Georgia State eyes Equitable Building (Atlanta, Sparks: sale, real estate market, foreclosure)

[JPD]

Equitable is right across the street from the Aderhold classroom building, the Rialto Theater and GSU's music classrooms. It will be GREAT for this area if GSU takes over Equitable.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by LynnHarris

This will be an interesting purchase – I remember when the Equitable Building used to be one of downtown's premier office locations.

It's a baby Sears Tower and one of the few SOM buildings in Atlanta.

Should be a great fit for Georgia State.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

Crazy how bad downtown still suffers and it it wasn't for GSU the place would damn near be abandoned. This is a great location for them, right across Sparks hall and adjacent to Alumni Hall. They would then circle Woodruff Park.

And that is welcome news indeed.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's a baby Sears Tower and one of the few SOM buildings in Atlanta.

Should be a great fit for Georgia State.

What does SOM mean?

[arjay57]

Sorry, I meant it was designed by Skidmore, Owings amd Merrill. They also did the Georgia Pacific Building, the Burj Khalifa and are doing 1 World Trade Center.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Sorry, I meant it was designed by Skidmore, Owings amd Merrill. They also did the Georgia Pacific Building, the Burj Khalifa and are doing 1 World Trade Center.

Thanks!

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by koko339

God look at how big those blocks are east of Peachtree Center Ave compared to the ones in Fairlie Poplar. I'm still gunning for GSU to buy that old abandoned hotel with the zigzag balconies on John Wesley Dobbs Ave. It could make some great dorms.
Houston Street

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.

[BringBackCobain]

You guys actually like that hotel? I also hope GSU buys it (and the mechanic shop next to it, on the corner), but I hope they demo it.

I also hope GSU can get its hands on that horrendous green parking garage at the corner of Decatur and Peachtree. The master plan says this is supposed to be a site for housing, but I haven't heard anything about it.

IMO, the Equitable Building is one of Downtown's handsomest buildings, and a great example of International-style architecture. I just don't know what GSU would do with all that space. It would be really cool if they could convert some floors to dorms.

I also wonder if it would be possible for the city to gift Woodruff Park to GSU. They could really clean that park up and turn it into a campus green.

All in all, I think the only reason that part of Downtown is even part of the conversation anymore is GSU. I would be fine with it if they took over all of the Five Points and Underground area.

[BroadStJudge]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

Crazy how bad downtown still suffers and it it wasn't for GSU the place would damn near be abandoned. This is a great location for them, right across Sparks hall and adjacent to Alumni Hall. They would then circle Woodruff Park.

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.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

You guys actually like that hotel? I also hope GSU buys it (and the mechanic shop next to it, on the corner), but I hope they demo it.

I also hope GSU can get its hands on that horrendous green parking garage at the corner of Decatur and Peachtree. The master plan says this is supposed to be a site for housing, but I haven't heard anything about it.

IMO, the Equitable Building is one of Downtown's handsomest buildings, and a great example of International-style architecture. I just don't know what GSU would do with all that space. It would be really cool if they could convert some floors to dorms.

I also wonder if it would be possible for the city to gift Woodruff Park to GSU. They could really clean that park up and turn it into a campus green.

All in all, I think the only reason that part of Downtown is even part of the conversation anymore is GSU. I would be fine with it if they took over all of the Five Points and Underground area.

Yeah, that green parking garage near Underground is pretty tacky looking. Definitely within GSU's footprint of its campus. Something should be done with it.

I think GSU has been after the parking area beside the College of Education building, the one with the cheapo hotdog stand, for a long time. Another spot GSU has wanted is the low parking deck near its Recreation Center. I think in both cases the asking price was too high.

If they get it, I wonder if GSU will change the "Equitable" name at the top of the building to "Georgia State"?



It would look good and give them more exposure.

I think Woodruff Park was given to the city and I don't think they can transfer control to GSU. The best they can do is like with Hurt Park and sort of let GSU "adopt" it. But I guess GSU can't police either like Centennial Park is so they won't be nice parks.