Midtown Atlanta District Developments

[j.midtown]

After reading all the comments (on ajc.com) that Maria Saporta's column about the Midtown buildings being demolished has generated, I can't say that I blame the Baptists. Suburbia probably looked mighty fine compared to a knock-out drag-down that St. Mark has on their hands over parking.

As an off-topic side note, the "new" First Baptist Church Atlanta is in an old Avon warehouse and it is about as tacky as it gets.

St. Mark's congregants got themselves into trouble with that column when several decided they needed to defend their parking objective and in doing so, came across as not engaging the community and not listening to anyone. With that tactic, they managed to draw most of the attention to themselves in the blog comments, while the GT Foundation laid low.

However, at the MNA Land Use Committee meeting tonight, the large crowd (for this type meeting) by comparison only lightly boxed the St. Mark reps on the ears. The pitchforks and torches were out in full force for the GT Foundation reps. St. Mark at least has a legitimate need and limited resources, while Tech's motives and needs are far less clear or aboveboard.

The community speakers were largely very polite to the St. Mark reps and they were also counselled on the wealth of resources available in the community that could help them develop alternatives to their demolition/surface lot proposal and achieve the long term goals of the church. The committee strongly encouraged them to defer their application (the writing was clearly on the wall as to the impending verdict the committee would render) which St. Mark did.

GT, in contrast, was hit with both barrels by almost every community speaker, including GT alumni and current Architecture students. There was no shortage of strong language and pointed criticism both from the public and the committee. Additionally, a community member presented images that appeared to show internal demolition had already begun, though the GT rep claimed it was simply "asbestos abatement" which of course, went over like a lead balloon. Round two moves on to the full MNA board meeting next Thursday (May 29).

Edited May 22, 2008 by j.midtown

[j.midtown]

So true. I visited Altanta back then (~late 80's/early 90's) and Midtown was a completely different place. I remember the church, a dive looking hotel where Spire is located now, a Krystal was in the Peachtree Starbucks.

Btw, I also remember reading about a foreign developer (that built the Four Seasons) proposing this massive development for Midtown which included the church property.

At the time of your visit, Midtown was already turning around. I started work at the Campanile in 1992 and have either worked or lived (or both) in Midtown ever since. It has changed immensely during that time. The Business Chronicle has had some summaries/overviews:

Midtown Miracle

Midtown: From hippies to high-rises

The developer for that proposed project was G. Lars Gullstedt (GLG Gruppen) who also built the GLG Grand on 14th. Some articles with additional info:

NYTimes: Development Plan in Atlanta

NYTimes: Real Estate; Projects Rise In Atlanta's Cultural Area

[perimeter285]

Revenge with "essentially a suburban campus"? That's not fair at all. BellSouth, in harmony with ARC and MARTA initiatives promoting transit-oriented development, made a significant investment in building a high-rise building (and parking structure) at the Midtown campus as well as the buildings at Lindbergh consolidating their far-flung office space and workers from around the metro area. Both the new tower and the parking structure include street level retail (admittedly, in the case of the parking deck, on the infrequently traveled Cypress St. side ) completely on board with Blueprint Midtown objectives.

It's easy to take pot-shots at big, nameless, faceless corporations, but some of them do make an effort to be good citizens, and when they do, they should be given credit.

I didn't intend to take a cheap shot at BellSouth. When I wrote the suburban campus thing, I was thinking that they had created the pocket park by demolishing the church, which is not correct. However, they did destroy the church and I don't know anything about the condition of the church building or its viability at the time, but there were/are plenty of places in Midtown to build a building without destroying an ornate structure.

That complex just always struck me as something more appropriate for the Perimeter market than Midtown, with the mid-high rise building, a surface lot along 4th Street between P'Tree and Cypress, and then of course the massive parking structure that fills the entire block of 5th/Cypress/4th/W. Peachtree. Yes, it is disguised by retail which is great.

If BellSouth was instrumental in planning the Lindbergh development, then big kudos to them for that!

Edited May 21, 2008 by perimeter285

[perimeter285]

Marriot's chairman was in town to view the renovation at the Marriot Marquis and confirmed that they are "looking at" opening a Ritz in Midtown.

As a Marriott employee, I was proud of Mr. Marriott's continued committment to Atlanta, which is already Marriott's third largest market behind only DC and Chicago. Marriott is a long-time partner with Atlanta to develop and roll-out brands. Several of our brands, including Ritz-Carlton and Courtyard, originated in Atlanta.

In addition to the Ritz-Carlton Midtown, we are redeveloping the former Sheraton Buckhead into a Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. We are also converting the downtown Days Inn into a prototype Courtyard, which will be one of the largest in the Courtyard brand, as part of the Allen Plaza development.

