Atlanta Braves enter agreement to purchase Genuine Parts co. site (Ideal: homes, buying)

[alco89]

Hopefully it's a massive parking DECK. They need all the parking spaces they can get.

[neil0311]

So let me get this straight...if the Braves construct the stadium and surrounding development, that was bad because there wasn't enough parking.

Now that they have secured the land for sufficient parking, that's also bad because they're going to build parking.

So the mall and surrounding businesses are against having tens of thousands of people in the area, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, shopping in the mall? Hmmm.

Let's also keep in mind as has been discussed that the number of Braves' games likely to impact traffic in any significant way number around 50 per year. The remaining 315 days a year the only traffic would be from people enjoying the other amenities and businesses.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by neil0311

So let me get this straight...if the Braves construct the stadium and surrounding development, that was bad because there wasn't enough parking.

It was bad because it was too car-focused. You cannot easily get there without a car. And it was a dirty deal done in secret that gave $400M dollars to a for-profit team without the approval of voters. And it is bad because an Atlanta team does not belong in Cobb, the anti-Atlanta capital. There really is no winning with the Braves Stadium in Cobb no matter which way they go with it.

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by jsvh

It was bad because it was too car-focused. You cannot easily get there without a car. And it was a dirty deal done in secret that gave $400M dollars to a for-profit team without the approval of voters. And it is bad because an Atlanta team does not belong in Cobb, the anti-Atlanta capital. There really is no winning with the Braves Stadium in Cobb no matter which way they go with it.

Is there a large number of people in Atlanta who don't own cars or something?

Sorry but i always viewed the Atlanta area as one of the most car centric cities around.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by neil0311

So the mall and surrounding businesses are against having tens of thousands of people in the area, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, shopping in the mall? Hmmm.

Surrounding businesses like the hotels in the area are most likely loving the construction of the new Braves' stadium.

But other existing businesses in the area (most particularly the aging Cumberland Mall) are probably deathly afraid of the competition that the new mixed-use development around the new Braves stadium will bring.

In an era where enclosed regional shopping malls seem to have a shrinking amount of appeal in a changing retail marketplace and society that is moving away from enclosed malls, Cumberland Mall is probably understandably deathly afraid that the new open-air mixed-use development at the new Braves stadium will take a significant chunk of their business.

...Hence, one major reason why Cumberland Mall and other retail properties throughout the greater Cumberland area may not necessarily be all that cooperative in allowing the Braves to use their parking spaces, either during baseball games or at any other time

Originally Posted by neil0311

Let's also keep in mind as has been discussed that the number of Braves' games likely to impact traffic in any significant way number around 50 per year. The remaining 315 days a year the only traffic would be from people enjoying the other amenities and businesses.

But even outside of the games on days and evenings during the work week that are projected to have an impact on peak-hour traffic patterns in the Cumberland/Cobb Cloverleaf area, the traffic from the high-density new mixed-use development surrounding the new Braves stadium could have a noticeable impact on traffic patterns in an area that already struggles at times with heavy rush hour traffic congestion.

Just like new high-density mixed-use development has increased traffic in business districts like Perimeter, Buckhead and Midtown (the increase in traffic in those areas from new high-density development has occurred despite those areas having rail transit service and despite those areas not having a major-league professional sports stadium), the increased high-density mixed-use development in the Cumberland area will most likely increase traffic in the area even when Braves games may not figure into the equation.

Increased development increases traffic, there's just no way around that reality. That doesn't mean that an area like Cumberland should not pursue high-impact real estate developments like the new Braves stadium and its accompanying high-density mixed-use development....But it does mean that there should likely be some kind of robust regional high-capacity transit option (preferably funded and coordinated by the state) in place to attempt to relieve traffic congestion pressure from an often heavily-congested road network that is effectively built-out in the Cumberland area.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Is there a large number of people in Atlanta who don't own cars or something?

Sorry but i always viewed the Atlanta area as one of the most car centric cities around.

The number of people without a car in Atlanta is small and growing. But even though I currently own a car most of my trips are made without a car. The problem is with that is more the lack of choice. You don't really have an option to not drive and avoid traffic going to the Cobb Braves.

[AtlantaIsHot]

Originally Posted by DawgPark

And 82 acres of nothing replaced by a $1.1 billion mixed-use development.

Plus, a new building being constructed in Wildwood for GPC.

Wasn't the neighborhoods the stadium was built in struggling before the stadium was built? The stadium didn't really help it either did it? Cobb Galleria area is already a massively successful business area and has residential going up all around so the new stadium is going into an already successful area. I don't think I'd want to be in that area when a game starts or ends though...

[fermie125]

I'm happy the Braves have a place for parking, but I don't think the location of the Genuine Parts parcel is ideal. If you look at the development plan, the mixed-used development is on the west side of the property. Folks parking at Genuine Parts and walking to the stadium are coming from the northeast side and won't walk through the mixed-used development. This is a major problem because it doesn't funnel people through the development.



The Magic Kingdom at Disney World is a perfect example of how to funnel crowds toward retail. The only way in and out of the place is to walk down Main Street, which means every single visitor will walk by all the Main Street stores at least twice and that increases the chances of them stopping for something to eat or buying something on the way in or out.

The Braves could have done something similar with their site plan. They have a "Main Street" packed with retailers, but if most people are coming from the opposite direction you won't have as many people forced to walk through the development. Ideally you want parking on one side and the stadium on the other with the mixed-use development sandwiched in between. Imagine how much more money they could make if they forced everyone to come in and out where the retail is.

Perhaps if the parking was on the west side near Cobb Pkwy this would get bigger crowds through the development instead of bypassing the whole thing.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Is there a large number of people in Atlanta who don't own cars or something?

Sorry but i always viewed the Atlanta area as one of the most car centric cities around.

There are a lot of us who own cars but don't use them very often.

[arjay57]

Smart move by the Braves, Cobb and Genuine parts.