CONCEPTUAL INFILL DESIGN

There are many possibilities for transforming the US-27 and Alabama Street corner into a vibrant gateway for downtown Carrollton. This concept showcases the right elements for infill design.

Until a few years ago, the corner of US-27 and Alabama Street housed a handful of auto-centric businesses and drive-throughs. Beginning in 2020, the local government acquired and cleared this approximately 240-by-530 foot block. With an average daily traffic count of 24,800 along this segment of US-27, this prominent site could hold potential as a marquee infill development and gateway to bustling downtown Carrollton. A recent mixed-use development and downtown hotel in Gainesville, Georgia, inspired the conceptual plan for the site below. For comparison, E.E. Butler Parkway adjacent to that development has a traffic count of 25,900.

This concept includes a potential multi-story hotel, conference center, and infill housing development. The northern mixed-use concept could incorporate much-needed downtown housing in addition to desired community resources like a compact grocery or conference space. The buildings in this concept are shown connected with an internal parking deck capped with a rooftop pool and guest patio. The parking deck is shown with vehicular entries along both Cliff Street and Johnson Avenue for easy access. New streetscaping, including generous 12-foot sidewalks, 15-foot and larger landscaped tree lawns, lush plantings of large-canopy street trees, and 53 new onstreet parking spaces give this development a distinctly downtown ambiance.

These bird’s eye renderings illustrate what a model mixed-use infill building could look like on the corner of US-27 and Alabama Street. Development at this marquee corner should serve the community and contribute to a vibrant and active downtown. The zero-lot-line development illustrated here follows typical best practices for downtown infill development, including active storefront retail with plenty of windows, wide sidewalks that can accommodate café tables, and hidden internal parking. Any development that occurs at this prominent corner should incorporate the features the community desires, including vibrant first-floor retail and café spaces, upper-story residences, and even upper-floor entertainment areas.

This perspective shows how the front façade of a downtown hotel could appear along Alabama Street.

These concepts show the striking views of the dramatic rooftop pool and restaurant featured in this design. Similar offerings could bring a whole new level of entertainment to downtown Carrollton.

THIS HISTORIC IMAGE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA’S BENJAMIN LONG PHOTO COLLECTION SHOWS THE BUILDING THAT ONCE OCCUPIED THIS PROMINENT CORNER.