[Martinman]

Yeah I noticed in the Allen Plaza masterplan that it was labeled "Marriott" and I remember the owner announcing that they would re-brand the Days Inn a couple years ago.

The question with the Ritz now becomes where? Of course they could build a hotel only project but there is no shortage of planned projects with a hotel component that they could join.

[j.midtown]

I didn't intend to take a cheap shot at BellSouth. When I wrote the suburban campus thing, I was thinking that they had created the pocket park by demolishing the church, which is not correct. However, they did destroy the church and I don't know anything about the condition of the church building or its viability at the time, but there were/are plenty of places in Midtown to build a building without destroying an ornate structure.

That complex just always struck me as something more appropriate for the Perimeter market than Midtown, with the mid-high rise building, a surface lot along 4th Street between P'Tree and Cypress, and then of course the massive parking structure that fills the entire block of 5th/Cypress/4th/W. Peachtree. Yes, it is disguised by retail which is great.

If BellSouth was instrumental in planning the Lindbergh development, then big kudos to them for that!

I agree the loss of the church was a shame, although adaptive reuse with churches is a tough nut if another congregation doesn't want the structure. Restaurants and night-clubs that often occupy those type spaces for the novelty end up kitschy or tacky more often than not (not that a nightclub could have been opened there with St. Mark across the street). So then you're left with the idea of what to do with the structure if you're BellSouth. Also, if you're Bellsouth and need space near your existing buildings, the price and availability was probably right compared to other contiguous properties.

As to the surface lot along 4th, I'm pretty sure it wasn't owned or controlled by BellSouth and, although for-pay/public, primarily serves the 730 Peachtree St. office building.

Here are some articles about the BellSouth office consolidation, including Lindbergh:

Case Study: BellSouth's Atlanta Metro Plan

BellSouth plan tackles traffic troubles

NREI: An urban pioneer

Smallwood, Reynolds page on Lindbergh

[perimeter285]

Thanks, J. I love all of these older articles - very interesting.

I always love to search the archives of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's website too. It's interesting to see what the development buzz was 10 and 20 years ago.

It's also fun to search articles about the malls to see all the retailers that have come and gone over the years.

BTW, I drove by the building threatened by Georgia Tech last night and it really would be a shame to lose that building. I can see where a church would be a tough thing to readapt, but that building looks as if it could easily be adapted into the long-range plan for Tech Square with some creativity.

[AtlFan]

To express your position, in addition to signing the online petition, it is best to directly write (via both hard copy and email) GT's President:

Dr. G. Wayne Clough

President

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia 30332

[email protected]

and send copies to The GT Foundation:

John B. Carter Jr.

Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc.

760 Spring Street, NW, Suite 400

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

[email protected]

[j.midtown]

Thanks, J. I love all of these older articles - very interesting.

I always love to search the archives of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's website too. It's interesting to see what the development buzz was 10 and 20 years ago.

It's also fun to search articles about the malls to see all the retailers that have come and gone over the years.

BTW, I drove by the building threatened by Georgia Tech last night and it really would be a shame to lose that building. I can see where a church would be a tough thing to readapt, but that building looks as if it could easily be adapted into the long-range plan for Tech Square with some creativity.

Glad you enjoy those; the articles are really helpful in charting the tremendous changes in Atlanta and Midtown in particular.

The Crum & Foster building (771 Spring) was occupied and productive as office space as late as last year. In the short term at least, it could continue to be used that way. For future use, the design is so strong you could easily imagine it inspiring and influencing the architecture of a development that might surround it. And developing that block as a further expansion of Tech Square is clearly GTF's intent. If you look at their structure on the neighboring block, a portion of the land was used for a harsh hard-scaped plaza/driveway (corner of 5th and W. Peachtree). If they are able to acquire the entire block, which seems likely considering the other underutilized parcels fronting W. Peachtree, the percentage of the block given up as buildable to the Crum & Foster building would be no more than that lost in that sad little plaza.

[Martinman]

Yeah I'm glad they're re-building that plaza at least and hopefully making it less harsh. Of course I'm always complaining about architects designing "plazas" seemingly on every other block. Its just completely wasted space especially with a "real" plaza and the center of Tech Square.

Edited May 23, 2008 by Martinman

[j.midtown]

Yeah I'm glad they're re-building that plaza at least and hopefully making it less harsh. Of course I'm always complaining about architects designing "plazas" seemingly on every other block. Its just completely wasted space especially with a "real" plaza and the center of Tech Square.

I'm hoping there will be more green when it's redone; have you seen a plan? Whatever the end result, the rebuilding seems to be taking a long time.

Btw.. I'm not against plazas in general, but the quality of the space is important. In dense urban areas, plazas and parks are important to create open public spaces. In fact, I quite like the one in the Worldwide Plaza development in NYC; although it's probably as much for theatre spaces under it as the plaza itself).

