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On College Park's Main Street, old high school officially reborn Josh Green Wed, 08/07/2024 - 16:05 An adaptive-reuse school project in the northern blocks of downtown College Park is aiming to give young Atlantans an alternative path toward solid careers in high-demand fields.

Following a $40 million renovation, The Promise Career Institute held its first day of classes Monday at a property that’s meant to look and feel like a college campus as part of the Fulton County School District.

Instead of a traditional high school, the 3605 Main St. campus functions more as a contemporary career academy, with a goal of accelerating the attainment of high school diplomas and prepping teens not for years in college but immediate entry into the workforce. 

Admission to the Fulton County magnet high school is through an application process. The institute allows graduates to earn a two-year Associate College Degree alongside a four-year diploma—all without the burden of student loans or other financial debt.

The institute's revised facade at 3605 Main St. in College Park today. The Promise Career Institute; submitted

The building originally housed College Park High School until it closed in 1988, merging with other schools in the area to form Tri-Cities High School. The property most recently served as the Frank McClarin Alternative High School.

The Promise Career Institute’s initial enrollment includes 350 students, and a partnership with Atlanta Technical College is facilitating some free classes and career opportunities, as Atlanta’s News First recently reported.

Fields of study include: cybersecurity, computer networking, production technology, design and media, transportation and logistics, welding, and early childhood care and education, among others.

The institute is part of Fulton County’s Expanded Programs portion of the Bridge to Success Plan. That’s a three-year initiative, funded through the American Rescue Plan, to help students rebound from learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the institute.

The Promise Career Institute; submitted

The Promise Career Institute's Main Street location, in relation to College Park's MARTA station, downtown, and Interstate 85. Google Maps

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The Promise Career Institute's Main Street location, in relation to College Park's MARTA station, downtown, and Interstate 85. Google Maps

The institute's revised facade at 3605 Main St. in College Park today. The Promise Career Institute; submitted

The Promise Career Institute; submitted

The Promise Career Institute; submitted

The Promise Career Institute; submitted

Subtitle Adaptive-reuse Promise Career Institute aims to prep students in high-demand fields

Neighborhood College Park/East Point

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Images: High-rise vision emerges for another Midtown parking lot Josh Green Wed, 08/07/2024 - 13:58 Plans filed with the City of Atlanta this week indicate Midtown’s thirst for student housing has yet to be quenched.

Core Spaces, a Chicago-based residential real estate developer, owner, and operator, has submitted paperwork for a Special Administrative Permit to begin the process of developing a high-rise geared toward students at 155 7th St.

The proposal is also notable in that, by design, it's banking on the area’s walkability and transit access.

Hub Cypress, as the project is called, would take shape next to a protected Midtown landmark, the Historic Academy of Medicine, which faces West Peachtree Street and is used by Georgia Tech as event space.

Currently a surface parking lot, the .8-acre parcel is bounded by 7th Street to the north, Cypress Street to the east, and the Academy of Medicine to the west. It’s located just behind the Spire Midtown condo tower, south of Ecco Midtown restaurant, and immediately north of The Biltmore at Midtown apartments. 

Proposed west facade for Hub Cypress, facing West Peachtree Street and the downtown Connector. Dwell Design Studio; Core Spaces

The site's frontage along Cypress Street today, with the Academy of Medicine building shown on the opposite side of the lot. Google Maps

Plans have been tweaked since Core filed an earlier application in April. The tower had previously called for 295 apartments geared toward students, or 1,211 beds, with no commercial space.

According to Core’s application this week, the Hub Cypress building will see 265 student apartments—and a 1,600-square-foot coffeeshop space that fronts 7th Street sidewalks. All vehicles would access the building from an entry on Cypress Street.

Applicants note that a MARTA tunnel directly beneath the property will prohibit below-grade development.

Revised designs calls for 161 parking spaces in three levels, starting above the first level. Roughly 75 of those spaces will be reserved for Georgia Tech events at the Academy of Medicine next door, per the latest filings.

Planned look of the 7th Street lobby entrance. Dwell Design Studio; Core Spaces

Dwell Design Studio; Core Spaces

In light of the building’s student uses, a lower volume of vehicle traffic is anticipated, as most residents are expected to either walk or take public transit as primary means of transportation, per the development team.

The Hub Cypress site is roughly two blocks from Core’s first student-housing project in town, Hub Atlanta, which opened for the fall semester last year. The development team has described that 292-unit building—a glass and panel-clad structure with a four-story parking garage almost fully concealed—as “stunning.”

This week’s filing doesn’t specify how tall Hub Cypress would stand, but renderings suggest the highest floors will be north of 20 stories. Core officials did not return previous inquiries seeking information on the building’s proposed height and construction timeline.

Early filings indicated the new tower, as designed by Dwell Design Studio, will have no height limits.

Looking north across the parking lot and surrounding blocks in Midtown today, with Cypress Street shown to the immediate right. Google Maps

According to the city’s Office of Buildings, the Hub Cypress project’s SAP permit application is scheduled for a hearing Sept. 26.

