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Westside project along Beltline trail takes key step forward Josh Green Mon, 12/23/2024 - 13:39 A longstanding civil rights organization that’s plotting a new campus on Atlanta’s Westside has selected an architect and developer—and announced ambitions to achieve the greenest certification possible for its local headquarters.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy agency founded in 1971, has picked Atlanta-based Quest Ventures to design and build its campus at 871 Wheeler St. in English Avenue.

Veteran local architecture firm Cooper Carry—which partnered with Quest to develop a mixed-use employment, retail, and housing hub in nearby Vine City two years ago—is also on board with the SPLC project.

SPLC officials recently announced the English Avenue campus will seek Living Building Challenge certification, which is considered the highest possible green building certification. (Georgia Tech’s Kendeda Building was the first project of significant scale in the South to achieve the certification in 2021.)

After deciding to decamp from its Atlanta headquarters near downtown Decatur, Montgomery, Ala.-based SPLC purchased the Beltline-adjacent site last December, following a two-year search.

The 871 Wheeler St. property's location in relation to Midtown and downtown landmarks. Photo courtesy of Real Estate Photos Atlanta

The main structure on site today, as seen along Wheeler Street with the BeltLine connecting trail behind it. Google Maps

The 2.5-acre property is located directly on the 1.7-mile Westside Beltline Connector, a link between downtown and the Beltline’s Westside Trail, a section of the 22-mile mainline loop.

Situated immediately east of Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, roughly midway between Georgia Tech and Westside Park, the brick warehouse building on SPLC’s site is occupied by Verco Materials, a protective armor manufacturer, records show.  

A SPLC rep tells Urbanize Atlanta the tenant’s lease on site now runs through summer 2025. A cell tower that’s also on site will remain standing but won’t interfere with SPLC’s development plans. 

SPLC’s goal is to break ground in the second half of 2025. Renderings of the new campus won’t be revealed until the first phase of community consultations are finished, according to SPLC officials. Few details about the project’s scope have been confirmed.

General plans for the expanded campus call for free event space, affordable commercial spaces for local entrepreneurs of color, spaces for programming to support Westside residents and community groups, and other resources aimed at uplifting the community, according to SPLC leadership.

The Westside BeltLine Connector shown with the Southern Poverty Law Center's new 2.5-acre property behind it near Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard. Google Maps

Photo courtesy of Real Estate Photos Atlanta

SPLC has had an office in Atlanta since 2006. As its lease was expiring in Decatur, SPLC’s leadership sensed an opportunity to expand to a larger facility that’s more accessible to local communities of need. Plans initially called for building a 60,000-square-foot office complex or renovating an existing structure.  

The future Westside campus “is not only a new office for SPLC staff, but also a major investment in a community grounded in civil rights history,” Margaret Huang, SPLC president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “We intentionally sought out an Atlanta-based team that specializes in equitable, community-focused development. Quest’s strong connection to the Westside makes them the ideal partner.”

SPLC's campus won't be the only significant new investment in the immediate area. 

Earlier this month, Atlanta Housing and developer Windsor Stevens Holdings broke ground on a 137-unit, mixed-use project called The Proctor. That's moving forward on the block directly south of SPLC's property. 

The Southern Poverty Law Center's new location, midway between Georgia Tech and Westside Park. Google Maps

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871 Wheeler Street Southern Poverty Law Center Margaret Huang Avison Young Atlanta Nonprofits Decatur SPLC Request for Proposals Racial Justice MARTA Alternate Transportation Office Space Michelle Browder Westside BeltLine Connector Quest Ventures Living Building Challenge Living Building Cooper Carry(16664)

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The Southern Poverty Law Center's new location, midway between Georgia Tech and Westside Park. Google Maps

The 871 Wheeler St. property's location in relation to Midtown and downtown landmarks. Photo courtesy of Real Estate Photos Atlanta

The Westside BeltLine Connector shown with the Southern Poverty Law Center's new 2.5-acre property behind it near Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard. Google Maps

The main structure on site today, as seen along Wheeler Street with the BeltLine connecting trail behind it. Google Maps

Photo courtesy of Real Estate Photos Atlanta

Subtitle Southern Poverty Law Center to claim 2.5-acre site on Westside Beltline Connector in English Avenue

Neighborhood English Avenue

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Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024, Elite Eight: Downtown vs. East ATL Josh Green Mon, 12/23/2024 - 12:45 As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2024 coverage, Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament kicked off last week with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest.

Now, for this Elite Eight contest, voting will be open for just 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood rises above the rest in very public fashion. The quest to crown a champion resumes now!

