ATLANTA | Development Thread V

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by joecool

Me too. I remember signing on back in the day and seeing one sometimes two a week... those were the days.

well what i'm waiting for is another BoA tower... except this time, done right. we could use another *real* skyscraper.

[Zanarkand A East]

I'll take another 10 BOA Plazas (I used to work on the 53rd floor, and the view is amazing!)

As speculated by another poster, a facade is being added to the exterior of the Skyhouse balconies to hide the air conditioners. 77 12th looks much higher in such a short time: I didn't count the floors this morning, but my guess is they're close to 10 by now, or more considering the tall lobby.

The Falcons message board is discussing how some of the Gulch parking lots are closed, so MMPT may be prepping in the near future.

[smArTaLlone]

Originally Posted by Zanarkand A East

I'll take another 10 BOA Plazas (I used to work on the 53rd floor, and the view is amazing!)

As speculated by another poster, a facade is being added to the exterior of the Skyhouse balconies to hide the air conditioners. 77 12th looks much higher in such a short time: I didn't count the floors this morning, but my guess is they're close to 10 by now, or more considering the tall lobby.

The Falcons message board is discussing how some of the Gulch parking lots are closed, so MMPT may be prepping in the near future.

Yep. You can see in the rendering how the ac units will be covered.

[Zanarkand A East]

Atlanta office sector rebounds, but downtown struggles

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/real_...?ana=e_du_pap&s=article_du&ed=2012-10-09

[Zanarkand A East]

Dan O'Leary still wants entertainment complex in Norcross

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/developer-pitches-norcross-entertainment-complex/nSYmB/

[testarossa50]

Republic of Couture to open at 12th & Midtown
http://www.whatnowatlanta.com/2012/10/09/rendering-republic-of-couture-to-open-at-12th-midtown/

[GThomas]

I didn't realize there were plans to put in a crosswalk at the Midtown Marta station until I found this on the Midtown Alliance website.



Also, work has begun to convert the Outwrite bookstore into the new 10th & Piedmont. Once the streetscape improvements make their way to Piedmont, this area is going to look much more deserving of the foot traffic it gets. I really hope they plan to bury some of these power lines while they're at it as they block a great view of Midtown, and the sidewalks are already pretty narrow. Also, it was sort of ridiculous to watch the bottleneck of people during Music Midtown coming to the park due to the sidewalk being blocked for the Hyatt renovation. It's really unacceptable. A covered scaffolding solution really should have been implemented.

[ChrisInmanPark]

The new townhomes that are going to be built on North Avenue at the Beltline are now for sale.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/795-No...ohdp&utm_campaign=partner_widgets#Curbed

[micropundit]

The National Football Foundation, which three years ago decided to move its College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta, received reassurance this week that the long-delayed attraction will be built here.

“I think it’s fair to say that all systems are go,” Steve Hatchell, National Football Foundation president and CEO, said.

Hatchell offered that assessment in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the NFF board, at a meeting Wednesday in Dallas, heard an update from the Atlanta group spearheading the Hall of Fame project.

“We were happy with what we heard,” Hatchell said. “… We’ve been after this since 2009 and our guys were very anxious to be able to say, ‘Things are really going to happen.’ And that was the report we got.”

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-georgia-spo...ollege-football-hall-of-fame-in-atlanta/

[Slog]

Originally Posted by micropundit

The National Football Foundation, which three years ago decided to move its College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta, received reassurance this week that the long-delayed attraction will be built here.

“I think it’s fair to say that all systems are go,” Steve Hatchell, National Football Foundation president and CEO, said.

Hatchell offered that assessment in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the NFF board, at a meeting Wednesday in Dallas, heard an update from the Atlanta group spearheading the Hall of Fame project.

“We were happy with what we heard,” Hatchell said. “… We’ve been after this since 2009 and our guys were very anxious to be able to say, ‘Things are really going to happen.’ And that was the report we got.”

