Gultch/CIM Group Development

[Julien]

While I would love to see it it is very hard to envision that an entire "small city" will be built here in a little over 3 years.

[shivtim]

^Four years. World Cup is summer 2026.
Just for comparison, Avalon, which was split into two phases, was built in less time than that. It's 86 acres with 1.3 million sqft of office/retail, a 330 room hotel, multiple apartment buildings, and about 100 townhomes.

[RocketSurgeon]

Centennial Yards is orders of magnitude larger than Avalon. It's more like Atlantic Station, which has been under construction for 20 years.

[Labtec]

I was in LA a few weeks ago, I hope the Gulch turns out much better than LA Live. It was mostly empty when I went and not that many shops/restaurants/cafes as I expected.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by Labtec

I was in LA a few weeks ago, I hope the Gulch turns out much better than LA Live. It was mostly empty when I went and not that many shops/restaurants/cafes as I expected.

Yep, L.A. Live pretty much sucks, the only time it's activated is if there's a game or an event. I think CY will be much more well rounded with Norman Foster as the lead designer, and the emphasis on lots of residential.

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by Labtec

I was in LA a few weeks ago, I hope the Gulch turns out much better than LA Live. It was mostly empty when I went and not that many shops/restaurants/cafes as I expected.

Agreed. It’s garbage.

This is why I’m glad CIM is so focussed on hosing now. The original vision was 1,000 units. I’m new hearing it could go as high as 10,000.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by Julien

Not mutually exclusive. In fact you could argue that relocating corporations (and expanded operations like Microsoft, Google and Visa) require as part of their wants is a higher quality of life for the employees. Also this brings in MORE tax and philanthropy dollars that can be used for things like The Beltline, pocket parks and wider improved sidewalks.

This is essentially a "trickle down economics" argument. It doesn't work. One drive up Simpson (Boone) or Bankhead (Hollowell) will show you the effect moving in high income people right next to people in poverty has. There is almost zero spillover. It's abject poverty, same as it has always been, with luxury housing next door. The juxtaposition is very stark. Driving through yesterday really reminded me of the kind of stuff you see in "developing" countries like India, where you have luxury areas bordering right up against slums. The problem has never been so obvious as it is now.

[Martinman]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

Centennial Yards is orders of magnitude larger than Avalon. It's more like Atlantic Station, which has been under construction for 20 years.

The core of Atlantic Station with the vast majority of its retail, was complete years ago. And I think that is what McGowan is referring to when he says they want to have it "mostly" completed by the World Cup.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by Terminus

Agreed. It’s garbage.

This is why I’m glad CIM is so focussed on hosing now. The original vision was 1,000 units. I’m new hearing it could go as high as 10,000.

10k units to Downtown via CY would be one of the best things that could happen to the area.

[smArTaLlone]

[Rchitectburd23]

Originally Posted by smArTaLlone

Is there really any work started yet? Bc I see nothing when I drive by.

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by Rchitectburd23

Is there really any work started yet? Bc I see nothing when I drive by.

Yes. The site work for the building where Nelson Street lands is underway and the two other sites have site work. I walked around the area last weekend. You can't see any of it from a car because it's so low.

[Rchitectburd23]

Originally Posted by Terminus

Yes. The site work for the building where Nelson Street lands is underway and the two other sites have site work. I walked around the area last weekend. You can't see any of it from a car because it's so low.

Thanks!!!

[Nanosolar]

Originally Posted by smArTaLlone

Need the feds to move out of the Russell building and tear that abomination down. I'm sure there is zero life around the building after 5:00pm M-F. Break the lot into four blocks with 8 story buildings like the proposed apartments in Centennial Yards. Going South from the area flows right into the renovating South Downtown area. Would be a nice urban connection. Looking at Google Maps it's such a damn shame the developers in this city tore down all of the old buildings in South Downtown for parking lots... looks like strip malls right in the center of the city.

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by Nanosolar

Need the feds to move out of the Russell building and tear that abomination down. I'm sure there is zero life around the building after 5:00pm M-F. Break the lot into four blocks with 8 story buildings like the proposed apartments in Centennial Yards. Going South from the area flows right into the renovating South Downtown area. Would be a nice urban connection. Looking at Google Maps it's such a damn shame the developers in this city tore down all of the old buildings in South Downtown for parking lots... looks like strip malls right in the center of the city.

The developers didn’t demolish buildings for parking lots in this area. The landowners and public agencies did.

[montydawg]

Originally Posted by Terminus

The developers didn’t demolish buildings for parking lots in this area. The landowners and public agencies did.

I believe the vast majority of land in the gultch has been railroad/industrial in the past and was never building stock. I’ve seen old photos of this area and there was a massive rail yard and a large silo looking structure in this area. The only structure demolished in the centennial yards footprint to my knowledge is the old train station (technically where the Russell building is today). Even CNN center and Omni/State Farm arena was built on air rights over this same rail yard.

If you are talking about downtown north of Marietta street, then I agree, there was probably quite a few magnificent structures lost to parking lots. A counter point is many of the high rises built on the ashes of these former buildings as well, so progress will destroy old buildings one way or another. Luckily I don’t see any new surface lots being built and we may have nearly all surface lots gone in the next 10-15 years

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by montydawg

I believe the vast majority of land in the gultch has been railroad/industrial in the past and was never building stock. I’ve seen old photos of this area and there was a massive rail yard and a large silo looking structure in this area. The only structure demolished in the centennial yards footprint to my knowledge is the old train station (technically where the Russell building is today). Even CNN center and Omni/State Farm arena was built on air rights over this same rail yard.

If you are talking about downtown north of Marietta street, then I agree, there was probably quite a few magnificent structures lost to parking lots. A counter point is many of the high rises built on the ashes of these former buildings as well, so progress will destroy old buildings one way or another. Luckily I don’t see any new surface lots being built and we may have nearly all surface lots gone in the next 10-15 years

The original commenter was talking about south Downtown.

You’re correct that there never really been buildings in the gulch.

[Nanosolar]

Originally Posted by Terminus

The original commenter was talking about south Downtown.

You’re correct that there never really been buildings in the gulch.

Yes, S. Downtown. Thanks for the context about the parking lots. My intention was not to disparage developers. Just sad that there is not an ‘old city’ (in American years…) part of Atlanta.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by Nanosolar

Need the feds to move out of the Russell building and tear that abomination down. I'm sure there is zero life around the building after 5:00pm M-F. Break the lot into four blocks with 8 story buildings like the proposed apartments in Centennial Yards. Going South from the area flows right into the renovating South Downtown area. Would be a nice urban connection. Looking at Google Maps it's such a damn shame the developers in this city tore down all of the old buildings in South Downtown for parking lots... looks like strip malls right in the center of the city.

If they *were* to ever do that, it would also open up the possibility of connecting the new "canyon" at the Norfolk-Southern Building all the way through to Underground. Spring Street in front of the Russell building is a viaduct, and the ground level is used as a pass through for Federal employees going from there to the MLK building. From there, it's a straight shot down Alabama to get to Underground.

[700]

Originally Posted by Nanosolar

Just sad that there is not an ‘old city’ (in American years…) part of Atlanta.

What about Fairlie-Poplar?