[ATLonthebrain]

Fiorenza, I'm planning on going to No Mas! Cantina during my visit next week. I've never been, nor even seen the place in passing, but read about it a few months ago in the AJC under the Private Quarters series. I made it a point to keep it in mind for my next visit. Hoping it's a great experience! Looking forward to seeing you guys @ Six Feet Under in a few days.

[Fiorenza]

Good deal!

[catlike]

Something that hasn't been mentioned in a while is the building at 5th and Piedmont that was part of the Midtown Manor rooming houses. I believe there was talk over a year ago of tearing down the house and replacing it with townhomes. Instead, some sort of reuse project is going on with the house and six townhomes are being built behind it. Unfortunately, the realtor's site listed on the sign doesn't mention any further information.

[macdaddy]

We've been to No Mas for brunch. The food is great, and seems to be more authentically Mexican cuisine. It has great atmosphere. The inside space has a nice design, with some cool unexpected features.

[echinatl]

I believe the building was previously used as a warehouse to store furniture that was then sent to the 2 other No Mas stores. The place is neat and definitely worth a visit.

The No Mas owners own a loft in Castleberry and are strong supporters of the community.

[trainiac]

I thought things looked pretty different when the National Linens building was torn down, but now - wow. Head south on Glen Iris from North Ave and they are dismantling that gigantic retaining wall (wasn't it 20 or 30 feet tall?) along the northeast corner. It looks totally different already.

Ivy Hall (Peter's mansion) is going gangbusters. The entire stone wall along Myrtle is gone and they've hauled away tons of dirt. Looks like they may be doing a driveway between the mansion and the townhouses that face North Ave.

Looks like the house that Brunning & Stang is renovating on the northeast corner of 5th and Piedmont is going to be called Hammond Ivy or something like that. They've torn off a giant addition on the back of it.

[(four 0 four)]

If I may be allowed to vent for just a minute...

Regents Park is a beautiful townhome development being constructed on Peachtree across from Peachtree Battle.
http://www.regentsparkga.com/home.html
Wonderful design, scale, colors etc...(but then at $2M+, I suppose they should be!).
My gripe is with the new privacy/security wall being constructed...it appears to be 6-7 feet tall and built right at the edge of the sidewalk. The renderings show a much 'friendlier' version that doesn't look quite so fortress-like. I would imagine walking by this monstrosity would feel barren and somewhat intimidating.

[sunking1056]

My gripe is with the new privacy/security wall being constructed...it appears to be 6-7 feet tall and built right at the edge of the sidewalk.

I just noticed that the other day. I was so disappointed...really bad

[mayhem]

I found a video about Glenwood Park.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2132922994665540382

[smArTaLlone]

Miller-Gallman recently submitted plans to the ARC for a Castleberry Hill area project with 300 residential units and 80,000 sf of non-residential space. The site is bounded by Mitchell St., Centennial Olympic Park Dr., Chapel St. and Mangum St.

[(four 0 four)]

Gables Residential has started the demolition of the Red Cross building on Monroe Drive for a new apartment community.

[Chris Creech]

Gables Residential has started the demolition of the Red Cross building on Monroe Drive for a new apartment community.

You know that's a really well placed hill site. Those buildings could have some great views of buckhead/lenox.

[echinatl]

"Miller-Gallman recently submitted plans to the ARC for a Castleberry Hill area project with 300 residential units and 80,000 sf of non-residential space. The site is bounded by Mitchell St., Centennial Olympic Park Dr., Chapel St. and Mangum St."

Pretty sure that is Castleberry Point right?

[macdaddy]

You know that's a really well placed hill site. Those buildings could have some great views of buckhead/lenox.

They definitely will. I work at the remaining Red Cross Chapter HQ at the very top of the hill, and the view is impressive.

[smArTaLlone]

"Miller-Gallman recently submitted plans to the ARC for a Castleberry Hill area project with 300 residential units and 80,000 sf of non-residential space. The site is bounded by Mitchell St., Centennial Olympic Park Dr., Chapel St. and Mangum St."

Pretty sure that is Castleberry Point right?

Castleberry point only contains 108 units and is already under construction.

[ATLskyline]

Here is a project at 14th and Howell Mill. A mixed-use rehab of an old slaughterhouse, the article aslo mentions West Town.

AJC article (http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/07/01/0702white.html)

[BVC]

"Miller-Gallman recently submitted plans to the ARC for a Castleberry Hill area project with 300 residential units and 80,000 sf of non-residential space. The site is bounded by Mitchell St., Centennial Olympic Park Dr., Chapel St. and Mangum St."

Pretty sure that is Castleberry Point right?

This is a lot to the northwest of the u/c Castleberry Point that you describe. It is a particularly odd lot in that there are 2-3 stories worth of elevation change because Mitchell St passes under CP Olympic Park Dr.

Castleberry Point had forms going up this morning for the "Flatiron" portion of the building. Only footings and rebar/forms are going up on that end so far.

[echinatl]

I was having a hard time trying to figure out where something that large would pop up. So is the 300 unit structure going to pop up in the area that you were describing? North West of CP? There is a lot of space to the left between CP and Centennial Station and Duo. It would be great if they began to develop that area.

It's awesome to see Castleberry Point start to take shape. It's a really unique building. I jog past it almost every day. Was going to start posting some weekly pictures of it starting this weekend.

