Transformation of Sweet Auburn corner officially breaks ground
Transformation of Sweet Auburn corner officially breaks ground
Transformation of Sweet Auburn corner officially breaks ground
Josh Green
Wed, 12/11/2024 – 10:25
A project years in the making that aims to bring vitality to one of Atlanta’s most richly historic streets is officially underway.
Officials with longtime Sweet Auburn pillars Butler Street Community Development Corporation, Wisconsin-based affordable housing developer Gorman & Company, and national commercial firm Red Rock Global hosted a groundbreaking Wednesday for Sweet Auburn Grande.
The mixed-use venture, per the development team, will usher in a “new era of affordable housing and community revitalization” in a historic, downtown-adjacent section of the city that’s suffered from disinvestment for generations but is showing signs of a comeback.
For phase one, Sweet Auburn Grande’s finalized plans call for building 109 multifamily residences along Auburn Avenue at the southeast corner of the Jesse Hill Jr. Drive intersection. Roughly 8,700 square feet of commercial space will be included at street level, along with structured parking.
That retail component will be “ideally positioned to serve [Sweet Auburn Grande] residents and the influx of foot traffic from Georgia State University students and visitors to nearby Martin Luther King Jr. historical sites,” as Gorman officials noted in a groundbreaking announcement.
Finalized plans call for 109 apartments, with 92 of them reserved for residents earning, at most, either 30, 50, or 80 percent of the area median income. Seventeen of the apartments will rent for market-rate.
“This project is about honoring our community’s history while building a brighter future,” Alfonza Marshall, Butler Street CDC’s board chair, said in a prepared statement.
The revised vision for Sweet Auburn Grande phase one, with the early 1900s office building preserved. Gorman & Company, via Invest Atlanta
State of the southeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive today, with the historic office building in question at center. Google Maps
Eventually, the two-phase Sweet Auburn Grande project calls for reviving corners on the southwest and southeast sides of where Auburn Avenue meets Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.
The corners in question are currently dead zones of boarded-up, historically significant buildings and surface parking lots.
With phase one, the schedule calls for 23 months of construction, which would put the roughly $56-million project’s opening in fall 2026, Gorman officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta. Invest Atlanta’s Board of Directors in September approved a $28.3 million tax exempt loan that green-lighted the property’s closing.
The initial phase will incorporate the historic but long-vacant 229 Auburn building (Atlanta Life Insurance Building). That structure once housed pioneering Black businesses during the district’s heyday, including Atlanta State Savings Bank, the first Black-owned bank in the city and Georgia’s first state-chartered Black bank.
The building was constructed in 1908 and more recently housed the Butler Street CDC.
Meanwhile, across the street, the Sweet Auburn Grande project’s second phase calls for restoring two more historic structures: the 1920 former Butler Street YMCA-JD Winston Branch and the Walden Building.
An attractive, functional public greenspace would also be added at the corner, at the base of the iconic, towering John Lewis HERO Mural.
Breakdown of two development phases on either side of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Gorman & Compay; via SR, 2023
Butler Street CDC, which owns the 219 Auburn Avenue property that’s currently a parking lot, rechristened that corner “Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park” in 2022.
Gorman officials have said development costs are expected to come in around $18 million for the second phase, but restoration work on the former YMCA building would have different funding sources. A timeline for construction has yet to emerge as complex financing deals are worked out; but Joel Reed, Gorman’s Southeast market president, has said a late-2025 start date for moving phase two forward is possible.
Gorman plans to oversee the Sweet Auburn project’s development, design, construction, and management. Butler Street CDC, meanwhile, will be on board to continue stewardship of Sweet Auburn’s historic assets, officials said this week.
Second-phase plans for a circular greenspace to activate the parking lot, to be called the Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Elsewhere in Atlanta, Gorman has completed projects Hamilton Hills across the street from MARTA’s westernmost station and the Residences at Westview, a 60-unit affordable housing complex near Westview Cemetery.
The company is also behind a modern-style, proposed warehouse conversion and expansion that could see nearly 200 more rentals take shape next to MARTA’s West End transit hub.
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Sweet Auburn news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
State of the southeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive today, with the historic office building in question at center. Google Maps
The revised vision for Sweet Auburn Grande phase one, with the early 1900s office building preserved. Gorman & Company, via Invest Atlanta
Breakdown of two development phases on either side of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Gorman & Compay; via SR, 2023
State of the 1920 Butler Street YMCA today, once known as “Black city hall” for its importance in the community. Invest Atlanta
The current parking lot and building conditions at the corner of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive and Auburn Avenue, beneath the 65-foot Lewis mural. Google Maps
Second-phase plans for a circular greenspace to activate the parking lot, to be called the Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Beside the greenspace, plans have called for outdoor workstations and free Wi-Fi. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Phase two calls for restoring the Walden Building, named for Austin Thomas Walden, a prominent Black Atlantan who had an office there until his death in the 1960s, per Atlanta History Center. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Transformation of Sweet Auburn corner officially breaks ground
Josh Green
Wed, 12/11/2024 – 10:25
A project years in the making that aims to bring vitality to one of Atlanta’s most richly historic streets is officially underway.
Officials with longtime Sweet Auburn pillars Butler Street Community Development Corporation, Wisconsin-based affordable housing developer Gorman & Company, and national commercial firm Red Rock Global hosted a groundbreaking Wednesday for Sweet Auburn Grande.
The mixed-use venture, per the development team, will usher in a “new era of affordable housing and community revitalization” in a historic, downtown-adjacent section of the city that’s suffered from disinvestment for generations but is showing signs of a comeback.
For phase one, Sweet Auburn Grande’s finalized plans call for building 109 multifamily residences along Auburn Avenue at the southeast corner of the Jesse Hill Jr. Drive intersection. Roughly 8,700 square feet of commercial space will be included at street level, along with structured parking.
That retail component will be “ideally positioned to serve [Sweet Auburn Grande] residents and the influx of foot traffic from Georgia State University students and visitors to nearby Martin Luther King Jr. historical sites,” as Gorman officials noted in a groundbreaking announcement.
Finalized plans call for 109 apartments, with 92 of them reserved for residents earning, at most, either 30, 50, or 80 percent of the area median income. Seventeen of the apartments will rent for market-rate.
“This project is about honoring our community’s history while building a brighter future,” Alfonza Marshall, Butler Street CDC’s board chair, said in a prepared statement.
