Georgia State eyes Equitable Building (Atlanta, Sparks: real estate, city hall, to rent)

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by BroadStJudge

Why do people perpetuate the idea that downtown is a ghost town? According to Bowers & Assoc, for 1st quarter 2011 downtown led the region with a commercial occupancy rate of 80.7%, midtown was 2nd with 75.3%, and Buckhead was third with 74.65%. Does not sound damn near abandoned to me.

In the case of the Equitable building, it is less than half full and in foreclosure.

[BringBackCobain]

One interesting fact: a state law requires any downtown property owner who is putting his parcel up for sale must first offer it to GSU.

Also, I saw someone mention Sparks Hall. Both Sparks and Kell Halls are slated to be demolished at some point, according to the master plan (which is pre-Recession, so not entirely realistic).

Mainstreet Master Plan

[RandyWatson13]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Fairlie Poplar probably represents what remains of old Atlanta with its narrow streets and small blocks. I thought closing off the streets and making it all pedestrian would be good but that might kill off what businesses it has. If they did close off streets, it might work if it could be flooded with students, ie GSU students.

I think that abandoned hotel was the former Ramada Inn? Can't understand how in Atlanta's hotel district, a hotel could fail and fall into disrepair like that. Sort of what you'd expect to see in Detroit.

GSU is converting another hotel down the road to dorms so yeah, that place would be ideal, certainly should go cheap. Unless someone else owns it and is just waiting for financing.

The Flatiron building is for sale too although schools prefer new and are reluctant to buy old buildings. It's a classy building although I don't know how GSU could use it.

It would be nice if GSU could get 55 Park Place so they could own that whole block. GSU plans on building its business school academic building there so 55 Park Place would be a better building for the faculty.

With Flatiron and 55 Park Place GSU would come close to pretty much surrounding Woodruff Park. I'm not sure about how things are trending Downtown as Midtown grows and it looks as if the Buckhead project is moving again. Centennial Park was a shot in the arm for Downtown but it is trending touristic.

Flatiron was slated to be turned into a high end hotel but that died. Its right across Aderhold and would be great for GSU to me. Its the 2nd oldest high-rise in Atlanta.

Originally Posted by BroadStJudge

Why do people perpetuate the idea that downtown is a ghost town? According to Bowers & Assoc, for 1st quarter 2011 downtown led the region with a commercial occupancy rate of 80.7%, midtown was 2nd with 75.3%, and Buckhead was third with 74.65%. Does not sound damn near abandoned to me.

B/C occupancy doesn't mean busy, those people work there and leave. Downtown would be dead without GSU with no one walking around at all.



Yes Sparks/Kell will be demolished and re-done, it is literally a parking deck changed into classrooms.

[koko339]

Not to get nitpicky, but only Kell was originally a parking deck. Sparks Hall was built specifically for the school many moons ago.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

Flatiron was slated to be turned into a high end hotel but that died. Its right across Aderhold and would be great for GSU to me. Its the 2nd oldest high-rise in Atlanta.

Looks too small for a hotel. Maybe it could be a freshman dorm, ie freshmen with no car.

Yes Sparks/Kell will be demolished and re-done, it is literally a parking deck changed into classrooms.

I hope not. Kell is GSU's oldest and first building (of that campus). It moved there from its Luckie Street building. Kell Hall is ultra-unique with those ramps. It dates back to 1946.



HISTORY 101 – GSU Magazine

For a school with little history or tradition, I say hang on to it as well as Sparks. The Kell "ramps" was part of GSU's identity.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Looks too small for a hotel. Maybe it could be a freshman dorm, ie freshmen with no car.

That building is too small for just about any modern usage. It just doesn't have enough room to house very many students, and certainly not enough room for classrooms.

For the same money it'd take to buy that building and retrofit it, they could probably buy a surface parking lot, build a new building from scratch and come out way ahead.

It's unfortunate that such a beautiful building will likely sit there indefinitely, being severely underused.

[RandyWatson13]

Originally Posted by koko339

Not to get nitpicky, but only Kell was originally a parking deck. Sparks Hall was built specifically for the school many moons ago.

Thanks...I'm just all wrong in this thread

[BringBackCobain]

I like Kell too and think they should keep it. Sparks however is fugly and has too many blank walls.

[Febtober]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

I like Kell too and think they should keep it. Sparks however is fugly and has too many blank walls.

It also contains the Registrar's Office and the Financial Aid Office, which invariably equates it to the third level of hell.

[OO7]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

B/C occupancy doesn't mean busy, those people work there and leave. Downtown would be dead without GSU with no one walking around at all.

Randy, BroadStJudge and I are 2 of thousands of homeowners who live full-time Downtown, and who happen to monitor this online forum for misconceptions about our neighborhood.

While we Downtown residents are VERY grateful for GSU's presence and investment in our community, it is simply untrue that Downtown would be totally dead without GSU. In addition to actual people who live here, we do have plenty of tourists and conventioneers as well as police officers on guard to keep everyone feeling safe.

Sure, we don't yet have nearly the population density to sustain a 24/7 vibrant Downtown like those found in world-class international cities. Since the Olympics, people have slowly been moving in and we'll surely get there as the residential real estate market recovers and developers begin building again sometime in the future. The Downtown big-business community, as represented by Central Atlanta Progress, realizes the importance of having more residents, too. If it's been a few years since you last took the time to visit us and really walk around the neighborhood, you may be surprised in the improvements we residents, in partnership with the generous business community, have made. For example, Woodruff Park has much less loiterers sitting on its walls due to the strategic placement of heavy flowerbeds blooming with colorful plants. It also has a hot dog stand, WiFi, and music piping through the park's speakers. Events such as free summer films are held there. Soon, a kid's playground will be built and the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association is currently raising money to put dog poop bag stations and a 3-tiered drinking fountain for adult, child and dog. So, please understand our frustration in constantly dispelling myths about our proud neighborhood.

It's a shame that metro Atlantans let their core, historic and original neighborhood rot in years past. What does it say about us when we let conditions right outside the doorsteps of City Hall and the Gold Dome become like a 3rd world nation? Maybe we'd become a true world-class international city by now if y'all would stop bashing us and start channeling your anger and your energies into advocating for a better Downtown...