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-georgia-spo...ollege-football-hall-of-fame-in-atlanta/

I feel like an article comes out every couple months about this but nothing seems to happen.

Also, HJ Russell aka Russell New Urban Development is pitching their new multi-family project to secure financing. 350+ apartment units in the Old 4th Ward. Near Edgewood and the new streetcar line

[jpk1292000]

This is an aside...but one I think worth mentioning. I live in Inman Park and I have to say that recently, activity in this neighborhood and others close by (Old Fourth Ward, Edgewood, Poncey-Highland, Virginia Highland) is really impressive. I've lived in this area for ten years and in the past few months, the amount of pedestrian activity is really remarkable. Every night of week, many, many people on the streets walking, biking, running, heading to eat. Tons of people on the Beltline, people out hitting up the bars and restaurants on Edgewood near Boulevard, and on Wednesday and Thursday night, not just on the weekend. This area of town is really hot and with all of the other developments slated for this area and Ponce City Market coming on line, this area is poised to become exceptionally desirable as an urban neighborhood in the next few years. Without a doubt, this area is feeling alot more like intown neighborhoods of Chicago or DC than the Atlanta I knew when I moved here in 2002.

[boomtown]

Originally Posted by jpk1292000

This is an aside...but one I think worth mentioning. I live in Inman Park and I have to say that recently, activity in this neighborhood and others close by (Old Fourth Ward, Edgewood, Poncey-Highland, Virginia Highland) is really impressive. I've lived in this area for ten years and in the past few months, the amount of pedestrian activity is really remarkable. Every night of week, many, many people on the streets walking, biking, running, heading to eat. Tons of people on the Beltline, people out hitting up the bars and restaurants on Edgewood near Boulevard, and on Wednesday and Thursday night, not just on the weekend. This area of town is really hot and with all of the other developments slated for this area and Ponce City Market coming on line, this area is poised to become exceptionally desirable as an urban neighborhood in the next few years. Without a doubt, this area is feeling alot more like intown neighborhoods of Chicago or DC than the Atlanta I knew when I moved here in 2002.

I have noticed the same thing - its like a switch was thrown. There is also lots of movie production activity. Now how about some new pubs!

[Curious Atlantan]

Originally Posted by boomtown

I have noticed the same thing - its like a switch was thrown. There is also lots of movie production activity. Now how about some new pubs!

Condesa Coffee got a liquor license, will start selling beer and wine next week!

[simms3_redux]

Recently went to an event where I had the opportunity to meet and listen to a partner at Coro (owner of Midtown Place where the WF and new TJ Max are). Very nice guy. Someone I was with asked if he would ever be able to connect to Midtown Promenade (Ackerman & Co owns where TJs, Tuesday Morning, movie theater an Ritas are). He mentioned that they are just not sellers, but that they had looked into buying it (would be the only way to connect the two centers so one doesn't have to drive down Monroe to Ponce and around).

Anyway, I had mentioned that WF is my go-to store, and was wondering if there would be an easy connection from the Beltline down to the store (currently there is no easy way to get down there). I had heard from a recent tour at PCM that the Beltline will eventually have bike ramps down to Ponce on the Midtown Place side of the bridge, and that Ponce will eventually have bike lanes. This would essentially solve this connectivity problem IF and when it happens.

