ATLANTA | Development Thread V

[Zanarkand A East]

Originally Posted by Rail Claimore

I'm one of those people who feel like MARTA is missing a NW branch that should go from Downtown to Tech, Vinings, Cumberland, Smyrna, and then Marietta.

Sadly, people who felt otherwise kept it from happening in the first place years ago. Hopefully, it does happen someday.

[sirrob]

Originally Posted by BlindFatSnake

The BFS hits the nail on the head...

If Barnes becomes governor, expect Mayor Kasim Reid to publicly announce that light rail should be the mode of transit the region needs to pursue in order to achieve a regional transportation system.

If you're a fan FOR rail transit, vote Barnes so he can finish the transit and transportation plans he started with the birth of GRTA.

Just remember, the 1 cent sales option will be on the 10-county Atlanta Regional Commission District ballot in Fall of 2012. So, the campaign for success begins as soon as the governorship is decided in 3 short weeks.

Hopefully Georgia will finally get it act together... Today's announcement is GREAAAAAAATTTTTT news.

I'm lovin' it...

Awesome! Can't wait to move back there! Exciting times are making it's way back to Atlanta. She's going to be one of the first major cities to pull out of this recession, with a substantially stronger economic engine, NOT a "fake" ecomony built on shuffling houses back and forth.

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by delarosa

Sorry to be posting this here (vs the transit forum), but since you are actively involved in local planning and mentioned the area, wondering if you know if (if not why) a route from Five Points up Marietta to Northside has ever been seriously considered. It seems like a more sensible usage long-term, not only connecting 5P (to a lessor extent Omni station, though would also wonder if 5P connectivity renders Omni less relevant at that point) and that stadium site, but also Centennial Park, Marietta St and Northside development, Tech campus, Home Park and ultimately Atlantic Station and the Waterworks area.

It'd be a larger undertaking and less specialized for moving game day traffic from MARTA to a new stadium site there, but certainly more extensible and integrated.

I believe such an on-street rail line is in Concept 3 and Connect Atlanta, both the official adopted long-term transit plans.

[delarosa]

Originally Posted by Terminus

I believe such an on-street rail line is in Concept 3 and Connect Atlanta, both the official adopted long-term transit plans.

You are right. I'd forgotten about the reference in Concept 3. I went back and checked Connect Atlanta, but only found reference to a bicycle route up Marietta St. In any case, hopefully it's something that is prioritized. After the Beltline and maybe a few others, seems like it'd be a strong project as far as in-town mobility goes (and if it were to in some form continue NW'wards say have even broader reach).

[BlindFatSnake]

IMHO, nearly (if not all) of the old transit plans from decades ago are outdated and will NOT be built due to the region's population growth.

Think of any master plan that took a hiatus (years of non-development) that when construction resumed, those plans were still carried out EXACTLY as previously plan... I THINK NOT

The reaility is this: the funding for transit in the region WILL take on a renewed spirit and urgency in 2012. Don't sleep on this image-changing proposition.

A 1 cent sales tax imposed on 5 million people is enough money to match the federal government's 20/80 rule. The regions just needs to put a comprehensive transit plan together that is centered around MARTA's heavy rail lines. Otherwise, the federal government will send funding somewhere else. COUNT ON IT!!!

[jew4life4948]

Past


Present


Near-Future


Long-Term


Dreams

[Zanarkand A East]

