Downtown Atlanta District Developments

[j.midtown]

As someone predicted following the Nascar competition, city leaders are on to the next thing...

ABC article

Hopefully this is not targeted for the same location as the Nascar HOF. For those that opposed the Nascar HOF.... you were right, I was wrong. Those lots have too much potential to be used for a tourist attraction.

Being a big college football fan, this is something I can really get behind. I'd love to see the CFHOF here. It makes a lot of sense to put it in Atlanta, which is right in the heart of two BCS conferences and a city which hosts the SEC championship game and a bowl game.

[UrbanAtl]

Oh God NO! NO NO NO NO

Those remaining sites around the park would have such an amazing impact as residential towers. There is a great balance in the area but another tourist attraction tilts that balance to a tourist district and tourist DO NOT make a city!!!! People who live in a city are what form an urban culture. Why not have the museum be a catalyst for getting the Dome remodeled. It would be great to incorporate a new museum into the GWCC/Dome complex.

[Student]

Seems that there's a new "vision" for the "The Gulch" in Downtown Atlanta.

An ambitious new vision for an oft-forgotten stretch of downtown would create a linear park ringed by pedestrian-friendly development, stretching from the state Capitol area to Philips Arena.

The conceptual plan, unveiled Wednesday by Central Atlanta Progress, envisions massive commercial development near Philips and CNN Center on the west end of the 94-acre area, an overhaul of the Five Points MARTA station in the middle and new Georgia State student housing on the east, all connected by greenspace and walkways.

CAP's board Wednesday morning, include:

* MARTA's headquarters moving next to its hub station at Five Points

* Removing the above-ground structure of the Five Points station and replacing it with a public plaza

* Building 5,000 student housing units just north of Underground Atlanta for Georgia State students

* Developing the multimodal station next to a new MARTA headquarters building as a connecting point for commuter trains, regional and intercity buses

* Creating a new street grid over the area now known as the railroad gulch that would carve out a dozen development sites for office and retail space near CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park

* Redeveloping the street-level portion of Underground Atlanta to add larger buildings that would mix office and retail uses.

* Connecting the entire three-quarters of a mile corridor with 15 acres of green space and public plazas.

CAP has worked with downtown property owners since April to seek consensus for the Green Line.

"Most of the property in this corridor is controlled by public entities," said A.J. Robinson, CAP's president. "If everyone can share the same vision, perhaps collectively we can get something done."

Here's the AJC Article

[Martinman]

^^^ The vision is being called the Green Line. Its basically the next step from the Imagine Downtown process with more specific plans for this particluar area of Downtown.

Green Line map

Link to summary of the plan summary.pdf

Edited December 14, 2007 by Martinman

[orulz]

The Green Line plan seems aimed at making a place that city dwellers, suburbanites, and tourists alike can point at and say with certainty, "This is the center of Atlanta." I like what I see; decking over the Gulch and replacing the above-ground part of the MARTA station with open space is sheer brilliance. The layout of new streets in the plan actually manages to make sense out of this rather confusing area.

The plan reminds me a lot of Millennium Park in Chicago. Millennium Park is an awesome public space, and it is a resounding success, but it was extremely expensive (like $400+ million in 2002 dollars), and it took a political juggernaut like Daley to get it done.

I hope Atlanta can pull it off, becuase if they do, this will be awesome.

[Christian3]

this just gave me butterflies in my stomach, this is exactly what atlanta needs to become an URBAN city and a world class city i'm so opt for it.

[Lady Celeste]

The Green Line would do wonders for that part of town. It would also jump start some much needed residential development in the "near south" downtown area. There is a gap in quality residential units between near south downtown area and the Mechanicsville/Peoplestown/Pittsburgh area. The southern end of "near south" downtown could make for a great enclave of midrise developments.

[eastatlanta119]

I'm very for it if the plan can actually become realized and isn't just another hollow promise to transform downtown. Not to be a pessimist, but this town is big on talking without a lot of doing.

[krazeeboi]

This would have the potential to really transform the face of downtown. Anything to improve the look of the Five Points station is great, and the addition of green space is a really nice touch.

[Jim856796]

The Grady Homes east of Downtown were torn down recently. What will replace the complex? At Google Earth, I saw a green space on the site.

[verge]

The Grady Homes east of Downtown were torn down recently. What will replace the complex? At Google Earth, I saw a green space on the site.

Mixed-Income housing-- of unfortunaly mediocre design...

[Martinman]

GSU has started work on Phase I of its new science park at Peidmont and Decatur.

The AJC recently had a graphic showing the boom in hotel construction around the city.

