ATLANTA | Development Thread V

[jpk1292000]

This is an absolutely horrible proposal. There is no doubt in my mind that Fuqua intentionally designs these developments to be as un-urban as possible.

[alco89]

Originally Posted by pawelra

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54...emorial+Drive+Marketing+Package+v9.1.pdf

409,268 population: 3 mile radius ?!?!?!?!?!

Do you doubt those numbers or are you surprised?

[cokezero]

Originally Posted by jpk1292000

This is an absolutely horrible proposal. There is no doubt in my mind that Fuqua intentionally designs these developments to be as un-urban as possible.

I would agree that he probably does this intentionally, but I also don't believe he does it as an affront to the principles of good urban design. I think he has a collection of specific big box retailers that he partners with and those retailers are likely hesitant to break out of the mold that they're so used to. They simply want to take their suburban big box prototypes and fit them into an urban location with as little adjustment as possible to the standard Kroger/Whole Foods/Sprouts experience that you would get in Anywhere, USA.

He's able to finance all these big deals on super expensive sites, many of which likely require some form of environmental remediation, because of his ability to line-up such Class-A, creditworthy tenants. He's able to line-up the tenants for these non-prototypical sites (from the big box retailers' perspectives) because he crafts the sites to the retailers' desired site qualifications as best as possible, which 99% of the time require huge and free surface parking lots.

Don't flame me too badly, cause I assure you I don't support most of his projects. Nevertheless, I think it's his tenants and his lenders that are more to blame than anything else.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Why do his designs generally suck? His Modera Morningside development is actually really nice.

[pawelra]

Originally Posted by alco89

Do you doubt those numbers or are you surprised?

I don't think those numbers are right for even 5 mile radius. I wish Atlanta was that densely populated

[sakau2007]

yeah, no way those population figures are correct. That would mean that 3 mile radius would average 14,475 people per square mile.

Seeing as how no zip code in Georgia even cracks 10,000 people per square mile... I am a bit dubious of that figure as well.

[ATL_J]

Originally Posted by alco89

Do you doubt those numbers or are you surprised?

Looking at 2014 figures that number is around 70,000 people.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by ATL_J

Looking at 2014 figures that number is around 70,000 people.

Is this true? That would mean pretty much the central node of Atlanta is less than 4x the population of my small town hometown in the northeast, whose square mileage is under six square miles. This would affirm my believe that Atlanta needs to incentivize developers to build along its major east west/north south corridors within the beltline.

This statistic is just embarrassing and it's no wonder why rents are getting jacked up- there's not enough places to live in the city where you can get an urban experience. This doesn't mean eliminating SFH neighborhoods, but rather developing along major corridors that outline them and help connect our neighborhoods with a vibrant pedestrian experience.

[Ant131531]

70,000 seems like too little honestly. It's probably more like 180k within 3 square mile radius(possibly even up to 200k). The eastern part of Atlanta is the densest part of Atlanta in terms of residential density other than Midtown, but this would also include Midtown. That would put average densities around it about 6.5k(180k/28 square miles) which is about right, especially considering the population growth around the area in the last 6 years.

[RudyJK]

Oh sweet Lord. Not 3 more pages of "How dense? Not dense enough. Too dense. Let me define dense. You don't understand density. City X is denser than City Y?"

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by RudyJK

Oh sweet Lord. Not 3 more pages of "How dense? Not dense enough. Too dense. Let me define dense. You don't understand density. City X is denser than City Y?"

Yes, this is not City-Data, god forbid.

[BunkyWay]

I think it looks pretty good actually. I'm not sure what all of the bitching is about, since Memorial Drive is not even that dense to begin with. Atlanta ain't NYC and never will be.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by BunkyWay

I think it looks pretty good actually. I'm not sure what all of the bitching is about, since Memorial Drive is not even that dense to begin with. Atlanta ain't NYC and never will be.

100% AGREE - I think it looks way more on the urban side of the pendulum than a suburban type development.

[schaalman]

This is a cool little diagram

http://www.citypopulation.de/php/usa-atlanta.php

[ATL_J]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

70,000 seems like too little honestly. It's probably more like 180k within 3 square mile radius(possibly even up to 200k). The eastern part of Atlanta is the densest part of Atlanta in terms of residential density other than Midtown, but this would also include Midtown. That would put average densities around it about 6.5k(180k/28 square miles) which is about right, especially considering the population growth around the area in the last 6 years.

You're right, I looked again. I was looking at something incorrectly.

You could use something like this: https://www.freemaptools.com/find-population.htm if you want to check. The site says an estimated population of 148,794. I used a census tool this morning and pulled census tracts within a 3 mile radius. The issue here is that any census tract, even if only a portion of it is caught within the 3 mile radius, but the majority of it falls outside, will be counted.

Anyways, using that method, the total population per 2014 census tracts that touch within the 3 mile radius is 211,789.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

100% AGREE - I think it looks way more on the urban side of the pendulum than a suburban type development.

My first thought about this was the strip malls and Home Depot development at Lindbergh. I'd be more about this if a residential development was at the location of the grocery's parking lot. Then the grocery could be tucked near the highway, and it's grocery and that unwrapped parking deck could just share spaces and be tucked away against the highway.

Not a fan of the strip malls along memorial or the beltline, but if we put residential right in the middle of The development we could potentially avoid a major dead zone. Right now with major surface parking, strip mall, and a movie theatre adjacent the beltline, it's pretty much a slap in the face to the surrounding developments that are more stimulating.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by Street Advocate

My first thought about this was the strip malls and Home Depot development at Lindbergh. I'd be more about this if a residential development was at the location of the grocery's parking lot. Then the grocery could be tucked near the highway, and it's grocery and that unwrapped parking deck could just share spaces and be tucked away against the highway.

Not a fan of the strip malls along memorial or the beltline, but if we put residential right in the middle of The development we could potentially avoid a major dead zone. Right now with major surface parking, strip mall, and a movie theatre adjacent the beltline, it's pretty much a slap in the face to the surrounding developments that are more stimulating.

Fuqua's development is certainly a step up with respect to density/urbanism than the Edgewood Retail District 1 mile away.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

Fuqua's development is certainly a step up with respect to density/urbanism than the Edgewood Retail District 1 mile away

True, but they shouldn't be comparable. Edgewood retail district is an abomination. If we want beltline transit or MARTA to be successful, we cannot continue to allow developments like this at prime in town locations adjacent transit. We do not need big box store surface parking developments and we especially do not need two kitty-corner from one another on the beltline.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

880 West Peachtree Permit was approved yesterday for Land Development. Could be seeing this move forward finally (Alexan West Peachtree)



Peachtree and Third is also ready to issue (needs fees paid) for land development



Also permit was filed for a new building at Phipps to house another Ecco restaurant. And the Quicktrip on Howell Mill is moving forward and filed permits.
A Signature Kohler store, and ATTOM Men's store is coming to the Shops at Buckhead area (retail buildout permit filed)
Dancing Goats also filed its permits for its buildout of its retail space in the Alta Midtown Development

The Plaza Midtown Publix also has a permit filed for renovation of the interior. $350k renovation work.

1010 Midtown also has a permit filed to demise the old CB2 retail spot into two individual tenant spaces.

[robertjhajek]

That's great news. Peachtree & 3rd is one of my favorites. JPX is gonna do great things for our city!