ATLANTA | Development Thread VI

[jwbab]

Originally Posted by ATLmangum

Any updates from last nights DRC meeting in Midtown?

Hampton Inn & Suites - 1231 W Peachtree St

This is the third time that this particular project has come before the DRC in the past decade. Apparently the changes this time were all motivated by automobile flow in and out of the hotel. I did not get a good look at the original design but apparently the developer wanted more space and a larger turning radius for automobile entry into the parking deck and for valet purposes. So they created a design with two curb cuts on 15th Street where valet parking had to go back out on 15th and re-enter to access the parking deck. It appeared that each curb cut was two lanes wide. (Mind you this is a very small parcel and two curb cuts basically eat up most of the 15th street frontage). This is similar in design to the hotel on Williams and 10th, except there the curb cuts are not on the same street right next to each other.

The two curb cuts and interior automobile circling necessitated a relocation of the lobby/restaurant to the 20th (top) floor. Their rationale was that visitors would immediately get a good view of the city upon checking in, creating a unique experience.

The committee was virtually unanimous in their disapproval of the redesign. They suggested going back to the original design.

[Street Advocate]

Wow- sounds like a good disapproval from the committee.

[Street Advocate]

Studioplex press release mentioned breaking ground this month on the retail and townhome portion of the mixed-use buildout. No word on the hotel, although it was originally slated for this year:

[Frankster87]

Originally Posted by Vaden

I know this isn't a skyscraper, but I've been wondering why nothing has happened with the Rufus Rose house. There was a big deal when it was sold to someone with big plans for it, but so far nothing.

I'd love an update on this as well.


Regarding Hampton Inn & Suites - 1231 W Peachtree St - I'm glad they sent them back to the drawing board. There's no reason that a hotel that close to Marta and in Atlanta's premier walkable neighborhood needs to be that auto-centric. I wish more developers would take the lead of Lilli/Peachtree & 3rd and leverage existing parking from underutilized parking garages nearby. That would be the best solution for Atlanta until it fully matures into a city parking is not "expected" at every building in our urban areas.

[jwbab]

That 640 Peachtree Hotel project may be dead. It looks like the owners of the lot are shopping around for new development partners.

Loopnet: 640 Peachtree St

Marketing Materials: http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/A99C4EDD-17FE-4B2F-8AAE-030894CDFCA4.pdf The marketing materials contain market information updated as recently as February 2017.

[arctk2014]

Originally Posted by Frankster87

I'd love an update on this as well.


Regarding Hampton Inn & Suites - 1231 W Peachtree St - I'm glad they sent them back to the drawing board. There's no reason that a hotel that close to Marta and in Atlanta's premier walkable neighborhood needs to be that auto-centric. I wish more developers would take the lead of Lilli/Peachtree & 3rd and leverage existing parking from underutilized parking garages nearby. That would be the best solution for Atlanta until it fully matures into a city parking is not "expected" at every building in our urban areas.

The design looks more and more obscene with each iteration....

[3yonce]

Originally Posted by arctk2014

The design looks more and more obscene with each iteration....

The last thing Midtown needs is a 20-story extrusion of a generic suburban hotel.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by 3yonce

The last thing Midtown needs is a 20-story extrusion of a generic suburban hotel.

This looks infinitely better than that POS Spring Hill Suites in Downtown.

[joecool]

Originally Posted by arctk2014

The design looks more and more obscene with each iteration....

Was there a contest to find who could come up with the ugliest design? Jeez... Why are so many hotels and apartment buildings designed like this? I don't understand the multi facade thing. It looks like a 5 yo with a bunch of rendom legos. What happened to sleek designs? Brick? I just don't get it.

[scania]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

This looks infinitely better than that POS Spring Hill Suites in Downtown.

This looks a lot better than I would've expected! I'm liking this kind of mixture for Midtown.

[Pemgin]

Half of the building looks like a prison.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

Half of the building looks like a prison.

I was thinking it looked like two-face, where half is decent and half is a parking deck.

