Atlanta Project Thread III [Archive] - Page 26

trainiac

Jul 7, 2009, 4:21 PM

Hm, looks like at least one of the city's new office towers is getting a big tenant. Marsh & McLennan is taking 140,000 sf (http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/07/06/story1.html) in Two Alliance. Even better news is that Wells Fargo is likely to take at least 70,000 sf (http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/07/06/newscolumn2.html) of their old space at Prominence. Wells Fargo is currently in Sandy Springs == nice to see a marquee company move back intown from the suburbs.

Cool news. Isn't that this building?
http://www.holderconstruction.com/Home.nsf/content/AboutHolderProminenceinBuckhead/$file/prominence.jpg

That's the one with Roy's on the first floor, right? It will be interesting to see how much Wells Fargo chooses Atlanta over Charlotte. It's strange to see ads now with: "Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company"

cybele

Jul 7, 2009, 6:31 PM

That's the one with Roy's on the first floor, right? It will be interesting to see how much Wells Fargo chooses Atlanta over Charlotte. It's strange to see ads now with: "Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company"

Yeah, I think that's the building.

It will be interesting to see what Wells does. This is purely based on casual chit chat but I've had the impression that Wells Fargo has always liked Atlanta.

cybele

Jul 10, 2009, 2:53 PM

Bummer. This recession is rough.

Condo developer facing mountain of debt (http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/07/13/story1.html?b=1247457600^1858073)

Novare Group Holdings LLC, one of Atlanta’s largest condominium developers, is in default on “a substantial amount” of its debt and is working with its lenders to restructure at least $100 million in loans for projects across the Southeast.

This comes as its auditors question the company’s “ability to continue as a going concern,” according to documents obtained by Atlanta Business Chronicle’s sister publication, the Nashville Business Journal.

Novare faces $280 million in loan maturities in 2009 and another $320 million in 2010. It has $713 million of debt outstanding and $81 million in debt through joint ventures, according to financial statements included in those documents.

smArTaLlone

Jul 20, 2009, 1:03 AM

By Rachel Tobin Ramos
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(http://www.ajc.com/business/the-city-that-95043.html)

For this story, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution interviewed developers of 18 landmark projects proposed on or near the Peachtree corridor, plus three in the suburbs. These projects — amounting to nearly $9 billion in development — would have driven millions of dollars in sales, hotel and motel taxes to local and state government.

All these projects — buildings and streetscapes that would redefine the city and its most famous thoroughfare — have been stalled by the unforgiving reality of the downturn. Some have been abandoned by bank financiers, and others shelved by the city’s biggest developers. Some turned into nothing more than really cool blueprints. Others are moving along, but much more slowly than anticipated.

One project that could change dramatically based on the economy is Trump Tower, said developer Bennett Sands, director of Wood Partners.

“I think even if we had a giant pot of money, we wouldn’t start construction until a lot of the supply in Midtown had been absorbed,” he said. “It’s just not prudent to add condo inventory into that market right now. The start of that project is a long way off at this point.”

Cousins Properties said all future developments are on hold until market conditions improve. That effects Fox Plaza, a proposed 30-story condo tower near the Fox Theatre, where there’s now a vacant lot after Cousins demolished the existing building. And three more buildings at Terminus are stalled. Carter is proceeding with cautious optimism. He will restart construction on Phase I of his $1.5 billion luxury retail project in September with no hotels, though three were proposed. Plans for Starwood to build the first U.S. outpost of Baccarat are canceled, said Carter.

Article (http://www.ajc.com/business/the-city-that-95043.html)

trainiac

Jul 20, 2009, 2:14 AM

By Rachel Tobin Ramos
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(http://www.ajc.com/business/the-city-that-95043.html)
Carter is proceeding with cautious optimism. He will restart construction on Phase I of his $1.5 billion luxury retail project in September with no hotels, though three were proposed. Plans for Starwood to build the first U.S. outpost of Baccarat are canceled, said Carter.

Article (http://www.ajc.com/business/the-city-that-95043.html)

Interesting they say that Ben Carter didn't buy the old 3 Dollar Cafe corner. I thought that was one of the first ones he bought! Great article

cybele

Jul 21, 2009, 1:41 AM

When do y'all think the market may pick up? I was with some real estate mogul types recently and they seemed to think it would be 5 years or so before we see any significant construction activity.

How will that affect things like TADs and the Beltline?

ATLaffinity

Jul 21, 2009, 3:47 PM

where do you find real estate mogul types???

cybele

Jul 21, 2009, 7:44 PM

Good point. Former real estate moguls.

trainiac

Jul 23, 2009, 6:42 PM

They've broken ground on the new Oxford Road complex that will include a new university bookstore. It's going to be operated by Barnes & Noble like at Tech. As a sideline, the old Druid Hills Bookstore across the street is gone :(

http://cliftoncommunitypartnership.org/uploads/photos/2009/07/2009070107560134/Oxford-Road_Exterior.jpg

http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/2009/July/July6/BarnesNoble.htm

smArTaLlone

Jul 27, 2009, 1:48 AM

Did anyone see the huge signs being put up on the Medical Arts building??

reet

Jul 27, 2009, 2:36 AM

Did anyone see the huge signs being put up on the Medical Arts building??

I saw it. There was a Holiday Inn logo on the banner. I haven't read anything about a Holiday Inn going in this location -- has anyone seen a news story of this?

atlgal

Jul 27, 2009, 1:15 PM

jpk1292000

Jul 27, 2009, 2:25 PM

Kool Korners - the Cuban sandwich shop at the corner of State and 14th St - is getting a major renovation. About half a block will have new storefronts and a restaurant with a deck. I'm not sure if the Cuban sandwich shop is a part of the plan, but I think the man who ran the shop has retired. Anyway, this will be a nice development. It's currently under construction.

See http://www.koolkorners.com/

Nice...

Man, I can't wait for this recession to end. I really think that once things pick back up, intown Atlanta is going to really take off in terms of urban development.

smArTaLlone

Jul 27, 2009, 4:39 PM

Kool Korners - the Cuban sandwich shop at the corner of State and 14th St - is getting a major renovation. About half a block will have new storefronts and a restaurant with a deck. I'm not sure if the Cuban sandwich shop is a part of the plan, but I think the man who ran the shop has retired. Anyway, this will be a nice development. It's currently under construction.

See http://www.koolkorners.com/

That's cool! :tup:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/pincfx/Midrise/14thState-1.jpg

smArTaLlone

Jul 31, 2009, 4:49 AM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to invest up to $300 million in two new office buildings — as it looks to rein in costs and boost efficiency.

Plans call for the development of two multi-story research-support facilities and parking decks at the CDC’s Chamblee campus on Buford Highway.

The planned facilities include a 294,800-gross-square-foot building and a 729-car parking deck, coupled with a 285,500-gross-square-foot building and a 781-car parking deck.

