Atlantic Station Recapitalization and Repositioning (Atlanta, White: crimes, house, tenant)

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by johnatl

I do believe that it is tied to the shuttle outright (being that it replaced the original rail line proposed).

Whew. More B.S. This thread reeks.

[onemanarmy]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Here is the requirement from the EPA:

The site will have a linkage to mass transit.

That's it. Can you tell me why having normal MARTA bus routes wouldn't satisfy this?

I think you are missing the point, or care nothing but to hold on to your mislead idea, no matter how much evidence proves contrary to your opinion. Let's start off with the agreement, that AS needs a more diverse clientele. However, the clientele that you are adamantly trying to curtail IS NOT GOING TO CEASE, unless AS closes. Secondly, if 45,000 people use the shuttle that currently runs every 15 minutes, versus the MARTA 10 ROUTE that runs EVERY HOUR, it will not stop people "YOUR" problem. MARTA would just increase the services to this area to accommodate the new ridership “demand”. You see, the shuttle service, mass transit option is a part of AS, they are inseparable. What AS needs are MORE people in, not more people OUT! So let’s focus on bringing more people to AS, because that’s a much easier task than moving people out, and honestly Lenox & Phipps is a great example. The same types hang undesirables hang out at both shopping Malls, but I guarantee that Simon would fight tooth and nail to keep Lenox & Buckhead stations open.

[JasonH_AS]

Originally Posted by atlyoungin

One other point: crime at AS.

I have no statistics, but I can give you an idea of how residents feel. I don't think there is a significant problem within Atlantic Station as most non-residents think of it - the area with the stores. There are usually too many people for much to go on, but I did witness one purse snatching last year in the early evening, with the thief taking off in a car at a high rate of speed through AS. The security guards were not terribly interested. For those that don't live here, there really isn't that much to worry about. Well, then there is the Twelve. The criminal activity there is well-known.

The main problems seem to come in the areas right next to AS. There were a lot of car thefts several months ago - such as 20ish cars stolen in each apartment complex. That seems to have died down a bit. We had a few cars (including one just a few spots down from us) get their wheels stolen (the thieves left the cars on blocks) just a few weeks ago in the complex that we live in - this occurred in a gated parking garage. From another incident we went through, it seems that some of the property managers might be hesitant to call the police in a lot of situations just to avoid the statistics being asked for here. There was the attempted rape at one of the condominiums a few months ago as well.

A little further away, there are quite a few problems. I believe it was on Mecaslin between 14th and 16th that one student was abducted and robbed. There seems to fairly regularly be armed robberies on the streets in the surrounding area. I really wouldn't suggest anyone walk alone in the surrounding areas after dark. Even groups of people have been robbed at gunpoint.

These incidents make it very difficult for residents to interact with Atlantic Station after dark. Obviously we want to feel safe in our homes and parking garages, but if most people don't want to risk walking the 2 blocks to Atlantic Station at night, that will encourage a lot of residents not to shop in AS. If I'm going to get in the car, the advantage Publix has of being close is essentially gone. The same thing with all of the other stores and restaurants. Should I drive over for impossibly slow service at Fox Sports or drive hardly any further over to some of the much more interesting restaurants a little further west? If they're going to have residents that are within walking distance, I think AS should try to monopolize the residents' money. If people living this close don't want to go to AS for a myriad of reasons, why should anyone risk traffic or MARTA to do so?

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Whew. More B.S. This thread reeks.

If the thread reeks, it's because the truth hurts.....

[ATLHRLGUY]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Here is the requirement from the EPA:

The site will have a linkage to mass transit.

That's it. Can you tell me why having normal MARTA bus routes wouldn't satisfy this?

I can only surmise from the government's POV that MARTA and all of its components would be "mass transit" meaning rail AND bus. So something independent of that would have to be started i.e. "Atlantic Station" shuttle to meet federal guidelines. My interest and time researching the ins and outs of the agreement and requirements don't go past AtlanticStation.com...sorry, but if you want to spent more than 10 sec. researching to find out, which I'm sure you don't, be my guest.

I will agree and say the bus routes IMO should have been able to meet those requirements.

[atlyoungin]

Originally Posted by JasonH_AS

I have no statistics, but I can give you an idea of how residents feel. I don't think there is a significant problem within Atlantic Station as most non-residents think of it - the area with the stores. There are usually too many people for much to go on, but I did witness one purse snatching last year in the early evening, with the thief taking off in a car at a high rate of speed through AS. The security guards were not terribly interested. For those that don't live here, there really isn't that much to worry about. Well, then there is the Twelve. The criminal activity there is well-known.

