Allen Plaza Thread - Page 3

micropundit · #41 Posted **Sep 21, 2006, 7:22 PM**

It's official: W Hotel set for downtown
Atlanta Business Chronicle - 10:22 AM EDT Thursday
As first reported by Atlanta Business Chronicle in August 2005, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Barry Real Estate Companies Inc. will develop a W Hotel in downtown's Allen Plaza complex..

The companies on Sept. 21 officially reported their agreement to build the W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences mixed-use tower set to open in 2008. The 28-story tower will be constructed at 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. and will feature 237 hotel rooms, 76 luxury condominiums and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. The project will include a signature restaurant, bar, and, as part of W's exclusive partnership with bliss, the beauty brand beloved by celebrities and fashion insiders, the W Atlanta Downtown will open with a luxurious bliss Spa.

The hotel also will boast the city's first hotel-topped heliport to whisk guests and residents from downtown to a variety of points across the metro region.

"Special business guests and residents will fly to our hotel via helicopter after arriving at Peachtree-DeKalb or Charlie Brown airports," said Hal Barry, founder and chairman of Barry Real Estate Cos. "I envision celebrities and other VIP guests avoiding traffic and crowds by flying to their suites or homes aboard our helicopter."

Pickard Chilton Architects is designing the building with floor-to-ceiling glass and an outdoor terrace, while BurdiFilek Interior Design out of Toronto is completing the vision for the interior spaces, including the condominiums.

Coldwell Banker The Condo Store has been hired to market and sell the property. Construction on the foundation and parking deck underneath the structure has already begun and work on the tower is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2007.

micropundit · #42 Posted **Sep 21, 2006, 8:20 PM**

Hotels to Develop Hotel in Downtown Atlanta
Built by Barry Real Estate Cos., W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences to Debut with Heliport as the Newest Addition to Allen Plaza

W Hotels Worldwide announced today plans for a new hotel in downtown Atlanta. Barry Real Estate Cos. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), W's parent company, have reached an agreement to build the W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences, a mixed-use tower that will be part of Atlanta's Allen Plaza.

"The W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences is an exciting addition to the quickly expanding downtown landscape," said Chris Schoen, CEO of Barry Real Estate. "The project will feature the highest level of design and architecture - unlike anything else in Atlanta - and will reinvent the hotel experience. It will provide a unique facility for luxury business and leisure travelers, as well as the best choice for residents who wish to own a piece of the W lifestyle."

Starwood's W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences represents the hotel giant's new generation of designs as it aggressively expands its footprint around the globe. "We are pleased to partner with Barry Real Estate Companies to bring W Hotel's brand of exceptional service and world-renowned design to Allen Plaza," said Steven J. Heyer, CEO of Starwood Hotels. "The resurgence taking place downtown is exciting, and we want to be a part of the momentum. Allen Plaza is a superb location, and we feel the area is primed for the first-class hotel and living accommodations we will provide."

Ross Klein, president of W Hotels, said, "The W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences will create a place where comfort meets cool, where innovative design flirts with fashion, food, art and everything in between. W Hotels provides an escape from the mundane, blossoming beyond simply a hotel to become an influential and innovative lifestyle authority. This evolution has made for exciting times for the brand, and we're glad to bring this ground-up project to Atlanta."

Situated at the confluence of the Downtown Connector, Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Williams and Spring streets, Allen Plaza has grown into a more than $1 billion mixed-use development, covering several city blocks. Allen Plaza is steps away from the Georgia Aquarium, the new home of the World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park. Allen Plaza already has attracted Southern Co., a Fortune 500 company, and Ernst & Young, an international consulting firm. Southern Co. moved into its new headquarters at 30 Allen Plaza in early 2006. Ernst & Young will move into 55 Allen Plaza in spring 2007.

The Allen Plaza development is named for Ivan Allen Jr., the late Atlanta mayor who played a critical role in bringing the city together, promoting its central business district and making Atlanta an area that could attract world-class corporations.

No other development in metro Atlanta has all the elements represented at Allen Plaza: premier class "A" office towers with unparalleled access and visibility, luxury hotels surrounded by high-rise condominiums, first-class, street-level retail in a great walking district and a vision that can be traced to one of the city's great mayors.

Buck · #43 Posted **Sep 21, 2006, 8:53 PM**

A beautiful, sleek, modern design. I like it alot.

Tombstoner · #44 Posted **Sep 21, 2006, 10:29 PM**

The rendering is very sexy, but at the risk of being a party-pooper, I suspect the actual building won't be quite as radiant.

cabasse · #45 Posted **Sep 21, 2006, 11:12 PM**

^considering how nice symphony tower turned out to be, i might have to doubt you a little bit.

i agree with you buck. glad to see allen plaza getting it right, considering it's part of downtown, and will hopefully help focus more urbanization effort there.

Newnan_Eric · #46 Posted **Sep 22, 2006, 12:58 PM**

Does anyone have an idea when we'll see someting more on the Post/Barry residential components? I am thrilled at the prospect, but I'm not sure how quick it will happen, it seems as though we're peaking when it comes to condo development. (However, we haven't seen to much on the apartment development front.)

blong · #47 Posted **Sep 22, 2006, 9:36 PM**

http://www.wresidencesatlanta.com

micropundit · #48 Posted **Sep 23, 2006, 12:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blong

http://www.wresidencesatlanta.com

Where did you get that web site from, i looked on both the Allenplaza.com and the whotels.com sites and could not find it? Good sleuthing.