The CDC plans to relocate about 2,000 researchers, scientists and doctors from leased locations to the campus, which is home to environmental health research labs, said George Chandler, the CDC’s director of buildings and facilities.

shivtim

Jul 31, 2009, 6:54 PM

As a sideline, the old Druid Hills Bookstore across the street is gone :(

It's my understanding that the Druid Hills Bookstore will be re-invented within the new book store:

"I am happy to report that we have some news about the bookstore
contract—Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, Inc. has just been chosen
to manage Emory University’s bookstores. Barnes & Noble will oversee operations of the main and medical bookstores, which, as you know, will be combined—along with the Druid Hills Bookstore—into one store when the new bookstore building opens next spring. Druid Hills Bookstore closed at the end of May due to real estate issues. An abridged version of the store will operate out of the main bookstore in the DUC until the opening of the new store next spring, at which point full services and inventory will be
restored. "

joecool

Aug 1, 2009, 5:10 AM

That's cool! :tup:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/pincfx/Midrise/14thState-1.jpg

LOVE IT!!!!!

smArTaLlone

Aug 4, 2009, 3:41 AM

By Gertha Coffee
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/business/wieland-to-sell-site-107343.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab)

Developer John Wieland’s dream of building a luxury condo tower and art gallery in Midtown is unlikely to come true.

He’s put the land for the proposed project, once a $350 million vision, on the market. But Wieland said Monday he is working on a plan for the site if the land does not sell.

The nearly 2 acres of land on Peachtree Street is being offered for $19.8 million, Robert Allen, a senior vice president at Colliers Spectrum Cauble, the real estate firm handling the listing, said Monday. It is zoned for multiple uses, including hotel, office, residential and retail, Allen said.

The original plan at 1301 Peachtree St., across from the High Museum, was to include a 23-story building with 96 condos starting at $2 million, and a 15,000-square-foot contemporary art gallery. The project was started and put on hold in 2007 because of the downturn in the housing and credit markets.

“The land is for sale,” Wieland said. “But at the same time, I am working on a reconfiguration for that site. If we can sell it before we get a solution, that’s great.” He said the solution probably would be a much smaller condominium.

Wieland said last month he hoped to make an announcement in September about the rebirth of the project, which had been scaled back to 34 homes.

Wieland paid about $17 million for the land in 2006 and 2007, according to Databank, a real estate tracking and analysis firm.

In today’s economy, the site is “more suitable for hotel or office than condominium,” Allen said.

He said Colliers is “having conversations with some people who have some interest” in the site, but did not offer details.

Wieland, a collector of contemporary art and a former board chairman of the High Museum, had a strong vision for One Museum Place when the project was announced. He wanted the art gallery to house the work of cutting-edge contemporary artists. And it was to be his personal home as well as a home for other art lovers.

“One of the big last thrills of my life,” Wieland, now 72, told the AJC in 2006, “would be to do a fantastic building across the street [from the High] that would be a home for my art and my personal home.”

cybele

Aug 10, 2009, 6:14 PM

Loudermilks primed to develop Village sites

The Loudermilk family and Buckhead-based Cannon Equities have formed a joint venture, Roxy Capital Partners LLC, to develop and market five prime properties in the Village area of Buckhead that father Charles and son Robin Loudermilk acquired over years.

Full story (http://buckhead.lps2.com/Articles-c-2009-08-06-166196.113118_Loudermilks_primedto_developVillage_sites.html#123)

http://buckhead.reporternewspapers.net/placedimages/136B83KHG20E3006.lg.jpg

cybele

Aug 12, 2009, 8:29 PM

PITTS SUPPORTS RELOCATION OF THE GEORGIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Macon, Georgia, is in danger of closing its doors by the end of 2009 if it cannot sustain itself. After touring the Hall of Fame, Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts believes that this jewel’s best chance for survival would be to relocate it to Atlanta/Fulton County.

To become self-sustaining, the Hall must increase its number of visitors to 140,000 per year by 2012. Over the last five years, the average annual visitor level has been 27,000 and the average earned income $277,000. This intake falls far short of the annual operational expenditure of approximately $1.5 million. Currently, state funds account for 76% of the Hall’s total funding, meaning that Georgia taxpayers are bearing the greatest responsibility for the Hall’s operation.

“Because of Atlanta’s status as a tourist hub for the region, the number of annual visitors would be almost guaranteed to increase if the Hall were to relocate,” Pitts said. By comparison, 2008 attendance for the Georgia Aquarium was 2.6 million, the New World of Coca-Cola was1.2 million, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History was 450,125, and the Imagine It Children’s Museum was 200,000.

“There is no doubt that the Music Hall of Fame would have a better opportunity of continued existence in Atlanta/Fulton County,” stated Pitts.“ “While Macon is a wonderful city and is the home of my family’s Adams Lounge and the Skyline Motel, it simply does not have the tourist draw that Atlanta has.”

The Music Hall of Fame celebrates the music and lives of more than 100 Georgia legends, including, Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, Gladys Knight, Little Richard, Allman Brothers and Johnny Mercer, among others. Additionally, it houses thousands of documents and artifacts telling the story of Georgia’s music history, from the earliest Native American instruments to the latest pop beat genres.

Pitts feels that with all parties working together, the Hall can be saved for the benefit of all Georgians and visitors to this state. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Authority, the City of Macon, the State of Georgia and all other parties affiliated can keep the Hall alive.

“We can ill-afford to lose Georgia’s music history,” said Pitts.

###

http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/

Fiorenza

Aug 12, 2009, 10:11 PM

AJC to move out of Atlanta? (http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/08/10/daily50.html)

trainiac

Aug 13, 2009, 4:26 AM

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Macon, Georgia, is in danger of closing its doors by the end of 2009 if it cannot sustain itself. After touring the Hall of Fame, Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts believes that this jewel’s best chance for survival would be to relocate it to Atlanta/Fulton County.

To become self-sustaining, the Hall must increase its number of visitors to 140,000 per year by 2012. Over the last five years, the average annual visitor level has been 27,000 and the average earned income $277,000. This intake falls far short of the annual operational expenditure of approximately $1.5 million. Currently, state funds account for 76% of the Hall’s total funding, meaning that Georgia taxpayers are bearing the greatest responsibility for the Hall’s operation.

Yeah, the golf thing in Augusta didn't really work out and while it makes some historical sense for this to be located in Macon (Allmans, Little Richard) they'll never get the numbers of people stopping there. I think this could have been an argument for some kind of fast rail line between Atlanta -> Macon -> Savannah, but maybe that wouldn't even have helped. That's a shame because Macon really is a great city to visit.

smArTaLlone

Aug 13, 2009, 3:27 PM

Cousins Properties Inc. took a nearly $35 million write-down in the second quarter on its 10 Terminus Place condo tower.

