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Jamestown announces blockbuster buy of Colony Square, Avalon, more Josh Green Tue, 08/13/2024 - 15:13 The developer best known in Atlanta for creating Ponce City Market from the ailing City Hall East is set to add Colony Square and several other landmark properties around the metro to its portfolio.

Global investment and management firm Jamestown announced today it intends to acquire the Atlanta subsidiary of Cincinnati-based North American Properties, which counted $2 billion in assets under management as of June.

That includes Midtown’s remade Colony Square, the NAP-developed Avalon district in Alpharetta, and two more recent renovation endeavors in NAP’s portfolio, Avenue East Cobb and the under-construction The Forum Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County, among other properties outside Georgia.

The transaction’s closing is scheduled to come by the fourth quarter of 2024, pending customary approvals from investors and lenders.

All of NAP’s Atlanta-based operations and assets—including more than 200 employees—would then be moved under the Jamestown name. The managing partner of NAP’s Atlanta subsidiary, Tim Perry, is also expected to join Jamestown’s executive team in another managing role.

The Forum Peachtree Corners' new centralized greenspace. Courtesy of Jamestown

Midtown Atlanta's overhauled Colony Square property today. Courtesy of Jamestown

According to an announcement today, Jamestown counts $11.7 billion in assets as of June, following its founding in 1983. Other stars in its Atlanta portfolio include Buckhead Village, Westside Provisions District, and Southern Dairies.

We’ve asked Jamestown reps if the pending NAP takeover will translate to any significant changes at the metro Atlanta properties in question, and for information on the purchase price. This story will be updated with any additional details that come.

Jamestown officials say the acquisitions will beef up the company’s mixed-used, placemaking goals and help it branch into more suburban, high-growth markets. 

The deal includes nine properties total across six states. Beyond Georgia, Birkdale Village (in Huntersville, N.C.), Ridge Hill (Yonkers, New York), and Newport on the Levee (near Cincinnati in Newport, Ky.) are included. 

Along with Avalon, other properties in the deal that fall within NAP’s real estate services business are Mercato (in Naples, Florida) and Riverton (Sayreville, New Jersey). Jamestown plans to add those to its 22-project real estate services business, spread across 19 cities and 10 countries.

Where Colony Square meets Peachtree Street. Courtesy of Jamestown

A main Avalon boulevard in Alpharetta. Courtesy of Jamestown

NAP’s Atlanta subsidiary was established in 1996 and previously made a splash with the reimagining and eventual sale of Atlantic Station to Hines. The company’s $400 million redo of Colony Square was declared finished three years ago.

“Finding a like-minded partner in Jamestown is a great outcome for our people,” said NAP CEO Tom Williams in a prepared statement, “and we look forward to continuing to invest in real estate alongside them.”

The Forum in Gwinnett County's Peachtree Corners today. Courtesy of Jamestown

Newport on the Levee on the Ohio River, with the Cincinnati skyline in the background. Courtesy of Jamestown

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Jamestown Ponce City Market North American Properties The Forum The Forum on Peachtree Parkway Cincinnati The Forum Peachtree Corners Cobb County Avenue East Cobb The Avenue East Cobb Avalon Colony Square Birkdale Village Ridge Hill Newport on the Levee Mercato Riverton Mixed-Use Development Atlanta Development Alpharetta

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Midtown Atlanta's overhauled Colony Square property today. Courtesy of Jamestown

Where Colony Square meets Peachtree Street. Courtesy of Jamestown

A main Avalon boulevard in Alpharetta. Courtesy of Jamestown

The Forum Peachtree Corners' new centralized greenspace. Courtesy of Jamestown

The Forum in Gwinnett County's Peachtree Corners today. Courtesy of Jamestown

Newport on the Levee on the Ohio River, with the Cincinnati skyline in the background. Courtesy of Jamestown

The Mercato property. Courtesy of Jamestown

A Birkdale green. Courtesy of Jamestown

Subtitle Ponce City Market developer to acquire North American Properties' metro Atlanta holdings

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Colony Square 6401 Avalon Boulevard Avenue East Cobb

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Leasing at lively West End warehouse district is on a roll Josh Green Tue, 08/13/2024 - 13:28 The combination of Atlanta BeltLine access, inimitable old warehouse spaces, and a nearby MARTA station in a historic neighborhood continues to prove alluring in what’s becoming West End’s version of the Krog District.

Adaptive-reuse development Lee + White has signed a nearly 16,000-square-foot lease with Texas-based Ogle School, a cosmetology and esthetics school with 10 locations across Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. The West End outpost will mark the company’s first outside Texas.

The news follows recent signings that show how Lee + White’s redevelopment team is aiming to broaden its appeal and lease offices that, in turn, support food-and-beverage attractions, such as the breweries and other boozy offerings the district was initially known for. 

Atlanta Golf & Social announced plans in late July to open a 3,767-square-foot experiential sports venue in Lee + White’s food hall portion by the end of 2024, joining that company’s flagship location in downtown Chamblee.

Planned aesthetics at West End's Atlanta Golf & Social. Courtesy of Lee + White

Just one space totaling 3,990 square feet remains available in the 16-tenant food hall now, officials announced last month.

Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners, developers behind the 11-building Lee + White venture, say Ogle School will occupy a “prime” second-floor space at the front of the recently refurbished 929 Building, a former warehouse with high ceilings nearest to Lee Street and the neighboring MARTA line.

Cosmetology and esthetics classes that emphasize career development in salon settings are scheduled to begin in January next year. MDH Partners founder and CEO Jeff Small said Ogle School will offer a more cost-friendly alternative to traditional, four-year colleges. Cushman & Wakefield represented Lee + White in the leasing deal.

“Ogle School brings new opportunities for skills training and job growth for the West End community and beyond,” Small noted in a prepared statement. “We look forward to seeing students enjoying the many retailers and restaurants at Lee + White soon.”

