ATLANTA | Development Thread VI

[One ATLien]

Originally Posted by One ATLien

On .16 acres, that's a really small footprint for a tower by Atlanta standards. Hopefully if the project goes through we see a much better design than the rendering presented.

I just realized i typed 16 story, I meant 21 story in my earlier post.

[bryantm3]

in cases like this i feel like it's important to go back to basics to get our heads on straight. neighborhoods are people, right? like, in most cases it's the community we should be primarily concerned with here, and how to shape it to serve the residents' needs. here's a good question: is there anyone currently living in that neighborhood that needs a million dollar condo?

we're not doing enough to correct market failures in our system, and the market is broken and isn't serving peoples' needs anymore. and for some reason we're putting on our blinders and pretending the market is behaving rationally. i know we all want to see shiny towers and new buildings and better communities, but i have to emphasize here, you can't replace all the residents in a neighborhood and call it neighborhood improvement. if the community is gone, the neighborhood is gone— and with it all the quirkiness and diversity and creativity that made people want to move there in the first place.

[sbrptree]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

in cases like this i feel like it's important to go back to basics to get our heads on straight. neighborhoods are people, right? like, in most cases it's the community we should be primarily concerned with here, and how to shape it to serve the residents' needs. here's a good question: is there anyone currently living in that neighborhood that needs a million dollar condo?

we're not doing enough to correct market failures in our system, and the market is broken and isn't serving peoples' needs anymore. and for some reason we're putting on our blinders and pretending the market is behaving rationally. i know we all want to see shiny towers and new buildings and better communities, but i have to emphasize here, you can't replace all the residents in a neighborhood and call it neighborhood improvement. if the community is gone, the neighborhood is gone— and with it all the quirkiness and diversity and creativity that made people want to move there in the first place.

Not to be smug, but that part of town about 10 years ago was a crack den with zero investment. Obviously no one wants to have elderly and/or low-income folks kicked out, but boarded up houses and drug deals on the sidewalks is not quite a "community".

[RudyJK]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

in cases like this i feel like it's important to go back to basics to get our heads on straight. neighborhoods are people, right? like, in most cases it's the community we should be primarily concerned with here, and how to shape it to serve the residents' needs. here's a good question: is there anyone currently living in that neighborhood that needs a million dollar condo?

we're not doing enough to correct market failures in our system, and the market is broken and isn't serving peoples' needs anymore. and for some reason we're putting on our blinders and pretending the market is behaving rationally. i know we all want to see shiny towers and new buildings and better communities, but i have to emphasize here, you can't replace all the residents in a neighborhood and call it neighborhood improvement. if the community is gone, the neighborhood is gone— and with it all the quirkiness and diversity and creativity that made people want to move there in the first place.

I agree with you. Also, a 21 story tower in that location is absurd. Way too tall.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by RudyJK

I agree with you. Also, a 21 story tower in that location is absurd. Way too tall.

That's ridiculous - my SFH backs up to the 22 story ParK Regency condo in Buckhead.

[thepope117]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

That's ridiculous - my SFH backs up to the 22 story ParK Regency condo in Buckhead.

but this will be next to PCM which is clearly smaller than a sfh

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by thepope117

but this will be next to PCM which is clearly smaller than a sfh

What was I thinking?

[MARTAisSmarta]

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news...pularity-rises-rail-ridership-falls.html

The declines seem to conflict with the confidence that economic development officials and real estate investors show in rail. Today, about 60 percent of all new construction of trophy office buildings is clustered within walking distance of MARTA rail stations, according to a recently released report from Cushman & Wakefield.

Since 2008, there have been three times as many residential units developed within a half-mile of MARTA stations. Rents for those units were almost 50 percent higher than apartments outside that half-mile radius. Rent for trophy office properties near Midtown’s MARTA stations averaged the highest of any neighborhood with access to rail.

Employers continually talk about the importance of locating next to rail — and not only in dense, walkable neighborhoods such as Midtown. Staffing giant Insight Global is moving approximately 800 employees into a new 16-story building to be developed next to the Dunwoody MARTA station. State Farm Insurance Co. continues to build-out its 17-acre, 2.2-million-square-foot regional headquarters next to the same station. The campus will employ more than 8,000.

[montydawg]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

you can't replace all the residents in a neighborhood and call it neighborhood improvement. if the community is gone, the neighborhood is gone— and with it all the quirkiness and diversity and creativity that made people want to move there in the first place.

