Bulding Heights Recently

[bigstick]

It just seems like ATL cannot do anything "grand" anymore? I am so sick of the 20 to 30 floor buildings everywhere, yes I am bitching, but I remember when this city thought big, not anymore
Yes, Infill is great, we have it, it is time to come out of the shell and get above the tabletop look that is quickly becoming extremely monotonous.

[jayden]

Y'all complain too much....

[Ant131531]

Did you really need to create a new thread just to rant about this?

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Did you really need to create a new thread just to rant about this?

Yeah I did, you are the number 1 complainer on here, so???

[Pemgin]

The Signia (40 stories) should quench your thirst for height a little.

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

The Signia (40 stories) should quench your thirst for height a little.

How long has this been talked about? Has it broken ground yet? Guarantee you it will be reduced in floors...

[Pemgin]

Originally Posted by bigstick

How long has this been talked about? Has it broken ground yet? Guarantee you it will be reduced in floors...

Yeah, read this.

https://urbanize.city/atlanta/post/d...tudent-housing

[DNR]

There is some definite legitimacy to this argument and the frustration is valid.

If there were EVER a time in Atlanta’s history where there has been explosive growth – especially in our urban areas – it’s now!
Actually, that time has been here for years already.

Yet, we still have absolutely no tall towers to speak of in Midtown, Downtown or anywhere else. Let’s be clear, when I say tall, I mean at least 40+ because that’s what it’s going to take to break through our ever increasing monotonous skyline.

We had three golden opportunities to build signature towers and ALL three were squandered. You can take a guess at what happened…
ALL three times - the Tenant/Developer opted to split their plan into two separate buildings…two little buildings that fit snugly and blend right into flat skyline.

Those are Norfolk Southern, NCR and to a different degree Anthem.

Maybe the ones who are legitimately frustrated, to a higher degree, are those who had the good fortune to live through some Golden Years of signature towers in Atlanta 1987-1992

There were only a handful of buildings built in Downtown and Midtown at the time, but they were predominantly signature towers. Just take a minute to absorb…

60 Sun Trust Plaza 1992
55 Bank of America tower 1992
53 GLG Grand Four Seasons Hotel 1992
52 Marriott Marquis
50 One Atlantic Center 1987
40 Promenade 1989

That being said, Residential development has been our primary savior in the last 10 years and it’s been CRAZY!

I think we can all sit back in AWE of what has been and what is to come.

[cabasse]

for the most part, IIRC, only a handful of sites in midtown specify a FAR high enough to allow a real skyscraper - in some cases some trading has been done between sites to allow one to build taller. (i believe - I might be recalling this incorrectly)


downtown on the other hand is set to allow the highest intensity, once it has bounced back (and that seems to be well on the way with everything recently announced - i can't remember a time since i've been a member where this much has been planned or under construction in downtown)

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by bigstick

Yeah I did, you are the number 1 complainer on here, so???

I only post a handful of times a month in the Atlanta forum so I fail to see how I could be the “ number 1 complainer”.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbe3FeQlMZI
shame

And unless the zoning changes this is primarily what will be seen in Midtown. At least one of the 40+ towers is using a development rights transfer to achieve, another is only building tall on part of the property.

[DNR]

Originally Posted by cabasse

for the most part, IIRC, only a handful of sites in midtown specify a FAR high enough to allow a real skyscraper - in some cases some trading has been done between sites to allow one to build taller. (i believe - I might be recalling this incorrectly)


downtown on the other hand is set to allow the highest intensity, once it has bounced back (and that seems to be well on the way with everything recently announced - i can't remember a time since i've been a member where this much has been planned or under construction in downtown)

I figured the FAR issue would come up, but it’s a little confusing when you do have a number of 40+ story proposals - even under the restrictive FAR regulations:

1125 Peachtree Mixed Use (51-story) - proposal
1138 Peachtree Residential (46-story) - proposal
50 Ivan Allen (50+ story - proposal
1230 West Peachtree Mixed Use (40-story) - proposal
Trillist SLS Tower (40+ story) - cancelled

However, most of these tall tower proposals seem to stall out.

