ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
FEBRUARY 5-11, 2021
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MIDTOWN MARKET REPORT Midtown Market Report examines the economic development and other initiatives impacting Midtown Atlanta.
MIDTOWN DRIVES INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BY RANDY SOUTHERLAND Contributing Writer
M
idtown residents and workers will have an easier and safer time walking, biking and scootering around thanks to new infrastructure projects. The Atlanta Department of Transportation and Midtown Alliance are building almost seven miles of protected bike lanes on Midtown corridors. They will also be adding traffic signals and flashing pedestrian crossing signals. The first 1.5-mile segment of Lite Individual Transportation (LIT) Lanes, along Spring Street from 14th Street to 3rd, is nearing completion. A 1.4-mile segment along the southern portion of Piedmont from Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to North Avenue is expected to be completed over the summer. There are also plans for one mile of protected lanes along Juniper Street, from 14th Street to Ponce de Leon Avenue, and 2.8 miles along Piedmont Avenue from MLK to 15th Street. These segments will be sent out to bid this summer and should be completed in 2022, according to Douglas Nagy, deputy commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation (DOT). The implementation of a segment of Spring Street, a U.S. Route/ Georgia DOT road, will likely stretch into 2023, he added. The main segments of West Peachtree and Spring Streets will cost around $1.5 million to implement. The costs for the other segments will be determined when they are put out for public bid, according to Nagy. These projects are part of more than $47 million in transportation infrastructure improvements currently in the pipeline, according to Dan Hourigan, director of transportation and sustainability for Midtown Alliance. Dan Along with its LIT Hourigan lanes, the district is getting nine new traffic signals during the next two years. These signals will make crossing busy streets, such as Peachtree at Colony Square and Piedmont Avenue at 13th Street, safer. The Midtown Alliance has helped fund converting lanes on busy streets for multimodal use. “Today, you’ve got a handful of segments of streets that have a bike lane,
SPECIAL/COURTESY OF MIDTOWN ALLIANCE
A rendering of a crossing signal at 10th Street at the Midtown MARTA station, which will render the streets safer for pedestrians. and some of them are just a striped lane without any sort of vertical protection,” said Hourigan. “We’re creating a truly connected network of bike lanes.” More space for walkers, bikers and scooter riders won’t have much impact on car drivers, he added. “Even with all the bike lanes that we’ve got planned, we’re still preserving 92 percent of the vehicular capacity in Midtown,” Hourigan said. The city of Atlanta is also beginning to convert wide one-way streets into two-way thoroughfares to deter speeding. Better coordination of traffic signals will also mean fewer delays for drivers. A survey conducted by the Midtown Alliance of 5,000 people who live or work in the district found that most desired these improvements. “One of the things that people complain about in Midtown is safety for those that are walking or biking or on a scooter,” said Hourigan. “Almost all of our projects have a major safety component to them.” The scooter company Spin, which is permitted for 1,500 scooters in Atlanta, has experienced an 88% increase in average daily rides between July and October 2020, according to the company. The average trip length is 25 minutes.
MIDTOWN AT A GLANCE
STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS 6.7 miles
Of protected LIT lanes on Midtown corridors
1.5 miles
At Spring Street from Peachtree to 3rd Street
1.4 miles
At West Peachtree from North to 17th
1 mile
At Juniper from 14th to Ponce de Leon
2.8 miles
At Piedmont from MLK to 15th
Nine
New traffic signals SOURCE: ATLANTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
One factor driving safety is the growing number of residents on Midtown streets, as high-rise apartments and condos have created a large full-time population. “Having more people out there makes drivers more aware of us,” said Sally Flocks, a long-time Midtown resident and founder of PEDS (Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety). “Once we got more people living in Midtown, drivers really anticipated us and reduced their speed.” Residents want more LIT lanes, said Chris Lexmond, who chairs the Midtown Neighborhood Association’s infrastructure committee. “We’ve been trying to make a big push for actual curbs, vertical visibility of the delineation between the LIT lane, the bike lane and traffic. The big goal is to slow down traffic, give alternative options and make for a safer cycling experience.” Safe streets also have attracted companies to Midtown, including NCR, Anthem and Norfolk Southern. “We know that young people in particular are attracted to walkable, bikeable, transit-rich neighborhoods with amenities,” said Hourigan. “Employers are attracted to places like Midtown for the opportunity to hire those folks.”
