning the building. It sold in April last year.

Perks of the building include a grand lobby with concierge service, a yoga lawn, lap pool, dry sauna, private dining room, large fitness center, and what’s described as an “outdoor, fireside summer kitchen.”

“Everyone who has visited The Graydon has been impressed by the luxurious experience the building provides,” John Goldsworthy, @properties Development Group's director of sales, noted in today’s announcement.

“The Graydon’s sales success is proof that Atlanta has an appetite for well-designed ultra-luxury product,” added David J. Tufts, @properties Development Group’s founding and managing partner.

Common perks include 50-foot terraces with Francois outdoor fireplaces.Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Kolter Urban bought the 1.8-acre Graydon site in 2019 for $13.5 million, banking on pent-up demand for deluxe multifamily options with views over Atlanta’s urban forest and cityscape.  

Designed by Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio architects, the building marks the largest new intown for-sale condo project between Buckhead Village’s The Charles and the 279-unit Seven88 West Midtown tower on West Marietta Street. The project’s name pays homage to prominent Buckhead landowner Wesley Grey Collier, whose home was located in the area, also on the west side of Peachtree, just south of Muscogee Avenue.

See sample interiors and highlights of the finished property in the gallery above.  

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2520 Peachtree Road Graydon Buckhead Kolter Ansley Developer Services Susan B. Bozeman Designs Kolter Urban Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio Ansley Real Estate Peachtree Road JPX Works Atlanta Condos Homes For sale Atlanta Development Interior Design Christie's International @properties Development Group

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Southward views from The Graydon toward Midtown and downtown. TheGraydon.com

Inside a decorated model unit with Wolf and Sub-Zero kitchen appliances, an island with a waterfall edge, and built-in wine storage. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Ten-foot ceilings, solid-core doors, and plank flooring are common in condos throughout. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Outdoor lounge seating. Other amenities include a dog spa and two greens for events. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Other aspects of the amenities level include a yoga lawn, landscaped gardens, a private park, and fenced-in greenspace for dogs. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

The building's full-size pool includes three lap lanes, per marketers. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Inside an amenities-level hallway. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

An outdoor fireplace and dining areas on the amenities level. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Common perks include 50-foot terraces with Francois outdoor fireplaces.Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

The cheapest Graydon condo options once began at $1.7 million, per initial listings. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Graydon perks include valet parking, concierge services, and a club room—for a price. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Located at 2520 Peachtree Road, the 45-unit Graydon building is described as a fully staffed, luxury Buckhead high-rise with top-flight finishes and amenities befitting resorts. Graydon Buckhead/Ansley Real Estate; via YouTube

Subtitle Graydon Buckhead proves Atlanta "has an appetite for well-designed ultra-luxury product,” per sales team

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Buckhead DRC: Hotel with rear facing street needs to be reworked Josh Green Mon, 10/16/2023 - 14:52 A construction team aiming to provide a nondescript Buckhead hotel with cosmetic updates recently got more than they’d bargained for—potentially in the name of good urbanism.

At its most recent meeting, the Buckhead SPI-9 Development Review Committee informed representatives from Homewood Suites by Hilton the company’s property at 540 Pharr Road is not compliant with current codes, in that the building walls off access to its main street and all pedestrian activity.

“The property literally turns its back to the street,” reads a Buckhead DRC meeting summary from Oct. 4.

The hotel in question, located between Piedmont Road and the neighborhood’s increasingly walkable Buckhead Village, has been undergoing interior renovations, beginning with top floors and moving down toward street level. 

The property had previously operated as a Staybridge Suites for more than a decade. Its remake into the Homewood Suites brand began last year, according to Fulton County property records.

The Homewood Suites' location between Buckhead Village, left, and Piedmont Road. Google Maps

How the Homewood Suites relates to Pharr Road, as seen earlier this year when it operated as a Staybridge Suites. Google Maps

Homewood Suites was aiming to renovate portions of the exteriors, outdoor recreation area, and landscaping as well. That work would entail building a covered outdoor dining cabana, updating doors and courtyard windows, and replacing a canopy awning.

City of Atlanta officials recently told the hotel group they would have to take such plans before the neighborhood planning group in Buckhead.