Rendering of the 929 Building entry. Courtesy of MDH Partners/Ackerman & Co

Overview of the Lee + White property's 929 Building, from above the nearby MARTA line and Lee Street. Courtesy of Ackerman & Co./MDH Partners; designs, Smith Dalia Architects

Ogle School CEO John Blair said his company conducted an extensive search for where to open its first location outside Texas and picked “vibrant and dynamic” Atlanta for its “rich cultural heritage and thriving community,” and the West End project for its “unique blend of history and modernity.”

Other recent signings at 442,562-square-foot Lee + White (they despise the clever if outdated “Malt Disney” moniker these days, so we’ll refrain) include the new North American headquarters for Triumph Motorcycles, a Grady Health System neighborhood health center, and creative offices for KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools.

A lease expansion with renewable energy company JTEC Energy Inc. recently boosted that company’s footprint at Lee + White to about 28,500 square feet.

Planters and what's essentially an outdoor dining room near the Lee + White food hall, as seen in summer 2023. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The district’s Great Lawn section debuted in 2023, and the food hall’s central bar Strangers in Paradise came online earlier this year.

For those keeping score at home, the Lee + White food hall’s lineup now includes (deep breath) Cielito Lindo, Costa Coffee, Crème de la Crepe, Dough Boy Pizza, GoodAzz Burgers, Gekko Hibachi & Sushi, gusto!, Honeysuckle Gelato, One Korean Bistro, The Original Hot Dog Factory, Pastaholics, Sakura Sake Bar & Bottles, Sweet Red Peach, Vietvana, West Side Deli, and World Chicken.

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1000 White Street SW Ackerman & Co. Marietta Square Market Shipping Containers MDH Partners Lee + White Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail Smith Dalia Architects 929 Lee Street SW Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ Todd Richards Cushman & Wakefield Food Hall Beltline Southeastern Management Inc. Westside Dental Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Costa Coffee Cielito Lindo taqueria Crème de la Crepe Sweet Red Peach bakery Ogle School Atlanta Golf & Social Golf & Social Carter Hill Commercial Real Estate Advisors

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Rendering of the 929 Building entry. Courtesy of MDH Partners/Ackerman & Co

One of several social spaces beside the BeltLine at Lee + White. Courtesy of MDH Partners/Ackerman & Co

Planters and what's essentially an outdoor dining room near the Lee + White food hall, as seen in summer 2023. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Range of seating near a Westside Trail entry. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Overview of the Lee + White property's 929 Building, from above the nearby MARTA line and Lee Street. Courtesy of Ackerman & Co./MDH Partners; designs, Smith Dalia Architects

View of the Great Lawn from existing businesses at the district's south end. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Planned aesthetics at West End's Atlanta Golf & Social. Courtesy of Lee + White

Subtitle Lee + White adds first Georgia location of Ogle School to growing tenant lineup, nearly full food hall

Neighborhood West End

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929 Building - 1000 White Street SW Food Hall - 1000 White Street SW

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Images: In Midtown, century-old hotel's revival is complete Josh Green Tue, 08/13/2024 - 08:14 Sporting a fresh white façade and interiors that aimed to blend Southern coziness with European flair, a boutique Midtown hotel is officially open for business, following a ribbon-cutting Monday and what project leaders call a two-year renovation from roof to lobby. 

The 120-room Hotel Granada, an independent brand located at 1302 W. Peachtree St., is striving to offer a smaller, uniquely charming lodge and hangout in a high-growth market dominated by chains, most of them leaning upscale.

The project’s goal, according to Chicago-based management firm Aparium Hotel Group, was to remake the Spanish Colonial-inspired, 101-year-old Midtown landmark—most recently the Artmore Hotel, prior to closing last summer—into a destination that evokes a Western European retreat (think: Spanish-style archways and terra cotta tiles) while contrasting the district’s glassy skyline.

There’s also distinctly local touches, such as the 1996 Olympic torch, Crepe Myrtle blossoms, the Fox Theatre marquee, and other Atlanta symbols dotted along corridor wallpaper.

The Artmore's facade prior to closing. Hodges Ward Elliott

The revised Hotel Granada facade at 1302 W. Peachtree St. in Midtown today. Courtesy of Hotel Granada

The hotel’s name nods to its residential beginnings. The building originally opened in 1924 as the Granada Apartments and was converted to hotel uses in 1984. Prior to closing, the Artmore was Midtown’s only independent boutique hotel, stylized with a Spanish-Mediterranean red tile roof, stucco façade, and open courtyard that have all been retained.

The Hodges Ward Elliot real estate advisory firm arranged the hotel's $21.1-million sale in 2022.

The heart of the Midtown property houses an all-day, Crepe Myrtle-bedecked signature bar and restaurant for guests and visitors called Pom Court, with brunch on weekends and a menu focused on Spanish-Southern small plates and cocktails. Elsewhere will be a café, lobby lounge, and cocktail bar, with designs nobody will accuse of being coldly contemporary.

Scarp Ridge Capital Partners and Monomoy Property Ventures, both based in New York, led the Hotel Granada renovation. Ken Gowland of architecture firm MetroStudio led design and preservation work that updated the property’s façade, roof, courtyard fountain, and a “Granada” mosaic tile inlay at the entrance.

Interiors by designer Cameron Carrr aimed for “an urban oasis feel,” in which “Spanish bohemian meets Southern charm with calming tones of green, blue, and ochre, alongside touches of natural wood, bespoke furnishings, and layered textiles,” according to a project description.

Few layouts of the 120 guest rooms are the same, per hotel leadership. The property also includes a 10-person boardroom that can be reserved for private dinners.

One interesting local touch is Hotel Granada’s art in public spaces by Savannah College of Art and Design alumni, curated with the help of SCAD Art Sales.

The tree-shaded courtyard is a Hotel Granada centerpiece. Courtesy of Hotel Granada

The lobby by designer Cameron Carr aimed for "bohemian-Spanish ambiance" with bespoke wooden furniture for a homey, Southern touch, per project reps. Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Regular hotel rates start at $169 per night this month (excluding $45 daily valet parking fees). Hotel Granada is also offering special packages tied to the opening—a “Cocktails in the Courtyard” deal, with a complimentary room upgrade and two “welcome drinks” is one—and a limited number of rooms for $100 per night for the first 100 days of operations.

