Atlantic Station Thread II

[SLVR914]

Does anyone know how sales are going??

[smArTaLlone]

Originally Posted by RobMidtowner

What's going on at the Atlantic? With all the lights on now, it looks like a candlebox.

It was reported a couple of weeks ago that they had their first closings.

[RobMidtowner]

That's a good sign, and I saw an ad on AJC saying Viewpoint is 95% sold. Sounds like the midtown condo market is finally turning around!

[ATLaffinity]

Originally Posted by RobMidtowner

That's a good sign, and I saw an ad on AJC saying Viewpoint is 95% sold. Sounds like the midtown condo market is finally turning around!

Really? That seems hard to believe. I hope it's true.

[RobMidtowner]

See for yourself:
http://www.viewpointmidtown.com/

[pawelra]

Maybe they going to start to build another tower soon.

[(four 0 four)]

Originally Posted by RobMidtowner

See for yourself:
http://www.viewpointmidtown.com/

If they advertise 95% sold with 30 units left, doesn't that equate to a 600 unit building!? The original plan included 378 units.

[RobMidtowner]

Interesting....maybe it's a marketing gimmick. Still, it's a good sign that they're almost sold out. I wonder how the rest of the new midtown condo towers are doing?

[jobe]

Originally Posted by SLVR914

Does anyone know how sales are going??

Poorly. Started off well but folks aren't closing (14 to-date, out of 400+ units) and traffic/sales have slowed significantly.

[jobe]

Originally Posted by (four 0 four)

If they advertise 95% sold with 30 units left, doesn't that equate to a 600 unit building!? The original plan included 378 units.

378 units but it is 95% "sold" if you include those units under reservation.

[SLVR914]

Originally Posted by jobe

Poorly. Started off well but folks aren't closing (14 to-date, out of 400+ units) and traffic/sales have slowed significantly.

Probably doesn't help that condos are selling across the street in Twelve Atlantic Station for $100,000 for 1 bedrooms and $180,000 for 2 bedrooms...

[ATLaffinity]

^ It's astounding to me that AS had all that land, wanted to have residents, and planned no greenspace. None. I don't count that fenced pond or whatever the hell it is.

AS is the biggest dropped-ball since the Olympics.

Too bad somebody like Jamestown wasn't in charge.

[TarHeelJ]

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

^ It's astounding to me that AS had all that land, wanted to have residents, and planned no greenspace. None. I don't count that fenced pond or whatever the hell it is.

AS is the biggest dropped-ball since the Olympics.

Too bad somebody like Jamestown wasn't in charge.

Isn't one of Atlanta's best parks just a few blocks away in Midtown? I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume people living in AS would use Piedmont Park...not to mention that the beautiful Georgia Tech campus is right next door. Just a thought.

[ATLaffinity]

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

Isn't one of Atlanta's best parks just a few blocks away in Midtown? I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume people living in AS would use Piedmont Park...not to mention that the beautiful Georgia Tech campus is right next door. Just a thought.

I'm sure people at AS go to Piedmont Park. But that's a car ride for most people, urban bikers excluded. I'm not seeing the "play" part of their LIVE WORK PLAY. A basketball court? tennis court? playground? anything?

[reet]

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

Isn't one of Atlanta's best parks just a few blocks away in Midtown? I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume people living in AS would use Piedmont Park...not to mention that the beautiful Georgia Tech campus is right next door. Just a thought.

Piedmont Park is not an easily walkable distance from AS. You could drive there quickly, but it would be so much nicer to have a nice, complete city park in easy walking distance from the residential buildings of AS.

Maybe put one on the west side of AS near IKEA so that people in West Midtown (who really do have absolutely no green space) can use it too.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

Isn't one of Atlanta's best parks just a few blocks away in Midtown? I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume people living in AS would use Piedmont Park...not to mention that the beautiful Georgia Tech campus is right next door. Just a thought.

I agree with the ATLAffinity.

I like denser developments like AS, but the catch is since you don't have the yard there should be a little bit of public space where people can read outside, play frisbee, etc.. in relatively close distance.

It doesn't need to be anywhere near as big as Piedmont Park, but rather small public spaces in the middle of denser development nodes. A small public square, like those in Savannah with some shady areas and benches right beside a small open grassy area would go a long ways. It is probably the biggest reason I will never consider moving into AS. The development strategy of residential spaces of the beltline is much better.

Think of the difference being a neighborhood park vs a larger city park, like Piedmont. AS needs that 'neighborhood park' that is smaller, but is right there and would primarily be positioned directly for use of AS residents (and probably Home Park residents as well). It would also be a means of increasing desirability to live there.

As a city grows denser small neighborhood parks become more important, however usually easier to pay for through increase property tax collections.

But to go a step further...I am also concerned with the lack of a 'neighborhood retail' node with a small cobble stone 'plaza.' The assumption seemed to be everyone should just walk to Atlantic Station, which is designed to be a regional draw (similar to a shopping mall).