The revised vision for Sweet Auburn Grande phase one, with the early 1900s office building preserved. Gorman & Company, via Invest Atlanta
State of the southeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive today, with the historic office building in question at center. Google Maps
Eventually, the two-phase Sweet Auburn Grande project calls for reviving corners on the southwest and southeast sides of where Auburn Avenue meets Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.
The corners in question are currently dead zones of boarded-up, historically significant buildings and surface parking lots.
With phase one, the schedule calls for 23 months of construction, which would put the roughly $56-million project’s opening in fall 2026, Gorman officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta. Invest Atlanta’s Board of Directors in September approved a $28.3 million tax exempt loan that green-lighted the property’s closing.
The initial phase will incorporate the historic but long-vacant 229 Auburn building (Atlanta Life Insurance Building). That structure once housed pioneering Black businesses during the district’s heyday, including Atlanta State Savings Bank, the first Black-owned bank in the city and Georgia’s first state-chartered Black bank.
The building was constructed in 1908 and more recently housed the Butler Street CDC.
Meanwhile, across the street, the Sweet Auburn Grande project’s second phase calls for restoring two more historic structures: the 1920 former Butler Street YMCA-JD Winston Branch and the Walden Building.
An attractive, functional public greenspace would also be added at the corner, at the base of the iconic, towering John Lewis HERO Mural.
Breakdown of two development phases on either side of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Gorman & Compay; via SR, 2023
Butler Street CDC, which owns the 219 Auburn Avenue property that’s currently a parking lot, rechristened that corner “Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park” in 2022.
Gorman officials have said development costs are expected to come in around $18 million for the second phase, but restoration work on the former YMCA building would have different funding sources. A timeline for construction has yet to emerge as complex financing deals are worked out; but Joel Reed, Gorman’s Southeast market president, has said a late-2025 start date for moving phase two forward is possible.
Gorman plans to oversee the Sweet Auburn project’s development, design, construction, and management. Butler Street CDC, meanwhile, will be on board to continue stewardship of Sweet Auburn’s historic assets, officials said this week.
Second-phase plans for a circular greenspace to activate the parking lot, to be called the Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Elsewhere in Atlanta, Gorman has completed projects Hamilton Hills across the street from MARTA’s westernmost station and the Residences at Westview, a 60-unit affordable housing complex near Westview Cemetery.
The company is also behind a modern-style, proposed warehouse conversion and expansion that could see nearly 200 more rentals take shape next to MARTA’s West End transit hub.
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Sweet Auburn news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
229 Auburn Ave.
Sweet Auburn Grande
Invest Atlanta
Gorman & Company
Gorman and Company
Affordability
Affordable Housing
Sweet Auburn
Auburn Avenue
Adaptive-Reuse
Adaptive-Reuse Development
Adaptive-Reuse Project
Atlanta Life Insurance Building
Alonzo Herndon Building
The Former Butler Street YMCA-JD Winston Branch
Butler Street CDC
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Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Truist
Grandbridge
Gorman General Contractors
Gorman Architecture
and Gorman Property Management
Images
State of the southeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive today, with the historic office building in question at center. Google Maps
The revised vision for Sweet Auburn Grande phase one, with the early 1900s office building preserved. Gorman & Company, via Invest Atlanta
Breakdown of two development phases on either side of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Gorman & Compay; via SR, 2023
State of the 1920 Butler Street YMCA today, once known as “Black city hall” for its importance in the community. Invest Atlanta
The current parking lot and building conditions at the corner of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive and Auburn Avenue, beneath the 65-foot Lewis mural. Google Maps
Second-phase plans for a circular greenspace to activate the parking lot, to be called the Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Beside the greenspace, plans have called for outdoor workstations and free Wi-Fi. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Phase two calls for restoring the Walden Building, named for Austin Thomas Walden, a prominent Black Atlantan who had an office there until his death in the 1960s, per Atlanta History Center. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Subtitle
Mixed-use Auburn Avenue project to incorporate vacant, historic Atlanta Life Insurance Building
Neighborhood
Sweet Auburn
Background Image
Image
Associated Project
Sweet Auburn Grande
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off Read More
Transformation of Sweet Auburn corner officially breaks ground
Josh Green
Wed, 12/11/2024 – 10:25
A project years in the making that aims to bring vitality to one of Atlanta’s most richly historic streets is officially underway.
Officials with longtime Sweet Auburn pillars Butler Street Community Development Corporation, Wisconsin-based affordable housing developer Gorman & Company, and national commercial firm Red Rock Global hosted a groundbreaking Wednesday for Sweet Auburn Grande.
The mixed-use venture, per the development team, will usher in a “new era of affordable housing and community revitalization” in a historic, downtown-adjacent section of the city that’s suffered from disinvestment for generations but is showing signs of a comeback.
For phase one, Sweet Auburn Grande’s finalized plans call for building 109 multifamily residences along Auburn Avenue at the southeast corner of the Jesse Hill Jr. Drive intersection. Roughly 8,700 square feet of commercial space will be included at street level, along with structured parking.
That retail component will be “ideally positioned to serve [Sweet Auburn Grande] residents and the influx of foot traffic from Georgia State University students and visitors to nearby Martin Luther King Jr. historical sites,” as Gorman officials noted in a groundbreaking announcement.
Finalized plans call for 109 apartments, with 92 of them reserved for residents earning, at most, either 30, 50, or 80 percent of the area median income. Seventeen of the apartments will rent for market-rate.
“This project is about honoring our community’s history while building a brighter future,” Alfonza Marshall, Butler Street CDC’s board chair, said in a prepared statement.
The revised vision for Sweet Auburn Grande phase one, with the early 1900s office building preserved. Gorman & Company, via Invest Atlanta
State of the southeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive today, with the historic office building in question at center. Google Maps
Eventually, the two-phase Sweet Auburn Grande project calls for reviving corners on the southwest and southeast sides of where Auburn Avenue meets Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.
The corners in question are currently dead zones of boarded-up, historically significant buildings and surface parking lots.
With phase one, the schedule calls for 23 months of construction, which would put the roughly $56-million project’s opening in fall 2026, Gorman officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta. Invest Atlanta’s Board of Directors in September approved a $28.3 million tax exempt loan that green-lighted the property’s closing.
The initial phase will incorporate the historic but long-vacant 229 Auburn building (Atlanta Life Insurance Building). That structure once housed pioneering Black businesses during the district’s heyday, including Atlanta State Savings Bank, the first Black-owned bank in the city and Georgia’s first state-chartered Black bank.