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ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
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MIDTOWN MARKET REPORT
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PROJECTS FOR MIDTOWN ALLIANCE’S 2021 WORK PLAN Art Walk: A half-mile long pedestrian promenade, shared street and linear park connecting the Midtown MARTA Station to Arts District Station over five blocks of Peachtree Walk. Phase 1, between 10th and 11th Streets, starts construction this year.
SPECIAL/RENDERING/COURTESY OF SELIG ENTERPRISES
An updated rendering of the Art Walk as it interacts with Selig Enterprises’ development at 12th Street.
RESIDENTS, VISITORS TAKE IT OUTSIDE BY BILL CHASTAIN Contributing Writer
I
n the midst of a pandemic, Midtown is examining – and adding to – its outdoor space. “We are lucky to enjoy great weather 75 percent of the year, and it makes sense to invest in outdoor amenities, both as a response to the pandemic and for a competitive advantage going forward,” said Ginny Kennedy, Midtown Alliance director of urban design. Developers recognize that parks and plazas also can increase property values, so they are retrofitting plaza spaces with firepits, seating groups and projection screens, Kennedy said. “These enhancements make it safer and more comfortable to gather outside,” she added. The focus on outdoor spaces is not just a reaction to the pandemic, said Tim Keane, city of Atlanta planning commissioner. “Midtown has been working for years to try and achieve more outdoor public spaces in the context of an urbanizing place that’s getting denser,” he said. Selig Enterprises has many
properties throughout the city, including a mixed-use development at 1105 West Peachtree. “As a company, I would say as a good design principle, we started to incorporate more greenspace, outdoor seating and lighting in several of our projects,” said Malloy Peterson, Selig Enterprises senior vice president of development. “But it’s really important in Midtown because Midtown is one of, if not the, fastest growing, markets in the South. Once you go vertical on every other block, it’s really hard to go back in and carve grid space.” Selig is lending parts of its project to Art Walk, a half-mile pedestrian promenade and linear park between the Midtown and Arts Center MARTA stations. Art Walk will include public art, street-level galleries and outdoor dining. North American Properties’ Colony Square project also features creative outdoor spaces. “The reimagination of Colony Square was centered on creation of activated public realm, affording the entire community access to four distinctly different outdoor spaces,” explained Mark Toro of North American Properties. The
“As a good design principle, we started to incorporate more greenspace, outdoor seating and lighting in several of our projects.” MALLOY PETERSON,
Selig Enterprises SVP of Development
spaces are called The Grove, Plaza, Patio and Loop Lounge. Public outdoor spaces are critical to the lifestyle that has attracted residents and businesses to Midtown, he said. “Never has that been more evident than during the pandemic, and we expect that demand will continue to grow.” Outdoor enhancements keep people engaged in the area, said Keane, citing the recently passed ordinance to permit restaurants to occupy street parking spaces with outdoor seating. Midtown Alliance’s concept of “parklets” from repurposed parking spaces was developed with Tunnel Spangler Walsh (TSW) to provide space for dining, meeting, bike amenities and art. Midtown’s outdoor projects range in cost based on their scale. The first phase of the Art Walk is roughly $3.8 million and includes upgrades to infrastructure. Smaller projects such as an Arts District Plaza, are around $300,000, Kennedy said. “When cities have spaces that are well cared for and alive with people,” she added, “you’ll find any reason to stay or visit again.”
Commercial Row Commons: A small public plaza at the intersection of Peachtree Place and Peachtree Street, repurposing on-street parking spaces.
Arts District Plaza: At Peachtree Street and 15th Street, this plaza occupies space on the Southeast and Southwest corners, both of which will be renovated in 2021. Construction on the SW corner is scheduled to begin in March. It will be anchored by a 30-foottall sculpture by Dorothy Berge, relocated from Colony Square, and include new lighting, seating and landscaping.
