Midtown Atlanta District Developments

[Martinman]

Hey! That is an AWESOME sight to behold. I remember when Atlanta looked much sparser in it's central core. I can't believe how much it has changed since the Olympics. Now that urban living is back in vogue, the steady densification and eradication of huge surface lots should continue for the foreseeable future. I read recently that Novare plans another high rise in Buckhead. Another project was slated for a 39 story tower beside Phipps Plaza. What incredible growth. Having said that, I was stunned by Atlanta's 2010 census results. I expected it to be FAR higher than 420,000. As much residential construction that went on in the 2000's, I was sure it would approach 500,000. Of course the actual results revealed something few factored in-the rapid decline in the city's black population. I read an estimated 32,000 fled for DeKalb County during the decade. While all those young, white, single professionals were buying all those high rise condos, middle and upper class black families fled for the 'burbs. Who would've guessed this rapid reversal when all you heard for decades was "white flight."

 

I still think the 2010 undercounted my favorite city. The 2012 estimate says 443,000. Seems unlikely that it gained a whopping 23,000 in only 2 years.

 

 

I agree with everything above.  I've read the data (and I wish I could remember where).  Midtown, Buckhead, and other neghborhoods added huge numbers while the depressed areas lost almost as much population as the growing areas gained.  Still I've also read some data where the city demonstrated instances where census data had fewer housing units in a particular census tract than there are actually in one buiding in that same census tract.  In other words, census tract XYZ showed 100 housing units when there is actually a 200 unit building in tract XYZ.   So clearly the city both lost a big chunk of black population and the city was undercounted IMO.   In fact I think that 23,000 two-year population jump is a correction of sorts.

[modernurbanity]

Yes, Martinman, you would not be incorrect in assuming that. The census bureau often does reverse itself and offer "corrections." The numbers they give aren't always natural increases or decreases. Sometimes they include corrections. That happened to Atlanta repeatedly in the 2000's. Remember when they were jumping it's estimates from 425,000 to 465,000, 470,000, then the astronomical figure of 541,000? The 2009 estimate was showing 540,900! Would've been nice, but it just did not happen. The loss of whole black families by the thousands severely curtailed it's gaining white single population. Let's face it, all those high rise buildings might have hundreds of units, but they were bought mostly by SINGLE people who live in them. At most, each building is only holding a few hundred people. That won't gain you very much when whole blocks are virtually vanishing in other neighborhoods. Having said that, 443,000 is much better. It looks like it will make it to 450,000 by mid-decade at least. I mean for heaven's sake! Now, even RALEIGH and VIRGINIA BEACH are in danger of catching Atlanta proper's population! With Louisville's consolidation with Jefferson County, Atlanta is in danger of being pushed completely out of the top ten largest southern cities list! Let's get those cranes humming again.

 

(As a side note, why is there no discussion going on here about the streetcar, the beltline, Ponce development, city market, city hall east, sports center in Bartow, Alpharetta's mixed use project Avalon, metro Atlanta gaining 10,000 manufacturing jobs since 2010, the relocation of PulteGroup to Atlanta, Porsche's headquarters, and State Farms consolidation in Atlanta, and on and on?)

Edited October 28, 2013 by modernurbanity

[Martinman]

Yes, Martinman, you would not be incorrect in assuming that. The census bureau often does reverse itself and offer "corrections." The numbers they give aren't always natural increases or decreases. Sometimes they include corrections. That happened to Atlanta repeatedly in the 2000's. Remember when they were jumping it's estimates from 425,000 to 465,000, 470,000, then the astronomical figure of 541,000? The 2009 estimate was showing 540,900! Would've been nice, but it just did not happen. The loss of whole black families by the thousands severely curtailed it's gaining white single population. Let's face it, all those high rise buildings might have hundreds of units, but they were bought mostly by SINGLE people who live in them. At most, each building is only holding a few hundred people. That won't gain you very much when whole blocks are virtually vanishing in other neighborhoods. Having said that, 443,000 is much better. It looks like it will make it to 450,000 by mid-decade at least. I mean for heaven's sake! Now, even RALEIGH and VIRGINIA BEACH are in danger of catching Atlanta proper's population! With Louisville's consolidation with Jefferson County, Atlanta is in danger of being pushed completely out of the top ten largest southern cities list! Let's get those cranes humming again.

 

(As a side note, why is there no discussion going on here about the streetcar, the beltline, Ponce development, city market, city hall east, sports center in Bartow, Alpharetta's mixed use project Avalon, metro Atlanta gaining 10,000 manufacturing jobs since 2010, the relocation of PulteGroup to Atlanta, Porsche's headquarters, and State Farms consolidation in Atlanta, and on and on?)