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(5) Downtown

The 1.25-million-square-foot tower's facade of wall-to-wall glass. Courtesy of Signia by Hilton Atlanta

In 2024, downtown finally started doing its best Midtown impression, beginning with the official opening of a nearly 1,000-room glassy hotel tower in January and not really slowing down from there. The Gulch started clearly becoming something more vibrant and useful, as Centennial Yards morphed into a massive construction zone with two towers now standing and more World Cup-focused development not far behind. Meanwhile, Atlanta Ventures’ team of entrepreneurs kept putting more money where their mouths are, adding properties and launching renovations across a portfolio of more than 50 buildings and 6 acres of parking lots. Elsewhere, MARTA’s Five Points overhaul is back on track, the storied Atlanta Constitution building and Stitch project are showing promise, Underground is set to grow way up, a groundbreaking for the 2 Peachtree tower’s affordable housing conversion appears imminent—and that’s just scratching the surface. 

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(4) East Atlanta

Peaceful Sea Photography; courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

Usually a tough out in year-end neighborhood tournaments (see: the match with College Park in Round 1 last week), East Atlanta garnered enough reader nominations this year to land a big-boy No. 4 seed. Which makes sense, given the buzz around several EAV projects this year (and what could have been the most rollicking East Atlanta Strut festival to date in September). Celebrated artist Greg Mike transformed a 1980s church in the village to a modern-gothic temple to creativity, while commendably old-school designs for mixed-use development on a small scale came to light on a vacant East Atlanta corner. Elsewhere, frequent village investors Pellerin Real Estate are bringing an infill project with dozens of new homes to a site where little more than a void in EAV’s vibrancy existed before. Not too shabby. 

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Best of Atlanta 2024 Best Atlanta Neighborhood Best Atlanta Neighborhoods Neighborhood Tournament Mozley Park Summerhill Avondale Estates Hapeville Golden Urby Chalice of Champions East Atlanta Downtown Downtown Atlanta Elite Eight

Subtitle Who should advance to the Final Four? Cast your vote now!

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Centennial Yards' next high-rise tops out beside Mercedes-Benz Stadium Josh Green Mon, 12/23/2024 - 10:43 Two years after breaking ground, Centennial Yards’ first two high-rise projects have officially reached maximum height over Atlanta’s former Gulch, across the street from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

After rising quickly throughout the fall, the latest tower to officially top out has been christened “Hotel Phoenix” (previously called Anthem) as a nod to the mythical bird and Atlanta city symbol.

Following a topping-out ceremony Wednesday, Centennial Yards Company officials say the focus for the 292-room hotel’s more than 500-member construction team will turn to finishing the hotel’s interior, with a goal of opening in summer 2025.

Hotel Phoenix’s sibling tower, the 304-unit The Mitchell luxury apartments, topped out in August at a site just south of the hotel, marking the $5-billion, 50-acre megaproject’s first ground up new construction to stand at max height.

Both buildings stand 18 stories, between The Benz and active railroad tracks below.

Where the 292-room Hotel Phoenix stands today. Photo by @CentennialYards on Instagram

Plans for Hotel Phoenix call for 15 suites and penthouses with city views described as “panoramic” and private balconies. Elsewhere on site will be 15,000 square feet of flex event space (8,000 square feet of that a ballroom), plus several dining options. Those will include a rooftop restaurant with a private elevator entrance, a lobby coffee bar, and an all-day restaurant and bar, according to Centennial Yards officials.

Other facets of the building will include an outdoor event lawn, a fitness center, and a resort-style pool with private cabanas, officials said.

Materials chosen for Hotel Phoenix—reclaimed wood, stone finishes, polished metals—will aim to echo Atlanta’s industrial roots, as the property will be situated near the city’s birthplace at the Western & Atlantic Railway terminus. The building’s architecture “showcases parallel and intersecting lines that are reminiscent of historic railway tracks,” according to a project description.

“Just as Atlanta once rose from the ashes of a fire, symbolizing renewal and growth, Centennial Yards is also emerging from its past,” Brian McGowan, Centennial Yards Company president, said in a prepared statement. “After many years of [the area] being underused, we look forward to contributing to the lively Atlanta that everyone in this city deserves.”

As seen in August, at right, the high-rise hotel project climbed quickly throughout the autumn months this year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

In other Centennial Yards news, project leaders say The Mitchell building has signed its first lease, inking a concept called Khao Thai Eatery, which will serve Thai tapas and cocktails by 26 Thai.

East of the topped-out towers, Centennial Yards Company is also actively building an 8-acre, mixed-use entertainment hub anchored by a three-level Cosm entertainment dome with a mid-rise hotel and fan plaza at the center. Those buildings are scheduled to be finished in time for eight FIFA World Cup matches to be played in Atlanta, beginning in June 2026.

About 480,000 square feet of space at that section will be dedicated to retail, entertainment, and dining, per developers.