The building was constructed in 1908 and more recently housed the Butler Street CDC.
Meanwhile, across the street, the Sweet Auburn Grande project’s second phase calls for restoring two more historic structures: the 1920 former Butler Street YMCA-JD Winston Branch and the Walden Building.
An attractive, functional public greenspace would also be added at the corner, at the base of the iconic, towering John Lewis HERO Mural.
Breakdown of two development phases on either side of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Gorman & Compay; via SR, 2023
Butler Street CDC, which owns the 219 Auburn Avenue property that’s currently a parking lot, rechristened that corner “Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park” in 2022.
Gorman officials have said development costs are expected to come in around $18 million for the second phase, but restoration work on the former YMCA building would have different funding sources. A timeline for construction has yet to emerge as complex financing deals are worked out; but Joel Reed, Gorman’s Southeast market president, has said a late-2025 start date for moving phase two forward is possible.
Gorman plans to oversee the Sweet Auburn project’s development, design, construction, and management. Butler Street CDC, meanwhile, will be on board to continue stewardship of Sweet Auburn’s historic assets, officials said this week.
Second-phase plans for a circular greenspace to activate the parking lot, to be called the Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Elsewhere in Atlanta, Gorman has completed projects Hamilton Hills across the street from MARTA’s westernmost station and the Residences at Westview, a 60-unit affordable housing complex near Westview Cemetery.
The company is also behind a modern-style, proposed warehouse conversion and expansion that could see nearly 200 more rentals take shape next to MARTA’s West End transit hub.
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Sweet Auburn news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
229 Auburn Ave.
Sweet Auburn Grande
Invest Atlanta
Gorman & Company
Gorman and Company
Affordability
Affordable Housing
Sweet Auburn
Auburn Avenue
Adaptive-Reuse
Adaptive-Reuse Development
Adaptive-Reuse Project
Atlanta Life Insurance Building
Alonzo Herndon Building
The Former Butler Street YMCA-JD Winston Branch
Butler Street CDC
Red Rock Global
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Truist
Grandbridge
Gorman General Contractors
Gorman Architecture
and Gorman Property Management
Images
State of the southeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive today, with the historic office building in question at center. Google Maps
The revised vision for Sweet Auburn Grande phase one, with the early 1900s office building preserved. Gorman & Company, via Invest Atlanta
Breakdown of two development phases on either side of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Gorman & Compay; via SR, 2023
State of the 1920 Butler Street YMCA today, once known as “Black city hall” for its importance in the community. Invest Atlanta
The current parking lot and building conditions at the corner of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive and Auburn Avenue, beneath the 65-foot Lewis mural. Google Maps
Second-phase plans for a circular greenspace to activate the parking lot, to be called the Good Trouble John Lewis Memorial Park. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Beside the greenspace, plans have called for outdoor workstations and free Wi-Fi. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Phase two calls for restoring the Walden Building, named for Austin Thomas Walden, a prominent Black Atlantan who had an office there until his death in the 1960s, per Atlanta History Center. Central Atlanta Progress/Invest Atlanta/SCAD
Subtitle
Mixed-use Auburn Avenue project to incorporate vacant, historic Atlanta Life Insurance Building
Neighborhood
Sweet Auburn
Background Image
Image
Associated Project
Sweet Auburn Grande
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off
Portman Looking to Redo Atlanta-Area Office Park
Portman Looking to Redo Atlanta-Area Office Park
Portman Holdings wants to convert an Alpharetta office park into a mixed-use development. Portman is asking the town to let him rezone about 20 acres of the Brookside office campus along Old Milton Parkway, not far from the Avalon development. The property includes two 5-story office buildings known as Brookside I and II.
According to plans submitted to the state and city of Alpharetta, Portman wants to redevelop the campus with more than 300 apartments, dozens of townhomes and retail space. The project would retain one office building or about 130,000 square feet.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports Portman has the property under contract. Portman’s project is set to go before the planning commission and city council in April 2025. If it gets rezoning approval, the redevelopment could kick off in summer 2026.
Portman would join a host of developers looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area.
The post Portman Looking to Redo Atlanta-Area Office Park appeared first on Connect CRE.
Portman Holdings wants to convert an Alpharetta office park into a mixed-use development. Portman is asking the town to let him rezone about 20 acres of the Brookside office campus along Old Milton Parkway, not far from the Avalon development. The property includes two 5-story office buildings known as Brookside I and II. According to …
The post Portman Looking to Redo Atlanta-Area Office Park appeared first on Connect CRE. Read MoreAtlanta Metro Commercial Real Estate News
Portman Holdings wants to convert an Alpharetta office park into a mixed-use development. Portman is asking the town to let him rezone about 20 acres of the Brookside office campus along Old Milton Parkway, not far from the Avalon development. The property includes two 5-story office buildings known as Brookside I and II. According to …
The post Portman Looking to Redo Atlanta-Area Office Park appeared first on Connect CRE.
In SW Atlanta, under-construction Creative Village bags cash boost
In SW Atlanta, under-construction Creative Village bags cash boost
In SW Atlanta, under-construction Creative Village bags cash boost
Josh Green
Wed, 12/11/2024 – 08:13
Like much of the U.S., Atlanta’s TV and film industry is experiencing a well-documented slump in the wake of strikes and AI disruptions, but that isn’t stopping a Southwest Atlanta project from moving forward that aims to be a springboard for local creatives to better lives.
RYSE Creative Village, as the project is called, just scored a cash boost from Fulton County to help make that a reality.
Earlier this year, RYSE Interactive broke ground on the initial phase of a mixed-use transformation of the former Preston Arkwright Elementary School property. Situated about four miles from downtown at 1261 Lockwood Drive, the former Atlanta Public Schools facility in Venetian Hills has been vacant since its closure in 2004.
The Black-owned media and communications company plans to eventually invest $30 million (that’s up $5 million from previous estimates) over two phases to create RYSE Creative Village, described as a “pioneering” mix of tech-enabled studios, incubator space, and affordable housing with a goal of uplifting historically underserved communities a short drive from Tyler Perry Studios.
The first step is creating a “talent incubator” for careers in not just Georgia’s multi-billion-dollar TV and film industry but gaming, photography, music, immersive media, and other artistic fields, according to project leaders.
Last week, Develop Fulton’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a $125,000 grant for the RYSE project, with potentially more funding in the pipeline for 2025.
