Why did Midtown approve this? (Atlanta, Fargo: apartment, power lines, how much)

[tonygeorgia]

[Mishap]

Well it looks almost identical to the stuff on Juniper south of 10th to 8th so maybe they were going for a symmetry thing. Not a fan of it by any means but Spring St is already parking deck country and pretty much the midtown superhighway. Another question is how they approved that Regions sign...that thing is worse than the Wells Fargo one.

[cwkimbro]

Actually... I can kind of defend it.

It is on Spring St., which is the major north-south avenue/pipeline closer to the freeway.

If you look at the whole street compared to West Peachtree, you'll notice more parking decks and you will notice more of the buildings front west peachtree.

The idea is parking is ultimately needed, so you strategize where to put it/prevent it.

Midtown highly discourages it on W. Peachtree, Peachtree, and in between.

The benefits are the following:
-Cars are likely to use Spring St to access the decks, which keeps them away from the core more walkable area to the east
-W. Peachtree will have more of a street scape
-The property is already slightly less valuable from the proximity to the freeway (ie noise), whereas the property between Williams st and spring st will become slightly more valuable for businesses (office space) in the future for the high visibility location.

The main areas of concern is you don't want to create a disconnect on the major E-W ave for cars and pedestrians (14th st, 5th st, and maybe 10th street)

I think that property is at 12th st?

If so it is really close to the new Williams st/freeway feeder. It is a great location to collect cars bringing people in and out of the area, but keep most of the cars out of the core areas further east. It also encourages more traffic to not use W. Peachtree and use Williams St and the freeway.

[T. Damon]

You can design and build a parking garage that doesn't look like a hideous brutalist prison. Most cities wouldn't even consider that these days, I'm amazed, given some of the other more recent design and developments going in Atlanta, that that got by the first submittal presentation. And isn't midtown about Atlanta's best urban neighborhood? That is tragic.

[ATLTJL]

I'm about a billion times less offended by that building than those power lines lazily strewn about everywhere.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

Actually... I can kind of defend it.

I don't see a problem with building a parking deck.

I do see a problem with building an ugly parking deck.

People are doing all kinds of creative things these days. A deck doesn't have to look like a bunker.

[cittic10]

Woah. I had no idea parking garages could look so nice.
But I guess afterall it does take money to outfit them with retail space and I guess all the empty storefronts are evidence we don't need any more of that and the uplighting, greenery and decorative metal siding all costs money too.

I bet if they pushed for the developer to plant trees or do anything to take away from the parking, they'd say there's not enough there to make a profit. And if they built it any higher, the folks in that high rise right behind it would cry bloody murder for blocking their view.

[arjay57]

I honestly don't think the cost is prohibitive. They're doing it in lots of other cities.

We already have a few "greened" decks in town. Piedmont Park, 3630, etc. How much does it cost to add some planters and stick some vines in them?

Besides, why should we settle for development on the cheap?

[Iconographer]

Spring St seems to serve as Downtown and Midtown's 'back alley'. Same goes for Piedmont Rd. In Buckhead.

[cwkimbro]

Really quickly

If you guys are concerned about the location I'm sticking to my argument.

If you are concerned about the facade and street level appeal alone. I still stick to my arguments, but it isn't done and I think a few things are being missed.

The cut-outs on the corner and along 12th street are for street level retail spaces. The 12th st access to the deck, is actually between the apartment building and the deck itself.

Here are the elevations http://midtownatlanta.org/Files/Midt...s5-09-2011.pdf

But make no doubt about it... the overall planning going on is Spring St is the auto-conduit and W. Peachtree is the pedestrian (and auto conduit) and the new Williams St. allows more northbound traffic to stay off W. Peachtree.