Atlanta said to be in the running as the new Norfolk Southern HQ location (tenants, club)

[cparker73]

The parking lot this HQ is being built on is used for event parking at The Fox Theatre and hopefully most of it would be available during those times. With 2,000 spaces in the deck and a theater capacity of about 4,500, that would be enough to absorb everyone and their date who chooses/needs to drive to The Fox. Big question is during construction, where will everyone who uses the surface parking now find a space?

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

Because companies still make bad choices, which is why we have oversight ie Midtown Alliance.

It doesn't seem like a bad choice from the NS point of view. Bottom line, they have to make the bucks to make the investors happy, and if building a 2000 space parking is how they do it, then that's how they're going to do it!

Originally Posted by Street Advocate

Existing are relatively poor land use all things considered. Sure, some retail, but both decks could house hundreds (or thousands) of people for residences and jobs instead of cars.

Also, to use the ATT decks, ATT would have to agree, or agree to sell them.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by MattCW

It doesn't seem like a bad choice from the NS point of view. Bottom line, they have to make the bucks to make the investors happy, and if building a 2000 space parking is how they do it, then that's how they're going to do it!

And the surrounding community be damned, I suppose.

Originally Posted by MattCW

Also, to use the ATT decks, ATT would have to agree, or agree to sell them.

AT&T does not own the building. Carl Icahn does.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

And the surrounding community be damned, I suppose.

To a point. Take a look at the N. Dekalb Mall fiasco this week. The community tried to ram all of their ideas down the developer's throats, and now, they're dropping the whole thing for a while so the community is stuck with a mostly-abandoned mall surrounded by a big empty parking lot. In the case of the topic, would you rather keep a parking lot, or have a large building, with ground-level retail, and a fairly concealed parking deck?

AT&T does not own the building. Carl Icahn does.

Carl Icahn then.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by MattCW

To a point. Take a look at the N. Dekalb Mall fiasco this week. The community tried to ram all of their ideas down the developer's throats, and now, they're dropping the whole thing for a while so the community is stuck with a mostly-abandoned mall surrounded by a big empty parking lot. In the case of the topic, would you rather keep a parking lot, or have a large building, with ground-level retail, and a fairly concealed parking deck?

If I felt the plan was not in the community's best interest, then I would voice my concerns at the next meeting of whatever governing body was responsible for its approval...as I have done many times in the past. The developer can try, try again until they get it right.

That's the American Way.

[ATLTJL]

Looks to me like the NS plan is a much more intelligent integration of parking than older structures.

I don't see why you wouldn't advocate for them to construct this, at their own expense, and then advocate for the old AT&T parking to be demolished and something equally intelligent built in its place.

Either way, NS is going to provide parking for its employees. Why is it better for them to use a dated design than to build their own? They aren't responsible for that AT&T lot.

[JMatl]

Parking aside, I'm a big fan of the design. It's sleek and urbane, and the West Peachtree side engages the street well.

The Architects are Pickard Chilton, the same firm designing the new much taller tower up the street where the Daiquiri Factory was. They do great work in my opinion.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Parking aside, I'm a big fan of the design. It's sleek and urbane, and the West Peachtree side engages the street well.

The Architects are Pickard Chilton, the same firm designing the new much taller tower up the street where the Daiquiri Factory was. They do great work in my opinion.

The enhanced renderings that Street Advocate posted gave a clearer picture of the overall design, which I find very appealing.

[Born 2 Roll]

This AJC article talks about how the relocation of the Norfolk Southern HQ from Norfolk, Virginia to Midtown Atlanta is the feather in the cap of the highly-productive economic growth-focused governing alliance between Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Atlanta mayors Kasim Reed and Keisha Lance-Bottoms...

"Railroad giant's new Atlanta HQ a triumph of city-state alliance" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

The article also names some of the other major economic development and governing successes that have come as a result of the unique governing alliance between the Georgia State Capitol and Atlanta City Hall during Nathan Deal's eight years in office as governor of Georgia...

The Gold Dome-City Hall alliance paved the way for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, NCR’s Midtown headquarters, the recruitment of Fortune 500 homebuilder PulteGroup from Michigan and even aided projects outside Atlanta’s city limits. Reed helped the region recruit Mercedes-Benz’s North American headquarters to Sandy Springs; kept Porsche’s North America headquarters here; and lobbied the Obama White House for funding to deepen the Savannah harbor.

[All_4_augusta]

Will the building have an impact on the skyline or be visible much from the connector?