DoteDote · #49 Posted **Sep 23, 2006, 12:48 AM**

Construction progress photo taken last Saturday.

jason21atl · #50 Posted **Sep 23, 2006, 2:46 AM**

I found this picture in today's Atlanta Business Chronicle and I thought everyone might find it interesting. It is an article about Lance Patterson, President of Barry Real Estate and also President of the Urban Land Institute's Atlanta district. The picture of him for the article is him in front of this Allen Plaza model. You can clearly see Peachtree Summit and TWELVE in the lower right hand corner as well as the Southern Co. building and 50 Allen Plaza. Then there are several other buildings, including one that looks even taller than 50 Allen Plaza immediately south of it. Enjoy:

Dale · #51 Posted **Sep 23, 2006, 3:37 AM**

Wow ! Tantalizing.

SteveD · #52 Posted **Sep 23, 2006, 2:00 PM**

That looks great...darn..I was in Barry's offices a month or so ago and didn't see that. Maybe that's not where it is.

macdaddy · #53 Posted **Sep 24, 2006, 12:41 AM**

Man, that looks great. Isn't that tall building actually east of 50 and directly south of the Southern building. In any event, it's great for Allen Plaza!

ATLssMania · #54 Posted **Sep 24, 2006, 3:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Man, that looks great. Isn't that tall building actually east of 50 and directly south of the Southern building. In any event, it's great for Allen Plaza!

Yeah..I was thinking the same thing.

mayhem · #55 Posted **Sep 24, 2006, 4:35 PM**

Yeah it would be South East of 50AP and directly south of 30AP. Anyone got that old master plan handy?

cabasse · #56 Posted **Sep 24, 2006, 9:29 PM**

i've been f*ing around with google sketchup. here's the result.

30 allen plaza
45/55 allen plaza
twelve centennial hill

you'll need google earth beta 4 to be able to add these, i'm almost positive.

i'll probably do some more next weekend. i was working on 50, but somehow managed to draw it backwards. (with the front entrance shown on their website on w. peachtree instead of alexander)

heights are approximate, i basically took pixel measurements from various renderings and filled in the blank using a ratio. pretty crude. i was also drawing these without terrain turned on in sketchup, so it's subtracting 20' or so off the top. ah well.

cabasse · #57 Posted **Sep 24, 2006, 9:41 PM**

oh, also - i don't know if anyone else was curious to see what symphony tower would look like in the midtown skyline (on google earth) someone drew it already and added it to the 3d warehouse. it's in wonderful detail, i'm sure it took quite a bit more time to draw then any of my models.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...c58cec085dce84

(wizum has also drawn other midtown scrapers, just do a search for atlanta if curious)

smArTaLlone · #58 Posted **Oct 2, 2006, 2:16 AM**

Originally Posted by Willeo

Post and Barry are in the DRI review process for a 42 story mixed use project bordered by W Peachtree PLACE to the north, Simpson St to the south, Williams St to the east, and Centennial Olympic Park Dr to the west. The plan calls for 351 apartment units, 168 condominium units, 188 hotel rooms, and 18,500 sf of retail space. Single phase build out by 2010. This is the site to the north of Museum tower across Baker St, where the wooden sign holder is. Sorry, no renderings this time, lets hope it is not made out of styrofoam. Also remember, Simpson St will have streetscape improvements and W Peachtree PLACE will be converted from one-way to two-way.

smArTaLlone · #59 Posted **Oct 2, 2006, 2:16 AM**

delete

AubieTurtle · #60 Posted **Oct 2, 2006, 4:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by smArTaLlone

Originally Posted by Willeo

Post and Barry are in the DRI review process for a 42 story mixed use project bordered by W Peachtree PLACE to the north, Simpson St to the south, Williams St to the east, and Centennial Olympic Park Dr to the west. The plan calls for 351 apartment units, 168 condominium units, 188 hotel rooms, and 18,500 sf of retail space. Single phase build out by 2010. This is the site to the north of Museum tower across Baker St, where the wooden sign holder is. Sorry, no renderings this time, lets hope it is not made out of styrofoam. Also remember, Simpson St will have streetscape improvements and W Peachtree PLACE will be converted from one-way to two-way.

I think he meant north of Museum Tower across Simpson Street since Baker is the road south of Museum Tower that runs between it and the Inforum/ACS HQ.

I suspect that many in my building will be upset when they see all the back alley stuff located on West Peachtree Place. I've been warning them for quite some time that it was going to happen. Glad my unit faces west and northwest rather than south. The tower will likely block most of my view of Centennial Olympic Park that hasn't already been blocked by the World of Coca-Cola. However, unlike Ms. Norwood, I understand that cities change and that when I paid for my condo that I wasn't also buying the right to put a deed restriction on every property I can see from my window. I'll miss being able to see the ice skating rink in the winter but I won't miss seeing that vacant lot. In my mind it is more than a fair trade.