Interesting.  I did not know that about the population of those other southern cities.   Ultimately I'm not that interested in city population rankings as long as the city is healthy and moving in the right direction and believe that is the case right now more than at anytime in the last 40-50 years.

 

About the lack of discussion on those other projects...

There just aren't a lot of Atlantans on this particular site.  A few of us just try to keep the site updated on the major projects for those that might be interested.  

[Lady Celeste]

(As a side note, why is there no discussion going on here about the streetcar, the beltline, Ponce development, city market, city hall east, sports center in Bartow, Alpharetta's mixed use project Avalon, metro Atlanta gaining 10,000 manufacturing jobs since 2010, the relocation of PulteGroup to Atlanta, Porsche's headquarters, and State Farms consolidation in Atlanta, and on and on?)

 

Martinman pretty much summed up my sentiments. I no longer live in Atlanta full time but I try my best to keep up with what's going on when I am in town...which is often. For me, after I have posted about a development, I find it difficult to go on and on about a project. I never see the point to it. Especially one that is just a proposal. Unfortunately as a married mother of five and a business owner, time does not allow for me to post on and on about one particular announcement.

 

Modernurbanity, if you browse each section, you will see that most of the projects you mentioned have been discussed...just not ad nauseam. The relocation of PulteGroup is found in the Buckhead section. State Farm consolidation is discussed in the Perimeter Center section and the new Porsche headquarters is discussed in the Aerotropolis thread. You are correct in the number of manufacturing jobs that metro Atlanta has gained. It has also gained thousands of tech jobs...of which I mentioned briefly in the Midtown section. I must admit that I do not give full attention to the hinterlands...i.e., Bartow County. I guess I am "intown" or "close-in" biased. My apologies... 

 

Martinman and Immovable Media are valued posters to this section. You too can become a value poster. Just jump when you can. It will be greatly appreciated. I will do my best to not allow you to talk to yourself. When I have the time, I will jump in as well.

 

 

Interesting.  I did not know that about the population of those other southern cities.   Ultimately I'm not that interested in city population rankings as long as the city is healthy and moving in the right direction and believe that is the case right now more than at anytime in the last 40-50 years.

 

 

Again Martinman, you summed up my sentiments exactly. I will not add anything to it. I will I take anything away from it.

[Lady Celeste]

 

 

 

What a really nice vantage point. It is amazing when you consider that in this immediate shot alone that there will be four new towers. 33 Peachtree Pl (19 stories), Centergy Center mixed use tower (22 stories), 868 Spring (19 stories) and the Georgia Tech building (25 stories).  

[modernurbanity]

Believe me, I am not knocking Atlanta. It is my favorite city. I am so glad to see the revival of the central core. Midtown has a very impressive skyline now and soon we can look up and down Peachtree Street and see a building canyon. I'd still like to see more residential growth downtown and in the city proper in general. The oddity of a metropolitan region of millions being anchored by a city comparable to Tulsa is a bit frustrating. All with Charlotte and Jacksonville rushing toward city proper populations of 1,000,000 and Memphis, Louisville, and Nashville over 600,000. Yes, I know all about consolidations and N.C.'s liberal annexation laws. Let's remember that Philadelphia is the exact same size as Atlanta in land area but has 1,500,000 people. I just wish more growth would come to the city proper. I believe Atlanta's economy and future are assured as the hub of the southeast, but competitors loom. Forget Charlotte, though. The real competitor is Raleigh. Raleigh has posted truly astonishing growth rates for 20+ years. You wouldn't know it by looking at Raleigh's still wimpy skyline, but the amount of growth has been nothing short of incredible. Consider the following facts: Raleigh city proper grew 46% between 2000-2010 from 276,000 to 403,000. Durham expanded by 22% from 187,000 to 228,300. Cary increased by 43% from 94,500 to 135,200 and it's still only a town, not incorporated as a city. Chapel Hill bulged by 17.5% from 48,700 to 57,300. Apex swelled by 85% from 20,200 to 37,500. Wake Forest exploded by 139% from 12,600 to 30,100. Wake county burgeoned by 43.5% from 627,800 to 901,000. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill CSA has rocketed by some 50% from 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 since 2000 and has suffered no slowdown. Why? The same thing that helped Atlanta-education. Like Atlanta, Raleigh's metro has a plethora of excellent schools. Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, NC State, and the others virtually guarantee continuous economic growth. They fuel the massive Research Triangle Park which has become a technological giant.  For a long time, Atlanta was the only game in town-but no longer. Of course Atlanta has enormous advantages too. Not least is the fact that it's virtually in the direct center of the southeast. That's why it's the south's rail hub, air travel hub, and distribution hub. Atlanta has seen hard times before. Atlanta's real estate market collapsed in 1991 also. It slowed again in 2001-2002. It recovered stronger than ever. It will this time too. Only this time, competitors are starting to nip at it's heels. Keeping ahead of the game is gonna get tougher.

