Atlanta Project Thread IV

[shivtim]

I think at least part of that space is an open area with trees. "The gathering space aligns axially with a treed and shaded exterior terrace with a bosque of trees for year-round use and creative recreational programs."

Kind of visible in the background here:

[testarossa50]

Apparently The Local is staying open and renovating. Maybe that Portman project is on hold? I wonder what this means for their other projects, like Amsterdam Walk.

[YAY0]

No way that would be huge news for me. Those wings are like crack and I'm a regular visitor.

[Sojourner_Terminus]

I think it looks quite handsome. This is how I imagine the Portman buildings on W. Peachtree should have looked.

If they aren't going to build on the Biltmore facing third of the lot, they really should put a simple plaza there instead of a parking lot.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Based off the architect site it looks like there is some sort of plaza on that side, there appear to be multiple rows of trees in the renders unless I am mistaken. And the site plan facing that way has a white outline for part of the space that I assume is for a phase 2 tower. It also can't be a parking lot as they have marked the single curb cut in the plan and they only have one on 8th by the buildings.

Site plan showing the curb cuts and outline:


In particular this shows the rows of trees very well:

[Sojourner_Terminus]

Interesting, so parklet? Are we thinking this will be temporary or permanent?

[AtlantaMustang]

Thanks for all the great responses everyone, really good info. Will be interesting to see how it all turns out / if it is permanent.

[smArTaLlone]

Originally Posted by testarossa50

Apparently The Local is staying open and renovating. Maybe that Portman project is on hold? I wonder what this means for their other projects, like Amsterdam Walk.

Here's the Urbanize article
https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/p...ans-first-look

Mike Greene, Portman’s senior vice president of development, tells Urbanize Atlanta that Portman’s three-building development ambitions for where Ponce de Leon Avenue meets the BeltLine in Virginia-Highland are being scaled back. Challenging financing markets are to blame, according to Greene.

The Local is planning a 180-degree switch of previous plans to sell and bow out, announcing candidly on social media it was “just kidding” about closing and will remain in operation on Ponce.

It’s possible, Greene said, that all previous plans will be scrapped, while still abiding by restrictions set by the city during a recent rezoning process. The full project could become residential with retail at the base, on a smaller scale, Greene said

[GTdan]

736 Peachtree St land development permit was just issued and all fees paid. This one will probably be starting soon.

https://aca-prod.accela.com/ATLANTA_...howInspection=

[Sojourner_Terminus]

Originally Posted by GTdan

736 Peachtree St land development permit was just issued and all fees paid. This one will probably be starting soon.

https://aca-prod.accela.com/ATLANTA_...howInspection=

Unpopular opinion incoming. I like this tower. The block long skinny tower is pretty cool, and three being side-by-side is interesting. I hope something similar goes up on the lot diagonal to this one where a parking lot stands.

[GTdan]

Originally Posted by Sojourner_Terminus

Unpopular opinion incoming. I like this tower. The block long skinny tower is pretty cool, and three being side-by-side is interesting. I hope something similar goes up on the lot diagonal to this one where a parking lot stands.

Seems like decent infill even though it's one of the shorter towers to be built in midtown in the past few years at only 19 stories. The street level intersection along Peachtree seems like it will be good.

[RATBOYKEV]

Originally Posted by Sojourner_Terminus

Unpopular opinion incoming. I like this tower.

This Rambler brings 800 GA Tech students two blocks further east than any other Student Tower constructed or planned. This should bring more energy to Peachtree St in south Midtown.

[shivtim]

Originally Posted by RATBOYKEV

This Rambler brings 800 GA Tech students two blocks further east than any other Student Tower constructed or planned. This should bring more energy to Peachtree St in south Midtown.

I know on this forum there's some general pushback against student towers, and a preference for condos since homeowners may be more invested in the community, but I LOVE student towers. They bring so much density and vibrancy to Midtown, and typically have very little parking. The Whistler just opened on Spring street and it's amazing how much more lively and safe the blocks around it feel.

[GTdan]

Originally Posted by RATBOYKEV

This Rambler brings 800 GA Tech students two blocks further east than any other Student Tower constructed or planned. This should bring more energy to Peachtree St in south Midtown.

Agreed. Hopefully we can see something fill the former Caravaca retail space soon enough.

[Sojourner_Terminus]

Glad to see the appreciation for the Rambler on this forum. People got very upset on Urbanize by the revisions. I love a tall tower as much as the next guy (maybe not as much as Bigstick) but not everything gets to or needs to be super tall. 18 stories is plenty big enough for me and like Shiv said, these student towers have very few parking spaces and a lot of tenants.

[edg1]

In 5 years when most of Midtown parking lots will hopefully be high-rises do you think the core of Atlanta will ever feel like a real city where its foot traffic everywhere? Not saying every street in the core will be crowded because every street in NYC is crowded but do you think Atlanta will have that real city feel? If so, when?

[Libertarian]

ATL will never be dense as Manhattan because of fewer geographical constraints. Moreover NYC was built for the 19th century whereas ATL and DFW are built for the 21st century.

[edg1]

Originally Posted by Libertarian

ATL will never be dense as Manhattan because of fewer geographical constraints. Moreover NYC was built for the 19th century whereas ATL and DFW are built for the 21st century.

I know that. Just talking about Atlanta. Do you think Atlanta will ever feel like a real city with lots of foot traffic in its core?

[ATL Champion]

Originally Posted by edg1

I know that. Just talking about Atlanta. Do you think Atlanta will ever feel like a real city with lots of foot traffic in its core?

I think there are truly only 3 cites in the US that are truly pedestrian ; NYC, Chicago and San Francisco.
The only cities that I would place in a distant second tier would be Seattle and Philadelphia.
Third tier Boston, Washington DC with Atlanta (barely)
Fourth tier Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston
I think with the level of high-rise residential development and population growth in Midtown and hopefully downtown (CY, CoA and others) Atlanta should be able to move into that second tier group within 5 years. Yearly numerical population growth in the metro area is only excelled by Dallas and Houston, and in some years Phoenix. Those cites are seeing some growth in residents moving in to their downtowns but nowhere close to what ATL is experiencing. Midtown/Downtown Atlanta is outpacing the overall ATL region in terms of residential permits as well.

[Libertarian]

What you refer to as pedestrian foot traffic is what I call boulevard lifestyle which is an old southern European tradition in which a pensioner leaves his flat and walks the street to grab a newspaper, sit and drink coffee, chat with friends, buys a few personal or food items and heads back to his unit. It was previously in New Orleans where you would often hear Cajun dialect in passing, very nice. Things have changed. Now it's predominately homeless and unemployed people and I have a place in my heart for them and happen to believe they have a place in the community and need street missions. What you're seeking to address in Midtown Atlanta and other sites are the needs of a relatively small group of young residents and workers who feel the romance of street action but really don't have time to socialize and adapt to it. The concept you seem to look for is the fifteen minute city and I'm fully supportive of that. What I don't buy is the need to pack as many people into as small a space as possible like rats.