ATLANTA | Development Thread VI

[West Peachtree]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

There is nothing else to focus on, because the FAR is the only thing that limits that space. Parking doesn't count against that, so regardless of what the FAR is, every lot would be developed with the same square footage whether there was parking or not.

Parking is only a factor in an area with height restrictions, like DC.

Beyond the FAR, developers can buy Development Rights from a number of historically preserved building owners to add height beyond published FARs.
Incremental money for sellers and additional square footage for developers. Win win.

[testarossa50]

Originally Posted by West Peachtree

Beyond the FAR, developers can buy Development Rights from a number of historically preserved building owners to add height beyond published FARs.
Incremental money for sellers and additional square footage for developers. Win win.

It's not a win win. It's an artificial market with the effect of fueling rent inflation. There's no free lunch here.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Originally Posted by testarossa50

It's not a win win. It's an artificial market with the effect of fueling rent inflation. There's no free lunch here.

The purpose of FAR is to prevent more density than the city infrastructure can support; not just roads, sewer/water is one I think more pertinent considering Atlanta's past issues with polluting creeks and rivers with raw sewage

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeanuts

The purpose of FAR is to prevent more density than the city infrastructure can support; not just roads, sewer/water is one I think more pertinent considering Atlanta's past issues with polluting creeks and rivers with raw sewage

Low-density sprawl is much more infrastructure intensive & costly than density. People don't just disappear because you limit density, they find the next closest option. Just think of miles of pipes / roads needed per taxpayer comparatively. Not to mention when you have more density you need less roads because people are able to walk or take other alternatives to cars more.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Low-density sprawl is much more infrastructure intensive & costly than density. People don't just disappear because you limit density, they find the next closest option. Just think of miles of pipes / roads needed per taxpayer comparatively. Not to mention when you have more density you need less roads because people are able to walk or take other alternatives to cars more.

Well at least in Midtown there is no height restriction so the issue isn't height with FAR. The sewer pipes can only hold so much at one time and so more density does lead to the need to upgrade all the pipes in Midtown. Sewage spills still happen from time to time so I don't think the city is fully ready to handle a huge jump in density in Midtown (think Vancouveresque with 40+ story residential towers all over) until it can show that it can properly handle the infrastructure for all that. We all know that CoA is very reactive and so it will be long before they fix things. I am all for more density, I live in Midtown; but the city shows time and again it cannot proactively do anything and I remember not long ago when even the creek by the Piedmont Dog Park permanently smelled like sewage.


In other news, a Manhattan Developer has purchased a plot of land along the south Beltline Trail with plans to build a mid/high-rise:
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...g-atlanta.html

[robertjhajek]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeanuts

Well at least in Midtown there is no height restriction so the issue isn't height with FAR. The sewer pipes can only hold so much at one time and so more density does lead to the need to upgrade all the pipes in Midtown. Sewage spills still happen from time to time so I don't think the city is fully ready to handle a huge jump in density in Midtown (think Vancouveresque with 40+ story residential towers all over) until it can show that it can properly handle the infrastructure for all that. We all know that CoA is very reactive and so it will be long before they fix things. I am all for more density, I live in Midtown; but the city shows time and again it cannot proactively do anything and I remember not long ago when even the creek by the Piedmont Dog Park permanently smelled like sewage.


In other news, a Manhattan Developer has purchased a plot of land along the south Beltline Trail with plans to build a mid/high-rise:
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...g-atlanta.html

Awesome news! Behind paywall, does it say the location?

[joecool]

What's going with the Streetlights Residential development? Haven't heard anything lately. If you check out their website, most (not all) of their designs are pretty nice.

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by joecool

What's going with the Streetlights Residential development? Haven't heard anything lately. If you check out their website, most (not all) of their designs are pretty nice.

As I posted Thursday, they’re presenting to midtown DRC on Tuesday.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeanuts

Well at least in Midtown there is no height restriction so the issue isn't height with FAR. The sewer pipes can only hold so much at one time and so more density does lead to the need to upgrade all the pipes in Midtown. Sewage spills still happen from time to time so I don't think the city is fully ready to handle a huge jump in density in Midtown (think Vancouveresque with 40+ story residential towers all over) until it can show that it can properly handle the infrastructure for all that. We all know that CoA is very reactive and so it will be long before they fix things. I am all for more density, I live in Midtown; but the city shows time and again it cannot proactively do anything and I remember not long ago when even the creek by the Piedmont Dog Park permanently smelled like sewage.

Most of the sewage spills are happening in suburban locations: https://epd.georgia.gov/sewage-spills-report

Maybe we should implement an urban growth boundary instead of limiting growth in the city? Then we can devote resources to maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure instead of building miles of new infrastructure that just adds to the maintenance backlog.

(Note: I don't think we should limit either, but just making a point that the case is much stronger for an urban growth boundary instead of urban density limits.)

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by robertjhajek

Awesome news! Behind paywall, does it say the location?

"on Hank Aaron between Weyman Ave. and the [Beltline] Southside Trail corridor"

[joecool]

Originally Posted by Street Advocate

As I posted Thursday, they’re presenting to midtown DRC on Tuesday.

As I must have MISSED it on Thursday, I obviously didn't see it. Thanks...

[MdtwnATL]

Originally Posted by Verge

We need, want and deserve good and great architecture and urban design in Atlanta-- Its something that we should all be advocating for. We are not a restless little city anymore, but becoming something more-- a large sophisticated place.

Amen. This is why I get pretty annoyed with the mentality of "well, it's a hell of a lot better than what was there before..."

[Street Advocate]

Originally Posted by MdtwnATL

Amen. This is why I get pretty annoyed with the mentality of "well, it's a hell of a lot better than what was there before..."

[Verge]

Originally Posted by MdtwnATL

Amen. This is why I get pretty annoyed with the mentality of "well, it's a hell of a lot better than what was there before..."

Exactly!--

[Hokiehaven]

Originally Posted by TexasBoi

It's a sunbelt thing. Sunbelt cities would have much better looking developments if not for the parking eyesores. It's unfortunate.

By the way, the frontside of that building on the corner across for Marlow's Tavern is horribly sewage smelling, just about every time I've walked there.

[ATLSkyPalaceOwner]

Originally Posted by Hokiehaven

By the way, the frontside of that building on the corner across for Marlow's Tavern is horribly sewage smelling, just about every time I've walked there.

It's been like that for years. I wouldn't hold my breath (heh) that it gets fixed any time soon.

[sbrptree]

any updates on Streetlight from the Midtown DRC this evening?

[jnihiser]

Theory West Midtown:




Unnamed (?) Multi-family just south of King Plow on Joseph E. Lowery:

[MARTAisSmarta]

from the other thread

Originally Posted by smArTaLlone

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/..._news_headline

One more photo to add

[Neighbor]

Originally Posted by MARTAisSmarta

from the other thread

One more photo to add

Jesus Christ, what a disappointment. It's as if every development proposed in ATL is modeled after Legos.

There is no one who can look at these designs and be impressed; yet the residents of ATL must live with these buildings for the rest of our lives. Serious question, are these just getting rammed through because the developers are out of state and don't give a shit if they leave a permanent blemish on a city they care nothing about and will never live in?

Inb4 its economically driven. Good design can be made economically, this is just lazy development.