Edited October 31, 2013 by modernurbanity

[Martinman]

Even knowing all of this, I have a hard time getting too excited about city population.  

 

Personally I don't really see growth in other SE cities as coming at the expense of Atlanta anymore than I see growth in Atlanta happening at the expense of other SE cities. Obvioulsy they all compete for businesses that relocate from other parts of the country but I think all of them will in the long term benefit one another by creating a southern "mega-region".   IMO Atlanta has so many advantages that it only needs to make wise transportation and infrastructure investments and have better land use planning to have a very bright future.  BTW you might find a bit more active discussion of Atlanta projects here.

 

In project news...

 

Curbed is reporting that the 13th street apartment project "Yoo on the park" is expected to break ground early next year.  The project will have 250 apartments and 1200 sf of retail space.

 

http://atlanta.curbed.com/archives/2013/10/30/confirmed-yoo-tower-launching-soon-financing-explained.php

 

 

[krazeeboi]

Atlanta's continued urbanization and densification is of greater interest to me than absolute population growth. Atlanta is past the stage of worrying about how much it's growing, but is now more concerned about how it's growing. That's the sign of a maturing city.

[Martinman]

Here's an updated rendering of the Seventh condo project.  The related retail renovation at the street level of the Viewpoint building has begun construction. This is a relativley small project but its my favorite project in Midtown right now.  I love that developers and property owners are beginning to see the value in maximizing the street level of their buildings and this will do so much for that block.

 

 

[Martinman]

Amli May Develop Trump Site 

A site where New York real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump once planned a giant condo project in Atlanta is back in play — apparently as the latest Midtown high-rise apartment.

 

AMLI Residential is considering whether to develop the tower at 15th and West Peachtree streets, according to people familiar with the plans.

 

Contractors have been pricing a project on the site that could range from 20 to 30 stories.  The proposal may soon come before the Midtown Development Review committee, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

 

 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2013/11/08/amli-may-develop-trump-site.html

Edited November 8, 2013 by Martinman

[Lady Celeste]

Atlanta's continued urbanization and densification is of greater interest to me than absolute population growth. Atlanta is past the stage of worrying about how much it's growing, but is now more concerned about how it's growing. That's the sign of a maturing city.

 

I second this statement.

[Lady Celeste]

I am really liking the street level treatment of the 7th Street residential building. Yes, it is a Tom Thumb at 9 stories tall but the street treatment will make a world of difference compared to the Starbucks that is already there. We also get a glimpse of the retail buildout at the Viewpoint. It is here-and-there developments like this that add density as well as character to the Midtown community.     

[Lady Celeste]

Midtown's Colony Square...arguably Atlanta's first mixed use development is getting a facelift.

 

Byron E. Small

 

I hope the renovation also includes some street level treatment. While this is one of Atlanta's most walkable intersections, it can always be improved. Several Midtown towers are in the process of pushing retail closer to the street so it stands to reason that the same could happen here. One can always hope.

 

 

 

Colony Square is getting a multimillion-dollar facelift, the first in more than a decade for a project that 40 years ago launched mixed-use development in the South.

 

 

 

The article is behind a pay wall but it can be referenced here: http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2013/11/08/renovation-set-for-midtowns-colony.html

[Martinman]

The Midtown Development Review Comittee meeting on Tuesday 11-12-2013 will include a follow-up on the proposal at 5th and Peachtree.

 

Oh and they also have this little ol project on the agenda.

 

NEW APPLICATION: 1138 Peachtree Street

New construction of 51-story tower fronting Peachtree Street containing 370 luxury residential units and approximately 39,000 SF of retail with a mix of shops, deli’s and a restaurant overlooking Peachtree.

 

http://www.midtownatl.com/_files/docs/agenda-11-12-13.pdf"]http://www.midtownatl.com/_files/docs/agenda-11-12-13.pdf

[Martinman]

An Update on 1138 Peachtree...

 

There is a marketing brochure for the project with street level rendering and a vague rendering of the tower which is not 51 stories.

http://flyers.cushmanwakefield.com/flyers/1138%20Peachtree%20Marketing%20Brochure.pdf

 

 

According to those in the know, this IS NOT the rumored tower that will replace a parking lot on Peachtree.  So there may me two more tower announcements to look forward to in the coming months (Amli and the rumored Peachtree tower). 

