Original developer picked for redesign of Centennial Park (Atlanta: apartments, renting)

[tonygeorgia]

Original developer picked for redesign of Centennial Park | www.wsbtv.com


http://posting.clatl.com/images/blog...visionplan.pdf


ATLANTA — The Georgia World Congress Center is planning a makeover for Centennial Olympic Park. The park's future begins with a potential wish list of projects, developed by the park's original design firm. Assistant park manager Joe Skopitz told Channel 2's Jim Strickland what they're hoping to solve. "How do we really get them to spend some time here and enjoy the space, rather than just passing through?" Skopitz said. The vision plan plots several new features, basically around the park's edges. Some of the ideas include better water features with real wading, a beer garden and terrace restaurant. "I wouldn't mind seeing another restaurant, or a bar would be fantastic," said parkgoer Paige Harvey. "The carousel, that would be nice for the children," said visitor Michelle Berrell of another proposal. The great lawn would stay an open space. Renting it is one of the park's main revenue sources. Enjoying the lawn is one of its main draws.

"It's part of what Atlanta is all about. We're more than just a commercial area, but we're also very much into the environment, so I think it's important that we keep this," said Berrell of the space. Plans also call for more on-street parking. One quick fix involves trimming down many of the hedges so drivers can see into the park and be drawn inside. "We hope to have a number of projects that'll really have an impact on the community and will really make us best-in-class for the next 15 years," said Skopitz. There is no timetable on when some of the major improvements would come, and there are no funding sources as of yet.

[cqholt]

Those fences really need to be removed to make the park more inviting.
Narrow Centennial Olympic Park Drive to slow down drivers.
Redevelop the surface parking lots around the park into mixed-use buildings.
Add more condos and apartments around the park to make it more 24 hour meeting place.
The downtown streetcar will help deliver people to the park entrance and entice them to walk through the park to get to the attractions at Pemberton Place.

[JPD]

Keep Googie Burger. I went there yesterday for the first time and it was a pretty damn good burger.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Those fences really need to be removed to make the park more inviting.
Narrow Centennial Olympic Park Drive to slow down drivers.
Redevelop the surface parking lots around the park into mixed-use buildings.
Add more condos and apartments around the park to make it more 24 hour meeting place.
The downtown streetcar will help deliver people to the park entrance and entice them to walk through the park to get to the attractions at Pemberton Place.

I really liked the PDF file of the park. Almost everything about that vision would make the park better and more usable space.

I agree with that report and disagree with totally removing the fences.

The pdf file mentions removable fences (not doing away with them).

This is actually important. The park is a regional outdoor event area. This means sometimes it does need to be closed down, maintenanced, crowd control, etc...

What the city really needs to do is redevelop the northwest side of the poplar-farlie district that is mostly parking lots. They also need to make an inviting pedestrian+ biking corridor between the park and Peachtree St + Convention hotels. It is where most of our cities visitors are, but it is a dreadful corridor to walk through visually speaking.

[Ant131531]

Or just start trying to develop more residential buildings near the park...this will inevitably draw more people to and around the park... Many people would love to look out their window and see a park when they wake up in the morning.

[ATLTJL]

I'm pretty happy with the park the way it is.

But so long as they don't do anything that damages or removes the water features already in place, I don't care if they want to improve it.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Or just start trying to develop more residential buildings near the park...this will inevitably draw more people to and around the park... Many people would love to look out their window and see a park when they wake up in the morning.

Don't you think some investor would be building that already if there was a demand for that at the price-point needed for developers to make a profit?

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I'm pretty happy with the park the way it is.

But so long as they don't do anything that damages or removes the water features already in place, I don't care if they want to improve it.

you make a valid point

but what I am excited about is it is a big park and not all of it and used as much as the central parts are.... I love the idea of a beer garden or a terrace restaurant, even if it is a bit pricey!

I travel alot and I go to all these places where there is a beer garden or simply a cafe right in or bordering the park. It is always a nice spot to just relax and enjoy the outdoors more ... Something Atlanta seems to lack, especially if your a visitor and only in the frequented core areas.

[ATLTJL]

Yeah, if they want to do something like that and it helps, I say great, go for it.

I just want to make sure that my favorite part of the park, the water features, stay in place as they are. I particularly like the little river that runs down the side of the park over the rock waterfalls (it reminds me of a miniature golf course). Nobody ever seems to walk by it, so I hope they don't think nobody cares about it and decide to remove it because it is expensive to maintain or some reason like that.

[atlantamoi]

Love the new ideas! Right direction...