Cousins said the declining market for condominiums and slow sales prompted the company to revise expectations about how much cash flow the 32-story Buckhead condo tower can generate.

The write-down coincides with a new report by the research firm Haddow & Co. that says the biggest challenge facing the condo market is the luxury segment.

Haddow & Co. defines that segment as condos priced at more than $500,000.

Cousins launched a buyer incentive program at 10 Terminus this spring.
The program included Cousins' pledge to guarantee the value of the condos — which average between $600,000 and $800,000 — for the first three years.

Ten Terminus, completed in 2008, has 137 units.

About 122 units remained unsold at the end of June, Cousins said.

smArTaLlone

Aug 14, 2009, 2:21 PM

The glamorous, 14-foot-high teardrop chandeliers in the former Macy’s building downtown soon will have a new reason to sparkle.

Even in this gloomy economy.

Within the year, the memorable fixtures will help illuminate weddings, parties and special events.

Construction started this week that will transform the three main shopping floors of the 82-year-old building on Peachtree Street into an events venue.

The Grand Atrium and The Gallery events spaces are scheduled to open in early 2010, along with two restaurants, Meehan’s Public House and Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint. Later, a traveling exhibits venue will open on the ground floor.

A team of 25 investors, led by Robert Patterson, is rebranding the building as 200 Peachtree. Their hope is the once grand centerpiece of downtown will be revived as a key element of downtown economic life, six years after Macy’s left.

AJC article (http://www.ajc.com/business/new-life-for-downtown-115144.html)

http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/dynamic/00234/macynew_234187c.jpg

http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/dynamic/00234/macys_0814_04_234184c.jpg

AJC article (http://www.ajc.com/business/new-life-for-downtown-115144.html)

cybele

Aug 17, 2009, 6:41 AM

Real estate dirty bomb  is ticking (http://www.ajc.com/business/real-estate-dirty-115983.html)

cybele

Aug 25, 2009, 1:36 PM

New purposes  for Atlanta's old eyesores (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/new-purposes-121468.html?cxtype=rss_news_81966)

Wouldn't it be great to see something done with the Medical Arts Building? I remember going there as a kid and it was quite elegant. It was a very prominent place to go to the doctor.

It's very accessible by car and public transit, and as I recall the ceilings are tall. I have no idea what the asking price is but it's bound to be a place where you could get a good deal.

Maybe it could become home to some specialty clinic associated with Crawford Long? Say, orthopedics or neurology? That would rock.

http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/dynamic/00238/imagepreview-1_238524c.jpg

macdaddy

Aug 25, 2009, 4:36 PM

The whole building is covered with some kind of sheeting. Looks like there's a Holiday Inn logo on it.

smArTaLlone

Aug 28, 2009, 5:51 PM

By Rachel Tobin Ramos and Ty Tagami
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/business/disputed-brookhaven-project-gets-125389.html)

Developers of a large retail project in Brookhaven say they’ve signed four anchor tenants and plan to start construction this fall, even without a controversial tax break in hand.

Thursday’s announcement by Sembler Co. shows retailer interest in the Town Brookhaven mixed-use project, where apartment buildings now sit ringed by red clay.

But it doesn’t end the Florida developer’s bid for $42 million tax break that the firm says it needs to finish the project with restaurants and boutiques.

Sembler said it signed leases in recent weeks with Costco, Publix, LA Fitness and CinéBistro, an upscale dinner-and-a-movie house.

Work should start in November, with the stores opening in late 2010, Sembler said. The 54-acre project is near Oglethorpe University and the Brookhaven MARTA Station in DeKalb County.

http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/dynamic/00241/sembler0828_2_241450c.jpg

Article (http://www.ajc.com/business/disputed-brookhaven-project-gets-125389.html)

cybele

Aug 28, 2009, 9:13 PM

We came into town the other day and drove through that place. It's a mess right now but it won't look bad at all when it's finished.

smArTaLlone

Aug 29, 2009, 3:59 AM

14th Street Bridge Reopens Thursday

The 14th Street Bridge is set to open to traffic next week, one year, three months and eight days after it was closed for reconstruction.

The new version will include more than just pavement, though. The sidewalk on one side is expanded to 15 feet across. Decorative lights will illuminate both the roadway and sidewalks in shades of primary colors, said Dan Hourigan, who heads transportation issues for the Midtown Alliance, a self-taxing business district that helped design the new bridge.

The median is designed for landscaping, and when planting season rolls around in October, flowers, shrubs and trees will be installed. A decorative screen — not the usual chain-link anti-jumper fence — flanks the bridge and is easily seen from the Connector below.

AJC article (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/14th-street-bridge-ready-to-reopen-126489.html)

ATLBlaxican

Aug 29, 2009, 7:13 AM

:previous:
You know, people can hate all they want on the GDOT, but I must say that I will never hate on ATL roads or MARTA for that matter again. I drove to Boston this past week and the roads in other states from Virginia to Massachusetts was nothing to brag about. I thought I was going to love the so called “Big Dig" as many of us discussed ATL doing something similar to 85/75, but I grew to hate all the tunnels that Boston had :hell: . I almost died on more than 3 occasions trying to navigate through all the round-abouts (that no one seemed to stop let along yield at) and all the entrance ramps that 2 sec/20ft later became exit ramps???? :shrug: The metro wasn’t that bad, but I wasn’t feeling the Green Line (word of caution). A lot of it could be that I wasn’t use to the roads, but man it sure made me appreciate our gigantic highways with comparably long entrance and exit ramps as well as the landscaping and functional overpasses. They might not be the Brooklyn Bridge or Golden Gate, but at least they don’t look like there going to collapse if one more car went over it. Wooo…I had to get that off my chest. But I did LOVE Boston!!! I mean not offense, just stating my experience.

AtlMidtowner

Aug 29, 2009, 7:39 PM

:previous:
. I almost died on more than 3 occasions trying to navigate through all the round-abouts (that no one seemed to stop let along yield at) .

You arent supposed to stop at round-abouts! That is the whole purpose, to keep traffic moving. Thats I hard concept for Southerners to comprehend, or Americans for that matter. :haha:
It takes some time to get used to roundabouts but once you are accustomed to them they are great.
My first experience of roundabouts was in Mexico City in 1985. On the big ones that sometimes have 3 lanes, I would get stuck and have to go in circles for 3 or 4 laps until I figured them out. It can be scary at first.

Lots of big intersections in Atlanta could use them, and most rural roads in the US should have them instead of having silly stop signs.

trainiac

Aug 29, 2009, 10:27 PM

You arent supposed to stop at round-abouts! That is the whole purpose, to keep traffic moving. Thats I hard concept for Southerners to comprehend, or Americans for that matter. :haha:
It takes some time to get used to roundabouts but once you are accustomed to them they are great.

