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ARC: City of Atlanta logged 'surprising' growth over past year Josh Green Wed, 08/09/2023 - 15:12 If the City of Atlanta seems more populated in these post-pandemic times, it’s not an illusion.

According to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s 2023 population estimates released today, the city proper logged the fastest growth rate across the entire region between April 2022 and April this year.

The city’s population boost was “surprising,” in fact, as one ARC official put it in an email to Urbanize Atlanta.

Within that 12-month period, the City of Atlanta packed on an estimated 14,300 additional residents—nearly three times the amount ARC tabulated for the previous year.

ARC officials attribute the city’s growth spurt to a boom in multifamily construction. That echoes a national study last month that found metro Atlanta remains in the top three markets for construction despite spiking interest rates and other challenges.

Atlanta Regional Commission

The ARC found that nearly 12,000 building permits were issued in the City of Atlanta for standalone houses and multifamily units in the year ending in April.

That’s more than double what was logged in Gwinnett County—the next highest place on the building permit list—which counts nearly twice the population of Atlanta and a far greater land area. 

The City of Atlanta also notched the highest rate of growth across the metro at 2.8 percent. It was followed by Cherokee County (2.5 percent) and Forsyth and Henry counties (both 2.1 percent).

Atlanta Regional Commission

On a broader scale, the ARC found that all 11 metro counties included in its annual analysis saw population increases over the past year. (The U.S. Census, it should be noted, considers metro Atlanta a 29-county metropolitan statistical area with a population of more than a million additional people.)

The ARC’s analysis found the 11-county region added 66,730 residents, bumping the metro population to 5.16 million last year.

Leaders on a county level were Fulton County, which gained 18,500 residents, followed by Gwinnett (13,510), Cherokee (7,120), and Cobb (6,100) counties.

The ARC attributes the region’s swelling resident count to strong job growth. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, the metro’s job employment base has grown by 5.4 percent, good for fifth in the nation behind Orlando, Las Vegas, Dallas, and percentage-growth leader Austin, respectively, per the ARC.

“People are moving here for one simple reason: jobs are plentiful,” ARC’s managing director of research and analytics, Mike Carnathan, said in press release today. “The Atlanta region continues to be an attractive place for businesses to set up shop or expand. It’s a testament to our well-educated population and strong business climate.”

Atlanta Regional Commission

On a metro-wide basis, however, the ARC’s findings indicate the sheer number of building permits issued last year is still far below the region’s peak growth periods from the 1980s to early 2000s.

Find more highlights from the ARC analysis in the gallery above. 

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Subtitle City’s population surge nearly tripled previous 12-month period, per Atlanta Regional Commission

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311 acres next to ATL airport up for grabs. Any big ideas? Josh Green Wed, 08/09/2023 - 12:49 A sprawling site where College Park officials previously envisioned the largest mixed-use development ever constructed south of Interstate 20 is up for grabs.

The City of College Park’s Business and Industrial Development Authority recently selected Stream Realty Partners—a national commercial real estate firm with a track record in quickly developing Atlanta neighborhoods—to market and sell the 311-acre parcel known as Six West.

Located just west of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Six West property was previously called ATL Airport City. The scope changed over the years, but a masterplan approved by the College Park City Council in 2019 called for a mixed-use hub with enough density to double the size of Atlantic Station, costing in the ballpark of $1.5 billion.

One facet of College Park's Six West District vision released in 2020. City of College Park

College Park has finished assembling the property and completing entitlements for it. Its boundaries include the College Park Historic District to the east, Camp Creek Parkway to the south, Herschel Road to the west, and Redwine Avenue to the north.  

Stream, whose intown projects include the Lee + White District in West End and Centennial Yards’ first adaptive-reuse apartments, is being tasked with marketing the Six West site, seeking acceptable prices from potential buyers, and counseling College Park officials on comparable properties.

According to Stream officials, the Six West property can be purchased in total, as separate parcels, or as neighborhood districts.

College Park’s plan for the site stresses that any development should include live-work-play elements and remain accessible to the public, while also becoming a “global destination.”

Courtesy of Stream Realty

Six West has been divided into five districts. Within its boundaries today are local and national restaurants, multiple hotels, greenspaces, retail stores, the upgraded Historic College Park Golf Course, and more. The development vision also calls for tech incubators, office space for international headquarters, medical offices, research centers, and local university satellite campuses, per Stream.

In an announcement this week, Stream officials pointed to the Georgia International Convention Center and new Gateway Center (home to the WNBA Atlanta Dream and Hawks’ NBA G League team, College Park Skyhawks), two MARTA stations, and access to Interstate 85 and the world’s busiest airport as additional perks around the southside city of 14,000 people.

College Park officials consider the partnership with Stream a step toward advancing the Six West vision.

“The iconic developments [Stream has] created across metro Atlanta reflect the vision we have for our community,” said College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled they have partnered with us to help activate Six West and build on the exciting growth underway all around the airport.”

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One facet of College Park's Six West District vision released in 2020. City of College Park

Courtesy of Stream Realty

Subtitle College Park begins quest to sell massive Six West site, formerly called ATL Airport City

Neighborhood College Park/East Point

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No, this landmark 1920s Midtown hotel isn't being demolished Josh Green Wed, 08/09/2023 - 11:45 If concerned emails and DMs are any indication, Atlantans have a soft spot for the Artmore Hotel and fear its recent closure, combined with crews removing exterior elements like HVAC systems, could signal its doom.