[Andrea]

I looked at these townhouses the other day. They were both pretty nice.

http://www.thebrownstonesatlanta.com/index_58.html

http://www.brunningandstang.com/overview.php?DID=8

[echinatl]

070807

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/800000000f8247f/1/29/cMucWqEHtz_pM1kvTNK1ZlZWIo-LwV4l.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/r1ae4_Jc6j9kYA0oUkC7lFksPoCNqAAq?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/800000000f823eb/1/36/iBvSq80M0D9AXMQoK0SYB1MfYwq8tjpY.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/oGq1C1nxrz-4eAL0jpQn7lNN1h-K_FuT?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/800000000f82380/1/71/RnpHwJT34T_RssLA0JwyYewsIMDgjaWp.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/GG3NTwaf5T_6Zu64sIX18XfK0kvR6U_C?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/800000000f8230d/1/96/NDOIGyle2T-Lm4DjHhQNjN_TITvIzbbv.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/5RppDGcj7T-HRsGuGxTb445nAJFL7v96?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/800000000f82264/1/10/X0BiHuYu4j8WhKQQih5pDv-JqYITT7uf.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/pNFGCC2e3j8_11NkOr-195QukL26xiGL?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/800000000f821b4/1/61/OtmFwd091j_Dr3MEbSl8cF6nG29bJJuK.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/8BwBMCKArT8Y06f05n8LO3DOhheZ5krf?referrer=hlnk)

[(four 0 four)]

If the link works, here are pictures from ajc.com of Tribute Lofts at the corner of Boulevard and Freedom Parkway...incredible building!
http://lpe.ajc.com/gallery/view/business/0707/0713lofts/

[echinatl]

071507

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/8000000014b3c7f/1/18/0Oo7z2QZ3T8mH2kYzx7wpJ0dAQRAqvvy.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/gOSEy4Jw4j9VTc3kehPgh9dEMzVpnLLy?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/8000000014b3b0f/1/26/UOE1ACMXxz-p5hojMYOsWoIkFeAt8oPh.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/Rk66-jWH7D-X6a2wNfYvBBKBVErSGmMo?referrer=hlnk)

http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/4/S/8000000014b3a6d/1/12/O9vi00Pz6z9VnKmkhQT4ulPTgQcJYZ0n.jpg (http://www.slide.com/s/nW5YGxc34z8HCR4vFgs6zcsXPDCkv9ic?referrer=hlnk)

[echinatl]

Going back to the No Mas discussion, I took a friend last night and he thought it was the best Mexican food he has ever had. That place is awesome. Next stop will be Wasabi, has anyone been there and can comment on the food?

[bwolfe71]

Went to the Castleberry Hill Neighborhood meeting last night and learned the that Railside Lofts has all permitting done and they are about to start on phase one. This will be on Peters St in the area across from where Haynes intersects.

Also, there is a new coffeeshop being built in the Fair St/Walker St intersection. Looks to be be a "arty" type place with 2 levels, and internet cafe, mags, etc. Also, one of the managers of the Cheetah is opening up a blues bar and restaraunt at 177 Peters St. They have already spend over 150k remodeling the building. There will be valet parking and an outside deck on the top floor.

They was also another ground-breaking announced (i can't remember the exact location or name) - they are having an open house at their corporate offices to kick everything off. Supposed to start end of August.

As for the person who asked about Wasabi - its great. My financee and I eat there all the time.

[Terminus]

Went to the Castleberry Hill Neighborhood meeting last night and learned the that Railside Lofts has all permitting done and they are about to start on phase one.

We have AUDC approval, but we'll still need to go trough the building permit process. I don't think we plan on breaking ground until fall - September, if I'm not mistaken.

[echinatl]

@bwolfe71

Was the other new construction Artist Square Condo's?
http://www.artistsquarecondos.com/

Did they mention where this would pop up?

I was on my way to the meeting and then had to run and pick up a friend stuck at the airport, got stuck in traffic, and missed it :hell:

I made him buy me dinner at No Mas to make up for it. I'll definitely be at the next one.

[mayhem]

The street presence of those artists square condos should be illegal.

[jnihiser]

The street presence of those artists square condos should be illegal.

I'd like to 2nd that comment. It's ridiculous.

[bwolfe71]

Yes - it was Artist Square, thanks for the reminder.

Mayhem - How do you know about the street presence? I don't see anywhere in the renderings where it shows this.

[echinatl]

Ok I'm an idiot it shows that it will be between Chapel and Nelson right on their website.

[L.ARCH]

The street presence of those artists square condos should be illegal.

Agreed! This is not the suburbs

[ATLaffinity]

The street presence of those artists square condos should be illegal.

i dunno. look at their homepage. people of all races are attracted to this place. both men and women as well.

[(four 0 four)]

For anyone wanting to form their opinion about some of the Castleberry Hill projects from something other than a rendering, you may want to consider tonight's Art Walk. Castleberry Point and Artists Square are joining with several galleries in holding an open house from 6-9pm.

http://www.castleberryhill.org/artstroll.html

[boomtown]

From gritty to glamorous, DeKalb Ave. on fast track to resurgence
By CHANDLER BROWN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/19/07