Find more context and images in the gallery above.

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The 875 W. Peachtree St. site in the broader context of Midtown. Google Maps

Looking north across the parking lot and surrounding blocks in Midtown today, with Cypress Street shown to the immediate right. Google Maps

The site's frontage along Cypress Street today, with the Academy of Medicine building shown on the opposite side of the lot. Google Maps

Proposed west facade for Hub Cypress, facing West Peachtree Street and the downtown Connector. Dwell Design Studio; Core Spaces

Planned look of the 7th Street lobby entrance. Dwell Design Studio; Core Spaces

Dwell Design Studio; Core Spaces

Initial plans filed in April for how the tower proposal would consume the corner site at 7th and Cypress streets. Commercial space has since been added. Core Spaces/Kimley-Horn

Subtitle Revised “Hub Cypress” plans call for 265 apartments, coffee shop atop MARTA line

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Report: Could Atlanta’s housing market (finally) be cooling off? Josh Green Tue, 08/06/2024 - 14:04 On a national and global scale, this week kicked off with dire news of a free-falling stock market and possible looming recession (again). Closer to home, a fresh housing report indicates broader economic forces could be having a real impact in metro Atlanta, too.

According to July data compiled by Georgia MLS, evidence suggests the housing market is noticeably cooling off across metro Atlanta and the rest of the state, following years of white-hot price increases and supply restrictions fueled by societal and lifestyle changes kicked into overdrive during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Georgia MLS analysts say the cause is interest rates that remain much higher than a few years ago.

The average 30-year fixed rate for a mortgage today is 6.89 percent. That means homebuyers can expect to pay $658 per month in principal and interest alone for every $100,000 borrowed, according to Forbes Advisor.

That’s down from average mortgage rates north of 7.7 percent last fall—but a far cry from the 2.6 percent halcyon rates of early 2021.

Georgia MLS’s report provides a snapshot for what the agency considers Atlanta's 12 core counties. Those are Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties.

One of the more telling bar graphs released in the Georgia MLS data shows the number of active listings across the 12-county region this year versus last. Georgia MLS

The findings could trigger anxiety in homeowners considering selling in the near future—but they could also signal good news for metro Atlantans looking to become homebuyers soon. 

In terms of supply, the more than 17,000 active listings across the metro in July represents a whopping 60 percent jump in available inventory versus the same month last year.

The data suggest affordability is also increasing, if gradually.

The metro’s $415,000 median sales price is still $15,000 higher than last year, but prices have trended down by nearly 4 percent since June. The number of days homes are sitting on the market is also increasing, according to Georgia MLS.

Meanwhile, bright spots for homebuilders and sellers are found in the “units sold” and “sales volume” categories, which have both spiked since summer 2023.

A metro Atlanta market snapshot released by Georgia Multiple Listing Service today. Georgia MLS

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A metro Atlanta market snapshot released by Georgia Multiple Listing Service today. Georgia MLS

One of the more telling bar graphs released in the Georgia MLS data shows the number of active listings across the 12-county region this year versus last. Georgia MLS

Subtitle Georgia MLS findings indicate still-high interest rates are taking toll

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Rising ATL project promises homeownership ‘without breaking bank’ Josh Green Tue, 08/06/2024 - 12:18 Here’s further proof the wave of new residential options in Chosewood Park isn’t relegated to blocks just south of the Atlanta BeltLine corridor.

Like Toll Brothers’ blend of condos, townhomes, and standalone houses called Nolyn Pointe, Atlanta-based real estate firm P. René Estat​es and Associates is under construction on a new pocket of housing on McDonough Boulevard, near Chosewood Park’s southwestern boundary.  

The 31-unit townhome venture, Three Points at Chosewood Park, has recently brought its first offerings to market at 310 McDonough Boulevard, east of Interstate 85 and about four miles south of downtown Atlanta.

According to marketing materials, the Growth Homes-built townhouses are striving to blend “classic Atlanta charm” with modern sensibilities and design, promising “a way to become a homeowner without breaking the bank.”  

Construction progress where McDonough Boulevard meets Grant Street. Photography by Game of Drones; courtesy of P. René Estates and Associates

The full 31-home site plan for Three Points at Chosewood Park. P. René Estates and Associates

Pamela René, the project’s developer and listing agent, said the 31 residences will span between 1,538 and 2,366 square feet, with either three or four bedrooms, three and ½ bathrooms, and one or two-car garages. Expect either white or charcoal-brick facades.

So far, the dozen units listed for sale range from $484,990 to $559,900. (Another consideration: Listings put the monthly HOA fees at $175 monthly.) Up to $30,000 in buyers' incentives are being offered with the developer’s preferred lenders, per listings.

The first townhomes have entered the home stretch of construction, and move-ins are expected to begin this fall, per René’s firm.