I would removed just a few residential units at street level and added street front retail for residential services (coffee shop, dry cleaning, local pizza shop etc..) I would have also done it at an intersection and had the buildings not cover a small semi-circle area at the intersection. This leaves a small room for outdoor space. A couple of tables...perhaps a small tree and a planter bench for more seating. Being at an intersection it would make that small itty bitty space feel more spacious. I would have done this at the intersection of 17th st and McCaslin St. Also, I don't mean for there to be retail at street level everywhere, but just at one central usable point where essential neighborhood vendors could operate without residents driving out of the neighborhood.

What is interesting to me is if you look at an aerial photograph of the dense residential area of AS around the 17th street retention pond it actually looks similar to a European City, but there is a notable lack of -usable- public space and residential retail services at street level. There is, however, good -visual- public space around Atlantic Station.

But, I also don't live there for those reasons. Maybe some residents on here have a few tricks up there sleeves I don't know about (?)

[TarHeelJ]

Originally Posted by reet

Piedmont Park is not an easily walkable distance from AS. You could drive there quickly, but it would be so much nicer to have a nice, complete city park in easy walking distance from the residential buildings of AS.

Maybe put one on the west side of AS near IKEA so that people in West Midtown (who really do have absolutely no green space) can use it too.

How about Ansley Park then? It's actually much closer than Piedmont and consists of several small parks within the neighborhood as well as a golf course...it seems like these beautiful parks are often overlooked. And don't forget about Georgia Tech's campus right next door to Atlantic station. There is a good bit of recreation to be had there.

I think Atlantic Station still has some growing to do...and could use a convenient greenspace and some rec areas, but it's not on an island. There are some pretty nice spaces located nearby that serve the area.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

How about Ansley Park then? It's actually much closer than Piedmont and consists of several small parks within the neighborhood as well as a golf course...it seems like these beautiful parks are often overlooked. And don't forget about Georgia Tech's campus right next door to Atlantic station. There is a good bit of recreation to be had there.

I think Atlantic Station still has some growing to do...and could use a convenient greenspace and some rec areas, but it's not on an island. There are some pretty nice spaces located nearby that serve the area.

You are still talking about a 1.5-2 mile walk from the AS residential area. Winn Park isn't too much closer than Piedmont. Winn and Piedmont are fairly close to each other. The Golf Course is slightly further away than Piedmont.

GT is a college campus a neighborhood away, but with that said, it is not a public park. It is a campus for research, higher education, and it's students. I'm not saying some people don't use it as a park, but there are limitations to the general public being able to use a College as a public park.

Early on it use to be many of the the first organized neighborhood developments would be built with a small park in the center...

A few examples ... Perkerson Park in Capitol view, Pittman Park in Pittsburgh, Adair Park in .. well Adair Park, West End Park in the West End, Cabbagetown park in Cabbagetown, Ansley Park in Ansley Park, etc....

While Atlanta is severely lacking in the total acres of Park land (compared with many other major cities), many of the intown neighborhoods that were created in older developments have direct access to the small usable neighborhood parks. However, many of the new brownfield developments have to make them. AS just never made that true local usable -neighborhood- park, however they did create a place with great visual appeal.

I think if you are going to have really dense development people should be able to walk within .25-.5 mile to a small local, usable park via a neighborhood street where you can play frisbee, play with the kids, lay out, read, etc... You shouldn't have to leave the neighborhood to get to a neighborhood park.

I think too many of us have gotten use to the modern suburban developments. I am guilty of this, but I also have to acknowledge everyone's backyard is kind of like their own park in the suburbs. Many neighborhoods also have swim/tennis communities and small playgrounds, so there are park-like areas. But with high density, there is greater importance for those smaller nooks.

I think at this point the best potential for usable space is to transform the area around the reservoir to park land, but it is slightly further away than I would like (but much closer than Piedmont).

[L41A]

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

^ It's astounding to me that AS had all that land, wanted to have residents, and planned no greenspace. None. I don't count that fenced pond or whatever the hell it is.

AS is the biggest dropped-ball since the Olympics.

Too bad somebody like Jamestown wasn't in charge.

I'm not sure what you expected as greenspace for AS - Piedmont Park type recreation maybe. I think maybe the "Play" part of the LIVE WORK PLAY motto was more geared toward entertainment aspect more so than recreation - illustrated by the restaurants, theatre, bars, etc compared to the greenspace with the pond that you mentioned.

Also, I don't think Atlanta dropped the ball on the Olympics. Sure, it was not perfect. Some journalist were not catered as much as they expected, the IOC didn't profit as much as they would like, etc. But for the fans, the athletes, the city and its citizens - the Olympics was a success. The city gained much from hosting it - certainly more than it may have lost.

[micropundit]

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

^ It's astounding to me that AS had all that land, wanted to have residents, and planned no greenspace. None. I don't count that fenced pond or whatever the hell it is.

AS is the biggest dropped-ball since the Olympics.

Too bad somebody like Jamestown wasn't in charge.

Just because you don't count it doesn't mean that it a) doesn't exist and b) isn't functional. Further, there is greenspace at the corner of 17th and State where the artifacts from the steel yard were moved;and the "Town Center" space where the Holiday exhibits et al are placed.
Perhaps your view of AS is obscured by your seat in front of your monitor, however others have a different and perhaps more rational perspective.