Find more context and a closer look at this revised Midtown landmark in the gallery above.

Hotel Granada's location in relation to Woodruff Arts Center, other West Peachtree Street hotels, and MARTA's Arts Center station. Google Maps

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1302 W. Peachtree St. NW Hotel Granada Artmore Hotel Monomoy Property Ventures MPV Kevin Vaughan Atlanta History Atlanta Renovations Atlanta Hotels Granada Apartments west peachtree Street Woodruff Arts Center Aparium Hotel Group Ken Gowland MetroStudio Scarp Ridge Capital Partners Pom Court Interior Design Spanish Colonial Savannah College of Art and Design SCAD SCAD Art Sales

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Hotel Granada's location in relation to Woodruff Arts Center, other West Peachtree Street hotels, and MARTA's Arts Center station. Google Maps

The Artmore's facade prior to closing. Hodges Ward Elliott

The revised Hotel Granada facade at 1302 W. Peachtree St. in Midtown today. Courtesy of Hotel Granada

The lobby by designer Cameron Carr aimed for "bohemian-Spanish ambiance" with bespoke wooden furniture for a homey, Southern touch, per project reps. Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

The tree-shaded courtyard is a Hotel Granada centerpiece. Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Courtesy of Hotel Granada

Subtitle Hotel Granada project aimed to modernize 1923 property while embracing Spanish Colonial charms

Neighborhood Midtown

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Artmore Hotel

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Photos: First tower to sprout from Gulch reaches (almost) max height Josh Green Mon, 08/12/2024 - 14:33 The Gulch’s transformation from a soulless urban void into magnet for investment is becoming more and more obvious as Atlanta’s dog days of summer drag on.

As throngs of cowboy hat-wearing concert-goers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium may have noticed this past weekend, a section of the first ground-up new tower at Centennial Yards appears to have reached its maximum height, according to project renderings.

The building in question is an 18-story, glass-clad apartment tower that now overlooks The Benz from directly across the street, following a quick ascension throughout the spring and summer months.

Centennial Yards reps tell Urbanize Atlanta the project is very close to reaching its max height, “but technically the topping out is not completed.” Updates regarding naming and other details are expected to be revealed next week.

Centennial Yards' first ground-up apartment building's north and western facades today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 304-unit apartment building stands where Centennial Olympic Park Drive meets Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Vertical construction is also continuing on its sibling project, the 292-key Anthem hotel, with its curving base levels having rounded into shape across the street.

Both new buildings will stand 18 stories between The Benz and active railroad tracks below, marking the most tangible evidence to date the Centennial Yards megaproject is starting to become real. A joint groundbreaking was held for the projects in late 2022.

Centennial Yards Company leadership has said both buildings are scheduled to deliver sometime in 2025. An update on opening timelines wasn’t available today.

View of the Centennial Yards tower projects from the east, across the Gulch. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Planned look of the Anthem hotel (left) and apartment building at Centennial Yards, as seen from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Just east of the towers, Centennial Yards has also broken ground on an 8-acre, mixed-use entertainment hub anchored by a Cosm entertainment dome with a fan plaza at the center.

Those buildings are scheduled to be finished in time for eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches set to be played in Atlanta, beginning in June that year.

The Gensler-designed project would also include another Centennial Yards hotel (14 stories) on a new platform wedged between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and MLK Jr. Drive, adjacent to both State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Collectively, phase two is being referred to as the project’s Entertainment District.

Developers with Centennial Yards Company, a division of Los Angeles-based CIM Group, hope to not only complete the Entertainment District in time for the World Cup—but to have two-thirds of the 50-acre, $5-billion project either complete or under construction by then.

How the next Centennial Yards phase is expected to meet Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (left), with active rail lines separating it from the Anthem hotel tower (back left) and The Benz. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Eventually, Centennial Yards is expected to create a dozen city blocks, with about 750,000 square feet of retail in the mix, all backed by a nearly $2-billion tax-incentive package, a record for Atlanta. 

In the gallery above, see where Centennial Yards’ construct progress stands today, versus its pre-World Cup future, should plans come to fruition.

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95 Centennial Olympic Park Drive Centennial Yards Hotel 250 MARTIN Luther King Jr. Drive SW Centennial Yards apartments Cooper Carry Gulch Affordable Housing Nelson Street Bridge Pedestrian Bridge Stevens & Wilkinson Stream Realty Atlanta Stream Realty Partners CIM Group Centennial Yards Castleberry Hill South Downtown South Dwntn Ted Turner Drive Foster + Partners Brian McGowan Atlanta Construction Atlanta Development Good Van Slyke Architecture Perkins & Will Perkins&Will TVS SOM Design Skidmore Owings & Merrill Atlanta Hotels World Cup World Cup 2026 aerial tours Cosm

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As viewed from the north, the 18-story apartment tower now overlooks Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Centennial Yards' first ground-up apartment building's north and western facades today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress on base levels of the 18-story Anthem hotel project, situated just north of the apartment tower. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

View of the apartments from the Gulch-spanning Steele Bridge for pedestrians, which replaced the Nelson Street bridge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How the first new tower appears to have reached its top story. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

View of the Centennial Yards tower projects from the east, across the Gulch. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The building's stance along Centennial Olympic Park Drive today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Planned look of the Anthem hotel (left) and apartment building at Centennial Yards, as seen from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Street-level view of the Anthem apartments. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

How apartment amenities will overlook active rail. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Signage that will face The Benz. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

How the entertainment district is expected to meet Centennial Olympic Park Drive, near State Farm Arena. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Main entry point to the entertainment district along Centennial Olympic Park Drive. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Subtitle Glass-clad Centennial Yards apartment building overlooks Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Neighborhood Downtown

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95 Centennial Olympic Park

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Atlanta BeltLine announces new names for trails. Make sense? Josh Green Mon, 08/12/2024 - 12:36 BeltLine aficionados, prepare to be confused!

According to Atlanta BeltLine Inc., the time has come to toss out everything you thought you knew about boundaries for sections such as the Eastside Trail and Westside Trail and relearn what they actually are—for the sake of clarity, and the good of future BeltLine patrons.