As listings clearly illustrate, developers are bullish on the prospects of the nearly 40-acre Sawtell development site across the street. Developer Kaplan Residential filed plans with the city in September to start building that project’s first phase—to include 734 apartments and nearly 48,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, and amenity space, among other components—but more recent inquiries for construction updates haven’t been returned.

The townhomes' proximity to the mixed-use Sawtell site, as noted in listings. Photography by Game of Drones; courtesy of P. René Estates and Associates

The 310 McDonough Boulevard site in relation to Interstate 85, Grant Park, Chosewood Park, Atlanta's federal penitentiary, and other southside landmarks. Google Maps

Beyond the Sawtell site, the BeltLine’s Southside Trail, Grant Park, and The Ron Clark Academy are cited as nearby attractions.

In-home perks are listed as comfy living spaces with fireplaces, large primary suites, and well-appointed kitchens, with what’s described as a “state-of-the-art biking station” in the community for residents who prefer to get around on two wheels.

“Do not snooze and lose on this incredible opportunity to purchase low and have thousands in equity in the very near future,” listings urge.

René notes her company is also actively developing a single-family project priced from the $400,000s called The Highlands of Decatur near Panthersville.  

Swing up to the gallery for more Three Points at Chosewood Park context and images.

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The 310 McDonough Boulevard site in relation to Interstate 85, Grant Park, Chosewood Park, Atlanta's federal penitentiary, and other southside landmarks. Google Maps

Construction progress where McDonough Boulevard meets Grant Street. Photography by Game of Drones; courtesy of P. René Estates and Associates

The townhomes' proximity to the mixed-use Sawtell site, as noted in listings. Photography by Game of Drones; courtesy of P. René Estates and Associates

The full 31-home site plan for Three Points at Chosewood Park. P. René Estates and Associates

Photography by Game of Drones; courtesy of P. René Estates and Associates

Planned facades in renderings. P. René Estates and Associates

Subtitle Three Points at Chosewood Park bringing townhomes to market near sprawling Sawtell site

Neighborhood Chosewood Park

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Ormewood Park officially scores first large neighborhood greenspace Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 16:58 City officials have taken a key step toward preserving a versatile intown greenspace near the Atlanta BeltLine loop that pays homage to a legendary longtime resident.

During its monthly meeting Monday, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to purchase a 5.3-acre property in the heart of Ormewood Park known as “Red’s Farm,” establishing the first official large city park in the historic eastside neighborhood.

The property in question—alternately called Farmer Red’s Preserve and Urban Farm Ormewood—is tucked between Berne Street and Ormewood Avenue, with the BeltLine’s under-construction Southside Trail a couple of blocks west, and Moreland Avenue to the east.

The Ormewood Park property’s seller was The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit that specializes in banking land for future greenspace and protecting water resources across the U.S.  

Urban Farm in Ormewood/FB; 2020

District 1 councilmember Jason Winston led efforts to preserve the community hub as a green respite in a growing area, working with family members of the late owner, Brian Charles “Red” Harrison.

According to Winston’s office, the farm has been cherished by surrounding neighborhoods for years, playing host to an annual Easter egg hunt and activities such as dog walking, communing with nature, and blueberry picking that have attracted thousands of visitors.

“With the farm within walking distance from the BeltLine’s Southside Trail and already serving as a hub for bringing the community together,” Winston said in an announcement, “officially taking this step to preserve the farm is key to guaranteeing Atlantans will be able to continue enjoying the space.”

A beloved personality in the neighborhood who supported local farmers, Harrison died of a heart attack in 2022 at age 54. The farm property, situated adjacent to Harrison’s former home, has been called the city’s only remaining working vegetable farm. Harrison’s family had sold the property to The Conservation Fund earlier this year.

Location of the 5.3-acre greenspace between Moreland Avenue (right) and the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor. Google Maps

The city's purchase price for the acreage was $2.7 million—or roughly $500,000 per acre—according to Axios Atlanta.

According to Winston, the preservation efforts will serve as a “touching memorial” to Harrison’s zest and vision for keeping urban agriculture alive in the city.   

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Location of the 5.3-acre greenspace between Moreland Avenue (right) and the BeltLine's Southside Trail corridor. Google Maps

Urban Farm in Ormewood/FB; 2020

Subtitle Atlanta City Council votes to purchase “Red’s Farm,” a cherished gathering place in eastside neighborhood

Neighborhood Ormewood Park

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Developer sheds light on tallest Atlanta project in decades, now rising Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 14:47 As development hounds across Atlanta have excitedly noted this summer, the city’s tallest new building since the early 1990s is beginning to make its mark over West Peachtree Street, with base levels quickly stacking up beneath a pair of yellow cranes.

New York City-based developer Rockefeller Group’s plans for the 60-story 1072 West Peachtree building call for achieving two benchmarks: building Atlanta’s tallest residential building and tallest mixed-use tower. Even in Midtown—a subdistrict transformed by high-rise investment over the past decade—it’s an anomaly.  