Well.... there are a number of roundabouts in the northeast that are signed for people in them to yield to people entering them! The last one I saw was in northern New Jersey just a few months ago. Crazy. Make sure you pay attention to the signs before you assume anything.

When I've gone to Boston I've always walked and never noticed a single roundabout. What neighborhood were you in? Driving in NYC, Boston or DC is for suckers, man. Don't do it!

catlike

Aug 29, 2009, 11:42 PM

I think we need to differentiate between roundabouts and traffic circles, because the two are not interchangeable:

http://www.alaskaroundabouts.com/mythfact1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_circle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout

ATLBlaxican

Aug 30, 2009, 7:14 AM

I stayed in Revere Beach Area. It was like 2 miles form the Airport.

You arent supposed to stop at round-abouts! That is the whole purpose, to keep traffic moving.

HAHA :haha: , that makes sense, I guess; but like trainiac said, some of them did have yield signs and the exits for sure only had yield sings and ppl kept honking me b/c I would be waiting for the cars that are flying by and my TomTom to tell mw where to go. Oh, and one in particular "round-about" had stop lights??? The other only had a yield sign. I have learned my lesson and would never attempt to drive up there again. If I didn't have my TomTom, I wouldn't know what to do lol!

cybele

Sep 5, 2009, 5:09 PM

How are things coming with the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center?

smArTaLlone

Sep 10, 2009, 3:27 PM

By: Tony Wilbert

About 18 months ago, Atlanta sports and economic development circles buzzed with the possibility the city could lure away the College Hall of Fame from South Bend, Ind. Things quieted down shortly after, but the buzz is back.

Business executives and local officials are believed to be working to secure the InterPark lot at Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Harris Street as a potential site should College Football Hall of Fame executives decide to move it to Atlanta.

InterPark, a subsidiary of GE Capital Real Estate, owns the lot next to the American Cancer Society Center. The lot stretches from Centennial Olympic Park Drive to Williams Street. It is directly across the street from the park.

If the college hall relocates to the site, it would fortify the Centennial Olympic Park area as a center of tourist attractions. The InterPark lot is proximate to the Children's Museum, World of Coca-Cola and Georgia Aquarium. The National Health Museum also has said it would consider sites adjacent to the Olympic Park.

In January 2008, Atlanta Sports Council President Gary Stokan told a top executive of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame that - as "the nerve center of college football" - Atlanta deserved a shot at luring the hall, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Stokan also told hall officials a site near Centennial Olympic Park would be best, according to the AJC.

Now, the InterPark lot has emerged as a favorite site of local officials.

Atlanta's standing as a center of college football has increased since the city's initial interest in wooing the hall became public. The inaugural Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, played in late August 2008, was deemed a huge success. The second edition of the game, played Saturday, marked another sellout. Moreover, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has emerged as the top-tier bowl game outside the Bowl Championship Series.

Because of Chick-fil-A's vital role in the former Peach Bowl and new Kickoff Game, don't be surprised if the company is involved in the effort to bring the College Football Hall of Fame to its hometown.

Newnan_Eric

Sep 10, 2009, 5:42 PM

If Atlanta gets the College HoF and then builds the Civil/Human Rights museum and the Health museum, the Centennial Park Area will look like a redneck version of the Washington DC mall. I don't mean to be too snarky, but this collection of attractions - as impressive as it may be - is still mostly second rate. I don't know if it will be enough to make Atlanta a tourist draw outside the Southeast region.

Let's say that all of this is built. Would Joe Schmo in Podunk, Missouri decide, "Oh yeah, let's go to Atlanta to see all of those museums." ?? Probably, not.

But then, I could be wrong.

I do think it will leverage the convention trades business. These attractions will probably encourage people to stay a few days more. And, these attractions will make Atlanta that much more of a draw from neighboring states. Outside of that, I don't know.

If we manage to push re-developing the central city, to make it more walkable, vibrant, and exciting - that will definitely help.

shivtim

Sep 10, 2009, 7:41 PM

^I see what you're getting at, but I disagree. The Aquarium and World of Coke have already proved themselves to be national draws, and the college football hall of fame is certainly a high-profile "destination" museum. Atlanta can't be expected to compete with the museums of DC or NYC, but I wouldn't say what we have and are getting are second-rate. With the new additions, Atlanta probably will have the best collection of museums/attractions in the southeast.

Also, I would be pretty surprised if the CFHoF is moved from South Bend. I'm sure Notre Dame will do everything in their power to keep it there. This sounds like that whole NASCAR museum scenario again.

SAV

Sep 10, 2009, 9:55 PM

So within the next 5 years ATL could get 4 big museums. People are always complainin about how there isn't enough culture in Atlanta. All 4 seem like they'll be great additions. I don't know about y'all but I think its a good thing.....I'm excited.

cybele

Sep 10, 2009, 10:21 PM

Rob Pitts (http://georgiasoul.blogspot.com/2009/08/pitts-supports-relocation-of-georgia.html) is working on getting the Georgia Music Hall of Fame moved to Atlanta. That would really be a popular attraction. There are so many great musicians from Georgia.

http://www.georgiamusic.org/

Newnan_Eric

Sep 11, 2009, 3:45 PM

I still think that Atlanta has a long way to go to get to "destination" status. As far as drawing from the rest of the state and the Southeast, it already has secured that and these additions will only add to that. Also, like I said earlier, these additional spots make Atlanta a better convention city and are likely to increase the number of folks who stay a couple extra days to see a few things. I just don't think that we're going be picked when someone from another part of the USA (or another country, for that matter) decides that they are going somewhere on a trip to do some sight-seeing.

Let's face it, when someone from abroad (or this guy from the other thread coming in for the Arizona St./UGA game) plans a trip here, the first place they think to visit is the MLK memorial. Then, some folks will opt for the Aquarium. After that the list is a bunch of places that are in the "while you're here" category. (Maybe the World of Coke breaks out of this mold.)

Don't get me wrong. I'm not dumping on Atlanta. But let's not make more out of this than it is.

Alfred E Neuman

Sep 11, 2009, 10:34 PM

Don't underestimate the potential impacts of the Museum of Human Rights and Museum of Health. Both of those have international implications

BTW-
Anyone know what's up with the plot of land at 16th off the new approach to 14th? Brasfield and Gorrie has it fenced off.

cokezero

Sep 12, 2009, 3:38 AM

Corus Bank, the lender on many of Atlanta's current high profile condo projects including the Brookwood, ViewPoint, and the Atlantic was seized by the FDIC today. Does anyone know what type of an impact this will have on these projects?

Corus Bank, the Chicago-based condo lender that revealed in February it had a half-billion dollar loan exposure in metro Atlanta, was seized Friday by bank regulators.

Corus is the main lender on several of Atlanta’s largest and highest-profile condo projects under construction.