Dryden Driggers is from metro Atlanta, so she had a pretty good idea of where she wanted to live after graduating from college.
"A lot of my friends are in this area," said Driggers, a grad student at the University of West Georgia.
The 626 DeKalb Avenue luxury apartment complex is just one of numerous high-end developments sprouting up next to rail lines and the overhead MARTA line. DeKalb Avenue, long a rough-around-the-edges industrial artery, now has condos starting in the mid-$100,000s.
Dryden Driggers' flat at the 626 DeKalb Avenue apartments has spacious rooms, walk-in closets and high-speed Internet access. The complex exemplifies the chic new face of the thoroughfare.
The area Driggers is referring to, a stretch of DeKalb Avenue between Atlanta and Decatur, is undergoing a resurgence. Once a blighted area known for graffiti and beggars, it's now home, or soon will be, to at least a dozen high-end condominiums and apartments. Condos start in the mid-$100,000s and can cost nearly a half-million dollars.
"It's coming back to life," Bridget Driggers said on a recent afternoon as she helped her daughter move into her new two-bedroom flat at the 626 DeKalb Avenue apartments.
Like other new housing along DeKalb Avenue, 626 features spacious rooms, walk-in closets and high-speed Internet access. It also features a lighted pool surrounded by lush gardens and waterfalls.
It's a stark contrast to the graffiti-covered train trestle at DeKalb Avenue and Krog Street, just a few hundred feet away from 626. Such sights once were common along the mostly industrial thoroughfare, which runs parallel to two rail lines. But as condos and apartments go up, slowly the graffiti and other eyesores are disappearing.
"I think it's great. Any time you can get more people living in an area, the better off you are," said DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader, whose district includes the north side of DeKalb Avenue, where most of the new development is.
However, with the construction boom, Rader figures, will come changes to DeKalb Avenue, a three- and four-lane highway that many commuters to downtown Atlanta use as a sometimes less congested alternative to Ponce de Leon Avenue.
"More and more people are going toward a more pleasant street, and we'll see an effort to improve the streetscape and make it more of a boulevard instead of an arterial" road, Rader said.
He said that Decatur, Atlanta and DeKalb County — portions of DeKalb Avenue fall within those jurisdictions — would have to work together to come up with a development plan for the road, and a way to pay for it. He said he didn't know of any such plans in the works currently.
The road's resurgence is also fueled by new mixed-use development on intersecting Moreland Avenue, said Brad Addicks, a manager for Waterford Homes, which developed the Townhomes at Candler Park on DeKalb Avenue.
The Edgewood Retail District on Moreland Avenue features a Kroger, Target, Lowe's, Best Buy and dozens of smaller stores less than a mile off DeKalb Avenue.
"That's really helping change the landscape of that area," Addicks said, noting that many buyers were attracted to his development because it's close to a grocery store and other shopping outlets.
All but three of the 43 Candler Park townhomes — which range from $200,000 to the high $400,000s — have been sold, Addicks said.
DeKalb Avenue "is not what it used to be," Addicks said. "It's really turning around."

[porter westchester]

Does anyone know what GA Power is doing on Ponce Pl…about ½ mile before Chipotle?

[kardon]

Sales Hit Half-Way Mark at Renovated Studioplex
By Gina Kenny

ATLANTA-A joint venture renovating the historic Studioplex building has sold half of the 130 condominium units and has closed on 20 of the units. The 160,000-sf building, located on Auburn between Edgewood and Irwin avenues, is being renovated by a partnership between locally based companies Columbia Residential and Orinda Corp. and the Historic District Development Corp. The partnership is spending approximately $4 million on renovating the building, says Dillon Baynes, president of Orinda Corp.

Studioplex, in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward, was constructed in 1906 and was originally a cotton warehouse. In 1998, Historic District Development Corp. converted the building to apartments and the joint venture was formed in January to convert it to condominiums, Baynes says. The building will have 145,000 sf of loft units with 112 loft residences and 18 loft offices. The average loft size is 1,100 with units ranging from 760 sf to 2,100 sf. The units are being sold for approximately $200 per sf, Baynes tells GlobeSt.com.

The units have 12-foot to 17-foot ceilings and exposed brick walls. Some of the renovations to the units included the addition of granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Renovations to the property include new landscaping, “significant exterior shell improvements,” doors and windows and the addition of a rooftop deck, he says. The units are being marketed by the Marketing Directors with David Patton/Prudential Georgia Realty.


Businesses to be located in the building include Dencity Architects, Hilltop Design and Sterling Investments. “We have an eclectic mix of design types and real estate and financial types who are more entrepreneurial in nature,” Baynes says. The building also has 28 retail studios for artwork to be produced, displayed and sold.

Studioplex is near Interstates 75, 85 and 20, the King Center, the proposed Atlanta Beltline rail system and the bars and shops on Highland Avenue. It is also within walking distance from the home where Martin Luther King Jr. was born. The Historic District Development Corp. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide affordable housing and to preserve and revitalize the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District. The project is part of plans to redevelop the district. The neighborhood has evolved into a live, work and play district.

[echinatl]

Studioplex looks great. What turned me off to them though was the fact that all units have 1 bathroom.

[bwolfe71]

New lofts expand artsy district downtown

By JULIE B. HAIRSTON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/27/07

A craggy patch of barren urban land will soon become the site for a marriage between the city core's edgy, artsy heart and its sophisticated uptown evolution.

Poised on a rise defined by the intersections of Centennial Olympic Park Drive, Nelson Street and Chapel Street, Castleberry Point is the first new mixed-use development in Atlanta's premier loft district. The 108-unit project created by Castleberry Hill pioneer developers Bruce Gallman and Jerry Miller will overlook Philips Arena, the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park.

Its vantage point has already proved a strong draw for buyers, with the developers reporting contracts on more than half of the units.

"It's the first of its kind in that neighborhood," said Brenda Isaac, 56, who bought a two-bedroom, two-bath unit on the top floor for $299,900. "The strategic place where it sits gives it great city views."

Castleberry Point, now under construction, creates a gateway between downtown's new entertainment district and Castleberry Hill's established creative community.

Gallman, who created Castleberry's first lofts in 1982, noted the neighborhood, initially an urban colony of artists, craftsmen and adventurous young professionals, now has 1,500 residents. With that many people, the area is ripe for an infusion of retail activity that the ground floor of Castleberry Point will accommodate, he said.