[UrbanAtl]

Trammell Crow is replacing the old Overlook apartments, located at Irwin and Jackson streets in the Sweet Auburn district with a 600-unit apartment complex called Alexan Cityscapes. The $100 million project has broken ground. I live down the street and have been worried due to the lack of images. I saw something a long time ago, before Trammel Crow signed on. Since they were announced as the developers I haven't been able to find anything about how the apartments will look. This is a highly visible site. Everyone traveling northbound or southbound on the downtown connector will se this development. It

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

The Green Line plan seems aimed at making a place that city dwellers, suburbanites, and tourists alike can point at and say with certainty, "This is the center of Atlanta." I like what I see; decking over the Gulch and replacing the above-ground part of the MARTA station with open space is sheer brilliance. The layout of new streets in the plan actually manages to make sense out of this rather confusing area.

The plan reminds me a lot of Millennium Park in Chicago. Millennium Park is an awesome public space, and it is a resounding success, but it was extremely expensive (like $400+ million in 2002 dollars), and it took a political juggernaut like Daley to get it done.

I hope Atlanta can pull it off, becuase if they do, this will be awesome.

It certainly will be awesome and the antiquated decades old viaduct system which is a network of bridges that travel over the glutch of railroad lines will finally be sealed up for good!!

And I also believe that Five Points which has been the heart of Atlanta since the city's founding, will possibly return to that status if all works out as so hoped, bringing in much needed residential, office, hotel, retail, and even student dorm housing components.

[JerseyBoy]

W Hotel and TWELVE Centennial Park (Allen Plaza)

Update 1-2-08:

[Martinman]

Trammell Crow is replacing the old Overlook apartments, located at Irwin and Jackson streets in the Sweet Auburn district with a 600-unit apartment complex called Alexan Cityscapes. The $100 million project has broken ground. I live down the street and have been worried due to the lack of images. I saw something a long time ago, before Trammel Crow signed on. Since they were announced as the developers I haven't been able to find anything about how the apartments will look. This is a highly visible site. Everyone traveling northbound or southbound on the downtown connector will se this development. It

Edited January 6, 2008 by Martinman

[ATLman1]

I've been trying to find out more about this one as well. TCR has done some decent residential stuff in other ciites but apparently Preston Partnership is the architect of this project.

Its amazing how little information is available about their projects. They are partnering on the Luxe condos, which is close to being topped off (if not already) and we haven't even seen a real rendering.

How is Preston Partnership? My company has never used them before. I hear they are really expensive.

[eastatlanta119]

How is Preston Partnership? My company has never used them before. I hear they are really expensive.

Took a look at their website and found most of their work to be fairly bland and plastic with bad detailing. In other words, picture Atlantic Station.

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

W Hotel and TWELVE Centennial Park (Allen Plaza)

Update 1-2-08:

Great pics. as usual JerseyBoy and the W Hotel & Residences is almost topped out, and then all that will left to do is construct the heleport pad on the roof.

Man, it is going to be a trip seeing helecoptors flying into Downtown Atlanta with VIP's to drop off at the W!!!

[Martinman]

How is Preston Partnership? My company has never used them before. I hear they are really expensive.

I am not a fan. IMO the street level alone makes Atlantic Station better than most Preston Partnership stuff.

Looking at the site plan, the Alexan project fronts Jackson street only so that may limit the damage they can do.

Elsewhere...

The AJC reports that Aquarius has been delayed because of design changes and the developer is seeking TAD funds. Work could get underway as soon as this spring.

Also 16 Allen Plaza (Post apartments & Aloft hotel) may be about to get underway. They recently knocked down the only small building on the site.

Edited January 7, 2008 by Martinman

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

It will be good to see 16 Allen Plaza get underway, and sorry Aqarius got delayed, but the spring won't be a long time to wait compared to what I heard about Trump Towers with an 18 month delay, but I must emphasize this is just something I heard, nothing concrete.

Edited January 8, 2008 by kennethdisraili

[verge]

How is Preston Partnership? My company has never used them before. I hear they are really expensive.

Actually from an architect's perspective they have the reputation of being a production oriented, sweat-shop--

and mediocre to bad designers-- With architecture-- as in many things, you get what you pay for--

if you want creative, thoughtful design don't hire someone who pulls apt complex's 'out of the drawer' and changes the title block...

[perimeter285]

They have a very casual website for an architechtural firm.

[ATLman1]

Actually from an architect's perspective they have the reputation of being a production oriented, sweat-shop--

and mediocre to bad designers-- With architecture-- as in many things, you get what you pay for--

if you want creative, thoughtful design don't hire someone who pulls apt complex's 'out of the drawer' and changes the title block...

We typically use Nelson with our deals. We have a big apartment deal going up at Chamblee-Tucker and I-285. This is the first time I have announced this so be looking out for it! Site work should begin in the next few weeks.

[Martinman]

Actually from an architect's perspective they have the reputation of being a production oriented, sweat-shop--

and mediocre to bad designers-- With architecture-- as in many things, you get what you pay for--

if you want creative, thoughtful design don't hire someone who pulls apt complex's 'out of the drawer' and changes the title block...

Your description perfectly matches my own non-architects perception of them. I've often described their work as mechanical and formulaic.