However, I was really disheartened by the guy's response (not sure he knows about the plans for future bike ramps and bike lanes). He had mentioned that there is no point. People in Atlanta simply don't ride or walk to the grocery store and the Beltline isn't going to change that. Actually he asked who in Atlanta bikes/rides...I meekly raised my hand because often I either walk to Plaza Midtown or the last time I went to the store I did bike to WF via Beltline from 14th in Midtown. Anyway, he geered I was one of 3 people in the city who did so. It was actually almost offensive. Other developers see the light. They are good developers/owners, too, actually, but that was not the kind of response that was warranted in these times. It's 2012 and everybody is getting on a different page here. I have never been a fan of that center's name, either (MIDTOWN Place?). It's not even close to Midtown, and it's not worthy of having Midtown in its name if it's not going to even pretend to be pedestrian/Beltline/bike friendly. They are the big owner there...they should do something more to promote ease of access to their own center. I go to GNC and WF there...neither trip requires or warrants a car on my part. There are thousands of residents in Va-Hi within easy walking distance who also most likely make small errands or go to WF there. Home Depot is probably a car trip. A WF trip to stock a family fridge for a week is probably a car trip (in my case it's a singles fridge for 3 days). Mattress Firm is a car trip. Nothing else needs to be. And now they have a Starbucks. People walk up to and bike to Dancing Goats not far away, and to the Starbucks's in Midtown. If I were Starbucks I'd have realized the far superior competition for locals 1 block away and demanded from Coro before signing something to associate to the Beltline and to pull in locals who like to walk/bike.

Ok random rant over.

[jnihiser]

West Village:


The development on Cobb Parkway (across from the AMC theater):


The Hotel going up in the Overton Park development:

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

Recently went to an event where I had the opportunity to meet and listen to a partner at Coro (owner of Midtown Place where the WF and new TJ Max are). Very nice guy. Someone I was with asked if he would ever be able to connect to Midtown Promenade (Ackerman & Co owns where TJs, Tuesday Morning, movie theater an Ritas are). He mentioned that they are just not sellers, but that they had looked into buying it (would be the only way to connect the two centers so one doesn't have to drive down Monroe to Ponce and around).

Anyway, I had mentioned that WF is my go-to store, and was wondering if there would be an easy connection from the Beltline down to the store (currently there is no easy way to get down there). I had heard from a recent tour at PCM that the Beltline will eventually have bike ramps down to Ponce on the Midtown Place side of the bridge, and that Ponce will eventually have bike lanes. This would essentially solve this connectivity problem IF and when it happens.

However, I was really disheartened by the guy's response (not sure he knows about the plans for future bike ramps and bike lanes). He had mentioned that there is no point. People in Atlanta simply don't ride or walk to the grocery store and the Beltline isn't going to change that. Actually he asked who in Atlanta bikes/rides...I meekly raised my hand because often I either walk to Plaza Midtown or the last time I went to the store I did bike to WF via Beltline from 14th in Midtown. Anyway, he geered I was one of 3 people in the city who did so. It was actually almost offensive. Other developers see the light. They are good developers/owners, too, actually, but that was not the kind of response that was warranted in these times. It's 2012 and everybody is getting on a different page here. I have never been a fan of that center's name, either (MIDTOWN Place?). It's not even close to Midtown, and it's not worthy of having Midtown in its name if it's not going to even pretend to be pedestrian/Beltline/bike friendly. They are the big owner there...they should do something more to promote ease of access to their own center. I go to GNC and WF there...neither trip requires or warrants a car on my part. There are thousands of residents in Va-Hi within easy walking distance who also most likely make small errands or go to WF there. Home Depot is probably a car trip. A WF trip to stock a family fridge for a week is probably a car trip (in my case it's a singles fridge for 3 days). Mattress Firm is a car trip. Nothing else needs to be. And now they have a Starbucks. People walk up to and bike to Dancing Goats not far away, and to the Starbucks's in Midtown. If I were Starbucks I'd have realized the far superior competition for locals 1 block away and demanded from Coro before signing something to associate to the Beltline and to pull in locals who like to walk/bike.

Ok random rant over.

That is extremely offensive, I agree.

In any case, there is an LCI-funded project to build a ramp down to Ponce behind CVS and another on the south side of the street by PCM. Bike lanes and a narrowing of Ponce from Freedom Parkway to Boulevard are also part of this. Unfortunately, as Federal money it will take AT LEAST THREE YEARS until we see any ground broken on these. The Feds have too much stupid bureaucracy to go through.