How Centennial Yards' first two towers (The Mitchell apartments, in foreground, and the new hotel behind it) stand in relation to the football and soccer arena. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

The AJC reports that six buildings—including the standing apartment and hotel towers—are under construction around the former Gulch now. A third new Centennial Yards hotel project on a smaller scale is also in the pipeline at 88 Elliott St. That long, slender site is situated between active rail lines and the historic Castleberry Hill neighborhood, across the street from the former Elliott Street Pub and Atlanta Fire Station No. 1, near the western section of the pedestrians-only Steele Bridge.

Centennial Yards officials initially submitted that hotel project to the city as a multifamily residential building standing a maximum of about five stories, crowned with rooftop decks.

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70 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW Hotel Phoenix 95 Centennial Olympic Park Drive The Mitchell Centennial Yards Hotel 250 MARTIN Luther King Jr. Drive SW Centennial Yards apartments Cooper Carry Gulch Affordable Housing Nelson Street Bridge CIM Group Centennial Yards Castleberry Hill South Downtown 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 Cosm D.A. Davidson’s Development Finance Group Truist Securities Atlanta Development Authority CYCo Spring Street LLC financing J.P. Morgan

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As seen in August, at right, the high-rise hotel project climbed quickly throughout the autumn months this year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Where the 292-room Hotel Phoenix stands today. Photo by @CentennialYards on Instagram

How Centennial Yards' first two towers (The Mitchell apartments, in foreground, and the new hotel behind it) stand in relation to the football and soccer arena. Courtesy of Centennial Yards Company

Subtitle 292-room tower in Atlanta’s former Gulch officially christened “Hotel Phoenix”

Neighborhood Downtown

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Centennial Yards - 125 Ted Turner Dr SW One Centennial Yards

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Meet the Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024 tourney Elite Eight! Josh Green Fri, 12/20/2024 - 17:27 Hundreds and hundreds of voters have spoken. Blowouts, relatively close contests, and exactly zero upsets have ensued.

And now, Round 1 in Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tourney is officially in the books.

Atlanta, meet the contenders left standing: 

These eight winners are still alive in the quest to claim everlasting Best Neighborhood glory (for at least a year) as determined by the voting public—in very public fashion. The only criteria is that you vote for the place you feel is doing it right, right now. (Reader nominations determined the field of 16 neighborhoods earlier this month.)

The eight competitors left standing represent a wide, eclectic swath of the ITP universe. Which one shall prevail, rising up to claim the 2024 crown?

The Elite Eight contests will open very soon. Get ready.

Note: The Final Four and Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024 Championship will come next week. Thanks again to all who’ve participated (1,800+ votes and counting). Now, onward!

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The hallowed pantheon of Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament winners:

***2011:***Inman Park

***2012:***Old Fourth Ward

***2013:***Kirkwood

***2014:***Reynoldstown

***2015:***West End

***2016:***East Atlanta

***2017:***West End (again)

2018-2020:(forced hiatus)

2021:Mozley Park

2022:Avondale Estates

2023: Hapeville

2024: TBD

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Best of Atlanta 2024 Best Atlanta Neighborhood Best Atlanta Neighborhoods Neighborhood Tournament Mozley Park Summerhill Avondale Estates Hapeville Golden Urby Chalice of Champions Candler Park Buckhead East Atlanta Midtown Downtown Downtown Atlanta Old Fourth Ward West End Adair Park Decatur Virginia-Highland Cabbagetown College Park Lake Claire Poncey-Highland

Subtitle After nearly 2,000 votes, these eight places are still vying for everlasting prestige

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What's up with that large construction site in Oakhurst Village? Josh Green Fri, 12/20/2024 - 14:19 Anyone who’s visited the happening little Decatur district that is Oakhurst Village lately may have done a double-take at a construction site that’s seemingly half the size of the commercial district itself.

No, it’s not a mixed-use complex on a residential street or an expansion of the Oakhurst Village shopping center—home to Sceptre Brewing Arts, FitWit, and Oakhurst Market—next door.

It’s actually three separate projects happening simultaneously, all of them bringing rather large single-family homes.

Construction on the three contiguous Oakhurst Village sites this week, as seen looking toward Sceptre Brewing Arts next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Until recently, the deep lots in question—614, 618, and 622 East Lake Drive—were home to three modest, older houses in a variety of architectural styles.

A couple of years ago, Parkland Communities had put together plans to consolidate the lots and build a node of 34 townhomes (with two or three bedrooms above one-car garages). Those plans were abandoned after being rejected by Decatur city planners several times.

What’s moving forward now is also purely residential, but would add far fewer units (and people) to the increasingly tony street.

General scope of the three Oakhurst project sites in question, immediately west of the brewery. Google Maps

The trio of older homes recently razed along East Lake Drive in Oakhurst, as seen in 2021. Google Maps

Starting from the west, farthest from the shopping center, the home projects are by Robert Koch Designs, Wesley Knapp of Keller Knapp Realty (owner), and next to Sceptre brewery, longtime Oakhurst builder Arlene Dean Quality Homes and designer Rawlings Design, according to Koch.