Atlanta Business Chronicle first reported its exposure in Atlanta, including other commercial real estate projects totaling $533 billion, Feb. 6. Many of the projects it funded have started coming on line in the past year, as the condo market in Atlanta imploded.

The bank becomes the 90th to fail nationwide in 2009.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed Corus and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was named receiver.

MB Financial Bank, a Chicago-based bank, will assume Corus’ 11 branches (none of which are in Georgia), and its $7 billion in deposits. MB Financial will also acquire approximately $3 billion of the failed bank’s $7 billion in assets, regulators said in a statement.

The cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund, which has already taken a beating this year, is estimated at $1.7 billion.

Corus is the third largest bank to collapse in 2009. Federal bank regulators have been working to sell many of Corus’ assets to private equity groups.

Corus Bank has been on the bank deathwatch list for some time from the crushing weight of bad condo loans in several key states, including Florida, California and Georgia

Regulators had reportedly been working with private equity groups to assume the bank’s assets, which soured as the housing market collapsed. Corus primarily lent to condo developers, and relied little on core deposits, limiting the franchise value of the bank.

Corus parent Corus Bankshares Inc. lost $487.3 million in the quarter ended June 30, compared to a loss of $16.2 million in the same quarter of 2008. The banking company lost $788.3 million for the first six months of the year.

Greater than half of its nearly $4 billion condo loan portfolio was in some status of default as of the end of April.

Non-performing assets totaled about $2.6 billion, and the company had a total of about $500 million in foreclosed property as of June 30.

As of March 31, nearly three-quarters of Corus’ commercial real estate loan portfolio was collateralized by condominiums. (from the Atlanta Business Chronicle)

smArTaLlone

Sep 12, 2009, 3:53 PM

smArTaLlone

Sep 14, 2009, 4:00 AM

Financial aid offered to retailers  to fill leasing  space

By Rachel Tobin Ramos
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/business/tactic-136876.html)

Ben Carter Properties, developer of the Streets of Buckhead, and Sembler Co., developer of Town Brookhaven, each are redoubling efforts to lure tenants by giving more financial aid to shops and eateries.

The tactic reflects the continuing stress on developers, who must use every tool – including their checkbooks – to fill up retail projects.

As consumers trade down from Williams-Sonoma to Wal- Mart and credit remains tight, developers are finding it easier to bankroll tenants than to wait for banks to do it.

The downside: the developers also assume more risk if the deals go bad.

“Retailers when they expand usually are using their own profits or bank loans,” said Carter, who is currently developing 375,000 square feet in the Streets of Buckhead, a luxury development he says was inspired by the famed Rodeo Drive in California. He values Phase I of the development at $800 million.

“What’s happening in the last year is that banks are very reluctant to let retailers borrow from them. Even with a line of credit, they don’t want to give out new money,” he said.

In the past, he would price out the store design and layout and give the tenant about 20 percent of the cost to customize it. In this market, that’s increasing to 35 percent or more, he said.

New York restaurateur Rick Wahlstedt, owner of Japonais, a large sushi restaurant planned for the Streets of Buckhead, wouldn’t build the restaurant without the help.

“We are in a very conservative mood and have to take care of what we have,” he said. “I would not build the new restaurant without the additional support.”

His restaurants typically cost $350 to $500 per square foot to develop. In the Buckhead project, construction costs on the 8,300-square-foot restaurant would be roughly $3 million to $4.5 million — something no bank was going to invest in this year, he said.

Developer assistance is not typically offered to large national retailers like Costco or Target, whose leases are often tied to a shopping center’s mortgage.

In a sign the renters’ market is far from easing, some of Atlanta’s most prominent developers are going to extraordinary measures to reel in retailers.

But developers use a form of “micro loans” as incentives to fill smaller spaces with independent boutiques and eateries. Carter said the interest tenants pay on the micro loans over the term of the lease is part of the developer’s return on investment.

Meanwhile, at Town Brookhaven, a giant mixed-use development on Peachtree Road, Sembler president Jeff Fuqua is giving incentives to the eateries and shops that draw foot traffic.

Retail experts say some developers go as far as bankrolling store inventories. These kinds of extraordinary measures haven’t been seen for two decades.

Phil Skinner, a partner in the real estate practice of Arnall Golden Gregory, said he last saw developers’ subsidizing inventories in the 1980s in Atlanta, when retail space was overbuilt.

atlgal

Sep 14, 2009, 2:03 PM

BTW-
Anyone know what's up with the plot of land at 16th off the new approach to 14th? Brasfield and Gorrie has it fenced off.

I believe this is to a be a new fire station for the City of Atlanta.

DonTallPaul

Sep 14, 2009, 6:06 PM

I don't think thats the point for Atlanta to become a tourist destination per se. The fact is that Atlanta already is a destination (http://hotels.about.com/b/2007/08/01/what-us-city-has-the-most-hotel-guests.htm) due its convention and trade business and its regional standing. But the city does need things like the museums to remain relevant in the highly competitive convention industry.

I love seeing Atlanta grow its tourist attractions, both for visitors and locals. However, I would like to see them spread just a little bit from around the park. Not saying I want to see things spread all over the city as so many are now, but would definitely like to see it no so confined to immediately around the park. Spreading out the attractions even slightly should help to spread foot traffic and visitors to other areas of DT that could really benefit from it.

cybele

Sep 16, 2009, 1:27 AM

Peachtree Boulevard Phase II kicked off (http://buckhead.lps2.com/Articles-c-2009-09-03-166546.113118_Buckhead_Boulevard_Phase_II_kicked_off.html)

smArTaLlone

Sep 19, 2009, 5:08 PM

Buckhead advertises its empty space

Saturday and again next Saturday, the Buckhead Coalition will run full-page color ads in the Wall Street Journal promoting all of Buckhead’s empty condominiums and vacant office space as being “historically affordable.”

But act now, the ads urge.

With more than 1,000 new luxury condos and 2 million square feet of newly constructed office space, now is the time to invest in Buckhead, an ad reads: “But hurry, opportunity doesn’t knock twice.”

AJC Article (http://www.ajc.com/business/buckhead-advertises-its-empty-141962.html)

cybele

Sep 20, 2009, 6:50 PM

It would really make a difference to do something creative with the city's vacant lots. We've got many places where buildings were torn down and then plans were abandoned. Some are very prominent locations -- for instance, the Cousins lot at North Avenue and Peachtree, and the former John Wieland project across from the Arts Center.

Cities like San Francisco and Boston are looking at these sorts of places for creative interim developments. How about portable structures containing incubator retail spaces? Temporary parks and gardens? Communal tables for nearby restaurants or an outdoor movie screen? Cool art installations?