[Tuckerman]

It is truly crazy that you can't easily connect (by foot, bike, or even car) from the Landmark area to that WF and Home Depot. I only realized the last time I was at the Cinema and parked near the edge that I was looking right at Home Depot and WF! This is like the problem of cul-de-sacs where you might be 200 feet from a neighbor, but they are not accessible without driving a mile. These constructions make the city appear much more spread out than it actually is. This is a generic problem of connectivity and appearances. Look at Phipps and Lenox, they appear to be at a greater distance from each other than they are and the intersection is foreboding.

[briantech]

Originally Posted by jpk1292000

This is an aside...but one I think worth mentioning. I live in Inman Park and I have to say that recently, activity in this neighborhood and others close by (Old Fourth Ward, Edgewood, Poncey-Highland, Virginia Highland) is really impressive. I've lived in this area for ten years and in the past few months, the amount of pedestrian activity is really remarkable. Every night of week, many, many people on the streets walking, biking, running, heading to eat. Tons of people on the Beltline, people out hitting up the bars and restaurants on Edgewood near Boulevard, and on Wednesday and Thursday night, not just on the weekend. This area of town is really hot and with all of the other developments slated for this area and Ponce City Market coming on line, this area is poised to become exceptionally desirable as an urban neighborhood in the next few years. Without a doubt, this area is feeling alot more like intown neighborhoods of Chicago or DC than the Atlanta I knew when I moved here in 2002.

I completely agree. And I think the beltline is whats putting it into overdrive. That east side trail is just flat out amazing -- there are SO many people using it, and every person I talk to while I'm on there (people seem to love talking to each other on it -- thats an Atlanta first) expresses the same sentiments, just pure amazement at how wonderful it is and what its doing to that part of town.

That corridor there -- from piedmont park down to inman park, with PCM right in the smack middle... its going to be hands down THE place to be living going forward in intown atlanta. It is by the far the most transformative development I've seen happen to atlanta outside of probably the Olympics in the last 20 years. And if PCM ends up matching the vision that Jamestown says they have for it, its going to be jaw dropping what that area is going to be like in 5 years.

Kevin Rathbun said he's gonna have to put a sign on the back of his restaurant because so many freaking pedestrians are WALKING up to it being like "wtf is this place?"

Is it too early to start being elitist about ITB > ITP > OTP?

[briantech]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

Recently went to an event where I had the opportunity to meet and listen to a partner at Coro (owner of Midtown Place where the WF and new TJ Max are). Very nice guy. Someone I was with asked if he would ever be able to connect to Midtown Promenade (Ackerman & Co owns where TJs, Tuesday Morning, movie theater an Ritas are). He mentioned that they are just not sellers, but that they had looked into buying it (would be the only way to connect the two centers so one doesn't have to drive down Monroe to Ponce and around).

Anyway, I had mentioned that WF is my go-to store, and was wondering if there would be an easy connection from the Beltline down to the store (currently there is no easy way to get down there). I had heard from a recent tour at PCM that the Beltline will eventually have bike ramps down to Ponce on the Midtown Place side of the bridge, and that Ponce will eventually have bike lanes. This would essentially solve this connectivity problem IF and when it happens.

However, I was really disheartened by the guy's response (not sure he knows about the plans for future bike ramps and bike lanes). He had mentioned that there is no point. People in Atlanta simply don't ride or walk to the grocery store and the Beltline isn't going to change that. Actually he asked who in Atlanta bikes/rides...I meekly raised my hand because often I either walk to Plaza Midtown or the last time I went to the store I did bike to WF via Beltline from 14th in Midtown. Anyway, he geered I was one of 3 people in the city who did so. It was actually almost offensive. Other developers see the light. They are good developers/owners, too, actually, but that was not the kind of response that was warranted in these times. It's 2012 and everybody is getting on a different page here. I have never been a fan of that center's name, either (MIDTOWN Place?). It's not even close to Midtown, and it's not worthy of having Midtown in its name if it's not going to even pretend to be pedestrian/Beltline/bike friendly. They are the big owner there...they should do something more to promote ease of access to their own center. I go to GNC and WF there...neither trip requires or warrants a car on my part. There are thousands of residents in Va-Hi within easy walking distance who also most likely make small errands or go to WF there. Home Depot is probably a car trip. A WF trip to stock a family fridge for a week is probably a car trip (in my case it's a singles fridge for 3 days). Mattress Firm is a car trip. Nothing else needs to be. And now they have a Starbucks. People walk up to and bike to Dancing Goats not far away, and to the Starbucks's in Midtown. If I were Starbucks I'd have realized the far superior competition for locals 1 block away and demanded from Coro before signing something to associate to the Beltline and to pull in locals who like to walk/bike.

