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ATL e-scooter boom; notable Sweet Auburn book; Kirkwood housing Josh Green Thu, 03/20/2025 - 08:13 **CITYWIDE—**Following a pandemic lull, a leading e-scooter and e-bike provider says micromobility options are unequivocally back in Atlanta—and setting patronage records. (Need proof? Open your eyes in blocks anywhere near the Beltline.) 

Officials with Lime report Atlantans have shunned this year’s chilly weather so far and taken well over 200,000 trips in 2025, with more than half of those coming in February alone. Those February ridership numbers are up an impressive 200 percent over 2023, according to Lime, which provided Urbanize Atlanta with promo pics recently taken in our fair city to show just how much the ATL market means. 

Courtesy of Lime

Lime launched in Atlanta in June 2018 and has logged more than 5.2 million rides here since—totaling almost 6 million miles traveled. 

“To see Lime ridership taking off in Atlanta… shows how incredible the potential is for micromobility to succeed, even in a city that is historically car-dependent,” said Carol Antúnez, Lime’s senior manager of government relations, in a statement. “We’re working [to] offer a reliable and time-efficient commuter alternative, and are dedicated to building the future of transportation in Atlanta.” 

Well, somebody's got to build it, eh? 

Courtesy of Lime

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SWEET AUBURN—Good read alert: Atlanta commercial real estate veteran Gene Kansas, head of an eponymous firm and founder of Constellations, spent years researching and writing the new book “Civil Sights, Sweet Auburn, a Journey through Atlanta’s National Treasure.” The effort shows. 

Civilsights.com

A co-publication of University of Georgia Press and Georgia Humanities, the book chronicles one of the city’s most richly historic places with artfully understated drawings and no shortage “huh—I didn’t know that” moments. On Tuesday, the author headlines the next Atlanta City Studio Book Club meeting (6:30 to 8:30 p.m., March 25, Atlanta City Studio, 235 Mitchell St.) to talk Sweet Auburn history and ongoing preservation efforts. It’s free. 

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CITYWIDE—Despite doom-and-gloom talk about metro Atlanta’s office market that’s dragged on for years, commercial real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap is bullish on the city’s office prospects—to perhaps a surprising degree.Published on Tuesday, the company’s2025 Atlanta Office Investment Forecast Report indicates the metro’s office market has reached a turning point, with shrinking vacancy rates, investor confidence, and corporate expansions being a formula for newfound momentum.

Some highlights of the company’s 2025 forecast provided this week:  

• Marcus & Millichap foresees Atlanta’s employment market expanding by 27,000 jobs in 2025, with 2,000 new office-using roles, helping to support leasing demand;
• Vacancy rates are projected to decline to 19.4 percent, driven by corporate expansions and reduced new supply;
• Office construction will slow to its lowest level in a decade, with inventory growing by just 0.4 percent, primarily in Midtown, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta;
• Average asking rents will rise to $27.52 per square foot, supported by falling vacancy rates and a limited construction pipeline.

“As one of the nation’s fastest-growing economies, Atlanta continues to attract businesses and investors seeking stability and long-term upside,” noted John M. Leonard, the company’s first vice president and regional manager. 

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KIRKWOOD—Plans are very preliminary, but an affordable housing proposal for formerly homeless people on one of Kirkwood’s best-known residential streets has some neighbors up-in-arms (citing parking, traffic, etc.) while others back the proposal, as Atlanta News First relays. The project—put together by the same team behind the recently opened Ralph David House in Reynoldstown—would consume an empty lot where Howard and Hallman streets meet, next to and owned by longstanding Turner Monumental Methodist Church. 