Miller and Gallman worked closely with neighborhood residents and city officials to make Castleberry Point the kind of development that would reflect, enhance and serve the landmark district.

"Everybody wanted retail on the ground floor," Gallman said. "That's what makes a community walkable."

A number of Castleberry Point lofts, priced from the low $200,000s to more than $750,000 for units ranging in size from 748 square feet to more than 2,500 square feet, sold before the project broke ground earlier this summer.

Currently, 57 of 108 units are under contract, Gallman said.

Downtown officials are excited about the project, too.

"It's got some really interesting architecture that makes it fit in with that artsy heart [of the city]," said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. "And the retail also makes it quite interesting."

Castleberry Point already has a commitment from Apres Diem restaurant. Gallman said negotiations also are well along for a salon, a personal trainer, a pet store and a grocery/deli in its street-level spaces.

The availability of restaurants, entertainment and other amenities within walking distance was a strong draw for empty-nesters Kevin and Diana Reis Sheldon, 51 and 53, respectively. The couple plans to leave the six-bedroom Alpharetta home where they have reared their nearly grown, blended brood of four to live in a two-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot loft when the project is completed next year.

"We think of ourselves as city people," said Diana, creative director for Diana Reis Designs, a marketing and advertising firm. "I'm from D.C. and my husband lived in Manhattan. We want to be someplace where we can walk around."

Gallman said Castleberry Point is benefitting from the new impetus for intown living and the migration of some empty-nesters back to the inner city. Most of the earlier buyers in Castleberry Hill were young singles or couples, he said.

Jerry Miller, Gallman's partner in the project, said loft living has evolved along with its market with Castleberry Point incorporating the amenities and design elements experienced buyers have come to expect in a high-density project.

"The level of sophistication and number of amenities have ratcheted up," Miller said. "I see a real range, a whole gamut of people coming into the market now."

The common elements he sees in loft shoppers is an inclination to creativity and a yen for engaging social activities. Some of the empty-nesters now returning to the loft district are those who once lived among the loft pioneers and migrated to the suburbs to raise families, Miller said.

Inside a facade that mimicks the sturdy midrise character of nearby storefronts, factories and warehouses, Castleberry Point will feature an inner courtyard, a rooftop pool, a fitness center and community clubhouse.

Isaac initially bought her unit as an investment, but found the promised lifestyle too compelling to resist. A retiree involved in international humanitarian work, Isaac is looking forward to not having to worry about who will mow her grass or pick up her mail when she travels.

"I'm gone a lot and it doesn't make sense to stay in this [Inman Park] place with all its upkeep when I can have a turnkey lifestyle," Isaac said.

City officials are encouraged by the level of success and acceptance Castleberry Point has enjoyed. They are hoping it will spread east through the new Railroad District and west toward Northside Drive to expand downtown's amenities and population.

"This is not unbridled growth. This is evolution," said Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall, whose district includes Castleberry Hill. "It's like watching your kid grow from a child to a teen. And there's more to come."

[NativeAtlantan]

Does anyone know what's being developed at the SE corner of Roswell Rd and Windsor Pkwy? Hopefully it's something a little better than the Popeye's accross the street.

[Andrea]

"The level of sophistication and number of amenities have ratcheted up," Miller said. "I see a real range, a whole gamut of people coming into the market now."

A friend and I stopped by a bar in Castleberry Hill a few weeks ago and we were the only old (and white and unhip) people there. No problem as far as I'm concerned although I could tell people were staring at us and I had the sense, maybe incorrectly, that our presence was regarded as peculiar and possibly less than welcome. I guess I was anticipating more of that "whole gamut of people" atmosphere that Mr. Miller is referring to.

[jnihiser]

A friend and I stopped by a bar in Castleberry Hill a few weeks ago and we were the only old (and white and unhip) people there. No problem as far as I'm concerned although I could tell people were staring at us and I had the sense, maybe incorrectly, that our presence was regarded as peculiar and possibly less than welcome. I guess I was anticipating more of that "whole gamut of people" atmosphere that Mr. Miller is referring to.

Did you happen to go to M Bar? My wife and I got the same looks. As long as the regular folks don't mind us too much, we're good to go.

[Andrea]

Did you happen to go to M Bar? My wife and I got the same looks. As long as the regular folks don't mind us too much, we're good to go.

Yeah, I think that was it. On Peters Street?

[bwolfe71]

Andrea -

You are touching on something that seems to have been brewing in Castleberry for a bit now. There is a fault line being created in Castleberry between Peters and Walker Streets. Talking to the people who live on Peters makes me understand they are not too happy about it. Peters has become the hangout spot for Atlanta University Center (Morehouse, etc) students. What is happening is all the bars and restaurants on the street are all now catering to this and it is causing a meltdown with residents with loud music and basic mayhem until late almost every Thursday thru Saturday. A few Saturday’s ago several police cars had to show up to get everyone to leave the area past 2 am.

On Walker it’s a different story. No Mas, Wasabi, Elliot Street just cater to a different clientele and there have been no issues. From what I have heard the owners of the about to open OWC is going to make an effort to make sure its more like the Walker Street side of things not the Peters side. Also, when the new places open under Castleberry Point should really make things interesting. On weekends it’s like two different neighborhoods even though they are only one street apart. There is a new blues/jazz place opening up at the corner of Peters and Haynes that only got the board to support there liquor license because they swore they were going to only try to attract an older more established customer.

Residents are just simply worried about turning Peters into some mini-Buckhead and all the headaches that come with it. I can’t blame them.

[Andrea]

bwolfe, yeah, I can understand that college students may occasionally generate loud music and basic mayhem. That's fine.