[Lady Celeste]

An Update on 1138 Peachtree...

 

There is a marketing brochure for the project with street level rendering and a vague rendering of the tower which is not 51 stories.

http://flyers.cushmanwakefield.com/flyers/1138%20Peachtree%20Marketing%20Brochure.pdf

 

 

According to those in the know, this IS NOT the rumored tower that will replace a parking lot on Peachtree.  So there may me two more tower announcements to look forward to in the coming months (Amli and the rumored Peachtree tower). 

 

Wait! So, out of no where, up pops a 51 story proposal that is up for review before the Midtown Alliance. You've gotta love it! This will be in a great spot and add much needed density to one of the most "walkable" intersections in town. Perhaps this proposal is the catalyst for the renovation of Colony Square. The building looks great and while tall, it's the street level that excites me the most. Hopefully the review board will suggest that the curb cut be moved. Midtown is on fire right now.  

[Lady Celeste]

 

Street level treatment for the potential 1138 Peachtree Street residential building in Midtown.

[modernurbanity]

Am I so wrong to worry about city proper population? It's not that I think it's so vastly important, but it is important when it comes to certain things. A larger city population tends to aid in getting money to pursue projects. Atlanta might get money for rail projects easier and so forth. I guess I am beaten on that sentiment so I will surrender to the prevailing opinion.

 

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that Atlanta couldn't compete with other southern cities. Atlanta has 2 major advantages most of them do not. The Port of Savannah and Hartsfield-Jackson-Campbell-Franklin-Reed Atlanta-Timbuktu International-Intergalactic Airport (Sorry, just a little dig at Atlanta's tendency to stick names on stuff, all in good fun! LOL) I hope to live in Atlanta someday.

 

On a better note, I have something to share here that you all might have seen. The Atlanta Waterworks project is kicking up steam and I think it's wonderful. I want to share this story here so everyone can see the photo. I think this is the most attractive photo of Atlanta I have ever seen. Doesn't that water almost make Atlanta look tropical? It almost looks as if it has a waterfront. Truly lovely.

 

http://atlanta.curbed.com/archives/2013/11/07/reopening-atlanta-waterworks-worth-the-risk.php

Edited November 11, 2013 by modernurbanity

[Martinman]

Another tidbit from our tipster on the rumored tower being planned for Peachtree street is that it will be around 35 stories and has a unique design for Atlanta.

[modernurbanity]

My pleasure Krazeeboi.

 

Here is a backside view of the new student housing building planned for GA Tech students.

 

 

The amenities level will overlook the downtown connector with views of the GT campus. Not earth shattering in design but it rids us of a parking lot and adds people to the streets. Plaza Midtown will be bookend by two new 19 story residential towers. So much for the views of Plaza Midtown. But that's what can happen with you live in the city.  

 

Uh Oh... Plaza Midtown was my favorite complex. I had fantasized of living in that one. I loved the oval shaped buildings and the general look of it was something that appealed to me... Not too sure about how I feel about losing the views now. I did notice they weren't particularly tall so I should have thought about losing a view. I guess I still didn't realize how much more construction & density would come to Midtown. It has been a few years since Plaza Midtown was built. However, looking out at other building sides isn't necessarily a BAD view either... Being surrounded by buildings really makes one feel like you are in an URBAN environment surrounded by humanity which is good too. The other complex that appealed to me was the curved one at Midtown called 1010 I believe.

Edited November 12, 2013 by modernurbanity

[Martinman]

I just read some details on the 1138 Peachtree proposals from someone that went to the DRC meeting last night.  Here are a few highlights...

 

• It will have three levels of retail fronting Peachtree street in what is described as something like an urban mall.  
• The upper level retail stores will be encased in glass giving them visibility from the street.
• The basement level on the Peachtree street side will be for a grocer that "has a history of locating in urban areas".
• There will also be 2 small retail spaces on the Crescent frontage
• The proposal has 600 parking spaces on 9 levels of parking (yikes!)
• On the top of the parking structure will be amenities and another retail space for a restaurant overlooking Crescent. 
• The tower will be over 500' ( probably closer to 600')
• The DRC requested that they redo the exterior of the parking deck which they agreed was needed. 

 

Overall, it sounds like this will be a pretty cool project for Midtown if it gets built. 

[Lady Celeste]

I just read some details on the 1138 Peachtree proposals from someone that went to the DRC meeting last night.  Here are a few highlights...