Read more about some of the ideas being floated in Boston and San Francisco:

Efforts to turn empty lots to a glass half full (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/03/MNKB19DH3L.DTL)

Re-imagining Boston's stalled projects (http://www.boston.com/business/gallery/holerenderings?pg=14)

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2009/09/03/filenes-voteFIN__1251993635_8416.jpg

atl2phx

Sep 21, 2009, 1:55 PM

:previous:

it seems like a no brainer for the wieland property across from the high.

a temporary outdoor sculpture garden would make absolute sense and tie in with the high perfectly.

it would be awesome to see a focus on contemporary art installed in a garden setting. partner with the botanical garden!

get on it cyble, pull in all your connections and make it happen! :tup:

reet

Sep 21, 2009, 3:19 PM

It would really make a difference to do something creative with the city's vacant lots. We've got many places where buildings were torn down and then plans were abandoned.

I would love to see some of these lots turned into temporary parks. There is some park space west of Oakland Cemetery that was put together pretty quickly and I think that would be a good model for temporary parks elsewhere.

Are there any city laws preventing spaces in high-traffic areas from sitting vacant for a certain period of time? If not, there should be.

cybele

Sep 21, 2009, 4:23 PM

a temporary outdoor sculpture garden would make absolute sense and tie in with the high perfectly.

it would be awesome to see a focus on contemporary art installed in a garden setting. partner with the botanical garden!

Or a showcase for local talent. Which is considerable!

I'll check my super-secret Rolodex, atl2phx. :D

atl2phx

Sep 21, 2009, 4:52 PM

Or a showcase for local talent. Which is considerable!

I'll check my super-secret Rolodex, atl2phx. :D

i'm sure there's considerable local talent, but i've been unimpressed. nothing seems to stand out, rather the focus seems to always be in the vein of provincial arts/crafts style.

having said that, obviously finster is a georgia icon, but folk art only goes so far.

just look at COP, much of the "stuff" installed there comes of as cheap (or at least cheap looking).

(four 0 four)

Sep 21, 2009, 5:58 PM

Or a showcase for local talent. Which is considerable!
There are SCADs of places that might be appropriate for an un-named local arts college to display their talents!

atl2phx

Sep 22, 2009, 2:36 AM

There are SCADs of places that might be appropriate for an un-named local arts college to display their talents!

timely topic.

i was in town last week and it looked like SCAD was installing some kind of pedestal on the front lawn of their building.

:koko:

cybele

Sep 22, 2009, 9:38 PM

College Football Hall of Fame coming to Atlanta (http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2009/09/22/college-football-hall-of-fame-coming-to-atlanta/)

Fiorenza

Sep 23, 2009, 3:19 AM

It's curious why they'd come to Atlanta when Dallas is prepared to pave the way with gold for them.

cabasse

Sep 23, 2009, 3:56 AM

atlanta as a college town is on a completely different level than dallas... (or many cities for that matter)

smArTaLlone

Sep 23, 2009, 4:06 AM

atlanta as a college town is on a completely different level than dallas... (or many cities for that matter)

Just from being around town on Fall Saturday, it is obvious that college football is huge in this city. Great news for Atlanta. I just hope the building is done "right". :fingerscrossed:

smArTaLlone

Sep 24, 2009, 5:13 PM

The College Football Hall of Fame, which officials will announce today is coming to Atlanta, will cost $50 million and be funded by city, state and private sources.

The 50,000-square-foot hall will open as early as September 2012, said Gary Stokan, president of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which oversaw the five-year effort to snag the museum from its home in South Bend, Ind.

The Atlanta museum will include an education component that will be developed in consultation with local school chiefs like Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall. And it will offer entertainment, including a big outdoor screen for visitors who don’t have tickets for games at the Dome or Philips to watch, Stokan said.

Officials are looking at four downtown sites for the museum, but Stokan declined to identify them. Downtown property owners and real estate agents said one of the spots is a parking lot on Centennial Olympic Park Drive.

Stokan said an architect will be announced in about a month, and the decision on the site will be made in the next four months.

AJC article (http://www.ajc.com/sports/college-football-hall-adds-145339.html)

Rail Claimore

Sep 25, 2009, 12:21 AM

atlanta as a college town is on a completely different level than dallas... (or many cities for that matter)

Haha, I know it's horrible to laugh, but your icon is quite the truth this week. :haha:

jurban8

Sep 25, 2009, 2:53 AM

Typical Atlanta, typical Georgia: no money for police,transit, etc but plenty of funding for a damn football museum.

Alfred E Neuman

Sep 25, 2009, 12:55 PM

CB2 opening 14,000 sf store at 12th & Midtown to open next summer.

(four 0 four)

Sep 25, 2009, 3:09 PM

From the online Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The addition of CB2 to Midtown helps put Atlanta on the map as an urban retail destination,” said Erika Schanke, with Cushman & Wakefield of Georgia Inc.’s retail brokerage services group. “For Atlanta to be among CB2’s present retail locations such as SoHo in N.Y., Chicago’s Lincoln Ave, and L.A.’s Sunset Boulevard gives us hope that retailers now consider Atlanta as a retail market that’s evolving from suburban malls to inner city street level retail.”

I'm glad they selected this location instead of West Midtown...this sounds like the spark that could get things going for the MM.

cybele

Oct 1, 2009, 9:22 PM

reet

Oct 1, 2009, 9:38 PM

Did anyone see the news report about DeKalb County possibly coming in as a buyer on the GM plant in Doraville and building a new stadium for the Falcons? That would be a game changer, no pun intended.

Interesting news.

Downside: loss of revenue for (or the absolute loss of) the Dome means a loss of revenue for the city.

Upsides:
1. Less traffic intown on game days -- traffic that, I'm guessing, consists mostly of people getting in and out of downtown as quickly as possible and not patronizing local businesses. No facts to back that. Just a hunch.

2. Great opportunity to re-adapt the Dome space and the horrifying Gulch as a mixed-used, urban wonderland and walkable utopia. Please say 'yes' to my dream, sweet fate!

ATLaffinity

Oct 1, 2009, 11:24 PM

i'd like to see an open-air stadium intown. i see no upside to having the opera in cobb and the football stadium in doraville.

shivtim

Oct 6, 2009, 1:47 PM

Looks like we're getting a second football hall of fame... this time, the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Not being moved from anywhere, just being created here.

http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/10/05/daily23.html

smArTaLlone

Oct 6, 2009, 5:41 PM

CityPlace goes back to lender
by Doug Sams

The largest condo project ever planned in Buckhead is headed for the auction block.

After halting construction last year on the first phase of CityPlace at Buckhead, Miami condo developer The Related Group has reached an agreement with lender Wachovia Corp. to foreclose upon a $50 million land acquisition loan.

That loan would have helped to finance one of the most ambitious multifamily projects in the city’s history.

Initial plans called for at least six condo towers with about 3,800 units.