But it would be nice if there's also a way to make a little space for us old geezers, too. I've been in lots of college towns and in cities where big universities are right in the middle of the city and typically you don't notice any disruption at all. So I'm sure there's a way for young people and old people to co-exist in Castleberry Hill. It's hard to view an area as fun and trendy if it's too polarized by age or any other criteria.

[mayhem]

bwolfe71: I am not basic and I resent your remarks.

[RobMidtowner]

:haha:

[smArTaLlone]

Housing planned at Red Cross site

Staff Reports

Published on: 08/09/07
AJC (http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/08/09/skyline0809.html)

Gables Residential is investing $60 million in a new upscale apartment complex at the site of the old American Red Cross blood donation center in Midtown.

Gables will build 340 units on the 4.5-acre site, according to development officer Richard Munger.

The first units will be available in the fourth quarter of next year, and the entire project will be finished in the third quarter of 2009, Munger said.

Last year, Gables paid the Red Cross $7 million for the property at 1955 Monroe Drive. Demolition began this summer.

The buildings will be six to seven stories high, including a parking deck. The units will be 700 square feet to 1,400 square feet, and rents will range from $1,000 to $1,800.

Gables is a national company with about 6,500 units locally.

[echinatl]

I know what you are talking about with Peters street. I NEVER go there, I've only been down there during an art walk which was awesome. I like Wasabi and No mas and don't see myself going beyond that anytime soon. I'm looking forward to Castleberry Point finishing up so we can get a new restaurant on that side.

[smArTaLlone]

Anyone see Nightline last night? They had a story on the "McMansion" issue in Atlanta featuring Mary Norwood and the guy that built the replica of the White house.

[Dragonheart8588]

Anyone see Nightline last night? They had a story on the "McMansion" issue in Atlanta featuring Mary Norwood and the guy that built the replica of the White house.

It's a rerun. They showed that a while back. I saw it when it first aired.

[trainiac]

They have a website now http://ivyhall.net but as far as I can tell none of the links work. Here's a rendering with the mansion in the foreground

http://atlhistory.com/images/stories/skyscraper/ivyhall.jpg

Not really sure what I think about it. The site stresses the "gated community" aspect which obviously isn't represented here. I already don't like what's going in at the corner of Myrtle & North -- a twelve foot high, curved, cement wall -- which looks like it will be as inhospitable as the old stone wall that they just tore down.

Hopefully things will get better

[GThomas]

http://atlhistory.com/images/stories/skyscraper/ivyhall.jpg

Hopefully things will get better

I know right... that is hideous. :yuck: ... I WAS somewhat excited about this project. It looks like an upscale attempt at a ranch-style dormitory. There's something odd going on with the roof... it's... boring.

Hopefully the building materials are higher quality than can be seen from the rendering.

[(four 0 four)]

The house is HUGE...I would have thought it would have been difficult to overwhelm it but, they seemed to accomplished just that.

[mayhem]

I just puked in my mouth a little. THANKS SCAD for ruining any chance of creating cohesive urban fabric down North Ave. It's bad enough all the other apartments in the area pay no attention to North.

[Terminus]

I just puked in my mouth a little. THANKS SCAD for ruining any chance of creating cohesive urban fabric down North Ave. It's bad enough all the other apartments in the area pay no attention to North.

SCAD had nothing to do with this. It has been a long, long court battle for the developer to be allowed to do this. SCAD just came it at the end and decided to save the building and take it off the developer's hands - which is a good thing.

We wouldn't want a condo association being responsible for upkeeping one of the city's gem, because they could never afford to. Just look at the project on Peachtree near Lindbergh (2500 Ptree). The condo association tried to get the City to allow them to demolish the building because it's costing the owners a lot of money to keep it up. Luckily, the City ruled against them and reminded the HOA that economics and financial considerations are never a basis for rending a rezoning or variance. In fact, it's illegal to do so under state law.

[foxmccleod]

I know right... that is hideous. :yuck: ... I WAS somewhat excited about this project. It looks like an upscale attempt at a ranch-style dormitory. There's something odd going on with the roof... it's... boring.

Hopefully the building materials are higher quality than can be seen from the rendering.

I can see the mockups from my window. The materials are brick and stone.

The curved portion at Myrtle and North appears to be a giant cistern.

[smArTaLlone]

I just puked in my mouth a little. THANKS SCAD for ruining any chance of creating cohesive urban fabric down North Ave. It's bad enough all the other apartments in the area pay no attention to North.

I think its the city that should have zoning laws that do not allow gated suburban developments that turn their backs on major streets.

:(

[Terminus]

I think its the city that should have zoning laws that do not allow gated suburban developments that turn their backs on major streets.

:(

There is.

This site has arguably gone through more design review than any other single project in Atlanta. I know the renderings look awful, but we should all wait until it's done to see how it turns out.

[Chris Creech]

I have to give SCAD the benefit of the doubt just for saving the mansion and their long history of architectural preservation and development work in Savannah.

It is hard to tell whats going on from the rendering, though you would think with SCAD behind it they'd have better renderings (and a website that worked). From the otherside it almost looks like the North Avenue frontage may be townhomes, but I know there's a parking deck lurking in there somewhere I'm hoping it's not visible form the sidewalk.

Yeah, that huge monolithic wall on the corner is rather disconcerting.

A couple of things. I'm thinking the parking lot shown isn't really for the condos, but probably the event parking needed for the Peter's House. I've also got my fingers crossed that "Gated Condominiums" maybe means individually gated from courtyards on townhouses , and not what we'd normallly expect with "Gated Development" which would mean the whole area.

[mayhem]

SCAD had nothing to do with this. It has been a long, long court battle for the developer to be allowed to do this. SCAD just came it at the end and decided to save the building and take it off the developer's hands - which is a good thing.