The two curb cuts grind my gears.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by scania

This looks a lot better than I would've expected! I'm liking this kind of mixture for Midtown.

I think so as well. The architecture is similar to what you would see in San Diego (my future early retirement city). With that said, the new Hampton Inn & Suites in Buckhead, designed by the same firm, is a design even Cummings, GA would reject. And to really piss me off, there is a Hampton Inn not even 1000 feet away. Both in close proximity to Disco Kroger.

[One ATLien]

I like the fact that the proposed Hampton Inn building is relatively thin. Not a very large footprint compared to most buildings in Midtown/Downtown. We need more Buildings with a smaller footprint in the city, it would make a nice contrast, and give out a friendlier vibe at street level.

[Street Advocate]

I'm curious how many parking spaces are within a 2 block radius of the proposed Hampton inn. I'm not staunchly opposed to the design, or at least half of it. The curb cuts seem unnecessary and the amount of parking seems overkill. I do enjoy the small footprint and don't mind half of the facade. The other half appears to be a fortress as tall as the highest floor, which is unreasonable for any urban area, yet alone on the same block as a heavy rail station.

[One ATLien]

Originally Posted by Street Advocate

I'm curious how many parking spaces are within a 2 block radius of the proposed Hampton inn. I'm not staunchly opposed to the design, or at least half of it. The curb cuts seem unnecessary and the amount of parking seems overkill. I do enjoy the small footprint and don't mind half of the facade. The other half appears to be a fortress as tall as the highest floor, which is unreasonable for any urban area, yet alone on the same block as a heavy rail station.

The other half does look like a fortress and is ugly, I assume that's because a new building might rise on the plot of land next to it one day.

[Atlanta3000]

Hampton Inn & Suites - Midtown....continued
For a lower mid-scale hotel brand (which Midtown needs), I think this building looks surprisingly nice and upscale. Also, it has been quite a long time since Atlanta has seen a new 20+ story hotel. For that reason alone I would think the folks on here would be a little less judgmental.

Concerning parking, I have not seen a figure stated with the actual number of parking spaces. For those who think there is to much parking, what is your basis? Just from my personal experience when I lived in Washington DC and traveled to Atlanta, I always stayed in Midtown and rented a car because I had appointments all over the city. I cannot imagine how pissed off I would be if the hotel I was staying at required I park 3 blocks away.

Additional Views

[jwbab]

Here are the images that reflect the updated plan that was presented to the DRC on Tuesday, for comparison. Notice the two curb cuts on 15th Street, and the removal of the entrance ramp on West Peachtree, which has been redesigned for retail space.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by jwbab

Here are the images that reflect the updated plan that was presented to the DRC on Tuesday, for comparison. Notice the two curb cuts on 15th Street, and the removal of the entrance ramp on West Peachtree, which has been redesigned for retail space.

I am curious if you have an issue with the 2 curb cuts and if so why? The question is open to everyone as well. I am honestly perplexed why people have an issue with curb curbs on streets that aren't heavly traveled roads and in buildings that will have a small number of cars going into or out?

[arctk2014]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

I am curious if you have an issue with the 2 curb cuts and if so why? The question is open to everyone as well. I am honestly perplexed why people have an issue with curb curbs on streets that aren't heavly traveled roads and in buildings that will have a small number of cars going into or out?

This site is directly adjacent to the Arts Center Station along with a flurry of construction projects all around. There is an increasing amount of pedestrian traffic in this areas- to add 2 curb cuts in such a short amount of distance (particularly that close to another intersection) creates safety challenges for all modes of transportation in the area. The 15th street extension will only guarantee more foot and vehicular traffic in this area as AMLI opens up later this year as well as when the air rights become developed over the Arts Center Station in the coming decade.

The DRC (and others on here) are looking out for the long-term safety of the pedestrian zone as well as traffic through-put in the area....we're not complacent in satisfying the short-term needs of a developer who has a bad track record for parking-dominated, car-centric developments.