The Kirkwood lot in question today, at the southwest corner of Howard Street's intersection with Hallman Street. Google Maps

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• Affordable housing news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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ATL News Roundup Turner Monumental Methodist Church Kirkwood Stryant Stryant Investments Affordable Housing Lime escooters ebikes E-scooters E-bikes Atlanta E-bikes Gene Kansas Gene Kansas Commercial Real Estate Civil Sights Sweet Auburn Atlanta History Marcus & Millichap Marcus and Millichap Atlanta Office Space Office Space Atlanta City Studio

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The Kirkwood lot in question today, at the southwest corner of Howard Street's intersection with Hallman Street. Google Maps

Courtesy of Lime

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Subtitle Real estate, architecture, and urban planning news from around Atlanta

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New Medley district uncloaks plans for 133 fully brick townhomes Josh Green Wed, 03/19/2025 - 16:35 Two months after officially breaking ground, developers have unveiled plans for a luxury residential portion of Johns Creek’s Medley project that will aim to echo successes at Avalon, which has recently been called a template for mixed-use nodes around the world. 

Helmed by the same developer who led Avalon’s rise from abandoned acreage in Alpharetta, Toro Development Company released details this week for 133 luxury townhomes bound for Medley they say will be unique as a “mixed-use resi” building category.  

That is, for-sale housing that replicates the walkability of living intown, only in a master-planned, suburban setting. 

Another selling point, according to TDC, is that all Medley townhomes will be fully built of brick. 

Avalon’s 101 for-sale homes are a template for Medley's townhouses, which will start at 2,000 square feet, according to TDC reps. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

A central residential green at Avalon today. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

Situated along Lakeview Drive and Johns Creek Parkway, Medley’s townhome plans call for two distinct designs, ranging from 2,000 to 2,800 square feet in three stories with outdoor terraces. 

Expect 10-foot ceilings in main living spaces, three or four bedrooms, and “best-in-class craftsmanship” with building materials that include stone and natural wood, per TDC. The Medley neighborhood will include a centralized greenspace with a pool and clubhouse, plus an additional pocket park and walkability to two larger greenspaces in the district. 

Price ranges haven’t been specified, as sales aren't expected to begin until sometime next year. 

Mark Toro, TDC’s chief vision officer and an Avalon homeowner, said the goal is to create a “rare luxury” in suburban environments similar to Avalon that allows for a vibrant, urban-like experience without getting in a car. “With Avalon, we saw incredible home value growth because of the unique lifestyle that comes with owning a home in a mixed-use environment,” Toro said in an announcement this week.  

TDC reps say Avalon’s 101 for-sale homes have greatly outpaced the region in terms of value growth since they started coming to market in 2016. Avalon’s current per-square-foot average home value is $565, or what TDC calculated as 221 percent of the metro’s median, per sales listings data. (Anecdotally, TDC points to an Avalon four-bedroom, five-bathroom standalone house that fetched $2.75 million a year ago—at $859 per square foot.)

Active intown developer Empire Communities will be the exclusive homebuilder at Medley.

“The homes coming to Medley are certainly beautiful, but the real selling point is Medley itself,” said Caroline Simmel, Empire’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Meals cooked by top chefs, coffee shops to work remotely, daily events and entertainment, fitness studios just steps away—this is what it’s like living in a mixed-use community, and people will pay a premium for it.” 

Overview of Avalon's 101-house residential section. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

The 43-acre Medley will be the first new section of Johns Creek's Town Center concept. Toro Development Company; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Beyond the townhomes, the Johns Creek City Council unanimously approved plans last fall for a 175-key Medley hotel that TDC hopes will also replicate the success of Avalon’s hospitality component.

Medley's phase one is also set to include roughly 180,000 square feet for retail, restaurant, and entertainment spaces, a 25,000-square-foot plaza, and 100,000 square feet of offices. 

Elsewhere, plans call for 340 luxury-grade apartments in the initial phase.

Once that opens, TDC plans to host 200 events per year, ranging from live music and outdoor wellness classes to art festivals and watch parties, officials have said.

On the food front, Medley’s phase one has signed the first suburban locations of Fadó Irish Pub and Little Rey, a Mexican concept by chef and restaurateur Ford Fry. Other announced tenants include CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar, Five Daughters Bakery, Summit Coffee, Lily Sushi Bar, Knuckies Hoagies, Cookie Fix, Sugarcoat Beauty, BODY20, and AYA Medical Spa, among other concepts.