Koch recently shared preliminary plans for what his company is planning to build at 614 East Lake Drive: a four-bedroom, four and ½ bathroom traditional-style house with an office in 3,180 square feet.

Features will include a “large wraparound porch fashioned to give the initial feel of a Craftsman four-square,” Koch noted. “The project could have been much, much bigger, but the client wanted their home to stay on the more reasonable side.”

Courtesy of Robert Koch Designs

Tentative design plans for 614 East Lake Drive, the lot farthest from the shopping center, to the west. Courtesy of Robert Koch Designs

The home in the middle (618 East Lake Drive) was most recently torn down.

Meanwhile, on the easternmost lot within three easy stumbles of Sceptre, Rawlings was more guarded with what’s in store, citing homeowner privacy.

“I will say that I have seven other projects on that block between the village and 3rd Avenue that range in style between very modern and very traditional,” Rawlings noted via email. “It won’t be as modern or traditional as the others.” 

Construction progress the week of Dec. 16 randomly photographed at night. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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614 East Lake Drive Sceptre Brewing Arts Wesley Knapp Arlene Dean Robert Koch Designs Rawlings Design Infill Development Single-Family Homes Oakhurst Oakhurst Village Oakhurst Village shopping center East Lake Drive Home Design Homes For sale Decatur Development Oakhurst Development Keller Knapp Realty Keller Knapp Commercial Arlene Dean Quality Homes

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General scope of the three Oakhurst project sites in question, immediately west of the brewery. Google Maps

The trio of older homes recently razed along East Lake Drive in Oakhurst, as seen in 2021. Google Maps

Construction on the three contiguous Oakhurst Village sites this week, as seen looking toward Sceptre Brewing Arts next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Construction progress the week of Dec. 16 randomly photographed at night. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Tentative design plans for 614 East Lake Drive, the lot farthest from the shopping center, to the west. Courtesy of Robert Koch Designs

Courtesy of Robert Koch Designs

Subtitle That's actually three projects, all underway together in hip Decatur district

Neighborhood Oakhurst

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Images: Delayed Midtown street makeover officially happening Josh Green Fri, 12/20/2024 - 12:51 Construction is clearly ramping up on the people-friendly makeover of a Midtown street that will help create a safer crosstown route and connections to other bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects. 

The 5th Street Complete Street will span about ½ mile from Williams Street near the Connector in Tech Square to Myrtle Street in Midtown’s residential Garden District.

Before hitting snags, the $3-million project was once expected to break ground in 2022 and open last year.

This week, construction crews left no doubt the 5th Street makeover has reached blocks nearest to Georgia Tech. Street resurfacing is underway, cycle track lanes are taking shape, and ADA pavers, a raised pedestrian walkway, and a bus stop ramp are being installed.

Resurfacing work this week on the 5th Street overhaul, facing Georgia Tech from Spring Street. Submitted photo/Nathan Davenport

Rendering of a planned 5th Street Complete Street makeover. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

According to Midtown Alliance, 5th Street is already one of Atlanta’s most popular multimodal thoroughfares. Planned upgrades call for infill street trees to protect bike lanes, upgraded ADA ramps and crosswalks, better lighting, a new traffic signal at Williams Street, and a full repaving and re-striping of the street.

Added bonus: The 5th Street project will cross both the Juniper Street (southbound) and Piedmont Avenue (northbound) Complete Street projects in the pipeline in other parts of Midtown, creating a much broader network of multimodal connectivity in the district.

The 5th Street upgrades will also be at the doorstep of Tech Square’s third phase, a mixed-use high-rise that’s climbing between Spring and West Peachtree streets now.

No work on 5th Street is expected to take place over a Christmas break next week, per Midtown Alliance.

Scope of the 5th Street work (No. 9) that Midtown Alliance lists as being under construction now. Midtown Alliance

Submitted photo/Nathan Davenport

Painted bike lanes and other work along 5th Street began earlier this year as part of the infrastructure project. Midtown Alliance has estimated the project will take 16 months to complete, meaning it should be fully wrapped by next summer.

Midtown Alliance awarded the project’s construction contract to low-bidder Hasbun Construction in November last year.

Funding for the project came from a Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank/SRTA state grant, City of Atlanta TSPLOST 1.0 coffers, and Midtown Improvement District funds.