“It’s definitely shut down, and it looks like they’re removing anything they can, like it’s being demolished,” reads one recent inquiry.

Armchair preservationists can breathe easy: The 1920s landmark isn’t being razed. The new owners have closed the Artmore to begin a renovation in recent weeks they say will be an improvement.

Located at 1302 W. Peachtree Street, the building originally opened in 1924 as the Granada Apartments and was converted to hotel uses in 1984. Prior to closing, it was Midtown’s only independent boutique hotel, stylized with a Spanish-Mediterranean red tile roof, stucco façade, and open courtyard, according to the Hodges Ward Elliot real estate advisory firm, which arranged a $21.1-million sale of the hotel last year.

The Artmore's facade prior to closing. Hodges Ward Elliott

The new owners are Monomoy Property Ventures, a New York-based real estate investment, development, and management firm that’s acquired or developed 25 hotel projects with about 7,000 rooms in “enduring, high-barrier locations” around the U.S., according to its website.

MPV’s founder and managing partner, Kevin Vaughan, was traveling with family this week and couldn’t be reached by phone for details on what the 103-room Artmore may become—and when the renovation might wrap.

“It’s certainly not being demolished!” Vaughn wrote via email. “It will remain a hotel, much improved from [its] historical condition.”

More details will be available soon, Vaughn said.

The hotel property's 1302 W. Peachtree St. location. Google Maps

In its previous state, the Artmore was unique in that more than half of its rooms featured either full kitchens or kitchenettes, in addition to a third floor with 25 bi-level suites.  

Perks of its location include the Arts Center MARTA station across the street and Woodruff Arts Center and High Museum of Art behind that.

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The Artmore's facade prior to closing. Hodges Ward Elliott

The hotel property's 1302 W. Peachtree St. location. Google Maps

Subtitle New York firm begins renovation of Artmore Hotel, Midtown's only independent boutique

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Q&A: Noted NYC architect waxes on Atlanta's potential, value of design Josh Green Tue, 08/08/2023 - 15:17 Award-winning New York City architect Morris Adjmi’s portfolio is highlighted by buildings that seek to bridge the past with today in distinctive but oftentimes understated ways, whether it be the Meatpacking District’s Theory Building, Little Italy’s Grand Mulberry, or the Big Apple’s unofficial welcoming sign.  

Ditto for the firm’s first project in Atlanta, which has entered the home stretch of construction in Old Fourth Ward and possibly set a new architectural standard for large-scale, BeltLine-adjacent work.

Adjmi, a New Orleans native, founded his eponymous firm in the late 1990s after a 13-year collaboration with Pritzker Prize-winning architect Aldo Rossi. This year he was named “Designer of the Year” by ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. He calls the BeltLine—and Atlanta’s energy in general—a newfound source of inspiration.

Courtesy of MA

The MA firm was brought to Atlanta by New City Properties to design the 18-story Overline Residences and the adjoining 16-story hotel under the same brand. The 359 apartments started delivering this past spring with a stair-stepped, red-brick façade that pays homage to Ponce City Market and O4W’s industrial past, incorporating maisonettes with private entries at the street. Living amongst such elevated design in a walkable setting doesn’t necessarily come cheap by ATL standards, it should be noted, with Overline studios staring in the $1,700 range and some larger units seeking north of $8,500 monthly.

Adjmi answered (almost) all of our questions in the below email Q&A regarding his outlook on Atlanta and how his firm’s two-pronged project will jibe with the historic but drastically changed neighborhood. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.  

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Urbanize Atlanta: Do you see unique potential in this city, like so many in the real estate field seem to?

Morris Adjmi: Atlanta has great energy and the potential is palpable. The Fourth Ward, in particular, has a lot of potential to be leveraged.

It’s situated in the heart of Atlanta, offering proximity to the city's thriving business districts, cultural centers, and recreational destinations. Its central location makes it attractive for residents and visitors alike. Even throughout construction, the neighborhood has been vibrant and active, due in large part to the BeltLine, which is an amazing public amenity.

The Overline apartments, at left, and hotel while under construction in February. Fourth Ward project's new plaza is pictured in the foreground. Courtesy of New City Properties

UA: The buildings you'd designed at Fourth Ward project certainly stand out, whereas others seem happy to fit the mold of value-engineered blandness. Is there anything about your designs that makes them easier to pull off for developers, from a financial perspective?

MA: New City is revolutionizing Atlanta’s architectural landscape by enlisting top-notch designers to spearhead the redevelopment of the Fourth Ward, and we’re proud to contribute two new buildings to the evolving neighborhood.

New City has remained committed to creating bold and beautiful architecture throughout the design and delivery of these buildings, including the [value engineering] process. Every project has a budget and a bottom line, but MA takes pride in the ability to maintain an elevated level of design despite that pressure, without compromising the value our buildings deliver. We listen to our clients to discern what’s important, and we know where dollars will have the highest impact on the design.