Scope of the full proposed village at 1261 Lockwood Drive SW.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
The former Preston Arkwright Elementary building, as seen in March 2020.Google Maps
Kwanza Hall, chairman of the county’s economic development arm, said the one-time grant is an “essential first step” in closing a $500,000 funding gap needed to make the project viable, but that public donations will also be essential.
“Our board is eager to consider doubling this commitment to a total of $250,000,” noted Hall in a prepared statement, “reinforcing our belief in the power of this initiative to uplift the creative community.”
Jay Jackson, RYSE Interactive founder, tells Urbanize Atlanta the project’s first phase is moving forward with financing from Carver State Bank in the form of New Market Tax Credits. Develop Fulton’s contributions will be used to help activate a future phase.
Phase one is on pace to be finished in late fall next year, according to Jackson.
Planned features onsite will include a screening theater, editing suites, a café and coworking space, a virtual reality and gaming center, podcast studio, and spaces for meetings and lectures.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Future development of RYSE Creative Village is slated to include a residential component—the current tally is 91 units of affordable housing, adjacent to the reimagined school—along with additional, alternative education initiatives. The logic goes that Atlanta creatives would be able to live in relatively affordable apartments while attending field-specific classes next door.
RYSE purchased the school property for $485,000 in 2020, according to property records. Company reps have said several adjacent parcels are included in the deal for a total of more than 4 acres. The village’s $10-million first phase is expected to create roughly 85 jobs in Southwest Atlanta, officials said in 2021, as the project was in predevelopment phases.
The Venetian Hills venture is joining long-dormant Atlanta Public Schools properties that have been revived in recent years for more standard uses, such as classrooms and housing, in places like Old Fourth Ward and Adair Park.
Eight other “surplus” school properties were recently identified as having potential for redevelopment in coming years.
Find more context and an array of visuals for what RYSE Creative Village hopes to become (along with handy explainers) in the gallery above.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
The RYSE Creative Village project’s location in Southwest Atlanta’s Venetian Hills. Google Maps
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Venetian Hills news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
The RYSE Creative Village project’s location in Southwest Atlanta’s Venetian Hills. Google Maps
The former Preston Arkwright Elementary building, as seen in March 2020.Google Maps
Set on a sloping street, the Southwest Atlanta school has been vacant for 20 years. Google Maps
Scope of the full proposed village at 1261 Lockwood Drive SW.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
In SW Atlanta, under-construction Creative Village bags cash boost
Josh Green
Wed, 12/11/2024 – 08:13
Like much of the U.S., Atlanta’s TV and film industry is experiencing a well-documented slump in the wake of strikes and AI disruptions, but that isn’t stopping a Southwest Atlanta project from moving forward that aims to be a springboard for local creatives to better lives.
RYSE Creative Village, as the project is called, just scored a cash boost from Fulton County to help make that a reality.
Earlier this year, RYSE Interactive broke ground on the initial phase of a mixed-use transformation of the former Preston Arkwright Elementary School property. Situated about four miles from downtown at 1261 Lockwood Drive, the former Atlanta Public Schools facility in Venetian Hills has been vacant since its closure in 2004.
The Black-owned media and communications company plans to eventually invest $30 million (that’s up $5 million from previous estimates) over two phases to create RYSE Creative Village, described as a “pioneering” mix of tech-enabled studios, incubator space, and affordable housing with a goal of uplifting historically underserved communities a short drive from Tyler Perry Studios.
The first step is creating a “talent incubator” for careers in not just Georgia’s multi-billion-dollar TV and film industry but gaming, photography, music, immersive media, and other artistic fields, according to project leaders.
Last week, Develop Fulton’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a $125,000 grant for the RYSE project, with potentially more funding in the pipeline for 2025.
Scope of the full proposed village at 1261 Lockwood Drive SW.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
The former Preston Arkwright Elementary building, as seen in March 2020.Google Maps
Kwanza Hall, chairman of the county’s economic development arm, said the one-time grant is an “essential first step” in closing a $500,000 funding gap needed to make the project viable, but that public donations will also be essential.
“Our board is eager to consider doubling this commitment to a total of $250,000,” noted Hall in a prepared statement, “reinforcing our belief in the power of this initiative to uplift the creative community.”
Jay Jackson, RYSE Interactive founder, tells Urbanize Atlanta the project’s first phase is moving forward with financing from Carver State Bank in the form of New Market Tax Credits. Develop Fulton’s contributions will be used to help activate a future phase.
Phase one is on pace to be finished in late fall next year, according to Jackson.
Planned features onsite will include a screening theater, editing suites, a café and coworking space, a virtual reality and gaming center, podcast studio, and spaces for meetings and lectures.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Future development of RYSE Creative Village is slated to include a residential component—the current tally is 91 units of affordable housing, adjacent to the reimagined school—along with additional, alternative education initiatives. The logic goes that Atlanta creatives would be able to live in relatively affordable apartments while attending field-specific classes next door.
RYSE purchased the school property for $485,000 in 2020, according to property records. Company reps have said several adjacent parcels are included in the deal for a total of more than 4 acres. The village’s $10-million first phase is expected to create roughly 85 jobs in Southwest Atlanta, officials said in 2021, as the project was in predevelopment phases.
The Venetian Hills venture is joining long-dormant Atlanta Public Schools properties that have been revived in recent years for more standard uses, such as classrooms and housing, in places like Old Fourth Ward and Adair Park.
Eight other “surplus” school properties were recently identified as having potential for redevelopment in coming years.
Find more context and an array of visuals for what RYSE Creative Village hopes to become (along with handy explainers) in the gallery above.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
The RYSE Creative Village project’s location in Southwest Atlanta’s Venetian Hills. Google Maps
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Venetian Hills news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
1261 Lockwood Drive SW
Southwest Atlanta
Preston Arkwright Elementary
RYSE Interactive
Georgia Department of Economic
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Atlanta Public Schools
RYSE Creative Village
Tv and film industry
Adaptive-Reuse
Adaptive-Reuse Development
Adaptive Reuse
SW ATL
Lights Camera Action
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APS
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Atlanta Schools
Carver State Bank
New Market Tax Credits
Images
The RYSE Creative Village project’s location in Southwest Atlanta’s Venetian Hills. Google Maps
The former Preston Arkwright Elementary building, as seen in March 2020.Google Maps
Set on a sloping street, the Southwest Atlanta school has been vacant for 20 years. Google Maps
Scope of the full proposed village at 1261 Lockwood Drive SW.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Subtitle
Planned $30M “talent incubator” with housing facet is transforming dormant APS property
Neighborhood
Venetian Hills
Background Image
Image
Associated Project
RYSE Creative Village
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off Read More
In SW Atlanta, under-construction Creative Village bags cash boost
Josh Green
Wed, 12/11/2024 – 08:13
Like much of the U.S., Atlanta’s TV and film industry is experiencing a well-documented slump in the wake of strikes and AI disruptions, but that isn’t stopping a Southwest Atlanta project from moving forward that aims to be a springboard for local creatives to better lives.