Submitted photo/Nathan Davenport

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5th Street 5th Street Complete Street Midtown Complete Streets Midtown Construction Midtown Atlanta Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportations Midtown Alliance Georgia Tech Tech Square Hasbun Construction Bicycle Infrastructure Bike Infrastructure Atlanta Bike Lanes Atlanta Bike Infrastructure

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Scope of the 5th Street work (No. 9) that Midtown Alliance lists as being under construction now. Midtown Alliance

Resurfacing work this week on the 5th Street overhaul, facing Georgia Tech from Spring Street. Submitted photo/Nathan Davenport

Submitted photo/Nathan Davenport

Submitted photo/Nathan Davenport

Rendering of a planned 5th Street Complete Street makeover. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Subtitle Complete Street project targeting one of Atlanta’s most popular multimodal thoroughfares

Neighborhood Midtown

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Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024, 1st round: (1) Midtown vs. (16) Candler Park Josh Green Thu, 12/19/2024 - 16:55 As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2024 coverage, Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament is kicking off with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest. (Note: Seeding from 1 to 16 was determined by reader nominations this month—so no pitchforks, please.)

For each Round 1 contest, voting will be open for just 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood rises above the rest in very public fashion. The eliminations begin now!

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(1) Midtown

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

Enter: 2024’s Goliath.

Yes, folks, it’s fitting that Atlanta’s epicenter of high-rise development, high-profile job growth, and sheer physical change has taken the pole position in this year’s tournament, as determined by reader nominations. Like no other place right now—or across the past decade, for that matter—Midtown exemplifies Atlanta’s roaring ’20s boom, as our aerial photo essays have relayed throughout the year. In just the past year, the district has packed on another 2,200 residences, as recently tabulated by Midtown Alliance. And the tallest building to rise from Atlanta’s red dirt since Bill Clinton was president is currently climbing over Midtown’s West Peachtree Street. Enough said?

Nonetheless, Midtown has a spotty track record in these contests, including a Round 1 knockout against 13-seed Adair Park in 2021 action. Surprisingly, it’s never won the non-existent trophy in these contests, either. Here’s a rundown of just a fraction of what’s happening in Midtown these days. But it begs the eternal question: Does all this action make for the best actual neighborhood around?

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(16) Candler Park

A quintessential CandlerPark scene along McLendon Avenue. Google Maps

Shockingly, Candler Park is making its Best Atlanta Neighborhood tourney debut this year, having finally tallied enough nominations to enter the big criteria-free dance. Home to rollicking festivals and coveted school options, this leafy little ’hood is one of Atlanta’s best places to simply take a walk—or to stumble home from Little Five Points next door.

Candler Park counts restaurants both trendy and stalwart (hello, Fox Bros.), too many artfully restored bungalows to count, no shortage of free-thinking city dwellers, and that glorious, eponymous park, which was one of Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler's many gifts to the city. And as of October, Candler Park is also home to one of the city’s most mind-blowingly awesome playgrounds, a $1-million affair designed by top architecture firm Perkins + Will. Proof that halcyon times for ATL kids continue.   

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Best of Atlanta 2024 Atlanta Neighborhoods Where to Live Atlanta Where to Rent Atlanta Polls Urbanize Polls Urbanize Tournament Best Atlanta Neighborhood Best Atlanta Neighborhoods Candler Park Midtown Atlanta Midtown

Subtitle Who should advance to the Elite Eight? Cast your vote now!

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In quest to build thriving downtown, Smyrna closes on church purchase Josh Green Thu, 12/19/2024 - 15:52 The trend of repurposing church properties for a range of new uses that’s kicked into overdrive around the City of Atlanta in recent years is bound for a large campus in Cobb County.

Smyrna First Baptist Church has closed on a deal to sell its 9-acre property to the City of Smyrna for $15.8 million, according to officials with CCI Real Estate, which brokered the deal.

The Cobb County city plans to combine the church campus with an adjacent former Presbyterian church property the city previously acquired as part of a densification project dubbed “Downtown the Downtown.”

The church properties are adjacent to the mixed-use village considered downtown Smyrna today, situated along Atlanta Road about three miles outside the Interstate 285 Perimeter. The city’s Village Green redevelopment is just beyond the church properties, with a second location of Suwanee’s popular StillFire Brewing in the works as part of the commercial component there.   

Church properties that would be included in the "Downtown the Downtown" initiative. Google Maps

Plans call for saving and repurposing the church’s stone chapel for public use, such as community events and performances. City of Smyrna

Founded 138 years ago, Smyrna First Baptist Church plans to use the nearly $16-million windfall to develop a new 5.5-acre campus, which is in design now, within walking distance of its current one along Atlanta Road.

The closing is part of a sale-leaseback agreement between the church and city. Church officials plan to keep operating on the existing property for two years as construction plans for both the city and church are finalized.

The project is considered part of Smyrna’s placemaking B.O.L.D. Downtown Master Plan, but exactly what the church property may become has not yet been determined. A Request for Proposals was issued to developers in the spring.

One building that will remain standing, the church’s century-old stone chapel, is expected to be converted to public uses, such as live performances and community events.

