ATLANTA | Development Thread V

[ChrisInmanPark]

Originally Posted by scania

I understand...I live in Midtown and work in Alpharetta. As far as all the apartments going up Buckhead, you have to remember the convenience of Ga. 400, the shopping is still overall the best Atlanta has to offer, there are a plethora of restaurants, and its technically an extremely pretty and well kept area. Especially when you look at other sub districts in the city.

I guess for a lot of people where you live in Atlanta represents your lifestyle. In Buckhead most people still hold onto that car centric, pretentious lifestyle. Most of the apartments are being built around the old Buckhead Village and no where near the MARTA stops.

Midtown is a lot more attractive to live because of great walkabilitly and quick access to several MARTA stops. Not to mention Midtown has become more diverse in entertainment and dinning options. Not only are there many upscale places but very cool casual places that rival the Eastside neighborhoods.

The Eastside hoods have the Beltline, good transit options, good bike options and great walkability.

I'm just thinking that more 20 and 30 somethings would shun the lifestyle that is Buckhead and want to live in Midtown or on the Eastside but apparently not. Maybe the new Buckhead apartments will be filled with the recently divorced looking to relive the glory days!

[scania]

Originally Posted by ChrisInmanPark

I guess for a lot of people where you live in Atlanta represents your lifestyle. In Buckhead most people still hold onto that car centric, pretentious lifestyle. Most of the apartments are being built around the old Buckhead Village and no where near the MARTA stops.

Midtown is a lot more attractive to live because of great walkabilitly and quick access to several MARTA stops. Not to mention Midtown has become more diverse in entertainment and dinning options. Not only are there many upscale places but very cool casual places that rival the Eastside neighborhoods.

The Eastside hoods have the Beltline, good transit options, good bike options and great walkability.

I'm just thinking that more 20 and 30 somethings would shun the lifestyle that is Buckhead and want to live in Midtown or on the Eastside but apparently not. Maybe the new Buckhead apartments will be filled with the recently divorced looking to relive the glory days!

I'll agree to disagree. I think that more people would want to live in midtown and Buckhead. honestly think the statement of recently divorced looking to relive the glory days is, a little absurd. I also don't think that the Eastside have great walkability. One or two spots doesn't make it great to me...this is just my opinion. Keep in mind, I do like visiting over there, but for instance my girlfriend(25), has said numerous times that she wouldn't want to live there, nor any area to close to Boulevard.

[joecool]

Originally Posted by ChrisInmanPark

Lots of new action you can see at the repositioned webcam at Ponce City Market. You can now see construction progress of the AMLI Phase II apartments across the street.

http://oxblue.com/open/jamestownproperties/poncecitymarket

Is there a rendering for the Amli?

[ChrisInmanPark]

Originally Posted by scania

I'll agree to disagree. I think that more people would want to live in midtown and Buckhead. honestly think the statement of recently divorced looking to relive the glory days is, a little absurd. I also don't think that the Eastside have great walkability. One or two spots doesn't make it great to me...this is just my opinion. Keep in mind, I do like visiting over there, but for instance my girlfriend(25), has said numerous times that she wouldn't want to live there, nor any area to close to Boulevard.

Listen. I lived in Buckhead from 1998 - 2006. Back when it was the place to be. I made the statement "recently divorced looking to relive the glory days" because I know many friends around my age (38) that moved to the burbs, been divorced and have moved back to the city. They ended up in Buckhead because that's all they remember of the city. And they are reliving the glory days. It was a joke.

My main point is that I think building all these apartments makes more sense in Midtown and the Eastside because of transit options and amenities like the Beltline. The already traffic congested area around the Buckhead Village will get even worse with pretty much no transit options, because hardly anyone will take the bus and riding your bike is down right deadly.

As far as safety goes in O4W/Inman Park, I can understand that. Some people have a different comfort level when it comes to those things. It wasn't long ago that Midtown was a sketchy hood, but as you know it got much better. I for one believe in the this part of town and just bought a home on the Beltline in O4W.

