MARTA considering TOD for Oakland City station's parking lot (Atlanta: real estate, 2015)

[Gulch]

MARTA considers turning Oakland City station's parking lot into newest transit-oriented development south of I-20

Over the next year, MARTA will be moving forward to partner with private developers and start turning some of the transit agency’s parking lots into mixed-use developments. Brookhaven, King Memorial, and Avondale Estates stations have already been selected for the program aimed at increasing ridership and shoring up the transit agency's balance sheets. Also on the list: the Oakland City station in southwest Atlanta, on the edge of Fort McPherson and just a few stops shy of the world’s busiest airport.

On Dec. 11, a spread of finger sandwiches, slaws, and chicken wings greeted community members at the James Orange Recreation Center for a two-hour presentation on the current state of MARTA’s transit-oriented development aspirations in the neighborhood.

The Oakland City plan, which earlier that day was selected by MARTA staff as one of five to move forward in 2015, is the only TOD project south of I-20. The charette process, aimed at gathering opinions and developing ideas, was kicked off on Sept. 30, and followed by additional meetings in November. A viability report was created and a series of surveys conducted.

[Born 2 Roll]

This is good news as MARTA needs to continue to move in this direction of cultivating new streams of revenue from the real estate it owns at and above its transit stations.

Hopefully the agency will eventually be able to completely maximize this vital stream of revenue.

[arjay57]

Great news and long overdue!

[cqholt]

That is a lot of underused parking lot at that station.

[cqholt]

SaportaReport | At planned Oakland City Station project, MARTA offers significant aid to developer

MARTA is offering to provide significant assistance to the developer of a planned mixed use community at its Oakland City Station. The neighborhood has a high poverty rate, is losing residents, and has just seen most of Fort McPherson turn from a planned mixed use neighborhood into Tyler Perry’s next film studio.
Oakland City art
This mural provides a welcome to the Oakland City neighborhood, near Fort McPherson. Credit: pecannelog.files.wordpress.com
On its face, the Oakland City project seems a tough nut to crack. Challenges appear greater than at MARTA’s Bookhaven and Chamblee stations, where MARTA recently has signed contracts for construction of transit oriented development.
The Oakland City neighborhood is in a state of flux. More people have moved out than moved in since 2000. Household income is $19,035 for homes within a half-mile of the station, according to an analysis conducted in 2014 that’s included in the request for proposals issued by MARTA.
These figures emphasize the need for the Oakland City project to provide homes and shops that are attractive to folks with money to spend. MARTA’s vision for the project calls for it to promote ridership on the transit system while creating a pleasant place to walk to homes, shops and offices.
MARTA is doing what it can to support the project so that it will be economically viable. The 3.7 acre site is a former park and ride lot that’s now behind a chain link fence.
For starters, MARTA has offered to work with the developer to generate neighborhood support for the project. As the RFP states:
“MARTA strongly encourages Proponents to consider developing a detailed community outreach plan that provides a comprehensive strategy for community involvement.” The boldface type is in the RFP.
Oakland City MARTA map
MARTA is seeking a developer who will build a mixed use community on a 3.7 acre parcel at the Oakland City Station.
In addition, MARTA is in the process of requesting Atlanta to rezone the land as MRC, or mixed residential commercial. Buildings could be as high as 225 feet.
MRC zoning intends to promote a compatible mix of commercial and residential uses, in a development that includes minimum stands for sidewalks, street trees, shop fronts to be adjacent to sidewalks, and parking located to the rear or side of buildings, according to Atlanta’s zoning ordinance.
In addition, the RFP notes that Atlanta can provide the project with density bonuses if it meets criteria such as providing open space, affordable housing, ground floor commercial, or civic space.
MARTA also offers to help the developer apply for a wide array of funds from Invest Atlanta, the city’s development arm.
Invest Atlanta can provide public financing for aspects of the job including structured replacement parking, relocation of existing utilities, streetscape improvements and other pedestrian-related access improvements, according to the RFP.
Invest Atlanta also provides public funds for multi-family housing and affordable housing. Invest Atlanta also can provide access to a federal program that provides money for developments in areas with high rates of poverty or unemployment, provided the development meet community needs such as providing health food options.
Six companies sent representatives to an on-site visit on Sept. 23.
They include Prestwick Co.; Sizemore Group; S.L. King; Jamarr Zellner, whose LinkedIn page lists his personal real estate firm and his commercial broker role at Coldwell Banker Commercial; and Patterson&Dewar Engineers.
Proponents have until Oct. 30 to deliver their proposals to MARTA.

[cqholt]

MARTA halts proposed Oakland City TOD project
MARTA halts proposed Oakland City transit-oriented development project | Atlanta News & Opinion Blog | Fresh Loaf | Creative Loafing Atlanta

Six companies initially made on-site visits to consider the project but only one, Prestwick Companies, submitted a proposal. Amanda Rhein, the senior director of the TOD division, says the agency ultimately decided that Prestwick Companies' pitch for "wasn't in MARTA's best interest or the communities' best interests." MARTA's board of directors formally canceled the solicitation for bids and rejected the proposal on March 3.

Rhein says the Atlanta-based developer had proposed building all affordable housing on the southwest Atlanta site with "very little retail." Based on feedback collected in 2014 and a recent planning process to update the area's Livable Centers Initiative, Rhein says, it "was clear that what the community wanted at the MARTA station was higher density, mixed-use with neighborhood-serving amenities, as well as market-rate housing." A phone message with Prestwick was not immediately returned.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jsvh

MARTA halts proposed Oakland City transit-oriented development project | Atlanta News & Opinion Blog | Fresh Loaf | Creative Loafing Atlanta



Unfortunate this TOD is not going to get moving soon, but it sounds like the right call.

See above...

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by cqholt

See above...

Beat me too it! Deleted duplicate post.

[Atlwarrior]

I'm glad they are waiting. No need to rush for cheesy project.