With buzz for a true sky-piercing project mounting, Midtown Alliance recently caught up with a project lead, John Petricola, Rockefeller’s senior managing director for the Southeast region, for insight on where 1072 West Peachtree is headed, what will make it stand out beyond sheer height, and why it’s located where it is.

Rockefeller is familiar with the area, having partnered with Selig on the 40 West 12th condos a block from the 1072 West Peachtree site, where a Midtown post office facility had longer operated. The company bought the 1.14-acre USPS site for $25 million in 2020 and officially broke ground on the skyscraper in July last year.

The landing page for 1072 West Peachtree's website provides a glimpse of how the project would alter Midtown's skyline when viewed from the Connector. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS/1072 West Peachtree

Petricola had established Rockefeller’s Atlanta outpost more than a decade ago. But as he told Midtown Alliance, the experience working with Selig on what became the 1105 West Peachtree complex—now home to Google and the celebrated Epicurean Atlanta hotel, along with the luxury condos—opened Rockefeller executives’ eyes to Midtown’s potential.

According to Midtown Alliance, some 20 projects have been delivered (or are under construction now) in the 18-block West Peachtree Street corridor in Midtown since 2010.

Regarding the location, Petricola said Rockefeller was patient in picking a site for a signature tower in Midtown. Ultimately, 1072 West Peachtree stood out for its connection to Midtown’s existing street grid and proximity to two MARTA stations (Arts Center and Midtown stations are basically equidistant). Being a short walk from the Southeast’s biggest concentration of cultural and art attractions and the largest Whole Foods on the East Coast didn’t hurt either, Petricola told Midtown Alliance.

In general, Midtown “punches above its weight in demand,” the developer noted.

Rockefeller is putting a heavy emphasis on getting the street-level experience right at 1072 West Peachtree, Petricola said.

Plans call for “liner units” with retail along West Peachtree Street to more fully engage sidewalks. As further evidence that walkability is top-of-mind, the tower will also feature far less parking—more than 20 percent less, per plans—than the maximum City of Atlanta’s code allows for the site, as Midtown Alliance relays.  

Inside, Petricola said plans call for a two-story space where cyclists can lock away bikes and take a shower, in addition to a fitness center described as the best around.  

Another component will be Midtown’s largest outdoor amenity deck, designed for expansive views of the city. According to Petricola, that feature will be called the Sky Garden.

How Rockefeller expects the tower to meet West Peachtree Street. Site Solutions is the project's landscape architect. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

Mixed-use breakdown of lower floors. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

Otherwise, the numbers haven’t changed. Designs by Atlanta-based TVS call for 6,300 square feet of retail at the street and 224,000 square feet of Class A office space above that. Topping the building will be more than 350 apartments alongside amenities described as world-class.

Set on the southwest corner of West Peachtree and 12th streets, the project’s height will alter Midtown’s skyline, especially when viewed from the west.

Rockefeller officials have said the tower will climb more than 730 feet, making it Atlanta’s fifth tallest high-rise and supplanting Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel for the No. 5 spot. No taller skyrise has been built in Atlanta since 1992.  

No timeline for 1072 West Peachtree’s completion has been specified, but the site has seen heavy demolition and infrastructure work ongoing for nearly a year and ½ at this point. 

Whether it's fully open or not, the building should add oomph to Midtown's skyline by the time FIFA World Cup 2026 hoopla comes to town. 

West Peachtree Street view of Rockefeller Group’s planned 60-story Midtown project.Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

The latest rendering showing the 1072 West Peachtree project's eastern facade, toward Peachtree Street and Piedmont Park. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

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Scope of the 1072 West Peachtree Street site, formerly occupied by the U.S. Postal Service. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

Skyward West Peachtree Street view. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

View toward the southwest, over Georgia Tech. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

Mixed-use breakdown of lower floors. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS

How Rockefeller expects the tower to meet West Peachtree Street. Site Solutions is the project's landscape architect. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

The landing page for 1072 West Peachtree's website provides a glimpse of how the project would alter Midtown's skyline when viewed from the Connector. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS/1072 West Peachtree

The first interior 1072 West Peachtree rendering depicts offices and views west. Rockefeller Group; Brock Hudgins Architects; TVS/1072 West Peachtree

An unofficial depiction of how the 1072 West Peachtree project would relate to existing Midtown buildings. Submitted/@cbenderatl

The latest rendering showing the 1072 West Peachtree project's eastern facade, toward Peachtree Street and Piedmont Park. Courtesy of Rockefeller Group

Subtitle Midtown Alliance provides closer look at 1072 West Peachtree, one of largest skyscrapers in Georgia

Neighborhood Midtown

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Builder: Project near East Atlanta Village selling like hotcakes Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 12:55 A seasoned Atlanta homebuilder is reporting gangbuster sales, relatively speaking, at a formerly vacant, brownfield corner site in Ormewood Park where modern-style townhomes have been sprouting.