RYSE Creative Village, as the project is called, just scored a cash boost from Fulton County to help make that a reality.
Earlier this year, RYSE Interactive broke ground on the initial phase of a mixed-use transformation of the former Preston Arkwright Elementary School property. Situated about four miles from downtown at 1261 Lockwood Drive, the former Atlanta Public Schools facility in Venetian Hills has been vacant since its closure in 2004.
The Black-owned media and communications company plans to eventually invest $30 million (that’s up $5 million from previous estimates) over two phases to create RYSE Creative Village, described as a “pioneering” mix of tech-enabled studios, incubator space, and affordable housing with a goal of uplifting historically underserved communities a short drive from Tyler Perry Studios.
The first step is creating a “talent incubator” for careers in not just Georgia’s multi-billion-dollar TV and film industry but gaming, photography, music, immersive media, and other artistic fields, according to project leaders.
Last week, Develop Fulton’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a $125,000 grant for the RYSE project, with potentially more funding in the pipeline for 2025.
Scope of the full proposed village at 1261 Lockwood Drive SW.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
The former Preston Arkwright Elementary building, as seen in March 2020.Google Maps
Kwanza Hall, chairman of the county’s economic development arm, said the one-time grant is an “essential first step” in closing a $500,000 funding gap needed to make the project viable, but that public donations will also be essential.
“Our board is eager to consider doubling this commitment to a total of $250,000,” noted Hall in a prepared statement, “reinforcing our belief in the power of this initiative to uplift the creative community.”
Jay Jackson, RYSE Interactive founder, tells Urbanize Atlanta the project’s first phase is moving forward with financing from Carver State Bank in the form of New Market Tax Credits. Develop Fulton’s contributions will be used to help activate a future phase.
Phase one is on pace to be finished in late fall next year, according to Jackson.
Planned features onsite will include a screening theater, editing suites, a café and coworking space, a virtual reality and gaming center, podcast studio, and spaces for meetings and lectures.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Future development of RYSE Creative Village is slated to include a residential component—the current tally is 91 units of affordable housing, adjacent to the reimagined school—along with additional, alternative education initiatives. The logic goes that Atlanta creatives would be able to live in relatively affordable apartments while attending field-specific classes next door.
RYSE purchased the school property for $485,000 in 2020, according to property records. Company reps have said several adjacent parcels are included in the deal for a total of more than 4 acres. The village’s $10-million first phase is expected to create roughly 85 jobs in Southwest Atlanta, officials said in 2021, as the project was in predevelopment phases.
The Venetian Hills venture is joining long-dormant Atlanta Public Schools properties that have been revived in recent years for more standard uses, such as classrooms and housing, in places like Old Fourth Ward and Adair Park.
Eight other “surplus” school properties were recently identified as having potential for redevelopment in coming years.
Find more context and an array of visuals for what RYSE Creative Village hopes to become (along with handy explainers) in the gallery above.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
The RYSE Creative Village project’s location in Southwest Atlanta’s Venetian Hills. Google Maps
…
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• Venetian Hills news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
1261 Lockwood Drive SW
Southwest Atlanta
Preston Arkwright Elementary
RYSE Interactive
Georgia Department of Economic
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Atlanta Public Schools
RYSE Creative Village
Tv and film industry
Adaptive-Reuse
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Images
The RYSE Creative Village project’s location in Southwest Atlanta’s Venetian Hills. Google Maps
The former Preston Arkwright Elementary building, as seen in March 2020.Google Maps
Set on a sloping street, the Southwest Atlanta school has been vacant for 20 years. Google Maps
Scope of the full proposed village at 1261 Lockwood Drive SW.
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Courtesy of RYSE Interactive
Subtitle
Planned $30M “talent incubator” with housing facet is transforming dormant APS property
Neighborhood
Venetian Hills
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RYSE Creative Village
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Northmarq Arranges Financing, Brokers Sale of SC Rental Community
Northmarq Arranges Financing, Brokers Sale of SC Rental Community
A Northmarq Carolinas Multifamily Investment Sales team completed the $49.25 million sale of Ryder Junction, a 264-unit multifamily community located at 900 Conductor Circle in Greer, South Carolina. Northmarq also arranged financing on behalf of the borrower, The Beach Company, through its in-house Fannie Mae DUS platform. The $31.675 million permanent-fixed loan was structured on a five-year term. Northmarq represented the seller, Proffitt Dixon Partners.
Built in 2023 and located in the Greenville submarket, Ryder Junction features one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that include a clubhouse, resort-style pool, dog park and dog wash station, outdoor grilling areas, conference room and co-working suites, game and Wi-Fi lounge, electric vehicle charger, modern fitness center with flex studio, covered outdoor lounge with a fireplace, and available detached garages.
Northmarq’s sales team included Andrea Howard, John Currin, Allan Lynch, Caylor Mark, Jeff Glenn, and Austin Jackson. Northmarq’s Carolinas Debt + Equity team, led by Faron Thompson, Grant Harris and Cabell Thomas, collaborated on the deal.
The post Northmarq Arranges Financing, Brokers Sale of SC Rental Community appeared first on Connect CRE.
A Northmarq Carolinas Multifamily Investment Sales team completed the $49.25 million sale of Ryder Junction, a 264-unit multifamily community located at 900 Conductor Circle in Greer, South Carolina. Northmarq also arranged financing on behalf of the borrower, The Beach Company, through its in-house Fannie Mae DUS platform. The $31.675 million permanent-fixed loan was structured on …
The post Northmarq Arranges Financing, Brokers Sale of SC Rental Community appeared first on Connect CRE. Read MoreAtlanta & Southeast Commercial Real Estate News
A Northmarq Carolinas Multifamily Investment Sales team completed the $49.25 million sale of Ryder Junction, a 264-unit multifamily community located at 900 Conductor Circle in Greer, South Carolina. Northmarq also arranged financing on behalf of the borrower, The Beach Company, through its in-house Fannie Mae DUS platform. The $31.675 million permanent-fixed loan was structured on …
The post Northmarq Arranges Financing, Brokers Sale of SC Rental Community appeared first on Connect CRE.