Whether a 21 story building or the house is just renovated to match the market conditions for the area, these people will be displaced regardless unless the government comes in and introduces regulation to stop the market pressures in this area. This is an extremely desirable area. I think the displacement argument should not be used as an argument against density as market forces, not density, are the reason for displacement. I am familiar with this house (in my neighborhood) and it is not in a very good condition, and I think some sore of improvement to this property is inevitable regardless.

As for the density, this is a future transit served area with office and other uses. They should build density in this area and we need to stop crying anytime a single family house is proposed to be torn town.

I also laughed at the suburban soccer mom who lives in that new (10 year old) house on her crusade to stop the neighborhood from developing. I have owned property in the neighborhood for 15 years and I think the changes happening are great. I kinda feel like there needs to be a counter protest!

[Libertarian]

Yeah, MARTA ridership is falling probably due to economic trends. Not just MARTA though. I notice the local transit buses in Gwinnett roll empty everyday and have been from inception (as opposed to the commuter buses to/from downtown). What a waste of money but planners are hellbent on putting people on buses. Want to improve MARTA ridership? Put fares on the honor system. That would eliminate turnstyles and most of the MARTA cops and controls. The cost savings would offset revenue loss and ridership would jump and road traffic decline.

[DNR]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

That's ridiculous - my SFH backs up to the 22 story ParK Regency condo in Buckhead.

Pleasant Design

I know this building in not the subject property, but this is just a shout-out to this design.

I think this building is sort of classy in its own way. It’s a rather novel design with an almost sleek European feel. It’s not “Chopped-up” with individual unit balconies like many other residential buildings. The long building-length balconies help make the design more cohesive and indicates that some thought went into striking a good balance between form & function. It just has some sort of understated sophistication.

That’s all, I just felt the need to give some recognition to a well-designed building.

[Atlanta3000]

Originally Posted by THWg

Any of you guys have more info on this?

It's apparently at 687 Angier Ave, and it's a 21-story building with only 16 condos.

[cabasse]

^that's actually quite a cool looking tower. YIMBY! things are always changing, land value will go up, embrace it - this is a dynamic city!

[Pemgin]

None of their arguments hold water. More traffic? It's only 16 units and it's unlikely everyone who lives here will ever leave or arrive at once. No retail or office? There's a massive amount of both already there and more proposed and coming online very nearby in the near future. No community space? What's the problem with that? It's private. These people also literally live next door to Old Fourth Ward Park and the Beltline. Pushing people out? How? O4W is already the hottest neighborhood in the city with some of its priciest real estate. 16 condo units is going to have a negligible effect on the market.

This is not the NIMBY hill to die on.

[Atlanta3000]

I swear the constant rhetoric of anti-parking, density and gentrification is going to make Atlanta the next San Francisco/Seattle.

[scania]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

I swear the constant rhetoric of anti-parking, density and gentrification is going to make Atlanta the next San Francisco/Seattle.

We would never get that bad here in Atlanta.

[Atlanta3000]

Scoop - Starbucks

I had a good source confirm Starbucks is taking 200K sqft at Metlife's Midtown Union project. I am not sure when the details will be confirmed publicly, but construction is scheduled to start Q4.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

Scoop - Starbucks

I had a good source confirm Starbucks is taking 200K sqft at Metlife's Midtown Union project. I am not sure when the details will be confirmed publicly, but construction is scheduled to start Q4.

Bring it on!

[BlueSangha]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

None of their arguments hold water. More traffic? It's only 16 units and it's unlikely everyone who lives here will ever leave or arrive at once. No retail or office? There's a massive amount of both already there and more proposed and coming online very nearby in the near future. No community space? What's the problem with that? It's private. These people also literally live next door to Old Fourth Ward Park and the Beltline. Pushing people out? How? O4W is already the hottest neighborhood in the city with some of its priciest real estate. 16 condo units is going to have a negligible effect on the market.

This is not the NIMBY hill to die on.

I read her argument to, it’s pretty weak. Bye girl! Go sit down.

[A-town]

I actually like 687 Angier Ave, and think we need more of this type of urbanism. It combines height, small footprint and few units. It's just a few SFHs stacked on top of each other. A similar model was used in New York with the development of 432 Park Avenue. And if these units have at least 3 bedrooms they'll sale quickly. I've already came to the conclusion when it's time for me to buy I'll have to spend a million. It's been the norm in San Francisco for years. And I don't see that changing for city living in America's largest cities anytime soon.