The Buckhead DRC's verdict, in summary, was… not so fast.

The Pharr Road hotel was constructed before current SPI-9 zoning regulations were put in place. Those rules state, in part, that all properties must have front entrances that are accessible and visible from sidewalks along major roadways.

Homewood Suites’ plans would not comply with those regulations, as the front courtyard spaces would still be walled off from Pharr Road’s sidewalks. As is, the hotel’s entrance is tucked off the street, accessible only through its parking deck.

Facade revisions (above) planned on the building's Pharr Road side. Ponder & Ponder Architects; via Buckhead SPI-9 Development Review Committee

DRC members recommended the applicants familiarize themselves with SPI-9 regulations and “completely redesign the proposal” before resubmitting the application and applying for a Special Administrative Permit, or SAP.

Homewood Suites reps stated “they were unsure of why they were coming before the [Buckhead DRC], and that they were unaware that they needed to file for an SAP, as the majority of the changes to the property were interior-only,” the meeting recap notes. “The committee expressed surprise at the applicant’s comments, noting that the permitting process through the city should have triggered the DRC review process much earlier than it did.”

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540 Pharr Road Ponder & Ponder Architects Dovetail Civil Design Buckhead Village Atlanta Hotels Pharr Road Atlanta Construction Construction Outsource

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The Homewood Suites' location between Buckhead Village, left, and Piedmont Road. Google Maps

How the Homewood Suites relates to Pharr Road, as seen earlier this year when it operated as a Staybridge Suites. Google Maps

Closer look at the hotel property's sidewalk frontage along Pharr Road today. Google Maps

Facade revisions (above) planned on the building's Pharr Road side. Ponder & Ponder Architects; via Buckhead SPI-9 Development Review Committee

Changes proposed to the hotel property's west elevation. Ponder & Ponder Architects; via Buckhead SPI-9 Development Review Committee

Subtitle "The property literally turns its back to the street"

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Images: Off Northside Drive, project dubbed The Berkeleys pops up Josh Green Mon, 10/16/2023 - 10:27 As Northside Drive travelers may have noticed, a Berkeley Park infill development has recently started delivering hillside townhomes that are being marketed as the finest west of Atlantic Station. With prices to match.  

Tucked off Northside Drive, just south of Interstate 75, the 622 Bellemeade Avenue project is called The Berkeleys as a nod to its neighborhood.

The Long Real Estate Developers venture is replacing a brick bungalow and small, neighboring parking lot. A shopping-center cove that includes food options Little Azio and Grecian Gyro is located across the street, to the north. 

Lisa Collins, the Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty listing agent, tells Urbanize Atlanta four of The Berkeleys’ 11 townhomes are finished now.

The remaining seven will be delivered through this coming winter and spring, according to Collins.

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

The project's Bellemeade Avenue location just south of Interstate 75. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Current prices range from $845,000 up to $880,000. One of the homes has been sold to date, per marketing materials.

As new townhome options west of Midtown go, that places The Berkeleys between the priciest units at the Chelsea Westside project and those at The Interlock.

In Berkeley Park, those prices buy townhomes with roughly 2,500 square feet, topped with roof terraces (outdoor kitchens not included) facing the city.

All options at The Berkeleys have three bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms, with fenced-in courtyards off the kitchen and family room level.

Other perks are listed as two-car garages, skylights over stairwells, quartz countertops, and soft-close cabinetry.

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

As Collins points out, the project’s location is a few blocks from the Atlanta BeltLine’s Northwest Trail. BeltLine and PATH Foundation leadership finalized the route that trail will take last year, and BeltLine officials have recently said the first segment could begin construction this year.

For a closer look at what listings call "the most desirable townhome community in West Midtown's Berkeley Park," head up to the gallery.

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622 Bellemeade Avenue NW The Berkeleys Long Real Estate Developers Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty Atlanta Townhomes Atlanta Construction Atlanta Homes for Sale For sale in Atlanta Atlanta Development Northwest Trail Northside Drive

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The project's Bellemeade Avenue location just south of Interstate 75. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

The Berkeleys' proximity to Northside Drive, at bottom right, shown during an earlier phase of construction. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty; Virtual Studio Innovations

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Studio Innovations; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Projected look of finished facades off Bellemeade Avenue. Long Real Estate Developers; Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

Subtitle It's being called "the most desirable townhome community in West Midtown's Berkeley Park!"