Thanks for the correction. I definitely appreciate SCAD saving the mansion, I was just mistaken regarding their involvement in the housing. It doesn't look good from what I have seen of the construction site in regards to street presence, but I agree that I should give it the benefit of the doubt and wait until it's further along or more renderings are released.

[Toxostoma Rufum]

I don't like the design either, but if I was buying the only low-level unit that was facing North St. and right next to the garage entrance, you'd bet that I would want it to be twelve feet above the ground.

If this project is "hideous", does anyone prefer the ugly blocks full of prostitutes that are near it?

Is anyone lining up to put Shangrila-on-North, since it's such a hot address?

[GThomas]

Yes, "hideous" was a bit harsh, it's not that bad. I was just expecting more, if even just height. I have my doubts that the streetwalkers will be put off much by a new development though. They have no problem hanging out on the corners of Cypress and 6th where I live, and I consider it to be a pretty nice area.

But I agree, this development will definitely help to clean up that area. The whole west Ponce, Mandarin Palace II, Abbey area is a mess. I'm preaching to the choir there though. Hopefully developments like this will add momentum to redevelop the whole area, especially with these plans for developing the Abbey block and with Fox Plaza.

Seems like the space down across from Krispy Kreme (an old car wash) would be good for development as well. I love the old Kodak sign on the building right next to there.

[Fiorenza]

Really only a very small area that's as you say, a "mess"....no more than 2 or 3 blocks total. So I'm believing it'll get "fixed" real soon, the area will be spiffy and the whores will go away.

[ATLaffinity]

If this project is "hideous", does anyone prefer the ugly blocks full of prostitutes that are near it?

Is anyone lining up to put Shangrila-on-North, since it's such a hot address?

805, MidCity Lofts, Plaza Midtown, etc all were developed in sketchy areas.

it's not like it's in east atlanta. it's a stone throw from the Fox.

it's the worst looking development i've seen in the works.

[Terminus]

Yesterday I decided to enjoy the pleasant weather and bike over to The Urban Gardener on Boulevard in north Grant Park.

Along the way, I took the following shots of new projects.

Oakland Park

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/8789/img2250jz6.jpg
I really like how this has turned out. The six-story scale is perfect for Memorial Drive. Unfortunately, because of a few anti-urban minded NIMBY's in north Grant Park, this is going to be the first and last building of this ideal scale built on the corridor. The new zoning has a lower height limit.

I hope the funding can be found to bury the utilities along Memorial Drive as the corridor transforms, but I digress..

Capital Gateway

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/796/img2252jw3.jpg
The adaptive-reuse job of this building is interesting. It reminds me of something you'd see in suburban Milan (which is not a complement, as those of you who have been there will know). I wish they could have redone the first level to better engage the street.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/249/img2258ap3.jpg
The Memorial Drive frontage is the best. The buildings are fairly well designed contextual modern buildings. It's also not inconceivable that one day these could be retrofitted with ground floor live/work or commercial space.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/5836/img2263ca2.jpg
The corners of the Memorial Drive frontage are more modern than the center. I think that this is an excellent use of stucco (or EIFS, I'm not sure which is it) in a modern design. Stoops would have been nice, but all in all, it's pretty nice.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/5814/img2257yp6.jpg
Unfortunately, behind the Memorial Drive frontage the buildings decline to be this mediocre, vaguely traditional stuff that is, IMO, architecturally awful.

I would have preferred to see new buildings in the area between Memorial Drive and I-20 developed more along the lines of the Messestadt project in Munich, Germany. It has some nice modern architecture, although the plan itself is week (featuring pods of housing, next to pods of park space, next to pods of retail/office and little semblance to the great traditional urbanism of nearby Munich). At least they have community gardens.

Here are a few shots I took last December.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3236/img2759mj6.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/318/img2761cz9.jpg

When all is said and done, however, I do think this project is an improvement over what was there, and will certainly help the area, especially when the retail is completed during its last phase.

http://www.urbancollage.com/web_images/photos_large/neighborhoods/neighborhoods_1_lg.jpg
This is the buildout. The modern low-rise building shown is the red block just below the word "Drive".

Renaissance Walk at Sweet Auburn

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/6216/img2264bk5.jpg
This shot shows the Piedmont Avenue frontage looking north towards Auburn. I really like how they achieved complexity and texture of the facade without making the building feel busy. Repetition can be a truly beautiful thing, and I'm sure this will look great when the street trees, sidewalks, and shop awnings are in.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/4521/img2265cd3.jpg
This is the controversial tower element at Piedmont and Auburn Avenues. It doesn't strike me as egregious, but I understand the concern that many had about a private building establishing a visual challenge to the church steeples along the street.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8232/img2266fv2.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/4042/img2268ak4.jpg
Two shots of the Auburn Avenue frontage. I love how the developer was forced to retain to the two old building facades and place the new buildings right next to it. It's a nice, authentically urban contrast. Some would have had a separation, but that would have killed urbanity.

I also like how the massing of this single building is broken up to establish what really do look like four separate buildings. They did this by changing materials, facade texture, patterns, and facade composition. The result is something that truly looks like four buildings rather than some mediocre attempt to differentiate the facade.

This project is truly one of the best in the city, in my opinion. It is of the scale and quality that we should be encouraging along all of our major corridors.

Other

I also noted that demolition is under way for the project right next to the King Memorial MARTA station, on the block bounded by the rail line, Grant Street, Decatur Street, and Hill Street. This will be a great addition to that area.

The awful redevelopment of Grady Homes is also proceeding. It's going to be a horrible, horrible, garden-city-style project more fit for Gwinnett in 1995 than intown Atlanta in 2007. It's a damn shame.