One CityPlace, a 29-story tower with 269 condominiums and 11 townhouses, would have marked the first phase of the giant development.

Atlanta Business Chronicle (http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/10/05/story6.html?b=1254715200^2193731) -

echinatl

Oct 8, 2009, 3:36 PM

BlindFatSnake

Oct 9, 2009, 5:14 PM

Sounds like it will be a completely seperate building, isn't that a little weird?

Nah, it's not a little wierd.. History has always been about HIS-tory being told from the white American prospective. African-Americans were not allowed to attend so-called "white institutions of higher learning"; therefore, they would not be included in the collegiate stats until after the schools were intergrated.

But, there is a tremendous amount of unhearlded accolades and records that were accomplished by black college athletes that will be prominently displayed in a Black College Hall of Fame.

See the difference? HIS-tory depends on who's telling the STORY...:banana:

L.ARCH

Oct 9, 2009, 7:45 PM

Sounds like it will be a completely seperate building, isn't that a little weird?

Separate but equal.....

BlindFatSnake

Oct 9, 2009, 8:58 PM

Separate but equal.....

Yeah, just like the NFL or MLB before MINORITIES were allowed to play.

Yeah, just like the NBA before Jordan, Magic, Shaq, Kobe, and LeBron...

Yeah, just like golf before Tiger Woods...

Yeah, just like tennis before the dreaded Williams Sisters stepped on the secene...

Boring and with nearly ever record being broken since MINORITIES reinvigorated the game...:whip:

TarHeelJ

Oct 10, 2009, 1:49 AM

Yeah, just like the NFL or MLB before MINORITIES were allowed to play.

Yeah, just like the NBA before Jordan, Magic, Shaq, Kobe, and LeBron...

Yeah, just like golf before Tiger Woods...

Yeah, just like tennis before the dreaded Williams Sisters stepped on the secene...

Boring and with nearly ever record being broken since MINORITIES reinvigorated the game...:whip:

I certainly agree with the concept of having a separate Hall of Fame due to past inequalities...but...

1. The NBA was integrated long before Jordan, Magic, etc.
2. Golf was integrated long before Tiger.
3. Tennis was integrated long before Serena and Venus.

Being a sports fanatic, I didn't view basketball or tennis as boring prior to the people listed above. Golf, IMO, was always and still is boring. :) How could tennis be boring with Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Pete Sampra, Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova, and many others that made the game so exciting? I love to watch Serena play. Venus and James Blake are my favorite tennis players, but the game was far from boring before they came along...not to mention that the names I listed above still hold MANY records.

The same goes for basketball. There is no need for separate HOFs for current sports, but for the sake of the historically segregated era - then yes, there is most definitely a need. Otherwise black athletes wouldn't be recognized for their accomplishments.

cybele

Oct 10, 2009, 1:59 AM

Golf, IMO, was always and still is boring. :)

Golf is one of the most thrilling and demanding sports of all. Think of the stars from pro football, baseball and basketball who've attempted golf and failed miserably. I can't think of any pro tennis players who've ever successfully transitioned to golf either.

TarHeelJ

Oct 10, 2009, 3:25 AM

Golf is one of the most thrilling and demanding sports of all. Think of the stars from pro football, baseball and basketball who've attempted golf and failed miserably. I can't think of any pro tennis players who've ever successfully transitioned to golf either.

I didn't say it was an easy game...I took a golf class in college and really struggled, even though I'm very athletic and have played several sports throughout my life. By boring, I meant as a spectator sport...IMO, of course. :) It's very slow.

popewiz

Oct 10, 2009, 1:22 PM

Golf is one of the most thrilling and demanding sports of all. Think of the stars from pro football, baseball and basketball who've attempted golf and failed miserably. I can't think of any pro tennis players who've ever successfully transitioned to golf either.

To be fair, how many professional golfers made a successful transition to any of the other sports? I don't necessarily think this makes all of those more demanding than golf, just different.

cybele

Oct 10, 2009, 6:24 PM

Interesting article about the Atlanta condo market in the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Corus deal to cut condo prices (http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/othercities/atlanta/stories/2009/10/12/story2.html?b=1255320000^2232371)

Starwood Capital Group’s winning bid for the assets of the failed Corus Bank will fundamentally alter the landscape in the Atlanta condo market, but it is likely a good thing long term, insiders say, for an industry in deep distress.

The deal will reset condo values throughout Atlanta, and could trigger foreclosures on some Corus properties and potentially force other banks with loans on other troubled Atlanta condo projects to cut their losses and suffer steep write-downs.

Of the 1,919 condo units in Atlanta backed by Corus, 1,539, or about 80 percent, were unsold as of last month, according to Ackerman-Trinity Advisors.

***

Market values will drop, as Corus assets set the price point and other developments match. But it is not clear by how much.

“Watch what happens to the appraisals in the Atlanta market; they’re going to come down,” warns Tony Plath, finance professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

The drop in prices will “put the kibosh” on refinancing for other projects, Plath said.

The article says that there have been no sales in projects such as the Atlantic in Midtown and the Serrano in Sandy Springs.

trainiac

Oct 12, 2009, 1:02 AM

I didn't say it was an easy game...I took a golf class in college and really struggled, even though I'm very athletic and have played several sports throughout my life. By boring, I meant as a spectator sport...IMO, of course. :) It's very slow.

My wife and I were on a *long* drive along the California coast a few years ago and hadn't planned music or anything. We could only pick up 3 radio stations on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and all 3 were playing different golf games.

Golf on the radio. We turned it off and had a sing-a-long

cybele

Oct 12, 2009, 5:57 PM

To be fair, how many professional golfers made a successful transition to any of the other sports? I don't necessarily think this makes all of those more demanding than golf, just different.

Even as a spectator sport golf is not bad, though. Instead of just parking yourself in a seat, you have to walk all over the place to see what is going on. It's quite a workout.

TarHeelJ

Oct 12, 2009, 8:07 PM

Even as a spectator sport golf is not bad, though. Instead of just parking yourself in a seat, you have to walk all over the place to see what is going on. It's quite a workout.

Well, it is a different story being at a golf tournament as a specator as opposed to watching one on tv as a specator. I used to volunteer at a PGA event in college, and it was A LOT of fun just being there. It's kinda like baseball game - you don't really have to like baseball to have a good time. :)

TarHeelJ

Oct 12, 2009, 8:09 PM

My wife and I were on a *long* drive along the California coast a few years ago and hadn't planned music or anything. We could only pick up 3 radio stations on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and all 3 were playing different golf games.

Golf on the radio. We turned it off and had a sing-a-long

...and to top it all off, I bet on 2 of the stations it was ladie's golf. :haha:

smArTaLlone

Oct 14, 2009, 4:49 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb-to-partner-with-162070.html)

A Florida developer says DeKalb County will help his company convert the old General Motors property in Doraville into a "true urban center" with homes, restaurants, businesses and offices.

