ATLANTA | Development Thread VI

[scania]

Originally Posted by DNR

I know this is off-topic from recent posts, but just wondering...

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/rea...apital-of-america-but-lead-is-shrinking/

"Seattle is again crane capital of America...with 62"

Just when I think Atlanta is going "Gang-Busters" with construction cranes, I see that we are not even on the short list of major cities with the highest construction activity.
Even though this article is from late January, I do not understand where these other cities are getting their seemingly endless commercial and residential growth. Atlanta is a major Capitol City of an ever-growing Southeastern United States, shouldn't we be at least on the list? I am extremely happy about what seems like almost unprecedented growth, but why are we not seeing the same growth, especially in the office sector like other cities?

Late responding, but some of the other cities have more if not most foreign developers stirring this development cycle.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by atlwarrior

Wow since the Braves left, it has been nothing but waves of good news for downtown.

Braves got to be kicking themselves for leaving the area. Too bad they never seriously pushed redevelopment while they were in the city.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

$1B mixed-use project planned around Philips Arena
Maria Saporta
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/...roject-planned-around-philips-arena.html

The Los Angeles-based CIM Group will develop at $1 billion mixed-use project around a renovated Philips Arena, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in an exclusive interview Friday.

...“CIM manages complex real estate projects,” Reed said, mentioning the 432 Park Avenue development in New York City as well as projects in Austin and Los Angeles. “They have private capital. They develop first tier projects. They would be considered first rate.”...

I wonder if the mention of 432 Park Avenue is a hint that there might be a super-tall coming as part of this project.

[One ATLien]

I was watching this interesting video about mega developments, and then to my surprise at about 25:50 they start talking about the Mercedes Benz Stadium. Pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiQ874ZuIno

[Vaden]

Originally Posted by DNR

I know this is off-topic from recent posts, but just wondering...

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/rea...apital-of-america-but-lead-is-shrinking/

"Seattle is again crane capital of America...with 62"

Just when I think Atlanta is going "Gang-Busters" with construction cranes, I see that we are not even on the short list of major cities with the highest construction activity.
Even though this article is from late January, I do not understand where these other cities are getting their seemingly endless commercial and residential growth. Atlanta is a major Capitol City of an ever-growing Southeastern United States, shouldn't we be at least on the list? I am extremely happy about what seems like almost unprecedented growth, but why are we not seeing the same growth, especially in the office sector like other cities?

If you read about that "index" you will see that Atlanta is not among the cities counted. Atlanta easily has 30+ cranes when you count the entire city. It's still not near the top, though. According to the count, Sydney in Australia has 220 cranes at the start of the year. A great deal of Atlanta's growth remains SFH's and low-rise complexes. One view of other cities will remind that American cities remain relatively undense. Also of note is the comments at the Seattle Times. They too complain about lack of architecture and cheap construction. Guess complainers are everywhere, huh?
http://rlb.com/en/news/2015-10-22-rlb-crane-index%C2%AE-reflects-construction-boom/
http://rlb.com/en/news/2017-02-08-report...ential-construction-continues-its-climb/

[scania]

Originally Posted by One ATLien

I was watching this interesting video about mega developments, and then to my surprise at about 25:50 they start talking about the Mercedes Benz Stadium. Pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiQ874ZuIno

I thought this was mentioned one here. It might've been the LA page. This was on the History Channel. Really cool video. I actually went to the Wiltshire Grand today. It was fully opened.

[RocketSurgeon]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Braves got to be kicking themselves for leaving the area. Too bad they never seriously pushed redevelopment while they were in the city.

There's actually a whole lot of development going on in Cumberland--a million square feet of office space, for example--but it's easy to miss since it isn't discussed here.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

There's actually a whole lot of development going on in Cumberland--a million square feet of office space, for example--but it's easy to miss since it isn't discussed here.

It is not to say that nothing is happening in Cumberland, but it is certainly underwhelming compared to what is ramping up in the South Downtown area and what things like the paid Atlanta Business Chronicle "SunTrust Park - The Battery will lure top corporate talent to the area" ads have been promising.

The Carter / Summerhill development alone has 1.5 Million SF of office planned: https://www.bisnow.com/atlanta/news/mixe...ormer-atlanta-braves-home-71459?rt=37089

And even areas like Doraville that typically have been no where close to the scale of Cumberland development in recent decades are locking in big Fortune 500 HQ relocations.

[scania]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

There's actually a whole lot of development going on in Cumberland--a million square feet of office space, for example--but it's easy to miss since it isn't discussed here.

Very true. No matter how some on here feel, the Braves made a sound decision. It's crazy how some people here in the South act over something this small. As far as fan base, the move was closer to the fans. At the end of the day it's a win win for. Atlanta and the Braves.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by scania

Very true. No matter how some on here feel, the Braves made a sound decision. It's crazy how some people here in the South act over something this small. As far as fan base, the move was closer to the fans. At the end of the day it's a win win for. Atlanta and the Braves.

They can't say it publicly of course, but I am sure the Braves are regretting not being in the middle of everything that is happening in South Downtown now. The Battery is nice, but no where near the scale of what is going on in the area they left. Also the attendance at their new location is far below their hopes, so I think the "closer to fans" thing doesn't look like it was true either.