As part of sweeping changes that included a new BeltLine logo, branding, and website unveiled last month, BeltLine officials recently rolled out revised names (or end-points) for completed and forthcoming segments of the trail, laying a roadmap for how future sections will be identified. (Sorry, Reynoldstown: That popular trail in your backyard isn’t technically the beachfront Eastside Trail any longer. Ditto for the Westside Trail in Adair Park.)

BeltLine leaders say the revised corridor names around the 22-mile loop’s clockface align with logical, cardinal directions and will make it easier for future visitors to navigate the full trail. The new naming tactic also divvies up trails around the corridor into lengths that are closer to being equal.

Looking north toward Buckhead, a view of Northeast Trail construction in July from Piedmont Park's historic Park Drive Bridge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Well-known landmarks and barriers—such as Krog Street Tunnel, Interstates 75 and 20,  and major roadways—were used to create “breaks between the different areas of the corridor that are easy to understand, especially for those unfamiliar with the trail,” per a BeltLine announcement.  

Previously, just five names were used for BeltLine sections: Southside, Westside, Northwest, Northeast, and Eastside trails.

All segments of the trail will keep their current names—such as sections of today’s Southside Trail—until construction is finished and the trail is open, per BeltLine leaders.

Below is a breakdown of how Atlanta BeltLine Inc. will define the eight mainline trail sections moving forward. We’ve added a few notes with important, recent construction updates:

Northside Trail: Once complete, this portion will run for 2.9 miles, beginning near I-75, and running to Peachtree Creek. It includes the open section that runs through Tanyard Creek Park.

Northeast Trail: The Northeast Trail will extend for 2.6 miles from Peachtree Creek just north of I-85 to Monroe Drive at Piedmont Park. One portion of the trail is currently open—passing by Ansley Golf Club and Ansley Mall—while the other two are either under construction or nearing the start of construction. (According to the BeltLine’s latest construction updates, designs for the Northeast Trail’s Segment 3—the connecting thread to MARTA’s Lindbergh station, PATH400, and the Armour-Ottley business district—have reached 90 percent complete; the BeltLine expects to open construction bids next summer.)

Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Eastside Trail: The Eastside Trail is fully complete and extends for 2.4 miles, beginning at Monroe Drive near Piedmont Park and runs to Krog Street Tunnel at DeKalb Avenue.

Southeast Trail: Once complete, the Southeast Trail will run for 2.5 miles. It will connect to the Eastside Trail at Krog Street Tunnel, and continuing through Reynoldstown and Glenwood Park to Boulevard Southeast. The northernmost portion of this segment is open. (Beltline officials recently noted “underground utility challenges” that construction crews encountered at United Avenue have pushed back the scheduled completion date for Segments 4 and 5, from summer 2025 to sometime next fall.)

Southside Trail: Starting at Boulevard, the Southside Trail will extend for 2.4 miles to Metropolitan Parkway. The area between Pittsburgh Yards and Metropolitan is currently open to the public. (Substantial tree-clearing and other heavy work started earlier this month for Segments 2 and 3 just west of Boulevard; the BeltLine expects the full trail to open by early 2026, followed by landscaping work.)

Southwest Trail: This 2.6-mile section is also fully built out and runs from Metropolitan Parkway to I-20, connecting neighborhoods such as Pittsburgh, Adair Park, and West End.

Westside Trail: The longest section, the Westside Trail, will extend for 3.2 miles once finished. Its boundaries will be I-20 on the south end, up to West Marietta Street. The section from Washington Park to Law Street is closed for construction. (That work is scheduled to finish next summer, with a link to the Westside BeltLine Connector that stretches into downtown.)

Northwest Trail*: The only BeltLine section that’s either fully under construction or in design, the Northwest Trail will extend 2.4 miles, from West Marietta Street up to I-75.*

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How construction grading and wall work is coming together in the Northeast Trail corridor. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Looking north toward Buckhead, a view of Northeast Trail construction in July from Piedmont Park's historic Park Drive Bridge. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Changes aim to make navigating future 22-mile loop easier, dividing trails into equal-ish portions

Neighborhood BeltLine

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Crane watch: New Georgia Tech tower rising over Midtown Josh Green Mon, 08/12/2024 - 08:05 A year after site work began, the next and final phase of Georgia Tech’s decades-long, mixed-use expansion project into Midtown is beginning to make its presence felt.

Situated at the northwest corner of West Peachtree and 5th streets, vertical construction for the block-sized Technology Square Phase 3 has reached a half-dozen stories, beneath two construction cranes.

The project’s podium is standing, with tower portions having climbed a couple of stories above that. Base levels lend a clear idea how retail space and a long section called The Porch will be positioned along wide sidewalks.

One goal of the third phase, as project heads have said, is to enliven streets with retail and student activity, creating a more cohesive urban district where a parking lot and low-rise offices were before. 

5th Street frontage, with The Biltmore House in the background.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Tech Square—an education, retail, and dining district—opened its initial phase in the early 2000s. Considered the last phase, the current 828 W. Peachtree Street expansion project has been in design or undergoing site preparations since 2019.

The block in question is also bounded by Spring and 5th streets, and Biltmore Place. It’s one block north of Tech Square’s Coda, a John Portman and Associates-designed office tower.

Phase 3 will include two buildings totaling 416,500 square feet, mostly filled with educational space across the street from The Biltmore House on West Peachtree Street.

Named for philanthropists Penny and William “Bill” George, the 18-story George Tower will be home to the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, in addition to other programs.

The second building, the 14-story Scheller Tower, will house Tech’s graduate and executive education programs in the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business, according to Georgia Tech.

Status of construction progress today on Tech Square's third phase, as seen looking northeast at the corner of Spring and 5th streets. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Looking west along 5th Street today, toward Georgia Tech. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Porch, meanwhile, has been described as a street-facing hub for socializing and sharing ideas. Its design nods to traditional Southern architecture, with huge kinetic doorways that fully open, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors.