 

• It will have three levels of retail fronting Peachtree street in what is described as something like an urban mall.  
• The upper level retail stores will be encased in glass giving them visibility from the street.
• The basement level on the Peachtree street side will be for a grocer that "has a history of locating in urban areas".
• There will also be 2 small retail spaces on the Crescent frontage
• The proposal has 600 parking spaces on 9 levels of parking (yikes!)
• On the top of the parking structure will be amenities and another retail space for a restaurant overlooking Crescent. 
• The tower will be over 500' ( probably closer to 600')
• The DRC requested that they redo the exterior of the parking deck which they agreed was needed. 

 

 

 

A tower that is between 500 and 600' is a pretty big deal. That would make it like the Mandarin Oriental Buckhead or the Atlantic in Atlantic Station's height. Interesting indeed. What strikes me most is the retail portion of this proposal. It is promising because it has active uses on multiple streets. These are the type things that are very needed with so many residential units coming on market in the area. Thanks for the info Martinman. I can hardly wait to see a more definitive rendering. 

[Lady Celeste]

We now have a better rendering of GA Tech's Tech Square in Midtown proposal.

 

 

777 Spring Street: GA Tech's 600,000 Square Foot ARCA (Advanced Research, Computation, and Analytics) Building

 

 

GA Tech is doing it big with this proposal. This will make quite the impact on the Midtown skyline. I like how they are incorporating the historic Crum and Foster facade into this very modern building. Demolition has already taken place on the site but I am unsure if construction is about to commence at this time. The building is sleek and does not have a crown or spire. In this instance I am actually glad that it doesn't. I may be off but it appears to be 33-35 stories. That could put it just north of 400'. 

 

 

By the way, Tech Square just celebrated its tenth anniversary. It has been quite the catalyst for development across the Downtown Connector from Georgia Tech.

 

 

 

The leap across the Downtown Connector was truly a gamble for the Georgia Tech administration (led at that time by President Clough). Georgia Tech had been landlocked on the west side of the highway for decades, and growth in any direction would be challenging and expensive. By choosing to move east, we didn’t just gain new classrooms and office space. We created an entire new relationship between Georgia Tech, the state government, and the business community. And in the process, we created an “innovation ecosystem” that’s the envy of universities across the country.

  

As I have said before, the universities located in or near Downtown/Midtown have been a true asset. Both Georgia Tech and Georgia State University have been instrumental in growth in the respective communities. The Tech Square area is becoming a hotbed for technology and innovation. This proposal will further solidify Midtown's emerging identity as a place of technology and innovation. 

 

 

 

 

You can read more about Tech Square and its tenth year anniversary here: http://academicvc.com/2013/10/31/happy-birthday-tech-square/

[Lady Celeste]

Is it Midtown or is it Buckhead? I'll leave that for you to decide. 

 

New luxury apartments break ground on Howell Mill Road

 

Crescent Howell Mill rendering.

 

Crescent Communities broke ground yesterday on Crescent Howell Mill, a $47 million, 256-unit luxury apartment community between Buckhead and Midtown. The development is expected to open spring 2015 and will be managed by Greystar, a national property management group with offices in Atlanta. Crescent Howell Mill will be built on 2.2 acres adjacent to future restaurant and retail development on Howell Mill Road at the intersection of Collier Road.

The community will be part of an eight-acre mixed-use site with the first phase, developed by the land seller, Healey Weatherholtz Properties, including 11,000 square feet of stand-alone retail and restaurant space. These apartments, in context to the development as a whole, will create a quaint new live, play and retail community. It's also just across I-75 from many big box retailers, office buildings as well as a Kroger. This is a really congested area. Something will definitely need to be done with the Howell Mill corridor. It is a good thing however to have the added density. A BRT line to Midtown via the wildly popular Westside community would be a great addition. This development is very close to Midtown as well as a short drive to the Buckhead business district. 

 

Announcement information obtained from: http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2013/11/new-luxury-apartments-break-ground-howell-mill-road/

[Martinman]

Midtown officially just went BERZERK!

 

The site where a new symphony hall was once planned now has a proposal for 3 towers; one 58 stories and two 48 stories.

The tallest tower would contain 34 floors of apartments and 22 floors of hotel. 

 

The total buildout for the proposal includes...

                  

• 1,350 Apartments
• 270 Hotel rooms
• 95,500 SF retail
• 1,200 parking spaces

 

 

Masterpiece set for ‘symphony center’ site

 

 

A Manhattan developer wants to build one of Atlanta’s tallest skyscrapers.

A team that includes New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. and international design firm Arquitectonica is planning a nearly 2 million-square-foot development for Midtown’s long-vacant “symphony center” site at 98 14th Street.

The 4.5-acre site sandwiched between the 50-story One Atlantic Center and the 41-story 1180 Peachtree tower could be under contract, according to real estate sources.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Martinman