What’s the Best Atlanta Neighborhood of 2024? Nominate yours today!
What’s the Best Atlanta Neighborhood of 2024? Nominate yours today!
What’s the Best Atlanta Neighborhood of 2024? Nominate yours today!
Josh Green
Tue, 12/10/2024 – 16:22
’Tis the season for time-honored, random traditions, and in Atlanta that calls for a criteria-free competition to determine which neighborhood was most wonderful of all this year.
But first, for this year’s Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament, we need YOU, the people, to nominate the neighborhood you believe is 2024’s best. For whatever reason.
Did your ’hood show exceptional class, resilience, and togetherness this year? Did it boost its restaurant, shopping, or nightlife game? Did a truly affordable living option come to be? Did an amazing park or building finally open? Were marvelous old homes restored on your street, or new ones built? Etc.
The goal is to keep the nomination process as simple and democratic as possible. Please follow these easy steps:
1. In the comments section below, nominate one Atlanta neighborhood or nearby city in the metro. (If more than one place is named, only the first will be counted.)
2. If that’s too complicated, reach out to us via Facebook, Twitter, or now Instagram with your neighborhood nomination.
3. Feel free to express WHY you think your/that particular neighborhood is 2024’s best. Go on—brag on yourself!
Nominations will close at 1 p.m. sharp (EST) Friday.
The 16 Atlanta neighborhoods with the most nominations will qualify for the tournament. Seeding will be determined by the number of nominations.
Again, seeding will be determined by the number of nominations.
The 2023 tourney saw upsets galore.
The winning Atlanta neighborhood will receive the everlasting prestige of showing an entire city that it takes pride in itself and truly cares. It’ll also have bragging rights—like mighty Mozley Park, amazing Avondale Estates, and heroic Hapeville have enjoyed—for a full year.
Below is a recap of all past winners. Who shall join them from the fascinating year that was 2024?
…
The hallowed pantheon of Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament winners:
2011: Inman Park
2012: Old Fourth Ward
2013: Kirkwood
2014: Reynoldstown
2015: West End
2016: East Atlanta
2017: West End (again)
2018-2020: (forced hiatus)
2021: Mozley Park
2022: Avondale Estates
2023: Hapeville
2024: TBD
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• All hail Hapeville, your 2023 tournament champion! (Urbanize Atlanta)
What’s the Best Atlanta Neighborhood of 2024? Nominate yours today!
Josh Green
Tue, 12/10/2024 – 16:22
’Tis the season for time-honored, random traditions, and in Atlanta that calls for a criteria-free competition to determine which neighborhood was most wonderful of all this year.
But first, for this year’s Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament, we need YOU, the people, to nominate the neighborhood you believe is 2024’s best. For whatever reason.
Did your ’hood show exceptional class, resilience, and togetherness this year? Did it boost its restaurant, shopping, or nightlife game? Did a truly affordable living option come to be? Did an amazing park or building finally open? Were marvelous old homes restored on your street, or new ones built? Etc.
The goal is to keep the nomination process as simple and democratic as possible. Please follow these easy steps:
1. In the comments section below, nominate one Atlanta neighborhood or nearby city in the metro. (If more than one place is named, only the first will be counted.)
2. If that’s too complicated, reach out to us via Facebook, Twitter, or now Instagram with your neighborhood nomination.
3. Feel free to express WHY you think your/that particular neighborhood is 2024’s best. Go on—brag on yourself!
Nominations will close at 1 p.m. sharp (EST) Friday.
The 16 Atlanta neighborhoods with the most nominations will qualify for the tournament. Seeding will be determined by the number of nominations.
Again, seeding will be determined by the number of nominations.
The 2023 tourney saw upsets galore.
The winning Atlanta neighborhood will receive the everlasting prestige of showing an entire city that it takes pride in itself and truly cares. It’ll also have bragging rights—like mighty Mozley Park, amazing Avondale Estates, and heroic Hapeville have enjoyed—for a full year.
Below is a recap of all past winners. Who shall join them from the fascinating year that was 2024?
…
The hallowed pantheon of Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament winners:
2011: Inman Park
2012: Old Fourth Ward
2013: Kirkwood
2014: Reynoldstown
2015: West End
2016: East Atlanta
2017: West End (again)
2018-2020: (forced hiatus)
2021: Mozley Park
2022: Avondale Estates
2023: Hapeville
2024: TBD
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• All hail Hapeville, your 2023 tournament champion! (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
Best of Atlanta 2024
Best Atlanta Neighborhood
Best Atlanta Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Tournament
Mozley Park
Summerhill
Avondale Estates
Castleberry Hill
Hapeville
Golden Urby Chalice of Champions
Subtitle
It’s beginning to look a lot like… criteria-free tournament season around here!
Background Image
Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off Read More
What’s the Best Atlanta Neighborhood of 2024? Nominate yours today!
Josh Green
Tue, 12/10/2024 – 16:22
’Tis the season for time-honored, random traditions, and in Atlanta that calls for a criteria-free competition to determine which neighborhood was most wonderful of all this year.
But first, for this year’s Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament, we need YOU, the people, to nominate the neighborhood you believe is 2024’s best. For whatever reason.
Did your ’hood show exceptional class, resilience, and togetherness this year? Did it boost its restaurant, shopping, or nightlife game? Did a truly affordable living option come to be? Did an amazing park or building finally open? Were marvelous old homes restored on your street, or new ones built? Etc.
The goal is to keep the nomination process as simple and democratic as possible. Please follow these easy steps:
1. In the comments section below, nominate one Atlanta neighborhood or nearby city in the metro. (If more than one place is named, only the first will be counted.)
2. If that’s too complicated, reach out to us via Facebook, Twitter, or now Instagram with your neighborhood nomination.
3. Feel free to express WHY you think your/that particular neighborhood is 2024’s best. Go on—brag on yourself!
Nominations will close at 1 p.m. sharp (EST) Friday.
The 16 Atlanta neighborhoods with the most nominations will qualify for the tournament. Seeding will be determined by the number of nominations.
Again, seeding will be determined by the number of nominations.
The 2023 tourney saw upsets galore.
The winning Atlanta neighborhood will receive the everlasting prestige of showing an entire city that it takes pride in itself and truly cares. It’ll also have bragging rights—like mighty Mozley Park, amazing Avondale Estates, and heroic Hapeville have enjoyed—for a full year.