[Tombstoner]

:previous: Great shots -- thanks for the tour!

I hadn't heard that the tower on Piedmont/Auburn was contentious. I think it's one of the nicest elements in any of the developments. It isn't over-the-top flashy or anything...if churches along that strip think their steeples can't compete with this, I think it says more about the blandness of the steeples...

[gttx]

Great update Terminus - the only question I have is why was Grady Homes allowed to proceed as designed? Aren't we trying to move away from developments like this?

[Terminus]

Great update Terminus - the only question I have is why was Grady Homes allowed to proceed as designed? Aren't we trying to move away from developments like this?

The site's current zoning is sufficient that they didn't need to get rezoned, so there was no legal authority for the City or neighborhood to get involved.

Now the frustring thing was that it's an AHA-sponsored project, but the City of Atlanta is known for one division not following the rules or policies of another.

[Teshadoh]

Terminus - many many many thanks for taking pictures of Oakland Park & Capital Homes redevelopment! I've really been wondering what my neighborhood is looking like, has anything happened to the florist warehouse which is slated to be converted to lofts? But regarding the lowrise tower in Capital Homes - as tacky as the new renovation looks, it is an incredible improvement from what it looked like, in fact I can't even tell that is the same dump from a year ago.

I totally can't wait to visit Atlanta next spring.

[smArTaLlone]

:previous:

I agree....you can hardly tell its the same building.


I really like how this has turned out. The six-story scale is perfect for Memorial Drive. Unfortunately, because of a few anti-urban minded NIMBY's in north Grant Park, this is going to be the first and last building of this ideal scale built on the corridor. The new zoning has a lower height limit.

Are you serious? What do these people expect to be developed on major corridors IN A CITY? :hell:

Thanks for the photos.

[(four 0 four)]

Thanks for the great photo tour, Terminus!
There's an amazing amount of land left with the Capital Gateway project...I hope they don't squander the opportunity to do something worthy of the location.

[trainiac]

Great post. Thanks

I also noted that demolition is under way for the project right next to the King Memorial MARTA station, on the block bounded by the rail line, Grant Street, Decatur Street, and Hill Street. This will be a great addition to that area.

Ooh, I noticed that the other day -- won't miss that old building. Is this where the Pencil Lofts are going?

[ChasAl]

Does anyone have a name or rendering of the complex going up on Piedmont at 11th or 12th St next to Piedmont Crest?

[GTviajero81]

:previous:

I agree....you can hardly tell its the same building.



Are you serious? What do these people expect to be developed on major corridors IN A CITY? :hell:

Thanks for the photos.

Totally agree with both of you guys. Is there any way to appeal the actions of the short-sighted few that succeeded in having the zoning heights shortened? :hell: :koko:

[Chris Creech]

[QUOTE=Terminus;3045868]

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/4042/img2268ak4.jpg

Two shots of the Auburn Avenue frontage. I love how the developer was forced to retain to the two old building facades and place the new buildings right next to it. It's a nice, authentically urban contrast. Some would have had a separation, but that would have killed urbanity.

I also like how the massing of this single building is broken up to establish what really do look like four separate buildings. They did this by changing materials, facade texture, patterns, and facade composition. The result is something that truly looks like four buildings rather than some mediocre attempt to differentiate the facade.

This project is truly one of the best in the city, in my opinion. It is of the scale and quality that we should be encouraging along all of our major corridors.
QUOTE]



Yeah compare this to the buildings on the main retails streets in AS. Masive buildings that try rather weakly for differentiation, but they dont' bother to break up the masses at all, or even the window grids. They differentiate the different "buildings" by just switching out minor fake stucco detailing bits and paint color.

It's one of my main complaints with that part of AS, making it feel too much like a "movie set/fascade" than real builidings.

[Terminus]

Yeah compare this to the buildings on the main retails streets in AS. Masive buildings that try rather weakly for differentiation, but they dont' bother to break up the masses at all, or even the window grids. They differentiate the different "buildings" by just switching out minor fake stucco detailing bits and paint color.

It's one of my main complaints with that part of AS, making it feel too much like a "movie set/fascade" than real builidings.

I think that the even bigger issue at AS is just the low quality of the design. There are countless examples of buildings that occupy entire blocks and feel much better than those do.

[smArTaLlone]

a rendering of Tivoli's Tenside apartment development
http://www.10sideatlanta.com/images/rendering_tenside.jpg

[atl2phx]

a rendering of Tivoli's Tenside apartment development
http://www.10sideatlanta.com/images/rendering_tenside.jpg

i like the design, scale and how it addresses the street. IMO, this is the type of project that should be replicated in west midtown until all the empty lots are filled.

[jew4life4948]

It fits in with the other westside developments like M Street and [that building that houses the Real Chow Baby].

Also Star Provisions up on 14th.

[trainiac]

Went by Castleberry Point during the loft tour and saw the model in the sales office. They're doing pretty good on sales -- with very low condo fees which I'm sure is helping. Because of historic guidelines all of the exterior is brick and stone, and I love the look of the pointy bit on their lot.

It looked like that little bridge between the old Norfolk Southern buildings is getting refurbished which hopefully will help fix how Elliot, Nelson and Walker come together.

They've got retail planned all around the lot including a possible location of Apres Diem.

I can't find the post, but somebody thought they had stopped work on Ivy Hall around the Peters mansion, but I saw a bunch of guys in hardhats there this morning. Maybe they were delaying to improve the design :yuck:

[ATLaffinity]

Maybe they were delaying to improve the design :yuck:

No kidding. Their faux-historicism was about the worst thing you could surround the Peters house with.