[Martinman]

I'm hoping there will be more green when it's redone; have you seen a plan? Whatever the end result, the rebuilding seems to be taking a long time.

Btw.. I'm not against plazas in general, but the quality of the space is important. In dense urban areas, plazas and parks are important to create open public spaces. In fact, I quite like the one in the Worldwide Plaza development in NYC; although it's probably as much for theatre spaces under it as the plaza itself).

I'm not at all against plaza's either. They certainly make great open spaces in dense urban areas but we need the dense urban part first. If there's one on every block, it takes away from the urban aspect IMO. Secondly, too often here they wind up being little more than extra sidewalk with a tree or two and worst of all, are of no use to pedestrians.

Edited May 25, 2008 by Martinman

[Martinman]

The Business Chronicle reports that Room & Board is scouting the Midtown area for a store. Its a niche, upscale furniture and accessories store with eight locations around the country including Soho, San francisco and near South Coast Plaza. Crate & Barrell is described and the closest competitor to their cocept. They say they like to own and develop their own 20,000 to 40,000 SF stores and often remodel existing buildings rather than tearing them down.

Sounds like a perfect fit for Midtown.

Heres their Chicago store

Edited May 31, 2008 by Martinman

[JimRooker13]

$7 million

Dewberry offered $8 million but they liked Jametown's plan better.

The AJC had a short update on Hotel Palomar

"The 21-story building's amenities will include a restaurant/bar, an outdoor terrace with fire pits and a water feature, and 10,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space."

[eastatlanta119]

Does anyone think the intersection of 11th and Peachtree is going to be realigned? I thought I read a while back that that was in the developer's plans, but with the buildings going up it looks like that isn't going to happen.

[pksiv]

Does anyone think the intersection of 11th and Peachtree is going to be realigned? I thought I read a while back that that was in the developer's plans, but with the buildings going up it looks like that isn't going to happen.

If you go to the website http://www.12thandmidtown.com/ and choose the 3rd to last image in the Gallary, it shows this "realignment".

Edited June 4, 2008 by pksiv

[JimRooker13]

Regarding the Margaret Mitchell property, soon to be Jamestown property, (please see article below)...

http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content...round_marg.html

...has anyone heard more of whether all "possibly 650 parking spaces" will be underground and what the above ground development plans are?

More public parking so close to Midtown Mile (and Midtown MARTA) sure is a welcome idea!

[Lady Celeste]

The parking spaces will be below grade....from what I'm understanding. This is to keep with the architectural intergrity of the Margaret Mitchell House.

[Martinman]

Correct. The parking will be underground. I don't know if they've revealed what will be above ground other than retail but a hotel was mentioned as a possibility. Jamestown also owns 999 Peachtree where they are planning to build out more retail so they have a vested interest in convenient nearby parking.

Tivoli's planned apartment tower on 13th street is related to the article because they purchased development rights from the Margaret Mitchell House to increase the allowed densities of the apartment project and 1138 Peachtree. The apartment tower is planned to be 23-stories and 250 units. They are still working through the approval process and some variances they are seeking will be taken up by the DRC at the next meeting.

Edited June 7, 2008 by Martinman

[j.midtown]

Haven't seen this posted here yet, but here's a webcam of the 14th St. Bridge reconstruction. In the last week, they've removed over half the decking. This is interesting since you get to watch both the deconstruction of the old bridge as well as the construction of the new one.

[Lady Celeste]

I am so glad they decided to make a webcam for this project. I am curious to see how this bridge will be installed. I wished it was to contain the grassy areas like the Fifth St bridge.

[j.midtown]

Regarding the 'Midtown Square' property, aka the block at 10th and Peachtree, in an AJC article today about John Dewberry's foray into the luxe hotel game, Dewberry is quoted as saying:

What we would like to do with 10th Street would be to build the Rockefeller Center in Atlanta

Quite a goal there. His vision is that the project be a destination, not only for tourism, but for business as well, possibly with a tall tower.

Edited June 17, 2008 by j.midtown

[Martinman]

More medical related news from the Business Chronicle.

DocuSys Inc. will move its headquarters from Mobile, AL, to Midtown creating 300 jobs over the next three years.

The company makes an anesthesia information management system (AIMS), medication management system and presurgical care management system. It will bring to Atlanta jobs ranging from software engineering, software implementation and client services to product management and sales positions within the health-care IT market.

article

Edited June 19, 2008 by Martinman

[pksiv]

Does anyone know if residents have started moving into View Point yet ? The amount of activity around the property seems to be minimal lately.

[Martinman]

I'm not sure but I have heard that sales have picked up lately. Not quite like the condo hey day but nice steady sales.