ATLANTA | Development Thread V

[arjay57]

We're taking the train up to DC in May. I want the grandkids to have the experience of riding on a train before they're all gone.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by arjay57

We're taking the train up to DC in May. I want the grandkids to have the experience of riding on a train before they're all gone.

i can categorically guarantee you that they aren't going to be gone anytime soon. the current technology, maybe, but trains aren't going anywhere.

[jddar]

Originally Posted by arjay57

We're taking the train up to DC in May. I want the grandkids to have the experience of riding on a train before they're all gone.

The children would probably enjoy the train to New Orleans a lot more. It travels during the day. The train to Washington is overnight with an early morning arrival.

Now to say something on topic, I'm quite thrilled with the new wave of development that's beginning. Especially, the ones located in the south part of Midtown.

[daharris80]

As interesting as this discussion is on our perceptions of Amtrak ridership in Atlanta, I think hard data is probably a better indication of the priorities public leaders place on Amtrak connectivity in Atlanta.

In 2013 there were 99,005 on/offs at the Atlanta station. This placed the Atlanta station at approximately the 70th position as far as volume. I could not compute Atlanta's exact rank because Amtrak data only shows ridership for the top 5 cities in each state and in a few states 5th busiest cities were still ahead of Atlanta.

Here is the data: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/730/658/FY13-Record-Ridership-ATK-13-122.pdf

Of course what place Atlanta falls on Amtrak ridership with one route and without any commuter Amtrak compared to cities in Amtrak commuter networks is an apple and orange comparison. But, from the ridership data Atlanta is not a significant Amtrak market.

Two quick comparisons for these Amtrak statistics. Ridership on Marta in 2013 was 76.7 million. http://www.itsmarta.com/kpichart_Rideship.aspx

Meanwhile, Harsfield-Jackson had over 94 Million passengers in 2013 - http://www.atlanta-airport.com/docs/Traffic/201312.pdf
with 2.76 million passengers on the NY to Atlanta route - http://www.transtats.bts.gov/.

This data probably confirms that Amtrak connectivity will be a low priority, in terms of transportation infrastructure, for the foreseeable future in Atlanta. That is not to say that if the Atlanta station had better connectivity and more routes that Amtrak ridership would not increase, its just reality of the situation. In a region where a penny sales tax for transportation improvements failed we are not going to see politicians prioritize Amtrak and spend a lot of money to improve the situation. Amtrak's not going to do it on its own when they have much larger ridership markets that need resources.

The most we can expect to see in the next 10-15 years is a new station (probably near Atlantic Station) with a Greyhound terminal and a few Marta bus routes. Linking Amtrak into Marta's rail lines seems very unlikely.

[RocketSurgeon]

I hate to be "that guy," but...

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=120809

[Tuckerman]

We will not have significant rail-transit development in Atlanta until we have a very different governor, legislature and population support. The ill-fated T-SPLOST gave a pretty valuable lesson in this regard. This so-called plan B that the non-realists (Sierra Club) touted was a major mistake. We are left with plan "WT", for wishful thinking. Things can change, but I don't see any changes in the near future. I would love to be an optimist on this - I believe public transit, rail and transportation choice is key to the long-time future of the Atlanta region. Perhaps ion 30-50 years.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jddar

The children would probably enjoy the train to New Orleans a lot more. It travels during the day. The train to Washington is overnight with an early morning arrival.

Well, that's true but they'll get a kick out of the ride anyway. It's fun to wake up and watch the train cruising across the Virginia countryside. They're jazzed about getting their own little roomette!

I've got business up there and we have lots of friends in the area, so it will make a nice mini vacation.

[AtlantaMustang]

So it looks like the Home2 Suites downtown in the old Walton building may be starting up. I haven't read anything, but there's a dumpster and scaffolding on street level, sorry you can't see it in this picture, and a chute down the building into the dumpster. The renovation may be underway.



Here's an old article from about a year ago for reference:

http://www.tonetoatl.com/2013/04/hilton-bringing-new-hotel-to-historic.html

Also bonus progress in the foreground on the streetcar stop.

[DonTallPaul]

There was an article in today's Business Chronical Subscriber section on Home2 coming to Atlanta. Though it is not definitive - "could come", "looking at Downtown", "has been looked at".