Originally Posted by jew4life4948

Dreams

I just had an epiphany, both in my mind and in my pants. Now if you ladies and gentlemen will excuse me for a moment

~~~

Council approves City Hall East sale, but with reservations

Atlanta Gets Grant To Clean Brownfield Sites

[micropundit]

http://www.ajc.com/business/five-developers-to-meet-688186.html

[skapunkskatedude]

http://www.ajc.com/business/georgia-tech-atlanta-test-688265.html

Is this the same Georgia Tech that constantly tears down buildings to build surface level parking lots off their campus?

[briantech]

No, but it is the same Georgia Tech that ripped up all the surface level parking lots of 5th and spring and built hotels, schools, offices, and retail buildings in their place.

It's also one of the few places in the city that has a construction crane visible currently. You know, that giant yellow construction crane in the middle of campus being used to erect a building where there used to be a surface level parking lot?

[Pompuss]

Originally Posted by briantech

No, but it is the same Georgia Tech that ripped up all the surface level parking lots of 5th and spring and built hotels, schools, offices, and retail buildings in their place.

It's also one of the few places in the city that has a construction crane visible currently. You know, that giant yellow construction crane in the middle of campus being used to erect a building where there used to be a surface level parking lot?

Your exactly right briantech. In my 4 years at attending GT I don't remember them ever tearing down a building to create a parking lot.

[Zanarkand A East]

Barack Obama to blame for Georgia’s transportation woes, says Sonny Perdue

[Pessimistic Observer]

Originally Posted by Pompuss

Your exactly right briantech. In my 4 years at attending GT I don't remember them ever tearing down a building to create a parking lot.

they tore down a building this year on north avenue

[sevensixtwo]

Originally Posted by briantech

No, but it is the same Georgia Tech that ripped up all the surface level parking lots of 5th and spring and built hotels, schools, offices, and retail buildings in their place.

It's also one of the few places in the city that has a construction crane visible currently. You know, that giant yellow construction crane in the middle of campus being used to erect a building where there used to be a surface level parking lot?

word up. very insightful.

[simms3_redux]

Originally Posted by Pessimistic Observer

they tore down a building this year on north avenue

The building was condemned. It was super old student housing that hadn't been used in too, served no purpose, presented a safety hazard, was visually unappealing, and very unlikely could have been re-adapted or renovated into something worthwhile. I had heard of numerous structural problems/hazards with the building based just on the original design. Plus as an off campus student who has 3 classes on Cherry St I will appreciate that parking lot if it opens before I graduate in December.

Both Tech and Emory lead the community in such things as green design, sutainability, walkability, and addressing the streets and local community. Oh and must add GSU of course.

[gttx]

Originally Posted by briantech

It's also one of the few places in the city that has a construction crane visible currently. You know, that giant yellow construction crane in the middle of campus being used to erect a building where there used to be a surface level parking lot?

....half of it was a parking lot (a very convenient one if you were at the library late, I might add. The other half was green space, a portion of which was put in 2 years before they ripped it back up.

The problem with Georgia Tech is that the Institute - professors, students, etc - is an entirely separate entity from the Foundation, which handles land acquisition and development. So while the Planning department talks about adaptive reuse, for example, the Foundation advocates for tearing down the Crum and Forster building. They need to align their goals in ways beyond just financial.

But this urban infill thing is what city planning at Tech is becoming known for (other than the BeltLine). I believe Ellen Dunham Jones is the professor who specializes in "retrofitting suburbia" into more dense, more vibrant communities though infill.

[BlueSangha]

Originally Posted by Zanarkand A East

Barack Obama to blame for Georgia’s transportation woes, says Sonny Perdue

are you effing kidding me! hope he didn't hurt himself reaching for that one.

[skapunkskatedude]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

The building was condemned. It was super old student housing that hadn't been used in too, served no purpose, presented a safety hazard, was visually unappealing, and very unlikely could have been re-adapted or renovated into something worthwhile. I had heard of numerous structural problems/hazards with the building based just on the original design. Plus as an off campus student who has 3 classes on Cherry St I will appreciate that parking lot if it opens before I graduate in December.

Both Tech and Emory lead the community in such things as green design, sutainability, walkability, and addressing the streets and local community. Oh and must add GSU of course.

