Novare Looks to Build 23-Story Mixed-Use Project on 6th (Atlanta: lease, car insurance)

[cqholt]

There needs to be more dense, high rise residential buildings around centennial Olympic park.

[po-boy]

On the whole transportation issue, I think it is unreasonable to think that a huge number of people are going to be willing to completely give up their cars in the near term. Here in America cars represent freedom and are a status symbol. Certainly that is less so among younger Americans than older ones and we are trending slightly away from automobiles, but it is going to be a long time before the majority of people who can own a car will choose not to own one.

I lived in Washington DC for several years. For about a year I was car-free and it was great during the week. I would walk or Metro to work without the hassle and expense of a car. However on the weekends it was tough. Things like grocery shopping are more difficult. It was easy to see friends in DC, but it was more of a production to visit friends who lived in Virginia or go on a road trip. Eventually I gave in and bought a car, but I just parked it on the street of my residential neighborhood, sometimes several blocks from my house. For me, that was a good solution. I didn't need it three feet away from me. During the week I rarely drove, but on the weekends I had the flexibility to hop in the car for shopping, road trips, etc. If I had been married at the time I would have been absolutely comfortable having only one car with my wife instead of each having one.

People will want cars until the hassle/expense outweighs the benefits. Right now people don't pay the full cost of car ownership b/c businesses/residences consider it necessary to provide parking and they in effect subsidize our ownership of cars. I think the best current strategy is to put the majority of focus on improving public transportation and walkability while also realizing that a lot of people want at least some access to cars. However, I think people should be made to pay the true cost for access to their cars. That means cities (especially southern cities) will need to be a lot denser with a much better public transportation. IMO a condo should offer a parking deck, but there should be less spaces than there are people in the condo, and each space should have an additional cost per month. More spaces should be metered and those meters should charge more. Don't try to eradicate the car, just let car owners pay all the costs associated with cars and the market will naturally push people towards more effecient forms of transportation.

[ATLTJL]

IMO a condo should offer a parking deck, but there should be less spaces than there are people in the condo, and each space should have an additional cost per month. More spaces should be metered and those meters should charge more. Don't try to eradicate the car, just let car owners pay all the costs associated with cars and the market will naturally push people towards more effecient forms of transportation.

I understand the theory of what you are saying here.

The reality, though, is that policies like this will simply lead to vacant condos that can't sell at a price higher than the cost of construction.

Even most people who don't have cars will insist upon having a deeded parking space for their unit because they know that they may someday sell to someone who has a car.

Your solution would work, but it isn't likely to happen anytime soon. Whoever is daring enough to try it will lose a lot of money.

[toll_booth]

Agree with those who think the building is a good thing, but the separate parking deck is not.

Why can't they just make one of those buildings with retail stores at ground level, the parking deck toward the back, and put the residences on top of that? Just use elevators to get them up and down.

[po-boy]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I understand the theory of what you are saying here.

The reality, though, is that policies like this will simply lead to vacant condos that can't sell at a price higher than the cost of construction.

Even most people who don't have cars will insist upon having a deeded parking space for their unit because they know that they may someday sell to someone who has a car.

Your solution would work, but it isn't likely to happen anytime soon. Whoever is daring enough to try it will lose a lot of money.

How many parking spaces do most condos in Atlanta come with? Does it depend on the size/# of BRs? Does a 3 BR condo usually have one space or three?

I wonder what people would think about a condo in a prime location (say on Peachtree) with a dedicated parking spot within walking distance, but in a cheaper/less visible space? I realize people want access to cars, but having these huge decks in the middle of what is supposed to be the most vibrant area of a major city really sucks the life out of a parcel of land.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

The reality, though, is that policies like this will simply lead to vacant condos that can't sell at a price higher than the cost of construction.

I agree. Nobody's going to live where they don't have parking.

[Mishap]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Agree with those who think the building is a good thing, but the separate parking deck is not.

Why can't they just make one of those buildings with retail stores at ground level, the parking deck toward the back, and put the residences on top of that? Just use elevators to get them up and down.

Technically, the deck is on the back. Viewpoint I faces Peachtree w/ 2 stories of retail and the proposed tower faces 6th St w/ retail. The deck shown would only be seen from 7th St or Juniper. Unfortunately, that's the side that people in the low/midrise condos along Juniper would see.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Mishap

Technically, the deck is on the back. Viewpoint I faces Peachtree w/ 2 stories of retail and the proposed tower faces 6th St w/ retail. The deck shown would only be seen from 7th St or Juniper. Unfortunately, that's the side that people in the low/midrise condos along Juniper would see.

No I mean have the deck be a part of the main building, not a separate building. Or is that what they are proposing?

[po-boy]

[quote=ATLTJL;24246844] Even most people who don't have cars will insist upon having a deeded parking space for their unit because they know that they may someday sell to someone who has a car.
quote]

One other thing, the current project is an apartment building, not a condo, so people will not be renting based on the potential needs of a hypothetical future resident. In an aparmtent building it will be strictly what the current resident wants.

I would of course have to do market research if I were putting one of these up, but perhaps a sliding scale on rent where people could rent an apartment and seperately they could (a) rent an expensive parking space in a small adjacent garage, (b) rent a less expensive parking space a few blocks away, or (3) save money and not rent any parking space.

[ATLTJL]

How many parking spaces do most condos in Atlanta come with?

Usually one bedrooms come with one deeded spot and two bedrooms come with two deeded spots. I'm not sure about 3, I assume they come with 3. A big concern a lot of people already have is there isn't enough visitor parking, so they can't have friends over.

I wonder what people would think about a condo in a prime location (say on Peachtree) with a dedicated parking spot within walking distance, but in a cheaper/less visible space?

Not much. Most women aren't going to feel comfortable walking to and from parking outside the secured area of the building after dark. Especially not when they are distracted with things like carrying groceries, wheeling around children, etc. It would not work in Atlanta.

In an aparmtent building it will be strictly what the current resident wants.

Maybe so, but it wouldn't be long before the building got torn a new one on apartmentratings.com. You can already see one of the major complaints people have on many complexes is they have to park too far away. If they couldn't park anywhere in their building, most people are going to avoid a building like that like the plague. I don't know how much it costs to add a parking space for each bedroom in a unit, but I'm positive the cost of doing so is much less than the hit you'd have to take in selling price for not doing so.

No matter how you spin it, people in Atlanta simply are not going to tolerate not having a place to park. No time soon anyway. No matter what you do.