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print...ng-extended-stay-brand-home2-suites.html

From the article:

“We are hoping to get one in downtown Atlanta pretty soon,” Bill Fortier, senior vice president of development for Hilton, said during the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. “Atlanta’s going to be a very strong market for us with Home2.”
The brand has been looked at for a hotel project in the works at 87 Walton St. in downtown. Arsenal Capital Partners is planning to transform the historic building into a 110-room hotel.

Originally Posted by AtlantaMustang

So it looks like the Home2 Suites downtown in the old Walton building may be starting up. I haven't read anything, but there's a dumpster and scaffolding on street level, sorry you can't see it in this picture, and a chute down the building into the dumpster. The renovation may be underway.



Here's an old article from about a year ago for reference:

http://www.tonetoatl.com/2013/04/hilton-bringing-new-hotel-to-historic.html

Also bonus progress in the foreground on the streetcar stop.

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by AtlantaMustang

So it looks like the Home2 Suites downtown in the old Walton building may be starting up. I haven't read anything, but there's a dumpster and scaffolding on street level, sorry you can't see it in this picture, and a chute down the building into the dumpster. The renovation may be underway.

Also bonus progress in the foreground on the streetcar stop.

They haven't filed any permits yet, so it's probably just cleaning out the space.

[Triptychtwo]

Trees sign is up at 811 Peachtree.

[AtlantaMustang]

Originally Posted by Triptychtwo

Trees sign is up at 811 Peachtree.

Yessss, something with decent/notNovare architecture might go up in Midtown!

[cabasse]

^awesome! of all the current proposals, this one is the most interesting to me personally.

[joecool]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is by far my fav things that's been proposed.

[nature's calling]

If I'm to be honest, I thought 811 Peachtree would meet the same fate as 550 Pharr in Buckhead. Glad I appear to be wrong.

[PremierAtlanta]

The amount of actually skyscraper development in Midtown is nothing short of amazing. It is going to be hard to keep up with all the cranes.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i can categorically guarantee you that they aren't going to be gone anytime soon. the current technology, maybe, but trains aren't going anywhere.

I'm glad, bryant. I love passenger trains and hope they make a comeback. As a youngster I road both the Crescent and the Nancy Hanks out of downtown and they were fine trains indeed.

It was quite a thrill to see them pulling out.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cc5AHe13ick/ToNxTc-bn3I/AAAAAAAAAFw/fYcOOOFGfHE/s1600/Nancy+Hanks.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/4t...20page/SouthCrescent_Atlanta_April78.jpg

[Atlriser]

Delete

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I'm glad, bryant. I love passenger trains and hope they make a comeback. As a youngster I road both the Crescent and the Nancy Hanks out of downtown and they were fine trains indeed.

It was quite a thrill to see them pulling out.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cc5AHe13ick/ToNxTc-bn3I/AAAAAAAAAFw/fYcOOOFGfHE/s1600/Nancy+Hanks.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/4t...20page/SouthCrescent_Atlanta_April78.jpg

if there was 'reputation' on here, i'd give it to you.

arjay, have you ever been to the chattanooga choo-choo? they've got a restored train station and you can actually stay in the traincars; they've converted them to hotel rooms. you should take your family up there and stay; we did a few years ago and had a blast. i'll always remember stepping out of the traincar in the cold early morning and lighting up my new meerschaum pipe with a can of dunhill's early morning pipe blend.

do you remember the train they had at stone mountain? they used to have an actual train run around the mountain. i went for my 8th birthday and had a fantastic time; then they leased out stone mountain to that company and it has essentially become an amusement park. they took out the train and replaced it with this open-air put-up job.

[AtlantaMustang]

Not much to see here, but we do get a few more details.

DRC revisits Symphony Site proposal, reviews new renovation application

98 14th Street update
Olympia Heights Management returned to the DRC yesterday, following up on its initial review last month of their proposed $650 million mixed use project on the former symphony site. The first phase of this three-tower development is projected to break ground in 2015.

60 11th Street
The applicant worked collaboratively to address issues raised during the March DRC meeting and the project was approved yesterday by the DRC.

923 Piedmont Avenue
Stonehurst Place, a bed and breakfast inn, is proposing a renovation and addition to an existing guest cottage.

Here's the link to the entire overview.

http://www.midtownatl.com/about/midtown-...-monthly-april-2014/april-2014-drc-recap