Using the Overline as an example, we selected a textured brick for the podium to create a richer and more dynamic pedestrian experience while opting for a simpler, more cost-efficient red brick for the stories above***.***

UA: Was there anything uniquely challenging—or advantageous—about the Old Fourth Ward site?

MA: There’s a lot to love about this site. The Fourth Ward boasts a rich history with many well-preserved buildings and landmarks, like Ponce City Market and the Historic Fourth Ward Park, the latter of which fronts the Overline project site. We were inspired by these surroundings during the conceptual development of our buildings.

One huge advantage for the project is having the park span the entire western edge of the site, which ensures unobstructed views of and from the building. The challenge was to reduce the perceived size of the two new towers, which are much larger in scale than the existing, immediate context. Our strategy involved creating contextually scaled podiums and thoughtfully positioning the two towers away from the park, reducing their visual weight over the site despite the larger scale. For the residential building, the massing of the tower features a stepped design to further mediate its imposition on the park.

Construction on the Fourth Ward project's first two office buildings (left), the boutique hotel (center), and apartments fronting the park last fall.

UA: How do you expect your buildings to enhance that area over time? How will they be special?

MA: We expect the buildings will contribute to the overall vibrancy of the area. Special attention was given to creating a lively and activated public realm.

Our two buildings will provide retail and active street frontages along North Angier and Rankin, and a Woonerf—or “living street”—spanning the space between the buildings will have a planted stair connection to the Historic Fourth Ward Park.

UA: What aspects of the project already work, and what will take more time to evolve?

MA: The ambition for the Overline was to offer a fresh take on traditional multifamily and introduce new and elevated rental concepts to the local market, including a variety of one-of-a-kind apartments and maisonettes with private street-level entries. The project also provides an abundance of balconies and private outdoor space.

We understand the units have been well received and are achieving better than anticipated rents. The connection to the BeltLine has also been an immediate success, and we love knowing that the Overline’s residents will benefit from this access indefinitely.

In terms of what will take more time to evolve, we’re excited to see the vibrancy of the community grow once the adjacent Overline Hotel is complete.

Construction progress at the parkside Fourth Ward project last fall. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

UA: Any secret features, so to speak, that might surprise people with these buildings?

MA: The project’s interiors. MA’s multidisciplinary team of in-house architects and interior designers worked closely to create a cohesive design narrative for the buildings. The Overline’s lobby and interior amenity spaces are bold and beautiful.

Once complete, residents will have access to an amenity club within the hotel next door, which can be accessed through a sky bridge connecting the two buildings. The experience will be unique to anything in the Atlanta market.

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Courtesy of MA

The Overline apartments, at left, and hotel while under construction in February. Fourth Ward project's new plaza is pictured in the foreground. Courtesy of New City Properties

Construction progress at the parkside Fourth Ward project last fall. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction on the Fourth Ward project's first two office buildings (left), the boutique hotel (center), and apartments fronting the park last fall.

Subtitle Morris Adjmi architects designed Old Fourth Ward’s eye-catching Overline Residences and forthcoming hotel

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

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Unique multifamily project a go in jobs hotspot east of Atlanta Josh Green Tue, 08/08/2023 - 13:29 Developers expect to break ground soon on an 11-building rental community with design elements that aim to reflect the historic character of its eastern-OTP setting, capitalizing on a growing market partially fueled by Georgia’s TV and film industry.

Brook Farm Group officials announced today a 37-acre project called The Sinclair at Callaway Farm has secured funding to proceed in a Covington location developers described as a “dynamic growth corridor.”

The site is just north of Interstate 20 about eight miles southeast of Georgia International Horse Park, between Covington and Social Circle where Alcovy Road meets City Pond Road. It’s adjacent to a 180-acre mixed-use development called Covington Town Center.

Google Maps

According to the tabulations of Brook Farm Group and its co-development partners, Emory Equity and SilverCap Partners, the area is expected to attract 10,000 new jobs by 2026.

The Sinclair project will see two “Town and Country” neighborhoods rise with 11 different residential buildings, offering 388 Class A multifamily rentals total, per developers.

Other aspects will include a 9,000-square-foot clubhouse (pictured below), a resort-style pool, a dog park and pet spa, coworking space, two-story gym, and what’s described as the market’s first rooftop lounge. Four of the buildings will feature elevators, developers note.

Courtesy of Brook Farm Group

The development team aims to break ground on The Sinclair in the third quarter of this year. First Horizon Bank and TrustMark Bank have provided construction financing.

The Sinclair’s location is about 30 miles from both downtown Atlanta and, to the west, Lake Oconee, considered one of the metro’s premier recreation attractions.

Developers cited growing major employers in the eastern suburbs around Covington—Takeda, SKC, and Cinelease’s 160-acre Three Ring Studio, along with new companies Rivian Automotive, 80 Acres Farms, Archer Aviation, and Ascend Elements—as a reason for investing in the area.  

Covington's TV and film history tracing from The Dukes of Hazzard and In the Heat of the Night to Vampire Diaries has earned the city the nickname "The Hollywood of the South," which developers pointed to as additional cachet.   

The Sinclair at Callaway Farm's location east of Atlanta where Alcovy Road meets City Pond Road in Newton County. Google Maps

The Sinclair project “is designed to address the growing demand for high quality rental communities outside of Atlanta’s urban core,” said Peter DiCorpo, Brook Farm Group’s chief operating officer, in a project announcement today.