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Plans for Mall West End redevelopment fail for third time Josh Green Mon, 10/16/2023 - 08:10 As metro Atlanta mall redevelopments go, the third time, in this case, was not a charm.

For the third time in as many years, splashy development plans to convert The Mall West End’s suburban-style shopping center block into a denser mix of uses near both MARTA transit and the Atlanta BeltLine have fallen apart.

WABE reports New York-based The Prusik Group recently supplied mall ownership with a letter terminating a contract for a deal that could have seen the 1970s mall and its 12 acres remade into more active uses, with fresh retail space, an influx of new jobs, and hundreds of housing options.

Charles Taylor—a WABE Foundation board member and head of the mall’s ownership group, H.T. West End—told the news station an arrangement The Prusik Group was trying to work out with the City of Atlanta failed to come to fruition, prompting yet another outside investment group to back away from the Southwest Atlanta property.

The mall, according to Taylor, has been taken off the market. Plans now call for pivoting toward creating a shopping hub that’s more “community-focused” and injected with small business owners that Taylor hopes can “reenergize and refocus” the property.

Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard today, with the mall property at right. Prusik Group & BRP

The Prusik Group and BRP Companies' vision for Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard revealed last year. Prusik Group & BRP; via West End Neighborhood Development Inc./FB

According to the mall’s website, more than 50 tenants continue to operate at the property. But Taylor told WABE’s Rose Scott several stores have closed, opting not to renew leases at a mall they assumed would soon be razed. That’s left the mall in a weaker position, Taylor said.

The Prusik Group and BRP Companies went under contract on the mall last year and brought ideas before West End Neighborhood Development, an organization of businesses and neighbors, that called for a much smaller redevelopment than previous visions. The plans would have nonetheless added vitality to the community in a strategic location, reconnecting blocks separated by walls and parking lots in the process, the development team said. As we reported in August, however, WEND leadership hadn’t heard much from the development group since last year.

Another Mall West End redevelopment deal involving BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel and venture capitalist Donray Von, a West End native, fell apart in 2021. New York-based real estate giant Tishman Speyer later backed out of another mall contract.

The $400-million vision for Mall West End put forward in 2020 by Elevator City Partners, a firm founded by Atlanta BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel and venture capitalist Donray Von.Elevator City Partners; design by Gensler

Mall West End’s ownership group has been exploring options to offload the property for several years. The mall counts Planet Fitness, Foot Locker, Journey’s, and eateries such as American Deli as primary attractions today.

With its location near MARTA’s West End station, the BeltLine’s Westside Trail, and Atlanta University Center, the mall property has had no trouble attracting developer interest.

Prusik Group’s tentative plans called for splitting the property into four blocks and creating two new streets, allowing for better access and flow to buildings with a maximum height of a few stories—unlike the glassy towers in previous proposals. The site could have seen up to 1.5-million square feet of new construction, per the developers, with between 650 and 900 mixed-income apartments and up to 250,000 square feet of “necessity-based retail.”

Another option presented by Prusik Group in 2022 called for building a hotel with roughly 200 rooms, geared toward accommodating AUC visitors and people wanting a downtown alternative. 

Mall West End's most recent redevelopment concepts called for a mix of retail and residential uses at a much smaller scale than previous proposals. Prusik Group & BRP

One historic West End representative at the city level, Atlanta District 4 City Councilmember Jason Dozier, told Rough Draft Atlanta the news of Prusik Group’s departure is “a setback” in a tough environment for real estate, despite the mall’s location in a federal opportunity zone with tax incentives meant to entice development and increase opportunities in lower-income neighborhoods.

Dozier told the publication he’s hopeful a project can come to fruition that boosts the neighborhood for generations, and that his office will “put the weight of the city behind the community” to help make that happen.

