Atlanta's suburbs continue to become increasingly sophisticated (Sandy Springs, Roswell: for sale, rent)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by primaltech

17th is an actual street, though. And it has bike lanes and even a bus-only lane.

Old Milton is like an east-west regional arterial highway, designed for and meant for (fast zooming) cars, and pretty much cars alone. That's like saying Avalon should interact with 400.

I say connect Avalon Blvd, with Thompson St. That's the first thing that should happen. Then you need to have Avalon's 3rd St connect up to Academy St. Then it could feel more interactive with Alpharetta's grid, less like an island shopping center.

This is the point I'm making. AS is urban infill located in an urbanish area and thus experiences a much greater level of interaction with the street and connectivity with the surrounding area. Avalon is 100% self-contained and isn't walkable in any sense relative to its surrounding area.

Originally Posted by arjay57

True. Atlantic station pretty much turns its back on high capacity roads like Northside Drive and I-75.


https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7916...8i6656!6m1!1e1


https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7875...8i6656!6m1!1e1


https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7921...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Northside Drive doesn't border AS. And I-75? Come on dude...give me a break.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Here is Alpharetta's dream/vision:
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/p...ta-avalon.html

i'm a downtown alpharetta resident and i've never seen these plans, but it's behind a paywall. can you post some of the renderings and proposed street changes?

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by cqholt

They missed a huge opportunity to build the urbanity, walkability they seek when Avalon turned it's back on Old Milton. If they wanted to wait to develop those parcels that face the road, then they should have left them vacant, as it stands now Avalon will never be inviting to peds from Old Mitlon.

i live nearby; there are no pedestrians from old milton. i'm not sure if you know the area very well, but old milton is a six lane behemoth that tears through alpharetta, has huge rights-of-way (almost like a freeway in some parts) and very poor sidewalks. it was unfortunately designed like this in the mid 1990s, due to the fact that until recently there was not a large concentration of businesses or residences along the road west of 400, and the focus was on moving traffic east-west (old milton is state route 120).

in addition, avalon is on a hill and old milton has got to be at least 50 feet below that grade.

i do see an issue with the fact that their "urban" portion is entirely surrounded by surface parking. it is an incredible waste of land. they could have easily built it on half the land area with a parking deck, and preserved the rest of the land for a later development.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I will say, I don't like grassy, sloped hills:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0687...7i13312!8i6656

They should have built it out that extra 20 ft or so to the sidewalk on Old Milton, then a nice decorative fence and a vertical attractive stone wall straight down. Then you could do like a little stairs, for those few brave Old Milton pedestrians.

This is the same way I feel about this intersection at Cumberland:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8767...7i13312!8i6656

I hate sloped landscaped hills. Looks country. Square that thing off straight with the street below, with a wall design.

i like this idea!

[primaltech]

I'm not a subscriber either, but for some reason I can see the whole article.

http://media.bizj.us/view/img/536871...-114814-am.png
http://media.bizj.us/view/img/536874...-114849-am.png
http://media.bizj.us/view/img/536875...-114919-am.png
http://media.bizj.us/view/img/536873...w-blockout.jpg
http://media.bizj.us/view/img/536872...ngle-point.jpg

Atlanta developers want to turn the heart of Alpharetta into a 515-acre walkable district over the next several years — a plan that would bring a trendy urban vibe to the suburban city.

The transformation is set to continue with a new mixed-use project from Old Milton Holdings LLC, an entity headed by attorney and land investor Robert Cheeley.

The 21-acre development, at the northwest corner of Old Milton and Westside parkways, is viewed as a crucial piece of the puzzle to connect downtown Alpharetta to the more than 60-acre Avalon mixed-use project.

Through new investment, Alpharetta leaders are aiming to create a long-needed sense of identity for what's largely been an auto-centric suburb.

"This is the first step in linking the old town to the new town," said Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle. "It's pretty amazing what we're creating here."

Called Old Milton Village, the development would contain 186 residential units (a mix of 21 single-family homes, 111 townhomes and 54 condos and flats), up to 25,000 square feet of retail, 12,000 square feet of office and about 4.5 acres of green space.

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods would develop the residential portion of the project. Townhome prices could start in the high $400,000s.

"It's going to be a great chance to create a neighborhood that feels like it's been there for decades," said Cheeley, a Johns Creek resident whose mother attended the original Milton High School in Alpharetta. "I literally want to do a first-class project."

A hallmark of the development would be a linear park with a multi-use path along a portion of Thompson Street, a more than one-mile residential street just north of Old Milton Parkway that connects Avalon to downtown Alpharetta.

Old Milton Village marks the first attempt to create a tree-lined boulevard linking the two areas. Insiders say that developers have already started discussions with property owners along the rest of Thompson Street.