Below is a recap of all past winners. Who shall join them from the fascinating year that was 2024?
…
The hallowed pantheon of Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament winners:
2011: Inman Park
2012: Old Fourth Ward
2013: Kirkwood
2014: Reynoldstown
2015: West End
2016: East Atlanta
2017: West End (again)
2018-2020: (forced hiatus)
2021: Mozley Park
2022: Avondale Estates
2023: Hapeville
2024: TBD
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• All hail Hapeville, your 2023 tournament champion! (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
Best of Atlanta 2024
Best Atlanta Neighborhood
Best Atlanta Neighborhoods
Neighborhood Tournament
Mozley Park
Summerhill
Avondale Estates
Castleberry Hill
Hapeville
Golden Urby Chalice of Champions
Subtitle
It’s beginning to look a lot like… criteria-free tournament season around here!
Background Image
Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off
Portman targets Alpharetta office park for major redevelopment
Portman targets Alpharetta office park for major redevelopment
Portman targets Alpharetta office park for major redevelopment
Josh Green
Tue, 12/10/2024 – 14:10
Paperwork filed with the State of Georgia indicates prominent intown developer Portman Holdings has set sights on Alpharetta for its next large project.
Portman is compiling plans to convert an office park about a mile and ½ east of Avalon into a mixed-use district with hundreds of new residences, according to a Development of Regional Impact filing made Monday with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
The Alpharetta site in question is home to two office buildings—Brookside One & Two—and large asphalt parking lots along Old Milton Parkway (Ga. Highway 120). According to LoopNet, the Class A buildings total about 266,000 square feet.
According to the DRI filing, roughly 130,000 square feet of occupied offices would remain onsite, with the rest converted into residential, commercial, and retail uses.
The 3625 Brookside Parkway location, in relation to downtown Alpharetta and other area landmarks. Google Maps
Overview of outdoor amenities at the renovated properties. Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Specifically, Portman’s plans call for building 350 multifamily units, 90 townhomes, and 60,000 square feet of commercial and retail space from Brookside’s current buildings and parking lots.
The project’s estimated completion date is listed as 2029. We’ve reached out to Portman officials for more project details and will update this story with any additional information that comes.
As a first step toward redevelopment, Portman is filing the project with the state for review as a possible DRI. The DRI classification, which applies to projects large enough to effect multiple jurisdictions, is meant to streamline the development process and gather local input.
As it currently stands, the Brookside property counts four parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of offices, with a new outdoor courtyard as its centerpiece. A trail system nearby links with the Big Creek Greenway, a miles-long destination for biking, walking, and jogging.
Positioning of the two buildings and surface parking today off Old Milton Park (bottom). Google Maps
Entry to the office park on Old Milton Parkway, as seen in 2021. Google Maps
According to CBRE marketing materials, the property underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation, completed in 2022, that included a new conference center, lounge, and lobby for both buildings. The goal was to “enhance tenant wellness and productivity,” per the commercial real estate firm.
Closer to its downtown Atlanta home base, Portman has made no shortage of development-related headlines in recent years.
The company officially debuted metro Atlanta’s largest office project of 2024 last week, and it continues to deliver restaurant options to the Beltline’s most active stretch at its Junction Krog District project in Old Fourth Ward.
Elsewhere along the Beltline, the company has scaled back redevelopment plans for Amsterdam Walk in the face of community pushback and cut ties entirely with a massive proposal along Ponce de Leon Avenue, citing economic headwinds.
Perks of the Brookside location as outlined in marketing materials. CBRE
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Now 10 years old, is Avalon metro Atlanta’s best big development? (Urbanize ATL)
The 3625 Brookside Parkway location, in relation to downtown Alpharetta and other area landmarks. Google Maps
Positioning of the two buildings and surface parking today off Old Milton Park (bottom). Google Maps
Entry to the office park on Old Milton Parkway, as seen in 2021. Google Maps
Overview of outdoor amenities at the renovated properties. Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Perks of the Brookside location as outlined in marketing materials. CBRE
Portman targets Alpharetta office park for major redevelopment
Josh Green
Tue, 12/10/2024 – 14:10
Paperwork filed with the State of Georgia indicates prominent intown developer Portman Holdings has set sights on Alpharetta for its next large project.
Portman is compiling plans to convert an office park about a mile and ½ east of Avalon into a mixed-use district with hundreds of new residences, according to a Development of Regional Impact filing made Monday with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
The Alpharetta site in question is home to two office buildings—Brookside One & Two—and large asphalt parking lots along Old Milton Parkway (Ga. Highway 120). According to LoopNet, the Class A buildings total about 266,000 square feet.
According to the DRI filing, roughly 130,000 square feet of occupied offices would remain onsite, with the rest converted into residential, commercial, and retail uses.
The 3625 Brookside Parkway location, in relation to downtown Alpharetta and other area landmarks. Google Maps
Overview of outdoor amenities at the renovated properties. Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Specifically, Portman’s plans call for building 350 multifamily units, 90 townhomes, and 60,000 square feet of commercial and retail space from Brookside’s current buildings and parking lots.
The project’s estimated completion date is listed as 2029. We’ve reached out to Portman officials for more project details and will update this story with any additional information that comes.
As a first step toward redevelopment, Portman is filing the project with the state for review as a possible DRI. The DRI classification, which applies to projects large enough to effect multiple jurisdictions, is meant to streamline the development process and gather local input.
As it currently stands, the Brookside property counts four parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of offices, with a new outdoor courtyard as its centerpiece. A trail system nearby links with the Big Creek Greenway, a miles-long destination for biking, walking, and jogging.
Positioning of the two buildings and surface parking today off Old Milton Park (bottom). Google Maps
Entry to the office park on Old Milton Parkway, as seen in 2021. Google Maps
According to CBRE marketing materials, the property underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation, completed in 2022, that included a new conference center, lounge, and lobby for both buildings. The goal was to “enhance tenant wellness and productivity,” per the commercial real estate firm.
Closer to its downtown Atlanta home base, Portman has made no shortage of development-related headlines in recent years.
The company officially debuted metro Atlanta’s largest office project of 2024 last week, and it continues to deliver restaurant options to the Beltline’s most active stretch at its Junction Krog District project in Old Fourth Ward.
Elsewhere along the Beltline, the company has scaled back redevelopment plans for Amsterdam Walk in the face of community pushback and cut ties entirely with a massive proposal along Ponce de Leon Avenue, citing economic headwinds.