Brook Farm Group is bullish that Atlanta and other growing markets will exceed “historical [multifamily] deliveries by a significant margin” for the foreseeable future to dampen demand. Since 2010, developers have added between 200,000 and 300,000 multifamily units per year nationally, according to the company.

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The Sinclair at Callaway Farm's location east of Atlanta where Alcovy Road meets City Pond Road in Newton County. Google Maps

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Courtesy of Brook Farm Group

Subtitle 11-building The Sinclair at Callaway Farm aims to capitalize on Covington growth

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In-progress Buckhead tower comes into clearer focus Josh Green Tue, 08/08/2023 - 08:03 Plans are coming into clearer focus for what’s envisioned as one of the tallest new towers pieced together from mass timber in the United States.

The Buckhead Village proposal by Harbor Bay Ventures, a real estate investment and development firm based in suburban Chicago, has been titled “Intro Atlanta,” according to the project’s engineering firm, Forefront Structural Engineers, also based in Chicago. 

That name echoes another mass-timber project by the same team in Ohio, the 115-foot-tall Intro Cleveland, that briefly enjoyed status as America’s tallest mass-timber building two years ago. It’s since been eclipsed by a 25-story apartment project called Ascent in Milwaukee.

Buckhead’s wood-boned, 20-story building will rise to heights right in between those projects, should the development team’s plans come to fruition.

Developers are increasingly embracing mass timber as a more environmentally friendly construction material that provides warmth and throwback vibes that concrete and steel can’t match. Other recent Atlanta projects incorporating heavy timber include Hines’s T3 West Midtown at Atlantic Station, Waldo’s Old Fourth Ward, and Jamestown’s 619 Ponce.

Plans for Intro Atlanta's timber-built facade in Buckhead Village. Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Forefront has put together details for Intro Atlanta that could make development wonks rejoice. As designed by Chicago-based Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, the 225-foot mixed-use project plans to blend concrete and mass timber to fill a vacant 1-acre lot at the corner of East Paces Ferry and Grandview Avenue, across the street from the adaptive-reuse Kimpton Sylvan hotel.

According to Forefront, four stories of the tower’s concrete podium will be buried underground, with four additional stories above housing retail spaces, a lobby, parking, and other uses.

On top of that, plans call for 17 stories of mass timber with 314 apartments, ranging from studios around 500 square feet to three-bedroom units, some clocking in at more than 2,600 square feet, per Harbor Bay.

According to Forefront, an amenity level with an outdoor pool will crown the building on the 20th floor. Concrete walls at stair cores and the elevator are designed to provide sufficient lateral support to keep it all standing.

The site in question, at left, as seen in January. Google Maps

Breakdown of proposed street-level uses at 359 E. Paces Ferry Road. Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

The East Paces Ferry building will top out at 225 feet tall—the maximum height allowed for the Buckhead Village district, per Harbor Bay’s plans. In addition to stacked multifamily units, four townhomes would be blended into the base level along Grandview Avenue.

The engineering company lists the 516,160-square-foot project as “in progress,” but City of Atlanta building permit records show no recent activity at its address. We’ve reached out for information on when a groundbreaking might potentially come and will update this story with any further details.

Buckhead’s SPI-9 Development Review Committee applauded the tower proposal at its May meeting and green-lighted Harbor Bay’s plans to advance to the city level for review. The DRC did recommended developers include art murals on the south and east portions of the tower along Buckhead Avenue, to boost the area’s pedestrian experience. Project reps ensured DRC members in May that concerns about vehicle traffic loading and unloading along that avenue will be mitigated by measures such as new lighting and convex mirrors.  

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Plans for the East Paces Ferry Road facade. Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

At one corner (East Paces Ferry and Grandview Avenue), plans call for a 2,400-square-foot coffee shop space with a patio and adjacent greenspace. The building will also include 36 bike-parking spaces. Harbor Bay’s plans for constructing the building with mass timber, including composting areas for future residents, as well as low-flow toilets, were applauded by the DRC.

It’s not the only relatively tall proposal from out-of-town developers around Buckhead Village.

The East Paces Ferry building would join a 21-story tower in the works from New York-based Tidal Real Estate Partners about a block away, to the south; that project expects to transform a Pharr Road block and deliver in 2025.

A few blocks west, Dezhu US is angling to build a 17-story venture with for-sale condos.

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Plans for Intro Atlanta's timber-built facade in Buckhead Village. Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

The 1-acre site on East Paces Ferry Road, as it relates to greater Buckhead. Harbor Bay Ventures

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Breakdown of proposed street-level uses at 359 E. Paces Ferry Road. Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

Plans for the East Paces Ferry Road facade. Harbor Bay Ventures; designs, HPA

The current parking lot (in red) in relation to other Buckhead Village landmarks. Google Maps

The site in question, at left, as seen in January. Google Maps

Subtitle Now called “Intro Atlanta,” Buckhead Village project would be among tallest new timber-built structures in U.S.

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BeltLine's long-promised connection to Ponce is actually happening Josh Green Mon, 08/07/2023 - 14:56 In the pipeline for more than a decade, a direct connection between the Atlanta BeltLine and Ponce de Leon Avenue is visibly moving forward this month.