According to architecture firm Eskew Dumez Ripple, the two buildings will be tied together by a central, communal zone and pathway that “continues through the building form, truncating at the podium and [spilling] into a monumental gathering space.”

The lower floors of Phase 3 are scheduled to open for occupancy in January 2026, with upper floors delivering later that year, project officials have said.

Looking northeast at the corner of Spring and 5th streets. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

How Phase 3's The Porch facet is expected to look and function. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

To set the stage for Tech Square growth, two low-rise buildings fronting West Peachtree Street were razed in 2021 for an interim parking lot and events space. A groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 3—attended by Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, and other dignitaries—was held back in October 2022. But development didn’t begin in earnest until September last year.

In the gallery above, find a closer look at where Phase 3 stands today—and how it’s expected to look and function in 2026.

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828 West Peachtree Street NW Georgia Tech 5th Street Bike Lanes Road Closures Midtown Development Construction Tech Square Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business Georgia Tower Biltmore Place CODA John Portman and Associates Ángel Cabrera Andre Dickens Sonny Perdue Scheller College of Business Kimley-Horn & Associates Kimley-Horn Kimley Horn Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio Atlanta Architecture Eskew Dumez Ripple Turner Construction The Biltmore House JLL

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The 828 W. Peachtree Street site in the context of Midtown blocks. Google Maps

Status of construction progress today on Tech Square's third phase, as seen looking northeast at the corner of Spring and 5th streets. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Bases of the building will be occupied by retail (at left) and Tech Square Commons along 5th Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

5th Street frontage, with The Biltmore House in the background.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Looking west along 5th Street today, toward Georgia Tech. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

North view at Tech Square's next phase today, along West Peachtree Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Looking northeast at the corner of Spring and 5th streets. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Spring Street frontage, with The Biltmore House in the background. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

How Phase 3's The Porch facet is expected to look and function. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Planned frontage along 5th Street. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Example of planned interiors off outdoor social spaces. Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

Eskew Dumez Ripple; RJTR; Georgia Tech

The two low-rise West Peachtree Street buildings demolished in 2021 to make way for Tech Square's next phase. Google Maps

The block and bike lanes in question at 5th and Spring Streets, as seen in 2020. Google Maps

Subtitle Tech Square's third phase aims to better active 5th Street, beef up school's Midtown presence

Neighborhood Midtown

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Tech Square Phase III

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This Midtown retail strip is successfully leasing—with zero parking Josh Green Fri, 08/09/2024 - 15:11 It might be one example in a city awash in challenged retail spaces, but a story is emerging at the base of a new Midtown high-rise that could renew Atlanta urbanists’ faith in the power of positive thinking.

A row of street-level spaces for restaurants, shops, and service providers has become a hot commodity along West Peachtree Street—despite having zero dedicated parking spaces.

The real estate veteran in charge of leasing believes it’s an important case study—and evidence that density in Midtown could be reaching a tipping point that offsets the need for so many vehicular visits, and so much valuable space devoted to storing cars.  

The retail properties in question total 13,000 square feet at the foot of Hanover Midtown, a luxury tower with 421 apartments in 31 stories that finished construction earlier this year.

Todd Semrau, vice president of Oakhurst Realty Partners, was approached two years ago about leading leasing efforts for Hanover’s retail portion where West Peachtree and 15th streets meet.

Semrau has a decade of experience in commercial real estate leasing, and he knew parking is a point of contention in most retail deals in denser Atlanta neighborhoods, with tenants typically wanting more, and landlords eager to provide less.

South view down West Peachtree Street, as seen in July with the 31-story Midtown Hanover building and its street retail at right. Google Maps

Semrau was informed the developer delivered no dedicated retail parking in the Hanover building, and he nearly walked away from the job.

“I did a lot of thinking on it, and I thought there’s no way I’m going to be able to lease this—this is Atlanta, and everyone wants a parking spot, even though it’s Midtown, across from a MARTA station,” he said. “I took it on anyway, and to my surprise… it’s really shifting the conversation.”

Interest from prospective tenants was tough to drum up for a while, despite the fact Google’s headquarters and several of Atlanta’s largest law firms are located nearby. A shift came when Semrau changed the way he communicated the parking situation to businesses sniffing around the area for space. At first, he plainly stated there was no parking in apologetic tones; then he shifted the approach to talking up Midtown as being “as New York as Atlanta gets right now,” and potential tenants began warming to the idea of a clientele entirely on foot, bikes, or e-mobility vehicles.   

“Go to any major city—Chicago, New York, Toronto, there’s no parking,” says Semrau. “Luckily the data backs that up here; Midtown has delivered thousands of new residential apartments over the last [few years]. We’ve lost some office, but we gained an incredible amount of residential—so what’s that do? It puts people on the street. Because of the density that’s in Midtown now, people are starting to say, ‘Okay, maybe he’s right. Maybe we don’t need all of this retail parking.’” (He makes a comparison to the legal clampdown on smoking in restaurants; the decision was made, a public uproar ensued, but people learned to adapt, and life went on.)

Today, the Hanover Midtown retail spaces are about 62 percent leased, with more signings on the horizon, Semrau says. (About 5,000 square feet remains available, which could be one space or up to three.) No discounts are being offered for the dearth of parking, as the $46 per square foot, per year, triple-net asking price is the market rate, per Semrau.

A milestone came last month with the opening of Foxtail Coffee Midtown in a large corner space. Business has been strong enough, Semrau says, that the business is actively scouting for a second Midtown site.

The Foxtail Coffee Midtown space, prior to its opening in July.Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Two more businesses are on tap to open next month: Toastique, a gourmet toast, smoothy, and Acai bowl concept, and City Vet, a light-procedure veterinary clinic for dogs.

“We’ve got a good commercial mix there, which is what Midtown needs, that everyday retail,” Semrau said. “The northwestern side of Midtown, it’s really coming into its own. That’s where all the development is coming in, from 10th Street all the way to 17th [Street]. That could become a really great new walking corridor.”

Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Semrau relayed all of the above during a meeting over coffee in Decatur. Speaking big picture, he quoted a favorite passage from the book Paved Paradise by Henry Grabar:

“We routinely do ridiculous things for parking, contorting our professional, social, and financial lives to get a spot. Since the advent of the car, we have deformed our cities in a Sisyphean quest for car-storage, and as a result, most of the nation’s most valuable real estate is now devoted to empty vehicles.”

But Semrau hopes Atlanta—or at least denser districts such as Midtown—will provide a template for how younger cities can mature into more vibrant, functional places in a future where cars aren’t always king.

“I think it’s turning,” he said. “Other developers are surely going to catch on that, ‘Hey, wait a minute, we don’t have to build all this parking.’”  

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1230 West Peachtree Street Hanover Midtown Foxtail Coffee Atlanta Retail Midtown Retail Retail Leasing Parking Atlanta Parking No Parking Oakhurst Realty Partners Toastique City Vet Hanover

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South view down West Peachtree Street, as seen in July with the 31-story Midtown Hanover building and its street retail at right. Google Maps

The Foxtail Coffee Midtown space, prior to its opening in July.Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

Courtesy of Oakhurst Realty Partners

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Neighborhood Midtown

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Photos: Step inside Decatur's affordable cottages project, now selling Josh Green Fri, 08/09/2024 - 13:06 A unique, colorful community of cottage-style housing has officially wrapped construction in Decatur, and project leaders are changing course by opening up the homebuying process to anyone whose income qualifies.

Oak Cottage Court, a charming pocket community, replaced a wooded, half-acre site at 230 Commerce Drive with six standalone homes reserved for families and individuals considered middle-income earners. The cottages range from pint-sized (528 square feet) to perfectly adequate for a smaller family (1,582 square feet), with either two or three bedrooms.

Project reps tell Urbanize Atlanta one home has sold and two others are under contract, leaving three unclaimed right now. Current prices range from $210,000 to $305,000, which Decatur officials call affordable for anyone earning metro Atlanta’s area median income.  

Described as “a landmark workforce housing community,” the project marked the first collaboration of its kind between the City of Decatur Development Authority, nonprofit housing developer Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, and nonprofit Decatur Land Trust. It had been in planning and construction phases for more than seven years.

Overview of the community today. Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Inside one of the larger floorplans at Oak Cottage Court. Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett called Oak Cottage Court part of a broader campaign to address workforce and affordable housing in the city, in hopes of providing “true economic diversity for our community,” per a city announcement this week.

From the outset, the project was intended to provide attainable, for-sale housing to Decatur’s city, school, and housing authority employees. They remain the top priority, but the cottages are now being made available to any income-qualified buyer, especially people who are currently renting or working in Decatur.

Preference will go toward anyone who fits that billing, should any of the remaining homes receive multiple offers. City officials break down the game plan should competitive bidding occur as follows:  

“… a tiered approach will be applied giving preference first to current City of Decatur, City Schools of Decatur, and Decatur Housing Authority employees; then to employees of any government agency or nonprofit located in the city; then employees of any Decatur business; then current renters in the City of Decatur; and finally, to all others.”

Beyond the home prices, project leaders point the location’s 86 Walk Score—it’s within a 10-minute walk to MARTA rail and 10 different bus lines, they say—and close proximity to shops and restaurants, K-12 schools, and parks as attributes.

Seven parking spaces, including one handicap space, were installed next to the community’s central green, according to plans.

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Oak Cottage Court home purchases are limited to households making 100 percent AMI as shown above. Decatur Land Trust

The asking prices are substantially cheaper than what buyers could expect to pay for new standalone homes in such a centralized Decatur location. According to Redfin, the median sales price for homes across Decatur was $651,000 in June.  

DLT’s model goes that homes will be sold to new owners, but the land beneath them will be kept in a trust. Should new owners sell in the future, the DLT’s ground-lease program is meant to ensure the properties retain their affordability permanently, officials have previously explained.

Up to three sources of down payment assistance are also available for qualified applicants.

The housing type has been allowed in Decatur since an ordinance passed in 2014, and Oak Cottage Court is considered a pilot project, in hopes it will succeed in generating other examples of relatively affordable, neighborhood-friendly housing in the city, according to DLT.

The Oak Cottage Court site plan and original price breakdown. Decatur Land Trust

The project was designed by Mississippi-based architect Bruce B. Tolar, considered one of the country’s leading experts for missing-middle housing design and development. Tolar's company is known for developing cottage-style housing nodes as part of post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding.

In Decatur, previous delays in construction were related to rising construction costs, Georgia Department of Transportation’s delayed approval of the entry off Commerce Drive (a state highway), and other factors, officials have said.

Head up to the gallery for a tour of the finished grounds and the first interior glimpses at Oak Cottage Court homes. Find more details on the application process here.

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The cottage-style project's 230 Commerce Drive location just east of downtown Decatur's main hub of shops and restaurants. Google Maps

Overview of how six standalone cottages were arranged along Commerce Drive. Decatur Land Trust

The "Blue Cottage" offering at the property's entrance, with the Ice House Lofts pictured across the street. Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Overview of the community today. Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Inside one of the larger floorplans at Oak Cottage Court. Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

Courtesy of City of Decatur/DDA/DLT

The Oak Cottage Court site plan and original price breakdown. Decatur Land Trust

Subtitle Prices start at $210K at Oak Cottage Court, a “landmark workforce housing community,” per city

Neighborhood Decatur

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In booming Blandtown, mixed-use project moves forward Josh Green Fri, 08/09/2024 - 08:14 A years-long development frenzy appears set to continue in the BeltLine-connected Blandtown neighborhood west of Midtown.

Charlotte-based Crescent Communities, an active Atlanta builder with multifamily projects dotted from Buckhead to Old Fourth Ward and the southside suburbs, filed permitting paperwork Thursday to start transforming low-density lots on Huff Road into a mix of apartments and retail.

The filings shed light for the first time on a project title—Novel Blandtown—that echoes other Crescent Communities ventures across the country and doesn’t shy away from the historic neighborhood’s atypical name.

According to filings this week, the first Novel Blandtown component to move forward with construction would be a concrete structure with 34 apartments, a leasing center, retail shell, amenities, and an internal courtyard and plaza.