[ChrisInmanPark]

Originally Posted by joecool

Is there a rendering for the Amli?

I've looked, but can't find anything. What I've read is that it will look exactly like the building next door, AMLI Phase I.

[StArchitect94]

I dont know if anyone posted this yet but i found this on buckhead view. New mixed use project in the village!! they could have made it more urban but..

[TarHeelJ]

Originally Posted by ChrisInmanPark

I think OFW/Inman Park area still has a lot of momentum and are definitely still one of the it spots to live. But with all the other apartments going up in Midtown and Buckhead I'm just wondering who is going to fill them all? Hopefully as you said the prices will go down as supply starts to outweigh demand. Maybe it will draw people intown that were previously looking to rent in Sandy Springs or Dunwoody.

I'm also surprised by all the apartment developments in Buckhead. Buckhead just feels like it's time has come and gone. All the interesting things are happening in Midtown or OFW/Inman Park. Maybe I've just grown out of Buckhead myself and prefer to ride by bicycle than drive my car.

I think maybe Buckhead's time has come and gone for you...it is still a very popular place to live for many people, and as far as I know it hasn't gone out of style one bit. I personally prefer the intown neighborhoods much better (Inman Park, East Atlanta, O4W, etc.) but that's just my preference and I don't speak for everyone.

I think you are selling Buckhead WAY short with your comments.

[Tuckerman]

Perception of urban is interesting. Yesterday, while in Buckhead, i contemplated whether it was urban. Well, standing in front of the disco Kroger looking at the skyline of tall buildings, one can only conclude that this is not rural. Nor is it suburban, at least in the earlier definition of a mostly residential area outside of or on the edge of a city. In that sense, Inman Park is more suburban (as it was historically). Buckhead is now a complete mixture of activities that characterize a downtown area. In my view "downtown Atlanta stretches up the Peachtree spine all the way into Sandy Springs and includes the perimeter office complex. This whole area has urban central city functions. The fact that our political boundaries do not match this reality is another story.

[Immovable_Media]

Skyhouse is really close to completion. Landscaping work continues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyz_V4TD4PM&feature=plcp

77 12th St is moving along briskly. Construction is up to the 12-14th or so floor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbDX9m46b2w&feature=plcp

The Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites is pretty much done (outside). Front sign is up and the furnitures beginning to arrive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8WBombtKaE&feature=plcp

[Tuckerman]

The Buckhead Village rendering that is shown above appears as only a partial rendering of the whole complex which appears to run all the way from W Paces to Roswell and is about twice the size of what is shown. Is there a more complete visualization. I noted yesterday that there was fencing on W Paces near WF. Lots of trees and house are already in that plot.

[BlueSangha]

Originally Posted by Immovable_Media

Skyhouse is really close to completion. Landscaping work continues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyz_V4TD4PM&feature=plcp

77 12th St is moving along briskly. Construction is up to the 12-14th or so floor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbDX9m46b2w&feature=plcp

The Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites is pretty much done (outside). Front sign is up and the furnitures beginning to arrive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8WBombtKaE&feature=plcp

the parking garage at Skytrailer makes me ill, and the hotel is just gross, wth is up with that massive blank wall!?

[(four 0 four)]

Originally Posted by BlueSangha

wth is up with that massive blank wall!?

If Screen on the Green ever wants to move to a new location they could show Movies on the Monstrosity.

[testarossa50]

That Buckhead Village project is a big deal. It would probably have what, ~1,000 units? Traffic is going to be an absolute nightmare in short order if nothing is done. There's just way too much stuff along Peachtree and few alternatives besides driving.

I mean, you cannot legally walk from West Paces to the north along the west side of Peachtree. To cross at an official point, you'd have to go all the way up to East Andrews, 1/4 mile out of the way. Of course, everyone just ends up playing frogger instead (as I have, several times).