The scope of Smyrna's 9-acre redevelopment plans off Atlanta Road. City of Smyrna

Smyrna First Baptist Church's campus today. Google Maps

A process involving “extensive citizen input” and “careful market analysis” will steer what redevelopment of the church properties looks like, city leaders previously said.

City officials expect construction to begin in 2027.

“After years of negotiation on behalf of Smyrna First, we reached a mutually beneficial solution that places both the church and the city on paths toward long-term success,” said Jeff Warwick of CCI Real Estate in an announcement today. “This creative deal unlocked resources that allow the church to design a modern ministry campus that can serve its congregation for the next 100 years.”

Find more site context in the gallery above.

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1275 Church Street City of Smyrna Smyrna Churches Atlanta Churches StillFire Brewing Village Green Smyrna First Baptist Church City of Smyrna Community Development and Economic Development Religion Adaptive-Reuse Development OTP Atlanta Suburbs Cobb County CCI Real Estate

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Approximation of Smyrna First Baptist Church's 9 acres in relation to today's mixed-use village, with Atlanta Road pictured at top right. Google Maps

The 1275 Church St. site in question. Google Maps

Smyrna First Baptist Church's campus today. Google Maps

Plans call for saving and repurposing the church’s stone chapel for public use, such as community events and performances. City of Smyrna

The scope of Smyrna's 9-acre redevelopment plans off Atlanta Road. City of Smyrna

Church properties that would be included in the "Downtown the Downtown" initiative. Google Maps

Subtitle 9-acre initiative called “Downtown the Downtown” takes key step toward construction

Neighborhood Smyrna/Vinings

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Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024, 1st round: (2) Inman Park vs. (15) Decatur Josh Green Thu, 12/19/2024 - 14:30 As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2024 coverage, Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament is kicking off with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest. (Note: Seeding from 1 to 16 was determined by reader nominations this month—so no pitchforks, please.)

For each Round 1 contest, voting will be open for just 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood rises above the rest in very public fashion. The eliminations begin now!

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(2) Inman Park

Courtesy of Painted Hospitality

Inarguably one of Atlanta’s most charming neighborhoods, the city’s “first planned suburb” remains a beautiful, fascinating amalgam of Victorian homes, useful greenspaces, transit/Beltline accessibility, and well-planned commercial hubs along North Highland Avenue, Krog Street, and elsewhere. For more than 50 years, Inman Park has also hosted one of the city’s best neighborhood festivals—no small feat in festival-happy ATL.

This year’s most splashy addition was the adaptive-reuse Painted Park, an expanded dining and entertainment concept borne of the old Parish space along the Eastside Trail. Elsewhere, the expansion of a 1950s complex promises to add vibrancy to Inman Park’s main commercial crossroads. Despite its attributes, Inman Park hasn’t taken the crown in one of these criteria-free contests since the very first one, way back in 2011. Can a strong ’24 change that?  

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(15) Decatur

Decatur's much loved, admonished, and/or ridiculed planter boxes, as shown in greener days. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Yes, sherlocks, Decatur is technically its own city and not a neighborhood (rules permit ITP cities in this contest), but from Oakhurst Village to the underground MARTA station surrounded by local restaurants and bars, it sure feels like an intown neighborhood around here.

Decatur made development and urban-planning headlines throughout 2024—too many to list here. But a few highlights included the modernized Town Center Plan 2.0 overhaul moving forward, the addition of actual affordable standalone houses near downtown, a greenspace conversion to a village with attainable rents, the debut of Decatur Housing Authority’s spiffy new digs, and a mixed-use node that’s going vertical near a different MARTA station now. Even old Agnes Scott College made waves this year, wrapping a solar-heavy, thoughtful update of a true Decatur landmark. Not too shabby. 

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Best of Atlanta 2024 Atlanta Neighborhoods Where to Live Atlanta Where to Rent Atlanta Polls Urbanize Polls Urbanize Tournament Best Atlanta Neighborhood Best Atlanta Neighborhoods Inman Park Decatur

Subtitle Who should advance to the Elite Eight? Cast your vote now!

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Investors: Atlanta's 'oldest mansion' to become 'most sought-after Airbnb' Josh Green Thu, 12/19/2024 - 12:58 On Atlanta’s signature street, plans are moving forward to transform one of the metro’s oldest standing structures into a unique short-term rental before legions of global soccer fans descend upon the city in a year and ½.

That’s according to Texas-based investment firm Vaycaychella, which announced this week it’s partnering with owners of the storied but blighted Rufus Rose House at 537 Peachtree St. to create the “most sought-after Airbnb” in Atlanta.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977, the so-called “Rose on Peachtree” is an example of a late Victorian Queen Anne-style home—and the only Victorian left standing in Atlanta’s core district where downtown meets Midtown. Built in 1901, the property is considered by the Atlanta Preservation Center to be one of the region’s oldest buildings.