Officials with homebuilder Monte Hewett say nearly half of townhomes under construction at its newest intown project, The Harman, have been presold, signaling sales momentum the company describes as “impressive” and “strong.”

Sales at the boutique community—located where Moreland Avenue meets Ormewood Avenue, about four blocks south of East Atlanta Village—began last summer.

According to Monte Hewett, the project will include 22 townhomes when finished. Fifteen of those are considered to be under construction now—with seven of them sold, priced from $559,000 to $630,000.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the enthusiasm from homebuyers and how the community is coming together as construction progresses,” Monte Hewett, company founder and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “[The project] has come a long way from its start as a brownfield site with a gas station and dry cleaners.”

While hardly chump change, the asking prices represent a less expensive option versus, say, other new townhomes in a similar stylistic vein (and with similar square footages) in Summerhill.

Listings at The Harman offer just shy of 1,600 square feet in three or four-story layouts, each with three bedrooms. Floorplans include either three or two and ½ bathrooms, with rooftop terraces at the top level and two-car, rear-entry garages below.  

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

In-home perks include quartz countertops, hardwood floors, and JennAir appliances described as top-flight. Beyond EAV, walkable plusses in the area include Glenwood Park, the BeltLine’s Southside Trail corridor, and across the street, Little Azio Pizza and Pasta, Spoon Eastside, and (for better or worse) Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream.

Monte Hewett began work in earnest at the site in summer 2022.

Along with empty land, the .9-acre site was the former home of Jiffy Grocery, which gained notoriety after it’d been closed for several years and the “J” fell off its main signage, rendering it “Iffy Grocery.” The grocer’s former building was demolished in 2021.

The 1160 Ormewood Avenue site's location south of Interstate 20 and EAV. Google Maps

How facades have come together at The Harman off Moreland Avenue. Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Monte Hewett has built more than 35 neighborhoods in Atlanta and places such as Halcyon since its founding in the early 2000s. Beyond The Harman, recent projects include Alpharetta condos Findley Row and the townhome component at West Midtown’s growing The Interlock district.

The Harman neighbors the modern-style, six-townhome project by the Xmetrical firm called The Ormewood, located just to the north. And across Moreland Avenue, the 1960s Seville shopping center underwent a renovation in 2020 and sold the following year for $2.5 million, fully leased with tenants that include Japanese restaurant Ok Yaki.

It’s not the first time developers have envisioned more active uses for The Harman’s property. In 2017, the Third and Urban firm announced plans at the site for a “micro” mixed-use node called The Elway. That was expected to deliver in 2018 but never broke ground.

Find a closer look at how The Harman is turning out—inside and out—in the gallery above.

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731 Moreland Avenue SE The Harman 1160 Ormewood Avenue Novare Group Lessard Design Iffy Grocery East Atlanta East Atlanta Village The Elway Xmetrical Kimley-Horn & Associates Monte Hewett Homes Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Atlanta Townhomes Engel & Völkers Atlanta Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream

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The 1160 Ormewood Avenue site's location south of Interstate 20 and EAV. Google Maps

How facades have come together at The Harman off Moreland Avenue. Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Example of a model bedroom at The Harman. Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

Courtesy of Monte Hewett

The grocery's "IFFY" signage after the building had shuttered. It'd been closed about seven years before its demolition in 2021. Google Maps

The 1160 Ormewood Ave. location in relation to Moreland Avenue and Interstate 20. Google Maps

Subtitle Half of under-construction The Harman townhomes claimed in Ormewood Park, sellers report

Neighborhood Ormewood Park

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GSU launches 'Blue Line' to boost connectivity, college-town vibes Josh Green Mon, 08/05/2024 - 07:58 The start of fall classes at Georgia State University might be another three weeks away, but changes are being implemented now that one of Georgia’s leading colleges hopes will beef up campus safety and placemaking while putting its commuter-school past further behind it. 

The initiative is called the GSU Blue Line. Taking inspiration from the Atlanta BeltLine and Manhattan’s High Line, the project calls for a 3.7-mile, demarcated walking path throughout campus in the eastern blocks of downtown.

The Blue Line’s goal, as GSU’s magazine relays, is to inject parts of campus with Eastside Trail-like vibrancy, increase safety with more “eyes on the street,” and generally change the feel along the route from an urban downtown to more of a college town. A people-focused connecting thread, if you will.

More than 90 markers for the Blue Line trail are being installed prior to students’ arrival in late August, alongside new blue emergency call boxes.

Sky Design/Georgia State University

Other additions will include block-long decals marking the Blue Line, blue accent lights along the route, street-level spaces of buildings bedecked in Panther blue, and GSU-branded sidewalks, crosswalks, and welcome banners.

That will work in concert with security upgrades that include AI-equipped cameras designed to pinpoint gathering crowds and atypical noises, brighter LED streetlights (plus more streetlights in general), and parking decks with high-speed gates and more security cameras, according to the university.

