ATLANTA | Development Thread VI

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by shivtim

Even worse, the ginko trees weren't entirely removed - they were just chopped off at about the 5 foot mark. So the block is now surrounded by dead tree stumps.

I haven't been over that way, thankfully. That is just sickening, those were amazing trees. Ginkgo's are supposedly the oldest trees species on the planet, they're incredibly beautiful.

[NYbyWAYofGA]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I haven't been over that way, thankfully. That is just sickening, those were amazing trees. Ginkgo's are supposedly the oldest trees species on the planet, they're incredibly beautiful.

Maybe they were female Ginkgo trees? Cities aren't really planting those anymore because their fruit are stinky. Maybe they wanted to get rid of them for that reason.

[(four 0 four)]

Originally Posted by shivtim

Even worse, the ginko trees weren't entirely removed - they were just chopped off at about the 5 foot mark. So the block is now surrounded by dead tree stumps.

Not quite dead...



I took this in early June. Not the ginkos but alas, met with the same fate. The trees have had to be 'trimmed' a few times since then.

[BlueSangha]

Originally Posted by (four 0 four)

Not quite dead...



I took this in early June. Not the ginkos but alas, met with the same fate. The trees have had to be 'trimmed' a few times since then.

Those are Pin Oaks, they should recover pretty good, if they stop trimming them.

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by BlueSangha

Those are Pin Oaks, they should recover pretty good, if they stop trimming them.

The Ginkgo's were around the building proper.

[Cooldude]

Originally Posted by joecool

Yawn... Lets hope there is at least a significant amount or retail and street presence.

I think its not to bad of a looking tower. Has some nice height to it. Another addition to the skyline but yea I agree as well that hopefully it will have some retail and street presence .

[Cooldude]

Originally Posted by NiffTheFox

Personally, I think this looks pretty nice - not too bulky and nice mix of glass. From an aesthetics standpoint, I'd place it above many of its peers though in some cases, that isn't necessarily a high bar.

I Agree

[Cooldude]

Originally Posted by MdtwnATL

"Frustrating" is always associated with anything concerning Dewberry.

Ain’t that the Truth haha.

[BG918]

Originally Posted by montydawg

I was in downtown Denver last weekend, and was blown away. I think I understand why some on this forum insist in high standards for Atlanta, because Denver shows a way it can be done. Quality materials in most of the buildings I saw- and even their sky house looked better than atlantas. Sure, it is a smaller city with a different demographic and economics than Atlanta, however, it seemed in the core nearly all the building were newly built in the last 30 years or well preserved historical buildings. The city felt much more cohesive than atlanta, where development centered around the core and train station area. The exciting thing about Atlanta is I feel despite the much larger footprint, the potential for infill in the many underdeveloped areas leaves a lot of growth potential for Atlanta which I felt Denver does not have.

Funny so many in Denver deride all of the new buildings that have gone up over the past decade with the exception of the ones in the Lodo and Union Station areas since they have a more strict design review. Go to the areas outside downtown and the new construction is about as bland as it gets, lots of wood frame over podium with EIFS/lap siding/vinyl windows, little to no sidewalk retail and even less landscaping. Unlike Atlanta with its big trees and sub-tropical climate Denver is a semi-arid brown desert so bad new builds stand out more.

[RATBOYKEV]

Although I only live a block away, I am low-key rooting for Dewberry to fail on this project to highlight the Fulton County Development Authority's irresponsible practices, which stupidly gave a tax break to assist with this Campanile bamboozle .

PS: A campanile is a bell tower and Dewberry removed the bells from the tower, this drives me crazy.

[Verge]

Originally Posted by RATBOYKEV

Although I only live a block away, I am low-key rooting for Dewberry to fail on this project to highlight the Fulton County Development Authority's irresponsible practices, which stupidly gave a tax break to assist with this Campanile bamboozle .

PS: A campanile is a bell tower and Dewberry removed the bells from the tower, this drives me crazy.

Bells?

[Libertarian]

It was the former Bell South HQ, so the campanile name may have been relevant.

[Omaharocks]

Originally Posted by BG918

Funny so many in Denver deride all of the new buildings that have gone up over the past decade with the exception of the ones in the Lodo and Union Station areas since they have a more strict design review. Go to the areas outside downtown and the new construction is about as bland as it gets, lots of wood frame over podium with EIFS/lap siding/vinyl windows, little to no sidewalk retail and even less landscaping. Unlike Atlanta with its big trees and sub-tropical climate Denver is a semi-arid brown desert so bad new builds stand out more.

Yeah, I would not say the quality of new construction is any better than Atlanta on average. Both have a lot of too-big shitbox bland apartment complexes, with a fair number of decent smaller scale infill projects (SFH, duplexes, townhomes) and some very nice mid-rises and highrises in the core.

If you want to look for places with much higher design standards across the board, you've generally got to look at areas that are also much more expensive, like New York. And even then, the quality of new builds in L.A. or Oakland isn't better than Atlanta. It's really a nationwide problem at the moment.

[cabasse]

Originally Posted by Verge

Bells?

there used to be bells in the crown of the tower which dewb cut off https://www.emporis.com/images/detai...om-12th-street

[montydawg]

Originally Posted by cabasse

there used to be bells in the crown of the tower which dewb cut off https://www.emporis.com/images/detai...om-12th-street

As info, that renovation was done about 10 years ago, before dewberry purchased the property.

[cabasse]

^i thought i'd remember seeing that he bought it around 2010 and then did the initial renovations shortly after? i was able to find this article on the business chronicle confirming the former. https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/09/20/story4.html


here's a pic dated 2010 on emporis still showing the crown as well: https://www.emporis.com/images/detai...top-top-detail

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by montydawg

As info, that renovation was done about 10 years ago, before dewberry purchased the property.

Nope, it was Dewberry that lopped the top off. His original plan was to add new floors to the tower (6 I think), before this current half-assed expansion around the base.

[RATBOYKEV]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

Nope, it was Dewberry that lopped the top off. His original plan was to add new floors to the tower (6 I think), before this current half-assed expansion around the base.

The original article I posted referenced this.

From the article:

Dewberry Capital is seeking nearly $125M in revenue bonds from the Development Authority of Fulton County to convert the ground level of the nearly 450K SF office tower into retail space, according to documents filed with Fulton Superior Court. The new bonds would also be used to retire $66M in revenue bonds Dewberry received for Campanile in 2013.

After Dewberry's original renovation (which Ful Co partially funded) was a bust aesthetically, definitionally, and economically (Colliers has Campanile occupancy at ~53% in Q2 2020), the Fulton County Development Authority doubled down on what they thought was a sure bet.

I am under the impression that Dewberry is both the architect and developer but when a GC & their Subs quit mid-project, this would make me pretty nervous to start a relationship as another large GC capable of tackling such a complex/risky undertaking.

[Verge]

Originally Posted by cabasse

there used to be bells in the crown of the tower which dewb cut off https://www.emporis.com/images/detai...om-12th-street

Umm, I don't think so-- Campanile means Bell Tower-- It was originally the home of Southern Bell. The original architecture was quite dated-- I like the renovation-- the planned retail/ office base was a decent design-- if it ever happens--

[Buck]

Originally Posted by Verge

Umm, I don't think so-- Campanile means Bell Tower-- It was originally the home of Southern Bell. The original architecture was quite dated-- I like the renovation-- the planned retail/ office base was a decent design-- if it ever happens--

Architecture can't "become" dated... it is a picture of the era in which it was built. This was a good example of 1980s postmodernism.