Ok random rant over.

Whoever that guy is, is either a flat out idiot or simply hasn't been on that trail yet. There are a ridiculous number of people on it.

Whats going to happen is that people will just blaze their own way down there. Just like the "secret" passage between the movie theater lot and the home depot.

Hell if anyone has some railroad ties I'll be up for some urban guerrilla stair building so people can walk down to WF

[ATL_J]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

Recently went to an event where I had the opportunity to meet and listen to a partner at Coro (owner of Midtown Place where the WF and new TJ Max are). Very nice guy. Someone I was with asked if he would ever be able to connect to Midtown Promenade (Ackerman & Co owns where TJs, Tuesday Morning, movie theater an Ritas are). He mentioned that they are just not sellers, but that they had looked into buying it (would be the only way to connect the two centers so one doesn't have to drive down Monroe to Ponce and around).

Anyway, I had mentioned that WF is my go-to store, and was wondering if there would be an easy connection from the Beltline down to the store (currently there is no easy way to get down there). I had heard from a recent tour at PCM that the Beltline will eventually have bike ramps down to Ponce on the Midtown Place side of the bridge, and that Ponce will eventually have bike lanes. This would essentially solve this connectivity problem IF and when it happens.

However, I was really disheartened by the guy's response (not sure he knows about the plans for future bike ramps and bike lanes). He had mentioned that there is no point. People in Atlanta simply don't ride or walk to the grocery store and the Beltline isn't going to change that. Actually he asked who in Atlanta bikes/rides...I meekly raised my hand because often I either walk to Plaza Midtown or the last time I went to the store I did bike to WF via Beltline from 14th in Midtown. Anyway, he geered I was one of 3 people in the city who did so. It was actually almost offensive. Other developers see the light. They are good developers/owners, too, actually, but that was not the kind of response that was warranted in these times. It's 2012 and everybody is getting on a different page here. I have never been a fan of that center's name, either (MIDTOWN Place?). It's not even close to Midtown, and it's not worthy of having Midtown in its name if it's not going to even pretend to be pedestrian/Beltline/bike friendly. They are the big owner there...they should do something more to promote ease of access to their own center. I go to GNC and WF there...neither trip requires or warrants a car on my part. There are thousands of residents in Va-Hi within easy walking distance who also most likely make small errands or go to WF there. Home Depot is probably a car trip. A WF trip to stock a family fridge for a week is probably a car trip (in my case it's a singles fridge for 3 days). Mattress Firm is a car trip. Nothing else needs to be. And now they have a Starbucks. People walk up to and bike to Dancing Goats not far away, and to the Starbucks's in Midtown. If I were Starbucks I'd have realized the far superior competition for locals 1 block away and demanded from Coro before signing something to associate to the Beltline and to pull in locals who like to walk/bike.

Ok random rant over.

I 100% agree with you. That entire parcel is an insult to walkability and the developer there just doesn't seem to "get it". I live in VaHi less than a half mile from Whole Foods and would walk there multiple times a week if it were easier (I still make the trip down Ponce De Leon and around), but the complex is not pedestrian friendly. And then the Beltline goes and gives them this great opportunity to connect and, from what you said, he turns his nose up at it. I just can't fathom how out of touch certain developers can be with what people want.