“DeKalb has agreed to work with us, to develop this project for them, for us and for Doraville,” said David Pace, president of New Broad Street Companies.

DeKalb officials refused to discuss their negotiations with the company, but they recently told at least one Doraville city councilman of their plans to acquire the land with New Broad Street.

“It’s been presented to us that this is what the county is going to do, end of story,” said the Doraville councilman, Bob Roche. He said county leaders went out of their way to keep the plans secret, meeting council members in pairs to avoid reaching a quorum that would require public meetings.

The county commission on Tuesday authorized DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis to negotiate a real estate acquisition, but Ellis would not say whether the commission's resolution involved the GM site. The approval could have been for any property, since the county typically buys land -- for libraries, parks or other public facilities -- every couple months.

But Ellis did say he felt duty-bound to restore the jobs lost when GM shut down in Doraville.

"I have a responsibility to restore the 4,000 jobs lost as a result of the closing of that plant," he said soon after the commission's vote.

A county spokesperson later issued a news release that said DeKalb has been in talks with GM and other "stakeholders" about the property for several months. The statement said there have been a variety of proposals, including several with a mixed-use component, but that all of them are "conceptual" and no final decision has been reached.

Doraville’s comprehensive plan calls for the plant site, bordered by MARTA rail and I-285, to become a mixed-use development. Rumors about the site have been so rampant that city leaders held a “visioning session” earlier this month, to let residents sound off.

The majority of the 40 residents who spoke out or submitted comments were adamant that they didn’t want a stadium, nor did they want the county to take control of the property, whose zoning the city oversees.

atlantaguy

Oct 14, 2009, 3:24 PM

^^^^Thanks for posting this, smArTaLone.

I'm nor familiar with New Broad Street......does anyone know anything about them?

I am absolutely THRILLED that Sembler didn't get their hands in this though. I really hope TOWN Brookhaven is their last development here.

ATLaffinity

Oct 14, 2009, 3:38 PM

though you wonder whether we need more restaurants or boutiques.

it would be a lot better to have greenspace + offices

if they make some AS with a theater and shops, that's just going to cannibalize other theaters and shops.

smArTaLlone

Oct 14, 2009, 4:23 PM

I'm nor familiar with New Broad Street......does anyone know anything about them?

I am absolutely THRILLED that Sembler didn't get their hands in this though. I really hope TOWN Brookhaven is their last development here.

I agree on Sembler and I'm also delighted that this company wants to do an urban neighborhood.

I do know that they are most known for a Disney development called Celebration. They also redeveloped a Naval base near downtown Orlando into a successful traditional neighborhood called Baldwin Park (http://www.baldwinparkfl.com/web/index.asp).

Here are some photos from their website.

Baldwin Park (former Navy base)
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/pincfx/Navybase.jpg

Celebration
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/pincfx/Celebrationaerial.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/022306-CelebrationFL11.jpg/800px-022306-CelebrationFL11.jpg

atlantaguy

Oct 14, 2009, 5:06 PM

^^^Thanks again, smArTaLone!

I just saw Baldwin Park in person this past February, and now I am excited.

They did a fantastic job with that development. Any city would be happy to have it, imo.

This is GREAT news for the Northeast side of town.

I am also glad that no new stadium was mentioned for the site. The Falcons need to stay Downtown.

Curious Atlantan

Oct 15, 2009, 2:49 PM

it would be a lot better to have greenspace + offices

Yeah, something like an office park...

:runaway:

smArTaLlone

Oct 16, 2009, 1:20 PM

Atlanta Business Chronicle (http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/10/19/story1.html?b=1255924800^2277511)

Longtime Atlanta businessman and attorney Richard Lea has purchased the former Good Samaritan Health Center at 239 Ivan Allen Blvd. across the street from the aquarium, buying under the name Pirate World LLC.

He plans to turn the property into a new museum filled with everything from 17th-century swords to a mask worn by Bugis pirates — the most ruthless band of pillagers in the South Asian seas.

The centerpiece would be a replica of the upper deck to a 90-foot-long pirate ship, including cannons.

Lea believes the museum could draw at least 400,000 visitors each year.

The museum would be geared largely to children and to adults with a passion for treasure hunting. It would also include a restaurant, probably called Buccaneer BBQ.

A pirate museum would be a natural complement to the aquarium, which earlier this year debuted its “Titanic Aquatic” exhibition, including a collection of more than 190 artifacts recovered from the ill-fated ship.

Lea spent about $2.5 million on the Ivan Allen Boulevard building in August.

He hired Bill Barnes, the interior designer who created all the ships throughout Buckhead’s Dante’s Down the Hatch restaurant.

Barnes will help design the new pirate ship.

Lea sees great potential next to the other Centennial Park attractions such as the World of Coca-Cola, and the proposed National Health Museum and Center for Civil and Human Rights.

“There are so many attractions in such a tiny area,” Lea said. “It makes the area unique.”

Some city leaders already know of Lea’s ambition.

“We haven’t seen a plan, but if this is done at a high level it should do well because of all the other nearby attractions,” said Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson.

Lea hopes to meet with city of Atlanta planners in the next month.

ATLaffinity

Oct 16, 2009, 2:03 PM

Atlanta Business Chronicle (http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/10/19/story1.html?b=1255924800^2277511)

“We haven’t seen a plan, but if this is done at a high level it should do well because of all the other nearby attractions,” said Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson.
.

well, it sounds like a very high level with the "Buccaneer BBQ".

sorry, this sounds dreadful. not to mention we aren't on the...ocean.

(four 0 four)

Oct 16, 2009, 2:59 PM

well, it sounds like a very high level with the "Buccaneer BBQ".
sorry, this sounds dreadful. not to mention we aren't on the...ocean.
Agreed, but just imagine...Atlanta could be the center of all the exciting action on the "International Talk Like A Pirate Day". It just doesn't get any better than that!
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

cybele

Oct 16, 2009, 4:25 PM

I don't think we're in any position to get picky about what kind of cultural amenities we want. We may not have had a lot of pirates around Atlanta but in general they are a big part of history.

atl2phx

Oct 16, 2009, 4:42 PM

I don't think we're in any position to get picky about what kind of cultural amenities we want. We may not have had a lot of pirates around Atlanta but in general they are a big part of history.

"pirate world" seriously? it's like the "bad" script written for and rejected by the series of chevy chase vacation movies.

IMHO, there's definitely a line worth drawing when the city is on the verge of becoming an outpost of gatlinburg or myrtle beach. and a pre-emptive spare me with the "gosh, don't pick on gatlinburg or myrtle beach, those are some darn nice places". i'm not buying it.

this is atlanta, remember us, we hosted the olympics at one point?

"pirate world" i just puked all over my keyboard.