[MdtwnATL]

Originally Posted by scania

Very true. No matter how some on here feel, the Braves made a sound decision. It's crazy how some people here in the South act over something this small. As far as fan base, the move was closer to the fans. At the end of the day it's a win win for. Atlanta and the Braves.

It was an anti-urban move on the part of the Braves. The best baseball parks are part of he fabric of the city around them. Just my $.02. I can just imagine if the Dome was implode and replaced with our new baseball stadium. Would have been amazing.

I know there were major politics at play in that decision, but it just really sucks for the city, and yes, the fans. I don't buy the "but our fans are up there" argument at all. Sorry.

[ATLontheRISE]

Originally Posted by scania

Very true. No matter how some on here feel, the Braves made a sound decision. It's crazy how some people here in the South act over something this small. As far as fan base, the move was closer to the fans. At the end of the day it's a win win for. Atlanta and the Braves.

I'm kinda tired of folks repeating that they moved "closer to their fan base". Firstly, I'm not sure how accurate it is. Braves fans are all over the region. 2nd, it's almost a lack of respect for the folks on the south side who are just as much a fan. And 3rd, if they are so close to their fans, why is the attendance abysmal. It's a new stadium. They are near their fan base. The battery is alive... they still have awful attendance. The braves will regret the move. But I do agree that it is a win win for the city. I would have been outraged if they had given them money for a new stadium. The braves will be fine. The city will be even better.

[RocketSurgeon]

Originally Posted by jsvh

They can't say it publicly of course, but I am sure the Braves are regretting not being in the middle of everything that is happening in South Downtown now. The Battery is nice, but no where near the scale of what is going on in the area they left.

You're more optimistic than I am about Summerhill. The plan for that area isn't expected to be fully realized until the 30s, and there will be a lot of challenges to overcome. Having GSU behind it will help, but the first phase is small and future ones will depend a lot on its success and the health of the market. To some extent it will also depend on the Panthers figuring out how to win games. The stadium won't be much help to the area if they can't get attendance up.

On a more positive note, I think it's safe to assume Downtown itself will have quite a resurgence in the coming years. It will be a slow process, though, and it hasn't really started yet (except on paper).

[Martinman]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

You're more optimistic than I am about Summerhill. The plan for that area isn't expected to be fully realized until the 30s, and there will be a lot of challenges to overcome. Having GSU behind it will help, but the first phase is small and future ones will depend a lot on its success and the health of the market. To some extent it will also depend on the Panthers figuring out how to win games. The stadium won't be much help to the area if they can't get attendance up.

On a more positive note, I think it's safe to assume Downtown itself will have quite a resurgence in the coming years. It will be a slow process, though, and it hasn't really started yet (except on paper).

I disagree on both counts.

Summerhill will succeed (or not) as a neighborhood where people can live. Attendance at 6 football games per year will have close to zero impact on that dynamic. There are already winds of redevelopment/gentrification in (link) and around the area (Memorial Drive) and combined with the reliability of the GSU component makes the prospects for this project highly favorable.

With all of the GSU growth, Walgreen's, The Office apartments (the first new non-student residential in downtown is several years), Post Centennial under construction, and projects in south downtown, Downtown's resurgence has clearly begun. It has been slow but when some of the "mega" projects do start to move forward, it will only accelerate the transformation.

[robertjhajek]

The move to suntrust park angers me too. No MARTA.

They definitley should have waited for the dome to be demolished. Imagine how dynamic the view would have been from the stands.

Also, they would have had their 'battery' with this new entertainment development stirring in the gulch.

[stepover]

I think people are missing the point of why the Braves wanted the Battery. It's a huge additional source of revenue for them. So even if attendance is equal to what it was at Turner field they make significantly more money. They also have revenue when there aren't baseball games playing. Having it next to the Benz doesn't get them that since they don't control revenue streams around them.

I'd also love it to be in the heart of downtown as well but, it seems the economics of it was much better in Cobb. If the city did a similar agreement they are doing for the Hawks things may have been different.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

You're more optimistic than I am about Summerhill. The plan for that area isn't expected to be fully realized until the 30s, and there will be a lot of challenges to overcome. Having GSU behind it will help, but the first phase is small and future ones will depend a lot on its success and the health of the market. To some extent it will also depend on the Panthers figuring out how to win games. The stadium won't be much help to the area if they can't get attendance up.

On a more positive note, I think it's safe to assume Downtown itself will have quite a resurgence in the coming years. It will be a slow process, though, and it hasn't really started yet (except on paper).

I actually think it is better that it is getting built out over years the way neighborhoods normally are. But even this first phase that is under construction now is already on the same scale as "The Battery".

As pointed out, the health of the area should not depend on the attendance of a stadium. The neighborhood should be able to attract people on it's own to live / work / "play" there.

[Ant131531]

Ugh, why are we STILL talking about the Braves move? What's done is done. Move on.

[alco89]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Ugh, why are we STILL talking about the Braves move? What's done is done. Move on.

It is, unfortunately, impossible for some people to grow up and stop bringing it up

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by scania

Very true. No matter how some on here feel, the Braves made a sound decision. It's crazy how some people here in the South act over something this small. As far as fan base, the move was closer to the fans. At the end of the day it's a win win for. Atlanta and the Braves.

How about you drop this shit? If you can't deal with 'the South,' stay put in L.A.