$300 million Turner Field redevelopment plan strikes out with neighbors (Atlanta: home, buyer)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by travbo

I think you are forgetting Starlight Drive-In.

Not a movie theater, but I do enjoy Starlight.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Agreed.

As someone in the area and involved with the neighborhood, I think they just happened to get an organized and vocal group that transferred their other concerns about other things on to this proposal. Even most of the Summerhill neighborhood groups I have seen seem to have a pretty solid interest if not majority support for the GSU project.

I do think this needs to be a collaborative process and we should get input and proposals from multiple interested parties. But I am optimistic that the vocal few will not derail good development happening here.

Oh, definitely! As any good huge development should be, the neighborhood, either through city or NPU meetings should, at least, get to say what they would like to see put in. It would then up to the developer to meet those requests as they see fit. It's hard to balance power to either party without possibly screwing over the other, but I would like to think that everyone could be happy by the end.

Originally Posted by cqholt

Running a streetcar along Capital Ave, with it's own lane, would be a great way to connect this are to the main part of campus.

The current routes that are inside the planning area are N/S along capital (joining the current loop via Trinity and Peachtree) and E/W along Georgia Ave (ending at Grant Park, and going to the west side via Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard and Ralph David Abernathy)

Within the study area: ~2.1 miles along Georgia Ave
~1.7 miles along Capital/Hank Aaron Drive

That puts the southernmost tip on the South-East Beltine, but leaves ~1 mile of track to get to the current loop north, and TONS of track to get to the North-West Beltline Corridor.

Again, just within the study area, at ~$98mil per 2.7 track miles, the cost for the track in the study area comes to:

((2.1mi+1.7mi)*2 tracks)*($98mil/2.7 track mi) = ~$276mil

Say we get 50% Fed match (hehehe, sure), then the city is left to come up with $138mil.

A long way to go, even if there's funding allocated from the development. There are already TADs in place for a good bit of the stretch, maybe that'll help?

Originally Posted by CCATL

I agree, I live in Grant Park and would love to see things like a grocery store, affordable bars/restaurants, multi-family housing, and even a movie theatre would be great (as long as it doesn't have a big surface lot). I don't think a Whole Foods will do well there. Sprouts and Trader Joe's might do well since the closest is in midtown, but there is no way they will put one there if those stores already weren't interested in the Glenwood site because of census data. It would be awesome to have affordable, neighborhood friendly restaurants where you can go to grab a cheap bite to eat if you don't feel like cooking. Places like Augustine's, Dakota Blue, and Grant Central would do well there. I don't want it to become like Old Fourth Ward, where there are very few places where you can go to get dinner that doesn't seem like it has to be a nice night out, price wise. A couple restaurants like that would be nice, but neighborhood centric would be better. We don't need the Highlands luxury retail - I think it's overpriced for what it is. A small bakery would be great though, or a late night bakery with coffee and dessert similar to Amelie's in West Midtown!

Yeup, pretty much all of this! One main grocer, then a couple specialty food stores, like a butcher and baker. I good pastry/coffee shop would almost be required for the college students. A Waffle House, though a bit on the lower end, would also probably do just fine. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if the neighborhood and Beltline planning units came in designating affordable housing and retail as requirements to at least part of the development(s).

Originally Posted by cqholt

There really isn't a movie theater close, except for Atlantic Station and Midtown.

Originally Posted by travbo

I think you are forgetting Starlight Drive-In.

Also The Plaza!

[travbo]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Not a movie theater, but I do enjoy Starlight.

Ummmm....huh?

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by travbo

Ummmm....huh?

It's not a covered theater is what I think they were saying.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Also The Plaza!

And Cinefest (although their hours and film selection are very limited.)

[cqholt]

Again, just within the study area, at ~$98mil per 2.7 track miles, the cost for the track in the study area comes to:

((2.1mi+1.7mi)*2 tracks)*($98mil/2.7 track mi) = ~$276mil

Say we get 50% Fed match (hehehe, sure), then the city is left to come up with $138mil.

A long way to go, even if there's funding allocated from the development. There are already TADs in place for a good bit of the stretch, maybe that'll help?

Remember, part of that cost was the VMF and 4 cars, which if just the short segment along Capital Ave is built, can use the existing VMF and may need 2 more cars. Also, Capital Ave was rebuilt during urban renewal so I would hope the utilities would be better managed under the roadway and the construction would not run into the same issues as building along a 150 year old corridor.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Remember, part of that cost was the VMF and 4 cars, which if just the short segment along Capital Ave is built, can use the existing VMF and may need 2 more cars. Also, Capital Ave was rebuilt during urban renewal so I would hope the utilities would be better managed under the roadway and the construction would not run into the same issues as building along a 150 year old corridor.

As for the VMF, The current one can hold up to 7 Vehicles. We currently have 4, and would need 3 more for sure. The current 3 operating cars have been having issues keeping the schedule, and the addition of non direct lines (the Georgia Ave. is gonna be tricky to schedule) will strain the schedule even more. I'm not sure that we can do a decent service with just the 7 cars.

That, coupled with the need fact that this area represents the intersection of two of the crosstown lines, a new VMF will be needed sooner or later, and I am of the opinion that it should be done now.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

As for the VMF, The current one can hold up to 7 Vehicles. We currently have 4, and would need 3 more for sure. The current 3 operating cars have been having issues keeping the schedule, and the addition of non direct lines (the Georgia Ave. is gonna be tricky to schedule) will strain the schedule even more. I'm not sure that we can do a decent service with just the 7 cars.

That, coupled with the need fact that this area represents the intersection of two of the crosstown lines, a new VMF will be needed sooner or later, and I am of the opinion that it should be done now.

Another VMF does not need to be built in a prime redevelopment location, but in an industrial area.
The issue with the current schedule is because the traffic signals are programmed to give streetcars priority, also Capital Ave is wide enough to give the streetcar it's own lanes, used by streetcar and bus.

[Clayton white guy]

If a street car connected with Cherokee Avenue in Grant Park that would give Zoo Atlanta direct rail access to the downtown hotel and conventioneers district! Every one would LOVE that!

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by Clayton white guy

If a street car connected with Cherokee Avenue in Grant Park that would give Zoo Atlanta direct rail access to the downtown hotel and conventioneers district! Every one would LOVE that!

That's the plan on the most updated streetcar map. Yes, please!!!! I'd love that to happen ASAP, like at the same time as the Turner Field development. A surprising number of tourists take the bus to the zoo when I am on it, but the waiting area in 5 Points is 100% a huge turn-off to more people using it.