Just north of Ponce City Market, construction fencing has been installed and brush cleared along a section of the Eastside Trail where a more seamless, quicker, and ADA-accessible means of exiting the BeltLine for Ponce’s shopping and eating options is being constructed.

The BeltLine’s contractor, JHC Construction, is building a steel ramp, stairs, and railings at the northwestern corner of the Ponce De Leon Avenue bridge. The project will look similar to Edgewood Avenue’s metal-ramp connection to the Eastside Trail where Old Fourth Ward meets Inman Park. The surface, however, won’t be serrated metal, in order to spare dogs’ feet, BeltLine officials have said.

The goal is to improve pedestrian and cycling conditions at the confluence of four intown neighborhoods while providing better connectivity to places like EATS, Green’s Beverages, Whole Foods, and the rest of the Midtown Place shopping center.

Where the BeltLine's ramp and stairs is being constructed on the north side of Ponce De Leon Avenue today. Submitted

A layout of the Ponce ramp system, which will look similar to Edgewood Avenue’s metal-ramp connection to the Eastside Trail, as pictured above. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

An enhanced pedestrian connection at Ponce has been part of the Eastside Trail’s design since it debuted in 2012. Previous plans to begin work in summer 2021 were delayed.

The ramp installation is part of the broader Ponce de Leon Avenue Streetscapes project, an effort to improve pedestrian and bike connections between Boulevard and John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

The BeltLine reports this month that JHC is approximately 45 percent finished with the 18-month streetscapes project.  

Fencing recently installed along the Eastside Trail near Ponce. Submitted

Existing bike lanes on Ponce are being milled and resurfaced, and flexible delineator posts will be installed in places throughout the project. Ponce bike lanes will be extended on both sides of the BeltLine, up to the entrance of the newish Kroger in Poncey-Highland. Today, bike lanes end just east of Ponce City Market.

Tight right-of-way constraints and existing traffic-lane configurations on that section of Ponce will prohibit the bike lanes from being extended all the way to Freedom Parkway, BeltLine planners have said.

Elsewhere, a new crosswalk will be installed in front of Ponce City Market, allowing BeltLine patrons connecting down to Ponce, or vice versa, to bypass car traffic entering and exiting the Midtown Place shopping center. Two raised medians will also be installed on either side of the BeltLine.

Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Expect trees and new lighting in buffers between sidewalks and the remade bike lanes. Traffic signals will be reconfigured at Boulevard, Glen Iris Drive, Midtown Place, and the entrance to Kroger and the 725 Ponce development, per BeltLine officials.

According to the BeltLine’s timeline, all work along the .68-mile Ponce project is now scheduled to be finished in the second quarter of 2024, following about two months of rain delays so far.  

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Where the BeltLine's ramp and stairs is being constructed on the north side of Ponce De Leon Avenue today. Submitted

Fencing recently installed along the Eastside Trail near Ponce. Submitted

A layout of the Ponce ramp system, which will look similar to Edgewood Avenue’s metal-ramp connection to the Eastside Trail, as pictured above. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Existing conditions heading east on the avenue near Ponce City Market. The ramp will be installed at left. Google Maps

Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Placement of the new ramp connection and a crosswalk near Ponce City Market's entrance. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Where floral, raised medians will go. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

A sample of one section for Ponce de Leon Avenue upgrades. Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Subtitle Construction begins to link Eastside Trail to eating, shopping districts, improved bike lanes

Neighborhood Virginia-Highland

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51 Atlanta-style townhomes bound for scenic N. Georgia Mountains Josh Green Mon, 08/07/2023 - 12:54 An active intown and suburban Atlanta homebuilder has set its sights on the North Georgia Mountains for a housing type that’s more urban density than wilderness escape.

Construction is underway on a 51-unit townhome project called The Grove at Blue Ridge, situated just north of the town of the same name off Ga. Highway 515. A cove of scenic Lake Blue Ridge is located nearby to the east.

The homebuilder, Deluxeton Homes, is also developing the next phase of The Moderns on Memorial Drive and the Hollywood and Main II duplex community in Riverside, with several suburban Atlanta projects in its portfolio from Marietta to Alpharetta.

Deluxeton Homes officials reported that site work on the Blue Ridge project was nearly finished in February. The community’s website says the initial offerings will be finished in 2023.

The 51 Chapel Drive site in relation to downtown Blue Ridge (bottom left) and the area's eponymous lake. Google Maps

View over the cleared Blue Ridge site (below, not pictured) prior to construction. Deluxeton Homes

It marks the only new townhome project underway in the Blue Ridge area at the moment—and the only townhomes for sale in general, outside a waterfront unit asking $750,000 on the aforementioned lake.

The Grove at Blue Ridge’s townhomes will all be two stories, situated around an oval-shaped interior street.

Prices start at $365,000 for options with three bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms in 2,054 square feet.

Slightly larger units (2,209 square feet) are asking $370,000.

Larger options (four bedrooms with just north of 2,750 square feet) are listed on the project’s website but aren’t yet priced.