If it was student housing, then assumably Tech let it get into this condition. I was under the impression that it wasn't student housing but government subsidized housing. I don't really know. My big problem with this is, while we're complaining about there being so many surface level parking lots in Midtown and Downtown that need to go, another one is being added. It just seems to be the opposite of what should be happening.

Regarding the cranes on Techs campus, i agree, thats good and i'm glad. But what about those parts of Tech that aren't in the campus that Tech does stuff with. They planned to tear down the Crum and Foster building to build a new surface level parking lot (or nothing, i can't remember which). They tore down the building on North Ave to build a surface level parking lot. If they needed more parking space, tear down one building and build a parking deck. A five story parking deck is worth five surface level lot.

I'm just saying, the last thing Midtown, Downtown, or any other part of this city needs is another surface level parking lot.

[simms3_redux]

I suggest you look at the Tech master plan. I am too lazy to find it and pull it up right now but if I can find it anyone can. When that building that was torn down was student housing the area was very dangerous and students would often hear gunshots right outside the building. That building has no history or architectural value, and it could not pass safety codes nowadays if it had tried. It's not like the surface lot they are putting in is at the corner of 10th and Peachtree...I would hardly call that an area that is going to be the most walkable area anyway. That surface lot is every bit as convenient as the 20 space (for non-faculty anyway) lot that served the library. It's also decent looking as far as surface lots go.

And yes Ellen Dunham Jones wrote Retrofitting Suburbia which you can pick up for $70 or so in the GT B&N. She is a great speaker (I have met her at 3 different ULI events).

And don't forget that Tech is eventually going to tear down Peter's Parking for greenspace or something of the sort. Tech has gotten rid of way more parking in the last couple years and the through way (Atlantic? sheesh I can't even remember the name anymore).

The only negative with the plan is that Tech is going for all these Perkins and Will type designs and I wish they would go for a more classical look (do what Harvard, Columbia's old campus, William and Mary, Michigan, Miami at Oxford, and list goes on is doing and hire Robert A.M. Stern). Cherry Street is my favorite street and is the most beautiful; replacing our brutalist buildings with modern glass/brick does nothing to come close to making an inviting college campus, or a pretty one.

[gttx]

Originally Posted by simms3_redux

I suggest you look at the Tech master plan. I am too lazy to find it and pull it up right now but if I can find it anyone can. When that building that was torn down was student housing the area was very dangerous and students would often hear gunshots right outside the building. That building has no history or architectural value, and it could not pass safety codes nowadays if it had tried. It's not like the surface lot they are putting in is at the corner of 10th and Peachtree...I would hardly call that an area that is going to be the most walkable area anyway. That surface lot is every bit as convenient as the 20 space (for non-faculty anyway) lot that served the library. It's also decent looking as far as surface lots go.

And yes Ellen Dunham Jones wrote Retrofitting Suburbia which you can pick up for $70 or so in the GT B&N. She is a great speaker (I have met her at 3 different ULI events).

And don't forget that Tech is eventually going to tear down Peter's Parking for greenspace or something of the sort. Tech has gotten rid of way more parking in the last couple years and the through way (Atlantic? sheesh I can't even remember the name anymore).

The only negative with the plan is that Tech is going for all these Perkins and Will type designs and I wish they would go for a more classical look (do what Harvard, Columbia's old campus, William and Mary, Michigan, Miami at Oxford, and list goes on is doing and hire Robert A.M. Stern). Cherry Street is my favorite street and is the most beautiful; replacing our brutalist buildings with modern glass/brick does nothing to come close to making an inviting college campus, or a pretty one.

You're reaching if you say a lot on North Ave is as convenient as a lot at the library, particularly when I drove to the library to use the library. And there were at least 50, probably many more spots - always available free on the weekends. But whatever, that doesn't really matter.

But we agree on at least one thing: the Burge Apartments (is that right? been awhile) on North Ave had to go. The building was in horrible shape, it was terribly ugly, and it really didn't warrant saving, even if its replacement was just a surface lot. Honestly, that stretch of North Ave is dead anyway, and will stay that way until GT redevelops its athletic complex (unlikely) or Coke reconfigures its headquarters and expands east, with active street frontages (even less likely). The fact that it is a fairly steep hill, busy street, and notorious place to get mugged doesn't help its cause either.

...and sure, sure. Tech will tear down Peter's Parking Deck. How long have they been saying that again? Probably since the day after they destroyed Peter's Park to put the deck in to begin with. I'd love to see it go, but don't hold your breath.