The Blue Line will worm through five different “neighborhoods” or “quads” around GSU’s growing campus, providing an off-street connector between classroom buildings, research centers, libraries, and dorms.

New wayfinding signs and trail markers will include QR codes that lead to the Blue Line’s website—and details on downtown destinations and Instagrammable murals and art along the route, the magazine reports.

Planned route of GSU's Blue Line in downtown's eastern blocks. Sky Design/Georgia State University

GSU’s chief operating officer L. Jared Abramson envisions the Blue Line becoming a destination in itself, he told the publication.

Abramson expects the project will create “a palpably different feel on campus” by the time students return and a “critical mass of like-minded people walking together” soon—another step toward fully rebranding and redeveloping the downtown campus.

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Planned route of GSU's Blue Line in downtown's eastern blocks. Sky Design/Georgia State University

Subtitle Downtown trail will run nearly four miles, through distinctive "neighborhoods," officials say

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Across Midtown, new ordinance aims to boost street-level vibrancy Josh Green Fri, 08/02/2024 - 13:21 If you’ve found yourself in Midtown lately staring up disheartened at a towering new parking podium wall, or wandering a people-free sidewalk in a retail corridor—well, there’s hope those blank spots in the urban fabric could be a thing of the past.

Following a year of planning and behind-the-scenes work, a new ordinance has officially gone into effect that’s designed to make the street-level experience across the quickly growing subdistrict more engaging, livable, interactive, tech-savvy, accessible, and vibrant.

The Atlanta City Council in June passed a revised version of what’s known as Midtown’s Special Public Interest zoning ordinance, or SPI-16, that’s geared toward enhancing the public domain at street level.

As Midtown Alliance officials relay, the new rules have been a collaborative effort between that agency, the Midtown Neighbors Association, and the city’s Office of Zoning and Development.

The updates to SPI-16 were born from recent changes in tech, insight collected from more than 50 large developments either finished or under-construction since the last zoning updates in 2017, and recommendations from Midtown Alliance’s 2023 Public Life Action Plan, according to Midtown Alliance.

In an effort to better engage Midtown residents and visitors, the SPI-16 zoning helps dictate how future development will look and function in Midtown, impacting urban design, space usage, transportation, and accessibility.

In terms of building design, the ordinance mandates that parking deck facades will need to be architecturally compatible with the rest of the building as a means of better blending in. (Flagrant examples of non-blending can be found at newer projects across Atlanta.)

How the parking deck is masked above retail space at the topped-out Society Midtown tower along Peachtree Street. Courtesy of PMG

According to Midtown Alliance, parking decks will be required at street level to have “intervening ‘active uses’ facing public streets sized at least 20 [feet] deep and at least 36 [feet] in height,” which would help eliminate blank walls at the feet of new high-rises.

As a remedy for ghostly sidewalks, the ordinance will require new restaurants to provide outdoor dining options along most streets in Midtown. And those patio spaces will now be allowed to encroach up to two feet into the sidewalks—and up to three feet on main drag Peachtree Street. (Paris, here we come!)

In an effort to further liven things up, live musical performances will be permitted on streets between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

On the accessibility front, the ordinance will require push-button activators for any building entries that are accessible from public sidewalks.

Buildings will also be required to provide one fast-charging, electric-vehicle parking space for every 20 standard parking spaces, or 5 percent of spaces overall. Those will count toward existing max parking-count caps.  

And for Midtown’s growing pet population, new buildings will be able to lease to veterinary uses—so long as they’re soundproofed, according to Midtown Alliance.

Karl Smith-Davids, Midtown Alliance’s urban design senior project manager who led the zoning revisions, predicts the changes will produce exponentially more al fresco dining options across the neighborhood—and generally more life on many streets.

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Subtitle Less ugly parking podiums and mandatory outdoor dining for new restaurants—how’s that sound?

Neighborhood Midtown

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Photos: Project consuming Summerhill corner ready for closeup Josh Green Thu, 08/01/2024 - 16:13 A modern-style infill project billed as “urban luxury at its finest” has entered the final phases of construction on Summerhill’s resurgent main drag, with pricing coming into clearer focus.

Ten 5 Summerhill is delivering 10 townhomes at the southwest corner of Georgia Avenue’s intersection with Martin Street, continuing Summerhill’s residential groundswell where Georgia Avenue meets a large intown park. The .3-acre corner site had been vacant—as almost all buildings on Georgia Avenue used to be—for well over a decade.

The Xmetrical-designed project’s furnished model townhome, unit No. 2, has recently come to market. All five units facing Georgia Avenue are on pace to finish construction within the next month, according to listing agent Sara Lee Parker of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta. 

How the Ten 5 Summerhill project's Georgia Avenue facade turned out on a previously vacant corner. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

The first listing is asking $749,000 for two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and two partial baths in 1,513 square feet, atop a one-car garage. (The priciest townhome listed so far on the project’s website—an end unit along Georgia Avenue—is asking $20,000 more.)