It just seems that the Developers & Tenants are taking the EASY way out with what they can get approval for easily and quickly – which I think may be part of the problem. However -I'm not an expert, just an observer.

[ThrashATL]

Originally Posted by DNR

Trillist SLS Tower (40+ story) - cancelled

Well that sucks.

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by DNR

There is some definite legitimacy to this argument and the frustration is valid.

If there were EVER a time in Atlanta’s history where there has been explosive growth – especially in our urban areas – it’s now!
Actually, that time has been here for years already.

Yet, we still have absolutely no tall towers to speak of in Midtown, Downtown or anywhere else. Let’s be clear, when I say tall, I mean at least 40+ because that’s what it’s going to take to break through our ever increasing monotonous skyline.

We had three golden opportunities to build signature towers and ALL three were squandered. You can take a guess at what happened…
ALL three times - the Tenant/Developer opted to split their plan into two separate buildings…two little buildings that fit snugly and blend right into flat skyline.

Those are Norfolk Southern, NCR and to a different degree Anthem.

Maybe the ones who are legitimately frustrated, to a higher degree, are those who had the good fortune to live through some Golden Years of signature towers in Atlanta 1987-1992

There were only a handful of buildings built in Downtown and Midtown at the time, but they were predominantly signature towers. Just take a minute to absorb…

60 Sun Trust Plaza 1992
55 Bank of America tower 1992
53 GLG Grand Four Seasons Hotel 1992
52 Marriott Marquis
50 One Atlantic Center 1987
40 Promenade 1989

That being said, Residential development has been our primary savior in the last 10 years and it’s been CRAZY!

I think we can all sit back in AWE of what has been and what is to come.

Thank you, If we don't watch out Charlotte and Nashville are going to rise above Atlanta shortly.

[Pemgin]

Not in our lifetimes

[ThrashATL]

If Atlanta had only the space that Charlotte & Nashville have for their downtowns and had to cram everything from Buckhead/Midtown/Downtown together, you'd see some monstrous towers.

[Tuckerman]

I see this as kind of a non-problem. Very tall buildings are impressive, but as we know - any office building over 50 floors is pure vanity and becomes very expensive. At present we have plenty of room to fill with 30-40 floor towers. I would rather see more architecturally innovative high rises than simply tall towers. The current monotony of midtown development is the lack of innovation not height.

[bigstick]

Originally Posted by Tuckerman

I see this as kind of a non-problem. Very tall buildings are impressive, but as we know - any office building over 50 floors is pure vanity and becomes very expensive. At present we have plenty of room to fill with 30-40 floor towers. I would rather see more architecturally innovative high rises than simply tall towers. The current monotony of midtown development is the lack of innovation not height.

I agree there too. But my point as someone eluded too, was the grandiose days of when the "IBM" Tower was built, we just are not seeing this in ATL anymore but other cities you do. Like when a new rendering comes out, it looks amazing, only to be "watered" down at the end.

[jayden]

Originally Posted by Tuckerman

I see this as kind of a non-problem. Very tall buildings are impressive, but as we know - any office building over 50 floors is pure vanity and becomes very expensive. At present we have plenty of room to fill with 30-40 floor towers. I would rather see more architecturally innovative high rises than simply tall towers. The current monotony of midtown development is the lack of innovation not height.

I agree.

Why do we need massive buildings anyway? Atlanta has more tall buildings than most skylines in the US.

There is simply no reason for them. I'd take what we're getting now any day over one or two supertalls.

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by bigstick

I agree there too. But my point as someone eluded too, was the grandiose days of when the "IBM" Tower was built, we just are not seeing this in ATL anymore but other cities you do. Like when a new rendering comes out, it looks amazing, only to be "watered" down at the end.

The other issue is that height does not equal density. IBM tower and BOA Tower sit on HUGE lots. They basically consolidated all of the density in one portion of the site, and the leave the rest of the site as very suburban/anti-urban.

The new regulations encourage filling out the site to create a pedestrian experience. That's more important than towers.

Downtown still has among the highest FAR in the entire nation. That's where the big towers can/should be built.