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850 Oak Street SW The Mall West End West End Mall Prusik Group Harlem South Bronx Tishman Speyer Ackerman and Co. Southwest Atlanta Dabar Development Partners Elevator City Partners Ryan Gravel Donray Von Gentrification Atlanta University Center Lee + White Gensler Atlanta Development Atlanta Malls food desert BRP Companies

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Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard today, with the mall property at right. Prusik Group & BRP

The Prusik Group and BRP Companies' vision for Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard revealed last year. Prusik Group & BRP; via West End Neighborhood Development Inc./FB

Mall West End's most recent redevelopment concepts called for a mix of retail and residential uses at a much smaller scale than previous proposals. Prusik Group & BRP

The current conditions at Oak and Dunn streets on the north side of the mall property, with the Sky Lofts condo building at right. Prusik Group, BRP

The most recent proposed redevelopment of parking lots at Oak and Dunn streets, according to 2022 renderings. Prusik Group, BRP

The $400-million vision for Mall West End put forward in 2020 by Elevator City Partners, a firm founded by Atlanta BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel and venture capitalist Donray Von.Elevator City Partners; design by Gensler

The 1970s mall’s main entrance off the intersection of Lee and Oak streets. Images via Google Maps

An overview of the Mall West End property just south of Interstate 20, with the adjacent MARTA line shown at right.Google Maps

Subtitle Ownership will instead pivot toward building up more community-focused retail property, for now

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Another residential project near Southside BeltLine barrels ahead Josh Green Thu, 10/12/2023 - 12:40 More evidence of developers’ voracious appetites for building new housing within walking distance of the Atlanta BeltLine’s Southside Trail has recently come to light.

Across the street from the sprawling construction zone that is Empire Communities’ 34-acre Zephyr project, Atlanta-based Epic Development is barreling ahead with an infill project that will add for-sale townhome options along the southern reaches of Boulevard.

The combined sites in question—1304 and 1316 Boulevard—span 2.3 acres immediately north of southside hangout Red’s Beer Garden. A long-abandoned carwash and heavily wooded property have recently been cleared.

Google Maps

Looking north toward Grant Park, the former Boulevard carwash and wooded acreage in question, prior to demolition in January. Red's Beer Garden is pictured at right. Google Maps

The site is located in Benteen, a small neighborhood bordering Boulevard Heights and Chosewood Park that includes a namesake greenspace.

Jim LaVallee, Epic’s director for development and marketing, tells Urbanize Atlanta site development in Benteen should be complete by the end of 2023. The project hasn’t been named, and renderings aren’t currently available.

According to LaVallee, plans call for 39 townhomes ranging from 2,080 to 2,150 square feet. Prices are expected to land the mid-$600,000s range.

Epic hopes to deliver the semi-detached dwellings sometime next summer, per LaVallee.

The project had to be redesigned twice before it could gain Special Administrative Permit approval at the city level in 2022, LaVallee previously said.

The site's proximity to the massive Empire Zephyr project across the street, shown at bottom. Google Maps

Surrounding blocks are no stranger these days to construction cranes and heavy equipment, as the Southside Trail’s connection to Boulevard is now fully under construction, promising an off-street link up to places like Ponce City Market and south Buckhead soon. 

Beyond Empire’s Zephyr community, nearby Chosewood Park projects include the 128-townhome Maguire at Skylar, a multifamily complex called The Upton, and in Boulevard Heights, a TPA residential venture that's replacing a landfill across more than 8 acres.

Part of Epic Development's 2.3-acre site prior to demolition. Google Maps

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1316 Boulevard SE Benteen Epic Development EpiCity Boulevard Red's Beer Garden Chosewood Park Boulevard Heights Atlanta Townhomes Townhome Construction Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development townhomes Townhouses Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail

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Part of Epic Development's 2.3-acre site prior to demolition. Google Maps

The site's proximity to the massive Empire Zephyr project across the street, shown at bottom. Google Maps

Looking north toward Grant Park, the former Boulevard carwash and wooded acreage in question, prior to demolition in January. Red's Beer Garden is pictured at right. Google Maps

Subtitle Epic Development venture claims vacant car wash, wooded acreage

Neighborhood Southside

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