Proposed look of the stacked apartments, left, and retail component. Niles Bolton Associates

The proposal calls for redeveloping a total of 3.03 acres at 1095 and 1121 Huff Road, located across the street from AuthenTEAK Furniture and other businesses.

Part of the acreage is currently home to a showroom for home improvement store PDI Kitchen, Bath, and Lighting. A vacant, triangular lot next door is also included in redevelopment plans.

Replacing that would be a seven-story multifamily building with 250 units and the 4,700-square-foot, one-story structure for retail topped with a patio overlooking Huff Road, according to project designers Niles Bolton Associates architects.

Plans also call for roughly 330 parking spaces in a new garage and surface lots, plus about 50 spaces for bicycle parking, according to a BeltLine Design Review Committee meeting in early 2023.

To comply with the BeltLine’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, 10 percent of the apartments will be reserved for tenants earning 60 percent of the area median income or less, per the BeltLine DRC.  

The newest section of the BeltLine’s Westside Trail opened about two blocks away, directly west, in fall 2022. Now, a Northwest Trail segment of the BeltLine linking to Buckhead is under construction just to the north.

The properties in question, at left, span about 3 acres collectively. Google Maps

The proposal's frontage along Huff Road, with parking lots for AuthenTEAK Furniture and other businesses shown across the street, at bottom. Niles Bolton Associates

Practically next door to the Novel Blandtown proposal, Crescent Communities also built a 340-apartment community called Novel West Midtown that opened in late 2023 on Fairmont Avenue. Ten percent of those apartments were also reserved as affordable housing, as BeltLine inclusionary zoning rules in the area dictate.

Crescent Communities also recently sold a mid-rise project finished in 2022 along Spring Street in Atlanta, Novel Midtown, to California-based real estate firm Goldrich Kest.

The Blandtown plans would continue an explosion in residential product for the historically industrial neighborhood over the past five years.

Neighboring residential projects that have claimed underused Blandtown parcels include Minerva Homes’ 34-unit Hayden Westside townhomes and Empire Communities’ sprawling Longreen project, which is consuming an area roughly equivalent to three city blocks along Huff Road.

The insatiable development along the Huff Road corridor is the driving force behind what’s called the Huff Road Multimodal Study. That initiative is striving to eventually “reimagine [the] industrial freight corridor as an accessible, safe, and multimodal network, in line with the community’s goal of creating a restorative urban environment,” according to the Atlanta Regional Commission, which contributed $200,000 to the effort last year. 

As is, Huff Road includes two traffic lanes (and spotty sidewalks) for most of its length between Howell Mill Road and Marietta Boulevard, where it meets the BeltLine corridor.

Other Huff Road development sites include Empire Communities' Longreen project, shown at right in 2022. Crescent's new Novel West Midtown apartments are at top. Google Maps

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1095 Huff Road NW 1121 Huff Road NW Crescent Communities Mixed-Use Development Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Atlanta BeltLine Design Review Committee BeltLine DRC Pickleball 1359 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW Atlanta Pickleball Center BeltLine Development Kimley-Horn AuthenTEAK Furniture Novel West Midtown Greystar Niles Bolton Associates

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The Huff Road properties in question, between Marietta Boulevard and an Atlanta Waterworks reservoir. Google Maps

The properties in question, at left, span about 3 acres collectively. Google Maps

Other Huff Road development sites include Empire Communities' Longreen project, shown at right in 2022. Crescent's new Novel West Midtown apartments are at top. Google Maps

Proposed look of the stacked apartments, left, and retail component. Niles Bolton Associates

The proposal's frontage along Huff Road, with parking lots for AuthenTEAK Furniture and other businesses shown across the street, at bottom. Niles Bolton Associates

Subtitle Novel-branded development calls for blending retail, apartments along Huff Road

Neighborhood Blandtown

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On southside, next phase of infill housing finishes construction Josh Green Thu, 08/08/2024 - 15:34 In the residential hot zone that is Chosewood Park, the second flank of an infill project has finished construction as an example of increasingly elusive, standalone new homes in the city with prices below a half-million bucks.

The project, Park + Terrace, began delivering in 2022 with a goal of filling the void of new-construction, single-family housing south of Grant Park and the BeltLine’s Southside Trail corridor.

According to listing agent Tristain O’Donnell with Engel & Volkers Atlanta, Park + Terrace’s second phase includes six units—four standalone homes, and one duplex—that came to market in late July. One home priced at $465,000 is under contract now, and another is expected to be claimed this week, per O’Donnell.

Phase two prices range from $440,000 to $475,000. All have three bedroom, two and ½ bathroom floorplans with precisely 1,556 square feet.

“I would categorize these as an infill on a street as opposed to what people would consider an infill neighborhood,” O’Donnell noted via email.

How Park + Terrace facades have come together on Federal Terrace, just west of Boulevard. Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

The corner site on Federal Terrace—formerly home to boarded-up houses and vacant land—is walkable (or at least bikeable) to attractions such as the Chosewood Park greenspace, Red’s Beer Garden, the treasure that is El Progresso (aka “prison tacos), and the BeltLine’s under-construction Southside Trail. Atlanta’s U.S. Penitentiary is located a block to the south, which obviously isn’t listed as a selling point but is often categorized by Chosewood Park enthusiasts as simply a quiet neighbor.

Between slab porches and similar parking arrangements in back, Park + Terrace homes are described as a blend of modern and farmhouse-style offerings with “not your typical builder finishes.” Perks in the two-story homes include 10-foot ceilings, quartz countertops, and thoughtful floorplans, per listings.

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Park + Terrace's 565 Federal Terrace location.Google Maps

Park + Terrace's five-home first phase included larger single-family options that ended up selling for between $500,000 and $525,000, according to O’Donnell.

Head up to the gallery for a closer look at Park + Terrace phase two exteriors, floorplans, and interior design.