Despite its high-profile location steps from Atlanta’s tallest building and marquee attractions such as the Fox Theatre, the Rufus Rose House has been vacant for more than two decades. Several plans to resuscitate it for various new uses have made splashes but never fully materialized.

Atlanta-based investment firm UC Asset purchased the property for $1.65 million in 2021, held a ribbon-cutting for its groundbreaking with former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, and has since spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to reinforce and repair its structure in hopes of creating an upscale office building. They coined the property "Atlanta's oldest mansion." 

But Vaycaychella has more recently approached those Atlanta investors and convinced them the Rufus Rose House would be more suitable and profitable as a short-term rental. The Texas firm has been granted exclusive rights to manage its renovation and operate it as a boutique, multi-unit Airbnb once complete.

Stephanie Anderl, Vaycaychella’s interim CEO, tells Urbanize Atlanta the project requires $2 to $3 million and a special permit to begin construction. So far, $2.1 million has been raised, and Anderl said her company is seeking additional partnerships.

“We’re capable of completing the renovation within 18 months, if we are adequately capitalized and can secure the permit,” Anderl wrote to Urbanize via email. “We have done the most we can with a temporary permit. Namely, we have replaced the interior framework, so this historic property will stand.”

The 537 Peachtree St. property's condition as of July this year. Google Maps

A sitting room and fireplace, as seen in recent years. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

Once repaired and reopened as short-term apartments, the Rufus Rose House will hold a market value of between $5 and $8 million, Vaycaychella estimates. The company points in a recent announcement to the property’s “stunning and aged beauty, both interior and exterior,” and proximity to downtown’s highway-capping Stitch park proposal. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, “tourism to Atlanta is expected to explode,” the investors note.

Vaycaychella describes itself as a Fintech company that uses 21st century technologies—block-chain, cryptocurrency, and NFTs—to attract investment in short-term rental properties they operate.

According to its most recent owners, the Rufus Rose House spans 7,122 square feet. As one of Peachtree’s most prominent eyesores, it’s been a source of high hopes but few results in recent years.

Inman Park Properties bought the mansion in mid-2019 for its full asking price of $1 million and later announced renovation plans that would have included a restaurant, but that work never materialized.

A few years prior to Inman Park Properties’ involvement, plans emerged for converting the mansion into an arts space and entrepreneurial hub, but those ambitions also fizzled.

Property records indicate the landmark has sold for as little as $309,000 in 2011.

The Peachtree facade prior to the property's last sale in early 2020. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

An intact sitting room bench. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

Built in 1901 for the founder of Four Roses Distillery, the five-bedroom, three-bathroom house was designed by Atlanta architect E.C. Seiz. It was designated as a Landmark Building by the City of Atlanta in 1989.

The APC’s offices were the home’s last occupant, but the organization moved out more than 20 years ago. 

In the gallery above, have a closer look at the historic property's "before" state—including floorplans.

Lead photo courtesy of Historic Atlanta.

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537 Peachtree Street NE UC Asset E.C. Seiz UCASU Rufus M. Rose House Midtown National Register of Historic Places Inman Park Properties Atlanta Preservation Center Choate + Hertlein Architects Historical Preservation History Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects Kasim Reed Airbnb VRBO Vaycaychella Vayk Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive-Reuse Project Atlanta Architecture Atlanta History Peachtree Street 2026 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup World Cup 2026

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The Peachtree facade prior to the property's last sale in early 2020. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

The 537 Peachtree St. property's condition as of July this year. Google Maps

The mansion and its Peachtree Street surroundings in 2021. Google Maps

A sitting room and fireplace, as seen in recent years. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

An intact sitting room bench. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

A bedroom fireplace. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

A detailed look at first-floor plans. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

The second floor. Via Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects/2020

The property's condition in February 2021. Google Maps

Subtitle Texas-based group aims to complete Rufus Rose House makeover before 2026 FIFA World Cup

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Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024, 1st round: (3) Old Fourth Ward vs. (14) Adair Park Josh Green Wed, 12/18/2024 - 17:43 As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2024 coverage, Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament is kicking off with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest. (Note: Seeding from 1 to 16 was determined by reader nominations this month—so no pitchforks, please.)

For each Round 1 contest, voting will be open for just 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood rises above the rest in very public fashion. The eliminations begin now!

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(3) Old Fourth Ward

The distinctive Forth hotel tower, at left, and Overline Residences apartments, as seen from Historic Fourth Ward Park earlier this year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Synonymous with explosive Beltline development and MLK historical significance, Old Fourth Ward has been a hotbed of supersonic growth and generally more vibrant urban scenarios for what seems like ages now. Nonetheless, this eastside powerhouse hasn’t claimed the (nonexistent) trophy in one of these contests for a dozen years. With a strong No. 3 seed, could that change in 2024?