The main problems seem to come in the areas right next to AS. There were a lot of car thefts several months ago - such as 20ish cars stolen in each apartment complex. That seems to have died down a bit. We had a few cars (including one just a few spots down from us) get their wheels stolen (the thieves left the cars on blocks) just a few weeks ago in the complex that we live in - this occurred in a gated parking garage. From another incident we went through, it seems that some of the property managers might be hesitant to call the police in a lot of situations just to avoid the statistics being asked for here. There was the attempted rape at one of the condominiums a few months ago as well.

A little further away, there are quite a few problems. I believe it was on Mecaslin between 14th and 16th that one student was abducted and robbed. There seems to fairly regularly be armed robberies on the streets in the surrounding area. I really wouldn't suggest anyone walk alone in the surrounding areas after dark. Even groups of people have been robbed at gunpoint.

These incidents make it very difficult for residents to interact with Atlantic Station after dark. Obviously we want to feel safe in our homes and parking garages, but if most people don't want to risk walking the 2 blocks to Atlantic Station at night, that will encourage a lot of residents not to shop in AS. If I'm going to get in the car, the advantage Publix has of being close is essentially gone. The same thing with all of the other stores and restaurants. Should I drive over for impossibly slow service at Fox Sports or drive hardly any further over to some of the much more interesting restaurants a little further west? If they're going to have residents that are within walking distance, I think AS should try to monopolize the residents' money. If people living this close don't want to go to AS for a myriad of reasons, why should anyone risk traffic or MARTA to do so?

Dude, Great Post! And I agree 100%. I tried to give you rep points, but I think I already gave you some and CD woudn't let me give you more.


I do understand the perception that people have about the safety of AS and I agree that things should happen to make it FEEL safer. My concern is that if it is safe (or at least relatively safe compared to other parts of the city/country with similar population density) what can really be done. Crime anywhere is horrible, but unfortunately it's not going anywhere.

Now, everything you just mentioned to me seems like it could be rectified very easily by increasing the number of security (armed) or police presence doing patrols around AS. That would limit the number of robberies. Better lighting in the garages would likely limit the number of car theft/break-ins, as would patrols.

Also, if AS and the surrounding areas aren't more unsafe than other parts of the city, the owners of AS have to get that message out. If it is, then they have to clean it up and that should be the #1 priority. I don't know and that's why I asked if anyone has stats. The thing is, nobody talks about the many times they were able to walk 2 blocks to Publix without incident. But, when something does happen, it's remembered vividly (just like all of your anecdotes) and an area gets a reputation (fairly or unfairly) that is hard to shake.

[PhilthyMcSpew]

Water fountains and street performers are not part of the answer to Atlantic Station's problems. The new owners need to develop a plan to change the demographic of the visitors, especially the nighttime and weekend crowd. Changing the mix of retailers might be a part of that, and I'm excited they are forcing the restaurants to stop this ridiculous transformation into nightclubs that attracts such a rotten crowd here.

I think the plan for new, independent restaurants and shops has the potential to attract the kind of people the businesses here need as regular customers. But something has to be done about improving the crowd that comes here. Closing Fox Sports Grill would probably be a good start. And although a movie theater seems like such a vital tenant in a development like this, it really is a huge part of the problem in attracting the kind of people that ruin the experience here. In over 2 years I've never seen one movie there because its impossible to enjoy a movie when you're surrounded by disrespectful idiots.

Maybe it would be a good idea to stop running the shuttles on weekend nights so the hood rats can't just take Marta to the station and catch the shuttle to come loiter around the park with their pants hanging down below their ass.

Eliminating the Section 8 housing in the apartments here would also help I'm sure.

I'm a resident in AS and I can tell you it was on the path to be the next Underground Atlanta. I'm very hopeful CB Richard Ellis will be successful.

[PhilthyMcSpew]

It would also be a good idea to eliminate that low-rent 'open-air market' silliness if they can't attract better vendors. Its looks and feels like a ghetto flea market.

[koko339]

BLDGBLOG: Pay-As-You-Go Urbanism

[RandyWatson13]

Originally Posted by PhilthyMcSpew

Maybe it would be a good idea to stop running the shuttles on weekend nights so the hood rats can't just take Marta to the station and catch the shuttle to come loiter around the park with their pants hanging down below their ass.

Eliminating the Section 8 housing in the apartments here would also help I'm sure.

I'm a resident in AS and I can tell you it was on the path to be the next Underground Atlanta. I'm very hopeful CB Richard Ellis will be successful.

Are you for real? The vast majority of people at AS on weekends and nights drive, the parking deck is full. Some might 'dress" like hoodlums but for the most part well to do people hang out there. You can't be broke around AS or you won't eat, it is not a cheap area.

Its amazing to me how so many people here just want places within the city to resemble North Dakota but live in Atlanta Maybe some of you need to move even further away from the perimeter.

I guess you would feel safer if everyone walking around looked like John McCain and did white collar crime instead.