Perks of the Brookside location as outlined in marketing materials. CBRE
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Now 10 years old, is Avalon metro Atlanta’s best big development? (Urbanize ATL)
Tags
3625 Brookside Parkway
Alpharetta
City of Alpharetta
Portman Holdings
Portman
Brookside Mixed-Use
CBRE
Big Creek Greenway
Brookside One & Two
Bridge Green
Bridge Commercial Real Estate
DRI
Development of Regional Impact
State of Georgia
Atlanta Office Space
Alpharetta Offices
Alpharetta Development
Adaptive-Reuse
Adaptive-Reuse Development
Adaptive-Reuse Project
Avalon
Alpharetta News
OTP
Atlanta Suburbs
Northern Suburbs
Suburban Development
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Images
The 3625 Brookside Parkway location, in relation to downtown Alpharetta and other area landmarks. Google Maps
Positioning of the two buildings and surface parking today off Old Milton Park (bottom). Google Maps
Entry to the office park on Old Milton Parkway, as seen in 2021. Google Maps
Overview of outdoor amenities at the renovated properties. Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Perks of the Brookside location as outlined in marketing materials. CBRE
Subtitle
Site near Avalon calls for hundreds of new housing units, retail, remade offices
Neighborhood
Alpharetta
Background Image
Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off Read More
Portman targets Alpharetta office park for major redevelopment
Josh Green
Tue, 12/10/2024 – 14:10
Paperwork filed with the State of Georgia indicates prominent intown developer Portman Holdings has set sights on Alpharetta for its next large project.
Portman is compiling plans to convert an office park about a mile and ½ east of Avalon into a mixed-use district with hundreds of new residences, according to a Development of Regional Impact filing made Monday with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
The Alpharetta site in question is home to two office buildings—Brookside One & Two—and large asphalt parking lots along Old Milton Parkway (Ga. Highway 120). According to LoopNet, the Class A buildings total about 266,000 square feet.
According to the DRI filing, roughly 130,000 square feet of occupied offices would remain onsite, with the rest converted into residential, commercial, and retail uses.
The 3625 Brookside Parkway location, in relation to downtown Alpharetta and other area landmarks. Google Maps
Overview of outdoor amenities at the renovated properties. Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Specifically, Portman’s plans call for building 350 multifamily units, 90 townhomes, and 60,000 square feet of commercial and retail space from Brookside’s current buildings and parking lots.
The project’s estimated completion date is listed as 2029. We’ve reached out to Portman officials for more project details and will update this story with any additional information that comes.
As a first step toward redevelopment, Portman is filing the project with the state for review as a possible DRI. The DRI classification, which applies to projects large enough to effect multiple jurisdictions, is meant to streamline the development process and gather local input.
As it currently stands, the Brookside property counts four parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of offices, with a new outdoor courtyard as its centerpiece. A trail system nearby links with the Big Creek Greenway, a miles-long destination for biking, walking, and jogging.
Positioning of the two buildings and surface parking today off Old Milton Park (bottom). Google Maps
Entry to the office park on Old Milton Parkway, as seen in 2021. Google Maps
According to CBRE marketing materials, the property underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation, completed in 2022, that included a new conference center, lounge, and lobby for both buildings. The goal was to “enhance tenant wellness and productivity,” per the commercial real estate firm.
Closer to its downtown Atlanta home base, Portman has made no shortage of development-related headlines in recent years.
The company officially debuted metro Atlanta’s largest office project of 2024 last week, and it continues to deliver restaurant options to the Beltline’s most active stretch at its Junction Krog District project in Old Fourth Ward.
Elsewhere along the Beltline, the company has scaled back redevelopment plans for Amsterdam Walk in the face of community pushback and cut ties entirely with a massive proposal along Ponce de Leon Avenue, citing economic headwinds.
Perks of the Brookside location as outlined in marketing materials. CBRE
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Now 10 years old, is Avalon metro Atlanta’s best big development? (Urbanize ATL)
Tags
3625 Brookside Parkway
Alpharetta
City of Alpharetta
Portman Holdings
Portman
Brookside Mixed-Use
CBRE
Big Creek Greenway
Brookside One & Two
Bridge Green
Bridge Commercial Real Estate
DRI
Development of Regional Impact
State of Georgia
Atlanta Office Space
Alpharetta Offices
Alpharetta Development
Adaptive-Reuse
Adaptive-Reuse Development
Adaptive-Reuse Project
Avalon
Alpharetta News
OTP
Atlanta Suburbs
Northern Suburbs
Suburban Development
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Images
The 3625 Brookside Parkway location, in relation to downtown Alpharetta and other area landmarks. Google Maps
Positioning of the two buildings and surface parking today off Old Milton Park (bottom). Google Maps
Entry to the office park on Old Milton Parkway, as seen in 2021. Google Maps
Overview of outdoor amenities at the renovated properties. Bridge Commercial Real Estate
Perks of the Brookside location as outlined in marketing materials. CBRE
Subtitle
Site near Avalon calls for hundreds of new housing units, retail, remade offices
Neighborhood
Alpharetta
Background Image
Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off
Portman wants to redevelop aging Brookside office park in Alpharetta
Portman wants to redevelop aging Brookside office park in Alpharetta
Portman would join a host of developers now looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area.
Portman would join a host of developers now looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2019-09-06 17:16:48)
Portman would join a host of developers now looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area.
Portman wants to redevelop aging Brookside office park in Alpharetta
Portman wants to redevelop aging Brookside office park in Alpharetta
Portman would join a host of developers now looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area.
Portman would join a host of developers now looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2022-04-02 21:43:57)
Portman would join a host of developers now looking at ways to revive outdated office properties across the metro area.
MARTA reopens Indian Creek station after construction closure
MARTA reopens Indian Creek station after construction closure
A pedestrian bridge is being built at the easternmost station, which has been targeted for transit-oriented development.
A pedestrian bridge is being built at the easternmost station, which has been targeted for transit-oriented development. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2019-09-06 17:16:48)
A pedestrian bridge is being built at the easternmost station, which has been targeted for transit-oriented development.
MARTA reopens Indian Creek station after construction closure
MARTA reopens Indian Creek station after construction closure
A pedestrian bridge is being built at the easternmost station, which has been targeted for transit-oriented development.
A pedestrian bridge is being built at the easternmost station, which has been targeted for transit-oriented development. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2022-04-02 21:43:57)
A pedestrian bridge is being built at the easternmost station, which has been targeted for transit-oriented development.