Perks of the initial listing include a rooftop “retreat” with a half-bath, flex space, roof deck, kitchenette, wet bar, and beverage fridge. The listing points to floating vanities, floor-to-ceiling Pella window, gas cooking, quartz counters, and ancillary balconies as additional draws.

Some of Ten 5 Summerhill’s four-story floorplans will be unique in that they swap garages for studio apartments at street level. All four floorplans have two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and two half-baths, plus the top-floor spaces.

A small lot with reserved, off-street parking will be tucked behind the townhomes, masked from public view. Parker said that portion of the project will be completed once consecutive days without rain allow.

According to Parker, the project’s first closings are planned for September, and the goal is to sell each unit by year’s end.

Passageway to the project's small parking lot between two buildings, as seen along Martin Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

The location is across the street from Phoenix II Park, a 7.3-acre community greenspace, and a block east of Georgia Avenue’s new slate of restaurants and other businesses. 

The project’s development team is listed as JB Development Partners, Bespoke Developments, and South City Residential.

Intown Builders, a frequent Xmetrical collaborator, is also involved in the project, per building permit records. The developer had previously planned a six-story, 21-unit condo building at the corner property with commercial spaces at street level, but those plans were nixed. (The plot in question sold for $660,000 in 2018—just two years after it had traded for $168,000, which speaks to the historic neighborhood's cachet, according to property records.)

Once-ghostly Georgia Avenue has added a full portfolio of restaurants, retail, and service-related businesses as part of Carter’s Summerhill development over the past six years, both in revived old buildings and new construction. Those businesses join more than 1,200 new apartments and townhomes that have opened, or are under construction now, in the blocks surrounding Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium.

Swing up to the gallery for a look at Ten 5 Summerhill exteriors and interior designs of the first model on the market.

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105 Georgia Avenue SE Ten 5 Summerhill Summerhill Townhomes Intown Builders Xmetrical 271 GLEN IRIS DRIVE LLC Condos Atlanta Townhomes townhomes Atlanta Development Atlanta Construction Jordache Avery Kaizen Collaborative American Commerce Bank JB Development Partners Bespoke Developments South City Residential Sara Lee Parker & Associates Keller Williams Intown Atlanta Interior Design Wes Cummings RealKit Photography

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How the Ten 5 Summerhill project's Georgia Avenue facade turned out on a previously vacant corner. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Landscape detailing at the corner. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Entries and balconies along Martin Street in Summerhill. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Passageway to the project's small parking lot between two buildings, as seen along Martin Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Rooftop deck atop the two-bedroom model, which has listed at $749,000. Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

The project's proximity to Phoenix Park, at top. Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Wes Cummings, RealKit Photography; courtesy of Keller Williams Intown Atlanta

Site plan for the 10 townhomes units. Ten 5 Summerhill

The Ten 5 Summerhill location along Georgia Avenue. Google Maps

Subtitle Listings commence at Ten 5 Summerhill venture on now-hip Georgia Avenue

Neighborhood Summerhill

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Ten 5 Summerhill - 105 Georgia Avenue SE

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Study: Atlanta's 'suburban boom' is real, with Chamblee in lead Josh Green Thu, 08/01/2024 - 13:25 Devout intowners who consider anything beyond Atlanta city limits—let alone, gasp, OTP—hostile territory could be surprised: The population boom Georgia’s capital has been experiencing for more than a decade is happening in all corners of the metro, too.

To help put that in context, a new StorageCafé study examined housing stock and population trends in nearly 4,100 U.S. cities, finding that suburban and exurban markets around Atlanta are outpacing growth in the city’s urban core, at least in terms of percentages. (Lest we forget the City of Atlanta’s growth rate has outpaced every county in the metro recently, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s official 2024 population estimates released last month.)

As with other metros, the “suburban boom” has created vibrant urban centers with new identities out of former ghost towns ringed by subdivisions, as analysts found.

In metro Atlanta’s case, the north ITP city of Chamblee has led the charge in terms of growth rates over the past decade, according to researchers with StorageCafé, a national search service for storage spaces that tracks growth trends.  

Chamblee’s multifamily offerings have cropped up like mushrooms around the city’s once-quiet historic center in recent years—with hundreds of more units in the pipeline—and that’s reflected in the data.

Between the waning days of the Great Recession in 2012 and 2022, Chamblee’s population ballooned by 106 percent to nearly 30,000 residents as the housing stock doubled.

According to the study, Chamblee’s relative affordability has played a central role in the explosive growth, with home prices climbing by 65 percent over the past decade—as compared to a whopping 88 percent in nearby Atlanta.  

How Lumen Chamblee's retail facade and parking garage entry are arranged along American Way, a block west of Peachtree Road, the city's de facto Main Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The second strongest performer has been Braselton in Atlanta’s far northeastern suburbs, where the population has swelled by 73 percent and nearly all of its multifamily housing stock has been built within the past decade. The city’s housing stock climbed by 78 percent in that time period, the study found.

