Arthur Blank on Braves’ move: "I probably would have moved, too" (Atlanta: real estate, 2014)

[LynnHarris]

"Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said during a meeting of Marietta Rotary and Kiwanis Club members that he probably would have moved to Cobb, too, if he was in the Braves’ situation.

“I want to be thoughtful about my answer,” the paper reports Blank said after hesitating for a moment. “I think the Braves ... I think they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. I think their current site is not served by public transportation. It’s obviously not easy to get downtown during the week for a game fighting that traffic … I probably would have ended up doing the same thing, but I know they worked hard to try to stay in the city...”

Falcons? Blank on Braves? move: I probably would have moved, too - Atlanta Business Chronicle

[netdragon]

We need to stop competing and just start talking in terms of the metro area. New urbanists in Atlanta need to be supportive of new urbanism efforts in Cobb and elsewhere, and stop knocking them. Otherwise, they sound like hypocrites.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by netdragon

We need to stop competing and just start talking in terms of the metro area. New urbanists in Atlanta need to be supportive of new urbanism efforts in Cobb and elsewhere, and stop knocking them. Otherwise, they sound like hypocrites.

Totally agree with that.

It's not like Atlanta was exactly knocking itself out to do anything in the stadium area anyway. The city essentially ignored it for 50 years and even rebuffed the Braves efforts to get something going.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by netdragon

We need to stop competing and just start talking in terms of the metro area. New urbanists in Atlanta need to be supportive of new urbanism efforts in Cobb and elsewhere, and stop knocking them. Otherwise, they sound like hypocrites.

Kinda hard to do that when you have Cobb officials saying that transit connected to the city of Atlanta shouldn't be part of transportation improvements to and from the stadium.

[Mishap]

^They're saying there is no transit at all for the stadium. A circulator bus from the mall doesn't make a transit system. You still have to drive to the mall.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by netdragon

We need to stop competing and just start talking in terms of the metro area. New urbanists in Atlanta need to be supportive of new urbanism efforts in Cobb and elsewhere, and stop knocking them. Otherwise, they sound like hypocrites.

Isn't it hypocritical that The Braves moved to a county that won't even dare support the metro's transit system and lacks any form of transit?

And it's not really 'urbanism' to me if I can't take transit there anyway and I have to drive. It's different if it was Perimeter Center or Decatur where those nodes are connected by subway. Cobb isn't. So you still end up with the traffic problems that plague that area and you have no choice...you have to drive.

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Kinda hard to do that when you have Cobb officials saying that transit connected to the city of Atlanta shouldn't be part of transportation improvements to and from the stadium.

Heh, that's a practical consideration for various reasons:
(1) If Cobb is going to spend its own money, it's going to be to spur economic development along Cobb Pkwy. A connection into Atlanta really needs to be a state/region thing.
(2) The richest part of Buckhead being is in the way. It'd never get through the nimby million dollar neighborhoods of Buckhead until BUCKHEAD itself decides to have light rail up Northside Parkway.
(3) I-75 is a GDOT thing, and they have already committed to BRT. Little chance of anything else.
(4) So, a light rail route would have to be via Marietta Blvd and in that case, with the cost being about equal, we may as well connect over to the Perimeter Center since there are already costly transit routes running to Perimeter Center, completely funded by Cobb County (isn't that ironic?). So Cobb would save a little cost on those routes, which would decrease the cost load of the light rail connection, which would probably be mainly funded by Cobb and not MARTA, simply because MARTA has other priorities.
(5) The bus connection from the Arts Center to the Cumberland transit station should be adequate for the ridership, and there will be circulators from there. Perhaps we can push leaders on both sides to push GDOT to expedite the conversion of that transit route to BRT to make it a little more comfortable.
(6) Many of the concerns about parking and traffic are unfounded. There will be circulators built and parking will be spread throughout the CID area. If you're coming from Atlanta, and have to drive because you don't want to ride a bus, I'd just get off at either Cumberland Blvd or Mt Paran and hop into the first parking space that the circulator touches, which will probably be right near the river at Riverwood and Overton Place.

Btw, I wouldn't count out a Light rail / BRT down Atlanta Rd and Marietta Blvd (probably offering options for on-street connections to Cumberland from there). It just won't happen in time for the Braves stadium. I have a little trick up my sleeve if we get the right of way for the Silver Comet Trail extension to leave some ROW for future light rail alongside it, like the Belt Line did, and putting the path off to one side. There's no feasibility study, but it passes the eye test and I've already tested the waters with politicians who see no problem with building the trail off to one side of the ROW to leave room for future rail. They just wouldn't fund the rail component any time soon, similar to what happened with the Belt Line.

[DawgPark]

Originally Posted by netdragon

We need to stop competing and just start talking in terms of the metro area. New urbanists in Atlanta need to be supportive of new urbanism efforts in Cobb and elsewhere, and stop knocking them. Otherwise, they sound like hypocrites.

1,000% agree.

Strong development in Cobb, Gwinnett, Fayette, or Henry doesn't detract or compete with downtown. It accentuates ATL as a whole.

CoA will always be the main attraction, just as Manhattan is in NYC. But, development is exploding in Brooklyn and Harlem right now and that has only helped, not hurt, Manhattan real estate.

[DawgPark]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Isn't it hypocritical that The Braves moved to a county that won't even dare support the metro's transit system and lacks any form of transit?

And it's not really 'urbanism' to me if I can't take transit there anyway and I have to drive. It's different if it was Perimeter Center or Decatur where those nodes are connected by subway. Cobb isn't. So you still end up with the traffic problems that plague that area and you have no choice...you have to drive.

Please tell me why it's the responsibility of Derek Schiller and John Scheurholz to be a catalyst for public transportation.

The Braves are BASEBALL executives. Their job is to put a winning team on the field, and make a profit for their bosses in doing so. Period.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by DawgPark

1,000% agree.

Strong development in Cobb, Gwinnett, Fayette, or Henry doesn't detract or compete with downtown. It accentuates ATL as a whole.

CoA will always be the main attraction, just as Manhattan is in NYC. But, development is exploding in Brooklyn and Harlem right now and that has only helped, not hurt, Manhattan real estate.

Brooklyn and Harlem are in NYC so it's much different. Plus the whole city is urban and walkable. It's not even a good comparison to make. Manhattan has gotten so expensive it priced people out to the outer boroughs.

In Atlanta, only like 10% of the city limits is walkable and urban. And to me, I could care less about 'strong development' in any of those countries since they're still boring, soulless suburbs anyway that I never go to. Brooklyn and Harlem have character. The only two places I'm at 95% of the time here in the region is at my parent's house or in the city of Atlanta. Very rarely do I make a trip outside of these locations because there's interesting to go.