Sample two-story facades at The Grove at Blue Ridge project. Deluxeton Homes

Eventual plans for the 51-home layout along Chapel Drive in Blue Ridge. Deluxeton Homes

According to marketing materials, the community is taking shape 90 miles from Atlanta near the confluence of Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, close to three craft breweries and Blue Ridge’s growing variety of eats and shopping.

“[It’s] a perfect getaway destination for city dwellers and a popular choice for homebuyers looking for second homes or vacation homes,” notes Deluxeton Homes’ sale pitch.

Hike up to the gallery for a closer look—no gas mileage required.

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• Blue Ridge news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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51 Chapel Drive Blue Ridge Deluxeton Homes The Grove at Blue Ridge townhomes Homes For sale North Georgia North Georgia Mountains Lake Blue Ridge Townhouses Grumpy Old Men Brewery OTP

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The 51 Chapel Drive site in relation to downtown Blue Ridge (bottom left) and the area's eponymous lake. Google Maps

Sample two-story facades at The Grove at Blue Ridge project. Deluxeton Homes

View over the cleared Blue Ridge site (below, not pictured) prior to construction. Deluxeton Homes

Eventual plans for the 51-home layout along Chapel Drive in Blue Ridge. Deluxeton Homes

The smallest floorplan, Laurel, includes a two-car garage. Deluxeton Homes

Sample floorplans for the Birch layout, the second option currently offered. Deluxeton Homes

Subtitle Active intown homebuilder calls project The Grove at Blue Ridge, priced from $300Ks

Neighborhood Blue Ridge

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Along Memorial Drive, modern-style project breaks ground Josh Green Mon, 08/07/2023 - 08:17 A year and ½ after its ceremonial groundbreaking, a project that’s replacing a vacant church with relatively dense standalone houses is actually under construction.

Site work has recently begun for JD Kirkwood, the latest infill project of many to move forward on Memorial Drive. It’s taking a corner lot where a small church property—the former home of Zion Pentecostal Evangelistic Church of God in Christ—was demolished last year.

Five modern-style, single-family houses will replace the church on the Kirkwood site, situated where Memorial meets East Lake Terrace near Drew Charter School. Initially pitched by JDW Development, the project first came before the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization in summer 2021, and as of March last year appeared to be green-lighted for full construction, but the site went quiet soon after.

Sara Lee Parker, a Realtor with Keller Williams Intown Atlanta who’s leading sales, says the property has changed hands in the meantime.

The JD Kirkwood project's 2246 Memorial Drive location, due east of downtown. Google Maps

Foundation construction across all five lots as seen in recent days. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A new Atlanta-based development team consisting of JB Development Partners and Bespoke Developments, the latter a residential firm with projects dotted around the city, is now leading the project, according to its website. It was designed by Xmetrical, an architecture firm with modern-style homes and commercial ventures across Atlanta.

All three of those companies are also behind the under-construction Ten 5 Summerhill townhomes project on Georgia Avenue.

Previous plans called for the JD Kirkwood homes to each have four bedrooms and span between 2,600 and 3,000 square feet. Prices were expected to begin in the low $900,000s.

Parker says those plans remain mostly unchanged, though the three homes fronting Memorial Drive will be slightly smaller to allow for more pricing options and homes with three bedrooms plus offices. Pricing has yet to be determined—and likely won’t be decided until the homes near completion in the first quarter of 2024, Parker says.

How the five modern-style houses are planned to meet the northeast corner of East Lake Terrace and Memorial Drive. A MARTA bus stop is also located at the corner. JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

Plans for the main living level of an open-floorplan unit. JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

According to earlier blueprints, each home will have two-car, rear-entry garages. Outdoor spaces will include rear decks off the main living levels, and rooftop terraces on the third floors with views across nearby blocks.  

On blocks immediately south of the JD Kirkwood project are Drew Charter School facilities and the East Lake YMCA. Like another property across the street, the 2246 Memorial Drive site was home to a church that hadn’t been used regularly for years.

As with Toll Brothers’ Oxley Edgewood project, the Empire Paintbox townhomes and 103 under-construction townhomes elsewhere in Kirkwood, and the 1200 Ponce venture claiming Druid Hills United Methodist Church, among others, it’s a case of developers moving in to claim land from an intown congregation willing to sell and move on.

Head up to the gallery above for more context and previews of what’s to come in Kirkwood.

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• Kirkwood news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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2246 Memorial Drive SE JD Kirkwood JDW Development Southern First Highland Mortgage Keller Williams Realty Intown Atlanta Sara Lee Parker and Associates Regents Custom Builders Keller Williams Luxury International Modern Homes Atlanta Architecture Atlanta Churches Memorial Drive Atlanta Development Xmetrical JB Development Partners Bespoke Developments

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The JD Kirkwood project's 2246 Memorial Drive location, due east of downtown. Google Maps

The Memorial Drive site in question, with Drew Charter School and East Lake YMCA facilities below.Google Maps

Plat for the planned five-home development. JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

Foundation construction across all five lots as seen in recent days. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the five modern-style houses are planned to meet the northeast corner of East Lake Terrace and Memorial Drive. A MARTA bus stop is also located at the corner. JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

Plans for the main living level of an open-floorplan unit. JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

JD Kirkwood; designs, Xmetrical

The vacant former home of Zion Pentecostal Evangelistic Church of God in Christ was demolished last year at 2246 Memorial Drive. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Corner lot to see pocket of five standalone homes called JD Kirkwood

Neighborhood Kirkwood

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JD Kirkwood

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Busy Buckhead road to become friendlier to pedestrians, bikes Josh Green Fri, 08/04/2023 - 15:59 Buckhead’s push to become more approachable for non-motorists—and less hostile toward things like, gasp, bike lanes—could change one of the subdistrict’s busiest traffic corridors soon.  