Meanwhile, per StorageCafé’s research, the City of Atlanta’s overall housing stock has inched up, relatively speaking, by just 14 percent over the past 10 years—through it was obviously much larger in the first place.

Rounding out the top 10 in terms of metro Atlanta housing stock growth are Holly Springs (where work-from-home rates have exploded by 196 percent), Clarkston, Lovejoy, Suwanee, Tucker, Woodstock, Winder, and Canton, respectively.

STORAGECafé

More broadly, the study found that housing expansion has been overwhelmingly concentrated in the South. Texas counts seven suburbs among the 20 fastest-growing in the U.S., and Florida counts five, per the study.

As major cities go, researchers found that Austin has expanded the most in terms of overall housing inventory growth rates, followed by Forth Worth and Seattle.

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STORAGECafé

Subtitle Population and housing stock of north ITP city have doubled over past decade, analysis finds

Neighborhood Chamblee

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Images: South Downtown hotel conversion targets fall opening Josh Green Thu, 08/01/2024 - 08:07 South Downtown’s beleaguered blocks continue to show signs of new life.

An adaptive-reuse hotel project on Pryor Street that marks a rare large-scale, non-governmental investment south of Five Points has begun scheduling hard hat tours and promoting room availability in hopes of opening this fall.

The Origin Hotel Atlanta, a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property, has been delayed by construction issues but continues to remake a 1950s office building at 166 Pryor St. into a boutique hotel with 122 guest rooms and suites. Other features include a private event space on the top floor, plus an onsite restaurant and bar.

Situated about a block south of Underground Atlanta, or two blocks west of the Georgia State Capitol building, the hotel marks an important historical save and “jewel” of redevelopment, project leaders have said. Marketing materials describe the property as being “where dynamic cityscapes and Southern hospitality intertwine.”

A project rep tells Urbanize Atlanta the Wyndham team is aiming for an October opening as of now.

Interior designs of a demo room at the Origin property. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Atlanta iconography—including a depiction of the Beaux Arts-style Terminal Station, demolished in the 1970s—is included in a model room's wallpaper. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Online bookings begin Oct. 17, with nightly rates ranging from $151 to $549 for rooms with between 265 square feet (single queens) to 700 square feet (a “premiere suite” that sleeps four).

Hotel designs will lean into a midcentury aesthetic, with nods to Atlanta history. In addition to event spaces that include the rooftop with skyline views, the property will feature a retail storefront that sells ATL-themed souvenirs and gear, officials relayed this week.

Elsewhere, an all-day restaurant concept called Butter + Scotch has signed on to operate at the Origin hotel, from the same team that owns the celebrated Che Butter Jonez in Southwest Atlanta. Owner Detric Fox-Quinlan told Urbanize in April that construction crews have encountered hurdles at the property but that “everything promises to be absolutely beautiful upon completion.”

The building stands at the intersection of Pryor and Mitchell streets, roughly two blocks east of where developer Newport revived parts of downtown’s historic Hotel Row before handing over its portfolio to foreclosure. Tech-focused Atlanta Ventures has since purchased those properties and taken over redevelopment while adding more buildings to its portfolio, including most recently the Concordia Hall building that’s long housed Friedman’s Shoes.

A 50-foot art installation in the hotel’s lobby will serve as “a graceful nod to the neighborhood’s thriving arts community,” while bike rentals will be free for hotel guests. Plans for the loft-like aesthetics are described as a combination of high concrete ceilings and exposed brick walls with details such as patterned wallpaper featuring Atlanta landmarks, per the Origin website.

Exterior work in April at the 166 Pryor St. building in South Downtown. Submitted

The hotel will join others under the Origin brand in Austin, Lexington, Baton Rouge, and Red Rocks (Colorado), with another in Kansas City under development.

Mississippi-based The Thrash Group paid $16 million for the six-story office building two years ago, when plans were announced to complete a stalled renovation and open the former offices as a boutique downtown lodging option. Officials noted the hotel’s proximity to two MARTA stations—Five Points and Garnett—as a selling point at the time.

Head to the gallery for more context and a sneak peek at the Origin hotel’s design motif.

The Origin Hotel Atlanta's location where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet, in the context of South Downtown. Google Maps

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Interior designs of a demo room at the Origin property. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Atlanta iconography—including a depiction of the Beaux Arts-style Terminal Station, demolished in the 1970s—is included in a model room's wallpaper. Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Courtesy of Origin Hotel Atlanta

Exterior work in April at the 166 Pryor St. building in South Downtown. Submitted

The Origin Hotel Atlanta's location where Pryor and Mitchell streets meet, in the context of South Downtown. Google Maps

The building's six-story facade over Pryor Street, as seen in September. Google Maps

Subtitle Former office building described as combination of “dynamic cityscapes and Southern hospitality"

Neighborhood Downtown

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Origin Hotel Atlanta

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