Old Milton Village could break ground this June. It recently got approval from Alpharetta's Planning Commission. It's set to go before the City Council for the final green-light on March 30.

Cheeley already closed on six of the 21 acres, buying them from affiliates of developer Stan Thomas and Avalon developer North American Properties.

Cheeley has the remaining 15 acres under contract. "This may be the second most important land assemblage in Alpharetta (after Avalon) in creating a true sense of community," said Cheeley, who's also involved with a major mixed-use development in Peachtree Corners called Carillon Village.

"It represents a great place for people to have a lifestyle that includes high-quality restaurants and entertainment in an easy walking distance," Cheeley added.

Other planned projects are helping Alpharetta evolve into a more walkable district.

A development team led by Atlanta-based MidCity Real Estate Partners and Morris & Fellows is planning an $80 million, 10-acre project that would bring restaurants, boutiques, apartments and single-family homes to Alpharetta's downtown area. The project could include 220 housing units, 75,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 33,000 square feet of office.

It's an extension of the $30 million first phase of the Alpharetta City Center project that is anchored by a new city hall.
The second phase of Avalon is expected to kick off this summer, adding 80,000 square feet of retail, more than 225,000 square feet of class A office space, 276 luxury rental homes, and a 325-key, full-service hotel and conference center. Avalon will expand from 66 to 86 acres when construction on the next phase is complete.

A third phase would add another 325,000 square feet of office space to Avalon.

Alpharetta continues a closely watched development trend. Atlanta's suburban cities are seeing investors pour money into their downtown districts with new housing, restaurants and shops — taking a page from hip intown neighborhoods.

The projects are bringing new life to areas that lost vitality as suburban shopping centers and regional malls dominated the suburban landscape in the 1980s and '90s.

[bryantm3]

thank you! i also found this picture of the project downtown they mentioned in passing; this is looking southeast from the corner of highway 9 and academy street. none of the buildings in the rendering are currently there except for the city hall, library, and parking deck they show connected to a new building. it also looks like they are going to leave the craftsman house that fronts highway 9 which makes me happy. the only problem i have here is the block that is at the corner of highway 9 and academy (bottom left); that is a major intersection and where the new development will connect to the old downtown. i really feel like they ought to do something special with that block. the rest of it is really damn cool!

http://media.bizj.us/view/img/510706...40-980-0-0.jpg

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

True. Atlantic station pretty much turns its back on high capacity roads like Northside Drive and I-75.


https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7916...8i6656!6m1!1e1


https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7875...8i6656!6m1!1e1


https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7921...8i6656!6m1!1e1

1) First picture is not AS property, except for the vacant lot where a new Amtrak station could go.
2) That is property owned by Tech and GA Power. Not much influence AS could have on property they don't own.
3) It's an freeway off-ramp.

Good job cherry picking those street views.
What about these?
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7912...7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7922...7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7887...7i13312!8i6656

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I will say, I don't like grassy, sloped hills:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0687...7i13312!8i6656

They should have built it out that extra 20 ft or so to the sidewalk on Old Milton, then a nice decorative fence and a vertical attractive stone wall straight down. Then you could do like a little stairs, for those few brave Old Milton pedestrians.

This is the same way I feel about this intersection at Cumberland:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8767...7i13312!8i6656

I hate sloped landscaped hills. Looks country. Square that thing off straight with the street below, with a wall design.

Or add a lower level, with street fronting property?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i live nearby; there are no pedestrians from old milton. i'm not sure if you know the area very well, but old milton is a six lane behemoth that tears through alpharetta, has huge rights-of-way (almost like a freeway in some parts) and very poor sidewalks. it was unfortunately designed like this in the mid 1990s, due to the fact that until recently there was not a large concentration of businesses or residences along the road west of 400, and the focus was on moving traffic east-west (old milton is state route 120).

in addition, avalon is on a hill and old milton has got to be at least 50 feet below that grade.

i do see an issue with the fact that their "urban" portion is entirely surrounded by surface parking. it is an incredible waste of land. they could have easily built it on half the land area with a parking deck, and preserved the rest of the land for a later development.

Look across the street at the 2 out parcels, they did a better job than Avalon at interacting with sidewalk, even though Old Mitlon has a wide ROW.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Look across the street at the 2 out parcels, they did a better job than Avalon at interacting with sidewalk, even though Old Mitlon has a wide ROW.

i am honestly more concerned about the interaction with westside parkway and thompson street, given the long-term plans for connecting avalon to downtown alpharetta through that corridor, and that's not getting any attention here. i'm not as concerned about old milton parkway, but i do agree the way it fronts it looks corny. maybe they'll take those buildings and the parking lots out someday and replace them with something more interesting.