As usual, O4W happenings this year were too numerous to list here, but a few highlights: Two high-rise hospitality concepts—New City’s diamond-patterned Forth hotel and the Scout Living tower over Ponce City Market—drew back their curtains in 2024, as rare for-sale condos debuted nearby at The Leon on Ponce. Speaking of Ponce, a Complete Streets overhaul came together as an effort to improve pedestrian and bike connections between Boulevard and John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Civic Center redo edged toward groundbreaking, and the relatively affordable evolution of Boulevard continued to rise.

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(14) Adair Park

Quintessential Atlanta bungalows from the early 20th century are found throughout Adair Park. Adair Park.com

Back in 2021, historic, proud, and feisty Adair Park charged all the way to the Final Four in this hallowed contest of neighborly resolve. And why not? This Southwest Atlanta community has been a darling for Beltline-spurred investment (and yes, displacement) for the better part of a decade. These days, Realtor.com pegs the median home listing price at $445,000 (and falling) in Adair Park, but that still represents a discount over many intown places with comparable perks and charm. 

Adair Park this year solidified itself as the launchpad for one of Atlanta’s greatest traditions, the Beltline Lantern Parade, which is permanently a Westside Trail thing now. Elsewhere, a 14-unit, modern-style townhome proposal has come to light that could bring further residential growth. Adair Park pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tourney history in 2021, toppling mighty Midtown. Could it repeat that success against tourney titan O4W in ’24? We shall see.

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Subtitle Who should advance to the Elite Eight? Cast your vote now!

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Upgrades for Atlanta's signature park on tap in new year Josh Green Wed, 12/18/2024 - 16:18 With its snazzy new direct Beltline connection, André 3000 flute-a-palooza, and lack of Music Midtown damage, 2024 has been a significant year in the annals of Atlanta’s most-visited greenspace. But positive happenings at Piedmont Park are just getting started, according to its official stewards.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy this year celebrated its 35th anniversary and 120th for the park by raising funds and putting together the first Comprehensive Plan for upgrades, expansions, and upkeep in a quarter-century.

Exactly how those changes will be rolled out in the short term is now coming into clearer focus.

Earlier this year, the nonprofit launched the Piedmont Park Conservancy 35th Anniversary Appeal, a campaign to raise $3 million for a masterplan to add new greenspace and acreage, implement enhancements and needed improvements, and generally help reimagine the park’s more than 200 acres.

“Thanks to several extremely generous donors,” conservancy officials wrote in an email to Urbanize Atlanta this week, “we have raised nearly $2 million in support for park improvement projects, several of which are underway.”

January volleyball in Atlanta's marquee greenspace. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Here’s a rundown of what’s happening—and what’s to come as a new year dawns.

• Warmer welcome: Where the new Beltline segment meets Monroe Drive and 10th Street, work is expected to begin early next year on “a great new entry experience” to the park, the conservancy reports. That includes a new park sign near Park Tavern’s entrance, a stone sitting wall, and a large new planting bed.

• They urned it: Like other planting vignettes, all historic stone urns built for the Cotton States Exposition of 1895 have been replanted around Piedmont Park.

Example of reinvigorated, historic park planters. Courtesy of Piedmont Park Conservancy

• Runners, rejoice: In early 2025, the conservancy plans to resurface the park’s popular Active Oval with new crushed composite and then level it for heavy use come spring.

• Pool refresh: A thorough refurbishment of the park’s pool and aquatic center kicked off before Thanksgiving that’s prepped the pool for new tiling and a pump room overhaul. Additions will include new shade structures, furniture, a fresh sound system, and other changes before the pool reopens on Memorial Day next year, per the conservancy.

• Firmly planted: An initiative to plant flowering shrubs and native annuals at 12th and 14th Street entrances and several others along 10th Street and Park Drive has recently wrapped.

• Root causes: Set for completion in early 2025, a comprehensive health assessment and inventory of more than 7,000 trees throughout the park is underway now. The conservancy plans to partner with the City of Atlanta for a three-year tree care initiative with a goal of planting several thousand new trees and preserving mature, historic ones.

• Widespread upkeep: Maintenance projects scheduled across Piedmont Park will include repair and painting of park buildings and railings, drainage and erosion control projects, plus paving and curb repair.

• Future vision: Details are still being finalized, but the conservancy is preparing to unveil its first Comprehensive Plan in more than 25 years in 2025. “The plan,” according to the conservancy, “will guide the future of Piedmont Park, ensuring it remains a thriving urban oasis for generations to come.”

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Example of reinvigorated, historic park planters. Courtesy of Piedmont Park Conservancy

Subtitle Piedmont Park forecasts grand new entry, aquatic center fixes, Active Oval changes, more in 2025

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