According to Buckhead Community Improvement District officials, the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to open construction bids next month for a Complete Street overhaul of Piedmont Road near high-rises and shopping centers in Buckhead’s commercial core.

Buckhead CID plans to widen Piedmont Road for a few blocks between Peachtree and Lenox roads with a goal of enhancing pedestrian and cycling mobility and creating better traffic flow.

Construction is expected to start in October, according to a recent project update.

The section of Piedmont Road in question. Google Maps

Specifically, plans call for a shared-use path to be added on the west side of Piedmont Road, nearest to the former Disco Kroger shopping center.

Meanwhile, the street itself will be widened to three lanes in each direction with a new dedicated left turn lane implemented.

The expansion plans were initially recommended in a 2008 Piedmont Transportation Study. It’s been a long road since.

Nearly a decade later, Buckhead CID succeeded in securing a significant amount of the project funding from the City of Atlanta’s Renew Infrastructure program and the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Courtesy of Buckhead CID

The following year, in 2018, Buckhead CID hired transportation firm Croy Engineering to design the Piedmont Road project and draft construction plans for contractors. And in 2019, Buckhead CID heads approved the use of CID funds to fill the remain funding gaps required to make the project happen.

A few blocks away, the same group of Buckhead booster is moving forward plans for a pedestrian-friendly Lenox Road overhaul. A boardwalk section near Lenox Mall is also scheduled to begin construction in October.

Courtesy of Buckhead CID

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Piedmont Road Central Buckhead Buckhead Community Improvement District Buckhead CID Livable Buckhead Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Croy Engineering

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The section of Piedmont Road in question. Google Maps

Courtesy of Buckhead CID

Courtesy of Buckhead CID

Subtitle No, for real

Neighborhood Buckhead

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Landfill-replacing housing moves forward in Boulevard Heights Josh Green Fri, 08/04/2023 - 13:23 Another BeltLine-adjacent apartment project is moving forward in Southeast Atlanta to replace a giant mound of excavated landfill trash that’s been a source of bemused infamy among neighbors.

Atlanta-based developer TPA Residential has filed for permits to begin vertical construction of a multifamily building at 1104 Avondale Avenue in Boulevard Heights, less than two blocks from the BeltLine’s Southside Trail and Grant Park.

Fronting United Avenue, the 8.2-acre site had been a massive, abandoned landfill capped with fill-dirt for years. A source close to the project told Urbanize Atlanta last summer roughly 150,000 yards of garbage had to be removed before the site was ready for construction—and thus, Mount Rubbish.

Two previous development efforts on the site sputtered and quit.

The tremendous mound of excavated landfill trash where United Avenue meets Lester Avenue, as seen in January. Google Maps

According to paperwork filed with the city last week, TPA plans to start development with a single 212,000-square-foot building with 228 housing units. (That’s an uptick from 215 apartments outlined in previous plans.)

Beyond that mid-rise building, TPA expects to build 63 rental townhomes spread around 10 structures situated closer to United Avenue, according to site plans. As required by zoning, a small retail space will be included in one corner of the multifamily building.

Renderings indicate the multifamily building could be called United Apartments. 

A new rendering for the 1104 Avondale Avenue project's multifamily portion recently submitted to the city. TPA Residential

The current site plan, with Empire Communities' existing Swift townhomes depicted at left, and United Avenue at right. TPA Residential

The Development Authority of Fulton County approved a $3.7-million tax abatement for TPA to help with cleaning up the site last year. The development has been approved for the Brownfield Tax Credit Program for “the voluntary cleanup and redevelopment of an environmentally contaminated site,” per TPA’s project website.

TPA closed on the site’s purchase in June last year and was quickly granted a city permit to begin remediation and environmental cleanup. The property was also once home to a city-operated drinking water chlorination facility.

Remediation and removal of the landfill will reportedly cost $7 million, and TPA plans to spend another $1 million building a BeltLine connection with lighting and landscaping.

Fifteen percent of the apartments and townhomes will be reserved as affordable housing, as required by BeltLine inclusionary housing rules, per TPA’s plans. As of last year, the first units were expected to deliver in spring or summer 2024, but that timeline may have changed. TPA didn’t respond to an email inquiry regarding a project update this week.

As of last year, TPA’s plans for the apartments (ranging from studios up to three-bedrooms) called for 43 units to be reserved for tenants earning 80 percent of the area median income or less.

Exterior plans for the rental townhomes. TPA Residential

The Avondale Avenue project joins a flurry of recent development in that pocket of the BeltLine corridor, where construction on the next 1.2-mile stretch of the Southside Trail began in June.

Empire Communities’ the Swift, a sprawling townhome project with 120 units, claimed a large vacant parcel next door.

