next hot spot for dense urban development (high rises, apartments, parks) (Atlanta: 2013, apartment complexes)

[bryantm3]

we all know midtown is becoming pretty densely populated, skyscrapers going up every month. before we know it, it will have maxed out its potential for dense urban development. where do y'all think are the next hot spots for this type of development?

as for me, i'm thinking the previously industrial areas are likely to be the next spots for this kind of thing, in addition to long strips of road with abandonded/sketchy shops that have little architectural significance.

the next spots i think are going to see infill like this are going northwest from downtown, along marietta street and northside drive, sort of forming a circle around georgia tech and home park along with atlantic station— this includes west midtown.

the other place i think we're likely to see this type of thing is going down piedmont from buckhead, extending to 85 and cheshire bridge road.

what do y'all think?

[mike7586]

Midtown has a long way to go before it maxes out... same with Downtown... I think West Midtown will see a lot of mid-rise development in the future... plenty of land and it's becoming pretty popular. The area just needs better sidewalks and transit access...

[chiatldal]

Agree with Both statement about on the west side. I believe the Beltline will do a lot for West Midtown. I don't believe it's going to be like Midtown but it going to be more urban. Do anyone believe Atlanta will have more major edge cities like Cumberland and perimeter center if so where?

[erick295]

One of the hots spots will be Perimeter Center, no doubt. There are some big projects planned for when the economy picks back up again, and some lighter activity going on right now. With all the new residential development the population has grown immensely in the last few years and lately there are more local businesses popping up instead of chains. A sizable city park is supposed to be going in near the Lofts this year. I remember when Perimeter was just a 9-5 office park but it's turning into quite a nice neighborhood.

[WanderingImport]

West midtown, Perimeter, expansion of Buckhead southward down Peachtree and Piedmont corridors.

Long term, what do you think will become of Doraville by Buford Highway or Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth? There are a few low rise hotels south of I-85 on PHR. Does anyone see any potential for high density development further out in places like these?

What about the historic downtowns like Norcross, Roswell, Marietta or Lawrenceville? Could there be expansions of them in the long term?

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by erick295

One of the hots spots will be Perimeter Center, no doubt. There are some big projects planned for when the economy picks back up again, and some lighter activity going on right now.

This is the largest proposed project, High Street. Directly across from the Dunwoody train station at Hammond & Perimeter Center West, this will be tranformative. http://www.highstreetatlanta.com/indexFlash.html

It was supposed to be underway in 2009, now they are aiming for this year or 2013.

[lastminutemom]

I think that up the Buford Highway corridor from Atlanta through DeKalb is ripe for urbanization. I know that some apartment complexes have already been purchased by developers and that they will eventually be torn down.

I do wonder about the large condo projects that were planned. It will be interesting to see if/when they get off the ground. (Town Brookhaven for example is all apartments -- is that the future?)

Currently, the only construction financing that may be possible is for apartments, as I understand it.

[lorilove]

I was in West Midtown shopping yesterday and had forgotten how spectacular the view of the rest of Atlanta is from there.

However, dense urban development typically does not have alot of parking and is more dependent on mass transportation. Areas close to a MARTA station are more likely.

[testa50]

Midtown is at least a decade, probably more like 2-3 decades, from full build-out. There is still block after block of land west of Peachtree that hasn't reached its highest and best use, and this is the part of Midtown with relatively few development restrictions (meaning it is allowed to be quite dense).

That's not to say, however, that other parts of Atlanta won't share in the fun. West Midtown will do well, and I think the area on Peachtree north of Piedmont medical will thrive also. But both of these lack mass transit, and will never have a set up like Midtown has (with three heavy rail stations well-situated on the network. In fact, Midtown is positioned to have more mass transit (potentially: North Avenue Streetcar, Peachtree Streetcar, LRT from Arts Center to Cobb), as these other areas gain their first connections.

[koko339]

My hope is that any new dense development is located in close proximity to similar areas, so that we don't continue to have this leap frog urbanism that characterizes Atlanta. I don't really see anymore edge cities, but I could see large development around MARTA stations like Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville. And let's not forget the plans for the Doraville motor plant.

Midtown is nowhere near built out, and I'd like to see the area west of Peachtree fill in with smart developments.