Here's would I would look for Buckhead to do if it wants to become urban and make its development sustainable (and I don't mean sustainable in a hippy-dippy sort of way; I mean keeping it from being even more clogged with traffic than it already is).

1. Take two lanes of Peachtree in either direction and put them completely underground for all feasible points starting at roughly Sheridan (S of Pharr) and as far north as Brookhaven Station. Limit the access points vehicles have to the surface lanes.
2. Keep on the surface level: a lane of vehicle/bus traffic in either direction, a LRT corridor, and pedestrian/bike/greenspace areas.

In certain spots, such as the crossing with 400/Buckhead Station, grade-separating through traffic won't be feasible. You'll need to use concrete barriers and it will be a choke point (probably LRT, surface vehicles, and buses will all have to share a lane).

This would be a massive project ($1-$2 billion probably), but would be as transformative for Buckhead as the Beltline will be for central Atlanta.

Buckhead just isn't going to feel urban as long as you have a six-lane roadway (plus turn lanes) that handles 35,000-40,000 vehicles per day running right through the middle of it. For reference, Peachtree Street in Midtown handles 15,000-20,000 vehicles per day. Traffic on Peachtree is terrible as it is, and there already isn't sufficient sidewalk space in many areas. Something is going to have to give.

To be counted against the massive capital costs should be the huge increase in property values (via new development) that would occur. The area's ability to handle high density development, and the desire of people businesses to locate there, would increase dramatically.

[testarossa50]

And the massive wall is an eyesore, but if somebody wants to build a couple hundred units (hotel rooms in this case) on <1 acre I really am not that concerned with how it looks. They've made extremely good use of that parcel imo. Hopefully something gets built next to the funeral home someday to cover up that wall.

[BlueSangha]

Originally Posted by (four 0 four)

If Screen on the Green ever wants to move to a new location they could show Movies on the Monstrosity.

Yup, and the can use Checkers as their concession stand...lord

[clexmond]

Originally Posted by testarossa50

And the massive wall is an eyesore, but if somebody wants to build a couple hundred units (hotel rooms in this case) on <1 acre I really am not that concerned with how it looks. They've made extremely good use of that parcel imo. Hopefully something gets built next to the funeral home someday to cover up that wall.

It doesn't look great now, but it's built all the way to the lot line. The idea is eventually the parcel next to it is developed with another building built to the lot line and we get the "urban wall" effect. You can notice a similar wall on the side of the Aqua parking levels.

[BlueSangha]

Originally Posted by StArchitect94

I dont know if anyone posted this yet but i found this on buckhead view. New mixed use project in the village!! they could have made it more urban but..

Can we get something specific on this and a better map, I can' even read it.

[ChrisInmanPark]

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

I think maybe Buckhead's time has come and gone for you...it is still a very popular place to live for many people, and as far as I know it hasn't gone out of style one bit. I personally prefer the intown neighborhoods much better (Inman Park, East Atlanta, O4W, etc.) but that's just my preference and I don't speak for everyone.

I think you are selling Buckhead WAY short with your comments.

You are right. Buckhead has come and gone for me. To each is own. And you are right, a lot of people still like to live there. In fact the majority of my friends live in Buckhead or Brookhaven and would never live anywhere else in town.

But what I am mostly trying to get at is all these new developments in Buckhead are 100% car centric. I know the vast majority of people in Atlanta still think that way, but I just wish more development was done around transit stops. That's why I think Midtown development is way more exciting because they are by MARTA stations and the Eastside hoods at least have the Beltline, bike paths and the streetcar.

I think Buckhead will take a huge step in the right direction when the 400 trail begins construction next year.

http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2012/03/08/map-timeline-for-ga-400-trail-released/

[briantech]

Anyone know of any buildings under construction right now that are actually condominiums ? Say around midtown or along the beltline, or yes even in buckhead.

Is it just 100% apartments right now?

[jnihiser]

There is now an Archstone development sign at Piedmont and Cheshire Bridge....