Spring and West Peachtree Parklets: Construction on the first round of parklets on Spring Street is anticipated in the second quarter of 2021.
10th Street Park: Plans are underway to refresh the 10th Street Park into three distinct "outdoor rooms:" one for lawn games, one with a climbable structure and one with a fenced dog park. This project is in cooperation with Dewberry Group, who owns the land and leases it to Midtown Alliance. Construction will begin in March. SOURCE: MIDTOWN ALLIANCE
Among the projects we’ll have under construction this year inside one square mile: MIDTOWN ART WALK
FEDERAL RESERVE PLAZA @ 10TH ST
PEACHTREE PEACHTREE ST ST @ @ 15TH 15TH ST ST
COMMERCIAL ROW COMMONS
PEACHTREE ST ST @ @ PEACHTREE PEACHTREE PLACE PLACE PEACHTREE
ARTS DISTRICT PLAZA
15TH 15TH ST ST TO TO PONCE PONCE DE DE LEON LEON AVE AVE
JUNIPER STREET COMPLETE STREET 14TH 14TH ST ST TO TO PONCE PONCE DE DE LEON LEON AVE AVE
PIEDMONT AVENUE COMPLETE STREET
SPRING + WEST PEACHTREE STREET PARKLETS
10TH STREET PARK ENHANCEMENTS
PEACHTREE PEACHTREE ST ST @ @ 10TH 10TH ST ST
protected bike lanes · new sidewalks + pedestrian amenities · park and plaza enhancements · public art · intersection improvements ·
Total committed funding for public improvement projects currently in the pipeline
combined square feet of new development currently under construction
MidtownATL.com/Projects
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MIDTOWN MARKET REPORT
Midtown Alliance brings art to heart of city BY LESLIE JOHNSON Contributing Writer
Midtown Alliance’s Heart of the Arts program and Cousins Properties’ artist in residence at the Promenade are breathing creative life into the area. Heart of the Arts started this past summer in response to the pandemic and anticipated economic slowdown, said Lauren Bohn, program manager of urban design and placemaking at Midtown Alliance. “Looking ahead, arts are a cornerstone of Midtown’s strategy to emerge stronger.” The program is primarily funded by the Midtown Improvement District, but its partners contribute space and funds, Bohn said. Among the host sites are: Atlanta History Center, Midtown campus; Coro Realty Advisors; Madison Marquette; 10 Tenth and Cafe Agora. Midtown Alliance leaders noticed people’s responses to the Cousins Properties artist in residence program, which started in 2013. Doug Shipman, former CEO of Woodruff Arts Center and former Alliance board member, encouraged the Alliance to use the pandemic as
AT A GLANCE
HEART OF THE ARTS
Here is where Heart of the Arts works can be viewed, according to Midtown Alliance: 805 Peachtree St. (between 5th and 6th Streets): Shanequa Gay, artist 990 Peachtree St. (Atlanta History Center Midtown Campus adjacent to Savi): Kaye Lee Patton and Fabian Williams, artists
BYRON E. SMALL
Shanequa Gay’s instillation, “Secoriea’s Spirit Lives Here,” is on display at 805 Peachtree St., and named for an 8-year-old killed in Atlanta last summer. an opportunity to ramp up investment in the arts, she added. As part of the Cousins program, the company chooses an artist every two years to occupy space within Promenade. John McColl, executive vice president of development at Cousins, recalled asking Anne Lambert Tracht, president
of ConsultArt and a longtime Cousins corporate curator with what he called a “crazy idea.” Tracht then helped structure jury selection and other processes. Cousins plans to announce two new CONTINUED ON PAGE 39A
999 Peachtree St. (999 Peachtree Building, NW corner): Kristan Woolford, artist 90 Peachtree Pl. (next to Cafe Agora): Chiomma Hall and Melissa Huang, artists 10 Tenth St. (near MARTA Midtown Station north entrance): Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, artist
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