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The Park + Terrace project site in relation to downtown and southeast Atlanta landmarks. Google Maps

How Park + Terrace facades have come together on Federal Terrace, just west of Boulevard. Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Photos by Sarah Alsati; courtesy of Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Subtitle Park + Terrace project ready for closeup in quickly growing Chosewood Park

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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Atlanta's 'blight tax' crackdown passes into law. Will it work? Josh Green Thu, 08/08/2024 - 13:28 A month after it was introduced, “Blight Tax” legislation that aims to aggressively crack down on absentee landlords—including corporations—and tidy up neglected properties throughout Atlanta is now officially law.

Whether Atlantans will use the new tool, and how effective code enforcement will be, remains to be seen.

The legislation passed the Atlanta City Council 11-1 during its Monday meeting. It allows city officials to tax blighted property owners up to 25 times higher than current millage rates, in hopes of incentivizing them to revitalize properties or sell. Antonio Lewis, District 12 city councilmember, was the lone naysayer, the AJC reports.

A city spokesperson tells Urbanize Atlanta the law officially went into effect when Mayor Andre Dickens signed the legislation this week.

To report concerns with blighted properties, Atlanta residents are asked to call 311, the city’s 24-7 system for addressing non-emergency situations, per the spokesperson.

The bill was introduced by Dickens and District 3 city councilmember Byron Amos in July as a means of addressing vacant, unkept houses and larger sites that further disinvestment in Atlanta neighborhoods.

Photo by Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

Amos, whose district covers sections of Midtown, the Marietta Street Corridor, and Westside neighborhoods such as Vine City and English Avenue, said last month the Blight Tax will give the city stronger leverage in persuading owners to clean up or sell negligent properties, instead of waiting years to cash in and dragging communities down.

The legislation’s backers are quick to point out the program will not apply to any property that’s occupied, regardless of its condition, to avoid displacing residents.

Any blighted property subjected to higher taxes that gets remediated and returned to a productive use can be eligible for a discounted tax rate once the work is finished, according to the ordinance. 

Large-scale properties such as former industrial sites that significantly impact neighborhoods would be special cases. Prior to redevelopment, those property owners would first have to agree to a development plan that addresses specific neighborhood objectives—such as connectivity, transportation, and public amenities—that benefit broader communities.

The Blight Tax ordinance authorizes city officials to take advantage of a program approved by Georgia voters geared toward persuading property owners to redevelop or remediate blighted real estate. Similar measures have been implemented around Georgia and other states as a “surgical, judicial enforcement tool” applied to properties that could have otherwise sat vacant for decades, according to the legislation’s authors.

Will the law devolve into a slap-on-the-wrist measure that quietly fades into oblivion? Or could it finally turn the tide in places saddled with blight for too long? What say you, Atlanta?

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Subtitle Mayor’s signature enacts legislation targeting negligent property owners across city

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Downtown Chamblee's new 'micro food hall' begins opening today Josh Green Thu, 08/08/2024 - 08:07 Chamblee’s status as the next metro Atlanta food hall destination (if on a smaller scale) officially begins today.

Project officials send word that Chamblee Tap & Market, a 5,000-square-foot taproom, will begin pouring at 4 p.m. as the first business to open in a 3509 Broad St. adaptive-reuse project in Chamblee’s historic downtown.

Expect 26 taps with a wide variety—including five devoted to wine, and one for draft cocktails—at what’s been coined a “micro food hall” for Chamblee, with food and coffee options en route in coming months.

Among the 20 beer taps will be local and seasonal crafts, rare selections from other markets, and popular brews from across the country and overseas. The opening list includes brands such as Bold Monk, Good Word, Bluejacket, Maine, and Creature Comforts, with the first tap devoted to a lighter, local concoction called “ChamWow!” as a nod to both the city and late-night infomercials.

How Broad Street frontages have come together in downtown Chamblee. Photo by Brandon Amato; courtesy of CT&M

The sudsy concept was whipped up by pals and financial industry vets Jeff Kimmel and David Heymann. The duo created a weekly get-together called Beer Club Sundays—an excuse to rank their favorite beers as a distraction during the COVID-19 pandemic—and later ditched their corporate jobs to give the multifaceted, micro food hall concept a go.   

“We immediately knew downtown Chamblee is where we wanted to be,” Heymann said in a taproom announcement this week. “There’s so much potential here. It’s got this terrific downtown with tons of character that was built decades and decades ago. They aren’t making any more of these.”

Elsewhere, three food stalls (Let’s Taco Bout It, comfort food Southern Grace, and barbecue concept South End Smokehouse have signed on) and a pint-sized coffeeshop (Sidecar Coffee) are in the works.

The project, designed by Vickers Design Group, is part of a broader Chamblee Town Center plan that’s coming together as a more walkable, cohesive district across several downtown blocks. It’s remaking former Broad Street furniture and antiques businesses into a gathering place across the street from the new Chamblee City Hall, which claimed the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Georgia 2023 People’s Choice Award for best built project over 5,000 square feet.

A private event space for up to 25 guests is also in the works at Chamblee Tap & Market.

Sidecar Coffee, which will occupy the smallest stall, will also serve small plates, protein yogurt bowls, a “toast program,” and bakery items, project leaders say. It’s slated to debut in September, with Heymann’s wife, Leigh, at the helm.

The existing Broad Street buildings in 2022. Google Maps

Context of Chamblee Tap & Market's 3509 Broad St. location among downtown destinations. Google Maps

The concept by owners Kimmel and Heymann was initially expected to open in spring 2023 but was hit with delays.

At the outset, the taproom will be open Thursday and Friday (4 p.m. to 10 p.m.), and Saturday (1 p.m. to 10 p.m.) According to business leaders, the schedule will transition to all week when coffee and food service begins this fall.

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How Broad Street frontages have come together in downtown Chamblee. Photo by Brandon Amato; courtesy of CT&M

Context of Chamblee Tap & Market's 3509 Broad St. location among downtown destinations. Google Maps

The existing Broad Street buildings in 2022. Google Maps

The Broad Street location for Chamblee Tap & Market (in red, at top) in relation to other downtown eateries and the city's MARTA station. Google Maps

Vickers Design Group

Vickers Design Group

Subtitle Adaptive-reuse venture near Chamblee City Hall is fully leased

Neighborhood Chamblee

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