[galaca]

Does anyone know how 222 Mitchell St is coming along? or if it even is coming along?

[echinatl]

:previous: I heard they were still working on rezoning the area. The CHNA voted in favor of the rezoning, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm pretty sure they said construction would start mid next year. I can't wait for that to start, it will clear out a lot of parking for the football games.

[Terminus]

Does anyone know how 222 Mitchell St is coming along? or if it even is coming along?

Morseberger is no longer proceeding for two rearson. One is so that they can focus their attention on City Hall East, and two is the dead condo market. They're currently marketing the building to apartment developers.

[echinatl]

:previous: Doh! I was thinking about another project off Mitchell.

[smArTaLlone]

The site plan for the Mangum street proposal, which actually includes a 16 story tower, looks like a nice project.

60-64 Mangum Street/SitePlan.pdf (http://www.atlantaregional.com/webdocs/Land%20Use/Reviews/ID881/Site%20Plan.pdf)

[echinatl]

:previous: That is actually the project I was referring to. It looks awesome.

[vandynole]

Does anyone know what's up with this proposed development? I found a wiki on the project, but it doesn't report any news since July 2006: http://themix841.pbwiki.com/.

[atl2phx]

Does anyone know what's up with this proposed development? I found a wiki on the project, but it doesn't report any news since July 2006: http://themix841.pbwiki.com/.

i'm not sure, but i think it was defeated by NIMBY's who objected to the height among other things.

[Fiorenza]

The Mix:

When a project draws NIMBY opposition, it better be pristine or you can stick a fork in it. The neighborhood hired Jonathan Weintraub, who also happens to be Dekalb County Attorney...my guess is the developer Jon Barry was unwilling to reduce the height. There you go.

[Newnan_Eric]

Re: The Mix

The company I was working for last year was working on it. The developer couldn't get the numbers to work to get financing. They kept reducing the scope until it became meaningless. And we got to the point where we wouldn't re-price it unless they wanted to pay us.

[Andrea]

i'm not sure, but i think it was defeated by NIMBY's who objected to the height among other things.

That thing was towering.

[smArTaLlone]

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Trammell Crow Residential expects to begin construction on one of its largest Atlanta projects this spring.

Trammell Crow Residential bought Overlook Atlanta Gardens and Houston Street apartments at 180 Jackson St. S.E. near Decatur Street Oct. 12 for $17.5 million, according to Alan Wexler, president of Databank Inc., a commercial real estate research firm.

The Atlanta-based apartment and condo developer plans to raze the existing 260-unit complex by the end of the year to build Alexan 360, a 592-unit apartment project.

The $110 million project, once conceived as Alexan Cityscapes, "is the largest one we've done out of my division," said Alan Dean, TCR's senior managing director.

[atl2phx]

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Trammell Crow Residential expects to begin construction on one of its largest Atlanta projects this spring.

Trammell Crow Residential bought Overlook Atlanta Gardens and Houston Street apartments at 180 Jackson St. S.E. near Decatur Street Oct. 12 for $17.5 million, according to Alan Wexler, president of Databank Inc., a commercial real estate research firm.

The Atlanta-based apartment and condo developer plans to raze the existing 260-unit complex by the end of the year to build Alexan 360, a 592-unit apartment project.

The $110 million project, once conceived as Alexan Cityscapes, "is the largest one we've done out of my division," said Alan Dean, TCR's senior managing director.

alexan is a nice product and this is a pretty big project.

i'd say it looks like the trend toward develolpment of rental properties vs. condos is accellerating and will continue to do so.

[atlantaguy]

I really think thats what needs to happen also, and it appears that it is.

I have no idea where this is though, but it sort of sounds like the area east of downtown somewhere? I know where Decatur St. is of course, but where is Jackson?

[atl2phx]

I really think thats what needs to happen also, and it appears that it is.

I have no idea where this is though, but it sort of sounds like the area east of downtown somewhere? I know where Decatur St. is of course, but where is Jackson?

if i have my bearings correct, it's due north of oakland cemetary, due east of the connector - very close to MARTA (not sure, but either MLK or inman park station).

[SteveD]

if i have my bearings correct, it's due north of oakland cemetary, due east of the connector - very close to MARTA (not sure, but either MLK or inman park station).

Yeah...One block west of where Boulevard crosses DeKalb Ave. DeKalb Ave. turns into Decatur St. at that intersection.

[atlantaguy]

Thanks guys, got it.

Wow, then this is a huge for that area. Great news!

[ThrashATL]

alexan is a nice product and this is a pretty big project.

i'd say it looks like the trend toward develolpment of rental properties vs. condos is accellerating and will continue to do so.

Novare might be wise to put a rental tower at Viewpoint for one of the two remaining spots. A hotel for the 3rd wouldn't be bad either. I know, I keep pushing this idea, would make for a monster mixed user though.

[MarketsWork]

From an Atlanta Business Chronicle article back in February:
"Alexan Cityscapes, at Jackson and Irwin streets in the Old Fourth Ward near downtown, is expected to total 600 units in four-story buildings on 10 acres, said Alan Dean, senior managing director at Trammell Crow Residential in Atlanta."

More specific details can be found in the DRI located here:
http://www.atlantaregional.com/webdocs/Land%20Use/Reviews/ID778/Final%20Report.pdf

I agree with atl2phx and atlantaguy that the trend toward intown apartments is a real and very good thing. While there is nothing like the responsibility of ownership that condos bring, Atlanta needs more well-placed, upscale apartments to bring more productive, law-abiding residents into the urban core by providing an entry level to those who can't yet afford expensive condos. Those that are nice enough and well-built enough can convert to condo ownership in the next cycle.