Down the street, TPA also built a 275-unit project called The Penman on 6 acres that directly front the BeltLine, near the Southside Trail’s intersection with Boulevard. About 7,000 square feet of adaptive-reuse retail is planned in that project. 

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• Is BeltLine-connected Boulevard Heights the next Reynoldstown? (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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1104 Avondale Avenue SE United Avenue project TPA Residential Boulevard Empire Communities The Swift Grant Park United Avenue 680 Hamilton Beltline Southside Trail Atlanta BeltLine Flippo Civil Design BeltLine Development Review Committee Atlanta Development Mixed-Use Atlanta BeltLine Development Review Committee Atlanta Construction Development Authority of Fulton County AJC DAFC United Apartments New South Construction

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The site of TPA Residential's mix of rental townhomes and apartments along United Avenue, with the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor depicted at left. Google Maps

A new rendering for the 1104 Avondale Avenue project's multifamily portion recently submitted to the city. TPA Residential

The tremendous mound of excavated landfill trash where United Avenue meets Lester Avenue, as seen in January. Google Maps

An internal street with a parking garage and multifamily housing at the Boulevard Heights development. TPA Residential

Exterior plans for the rental townhomes. TPA Residential

TPA Residential

The current site plan, with Empire Communities' existing Swift townhomes depicted at left, and United Avenue at right. TPA Residential

Subtitle TPA Residential development files to begin construction near BeltLine's Southside Trail

Neighborhood Boulevard Heights

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A year after splashy Mall West End plans surfaced, it's crickets Josh Green Fri, 08/04/2023 - 08:14 By now, it’s a familiar refrain: Splashy redevelopment plans for The Mall West End and its parking lots pop up. Excitement ensues. Cautious optimism starts leaning toward skepticism. Crickets. Developers back away or go quiet. Status quo prevails.

A year after New York-based developers unveiled preliminary plans for turning the mall’s 1970s retail block into a mixed-use hub with hundreds of new jobs, more food options, and housing, the crickets phase appears to be upon us.

The Prusik Group and BRP Companies brought ideas in July last year to West End Neighborhood Development, an organization of businesses and neighbors, that called for a much smaller redevelopment of the neighborhood mall than previous visions. The plans would nonetheless add vitality to the community in a strategic location, reconnecting blocks separated by walls and parking lots in the process, the development team said.

Prusik went under contract on the 12-acre mall property last summer—the third potential suitor in as many years.

Proposed redevelopment of parking lots at Oak and Dunn streets.Prusik Group, BRP

WEND president Marquise “Tony” McNeal told Urbanize Atlanta this week his group remains largely in the dark. “Since the last we talked [about the mall],” said McNeal, “there hasn’t been much movement that we are aware of.”

Email inquiries to Prusik Group executives this week were not returned.

Fulton County property records show no recent sales for the mall property, and city permitting records indicate no redevelopment plans have been filed.

The mall’s owner, HT Group, has been exploring options to offload the property for several years. We’ve reached out to that company for updates and will add any additional information to this story that comes. 

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

With its location near MARTA rail, the BeltLine’s Westside Trail, and Atlanta University Center, the mall property has had no trouble attracting developer interest. It counts Planet Fitness, Foot Locker, Journey’s, and eateries such as American Deli as primary attractions today. According to the mall’s website, more than 50 tenants continue to operate at the property.

Prusik Group officials said last year they planned to retain existing tenants at the mall who are running successful businesses.

As is, the mall’s mega-block separates sections of the historic neighborhood, has no connection to the MARTA station across the street, and lacks a pedestrian or “front door" experience, per the latest development team.

According to a 2022 presentation, Prusik and BRP’s concept calls/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 potentially see up to 1.5-million square feet of new construction, per the developers.

Prusik Group & BRP

Prusik and BRP officials said the block has capacity for up to 250,000 square feet of “necessity-based retail,” with a mix of national names and local boutiques. Between 650 and 900 mixed-income apartments could materialize, too, with up to 25 percent of those being reserved as affordable housing. Developers said the finished project could create more than 500 new jobs.

Another option called for building a hotel with roughly 200 rooms, geared toward accommodating AUC visitors and people wanting a downtown alternative. Other spaces could be used for small parks, medical offices, and a police substation, per the concepts.

At last check, Prusik Group’s contract to buy the mall property was pending engineering and environmental studies.

The group has experience developing projects in low-income areas of New York, including the South Bronx and Harlem. One official told the AJC that respecting “the history and importance” of The Mall West End and gathering community input would be paramount, but only after due diligence is conducted at the site.

The firm’s portfolio indicates the Atlanta venture would be its first outside of the New York area. The West End property is still not listed among that portfolio.

Another Mall West End redevelopment deal involving BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel fell apart in 2021, and real estate giant Tishman Speyer later backed out of another contract.

The development team's vision for Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. Prusik Group & BRP; via West End Neighborhood Development Inc./FB

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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 development team's vision for Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. Prusik Group & BRP; via West End Neighborhood Development Inc./FB

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

Prusik Group & BRP

Prusik Group & BRP

Subtitle Latest proposal was expected to spawn 500 jobs, provide food options, weave West End back together

Neighborhood West End

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Mall West End redevelopment

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