Projected look of Medley's repurposed office building, next to a standalone restaurant and central plaza. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

The Medley site's location in Johns Creek, in relation to Atlanta's north OTP cities. Google Maps

All told, Medley is expected to create 900 residences considered luxury (all townhomes and apartments), another 20,000 square feet of retail, and an Avalon-style central greenspace designed for community events and gatherings. It will eventually be just one facet of the city’s 192-acre Town Center, a blend of housing, hotels, offices, lakes, and greenspace about the size of Piedmont Park.

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• Johns Creek news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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11650 Johns Creek Parkway Medley The Hotel at Medley Town Center Toro Development Company Mixed-Use Development Alpharetta Avalon Colony Square TDC U.S. Realty Advisors Third Place Fulton County Town Center Vision and Plan OTP Atlanta Development Atlanta Suburbs Mark Toro Kimley-Horn & Associates Boston Scientific Franklin Street Stream Managing Nelson Worldwide Site Solutions Johns Creek City Council Johns Creek Town Center Vision and Plan Johns Creek City Hall Creekside Park Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Little Rey Fadó Irish Pub Banco Inbursa Ascentris Empire Communities Mixed-Use Resi Medley Townhomes John Creek Townhomes

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The Medley site's location in Johns Creek, in relation to Atlanta's north OTP cities. Google Maps

The 43-acre Medley will be the first new section of Johns Creek's Town Center concept. Toro Development Company; designs, Nelson Worldwide

Projected look of Medley's repurposed office building, next to a standalone restaurant and central plaza. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

How the 175-key boutique hotel is expected to relate to a Medley greenspace and retail. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

Avalon’s 101 for-sale homes are a template for Medley's townhouses, which will start at 2,000 square feet, according to TDC reps. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

A central residential green at Avalon today. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

Courtesy of Toro Development Company

Courtesy of Toro Development Company

Overview of Avalon's 101-house residential section. Courtesy of Toro Development Company

Subtitle The “mixed-use resi” offerings look toward Alpharetta’s Avalon for inspiration

Neighborhood Johns Creek

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In northeast Atlanta, pocket of modern-style housing starts to rise Josh Green Wed, 03/19/2025 - 14:34 Think pockets of distinctly modern new townhomes are exclusively a Beltline-neighborhood thing? Think again. 

An infill project called Frederick Walk has cleared away buildings and started vertical construction near popular commercial districts in northeast Atlanta’s North Druid Hills. 

The site is located at 1501 LaVista Road, just west of Briarcliff Road, a Tesla dealership, and the new location of Che Butter Jonez restaurant, where neighborhoods Woodland Hills and LaVista Park meet. 

The Frederick Walk project is replacing two former houses on large lots that had been converted to accounting and law firms and other business uses.

As shown this month, vertical construction on Frederick Walk has begun. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Urban Eco Group/Inhance Development; via Compass

According to developers Urban Eco Group and Inhance Development, Frederick Walk will consist of 18 contemporary townhomes “woven into the verdant landscape of North Druid Hills.”

Each unit will come with rooftop terraces overlooking the tree canopy with either three or four bedrooms, per the project's website. 

Inhance Development specializes in infill development in metro Atlanta, while Urban Eco Group’s recent work includes the new Leon on Ponce condos, a modern mid-rise building near Ponce City Market. Domain Custom Homes is the project’s contractor.

The 1501 Lavista Road site (in red) in relation to nearby commercial buildings where LaVista and Briarcliff roads meet. Google Maps

We’ve reached out to Compass sales reps for information on Frederick Walk pricing and ETA, and we’ll update this story with any additional details that come. 

Find more context and imagery in the gallery above. 

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1501 Lavista Road Domain Custom Homes Inhance Development Urban Eco Group Infill Housing Infill Development Infill Urban Infill LaVista Road Briarcliff Road North Druid Hills

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The townhome site in question, east of Interstate 85 and north of Emory University. Google Maps

Urban Eco Group/Inhance Development; via Compass

As shown this month, vertical construction on Frederick Walk has begun. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Towering trees left standing around the townhome site. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 1501 Lavista Road site (in red) in relation to nearby commercial buildings where LaVista and Briarcliff roads meet. Google Maps

Subtitle Infill project Frederick Walk replaces former home lots on LaVista Road

Neighborhood North Druid Hills

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GDOT flirts with idea of Atlanta-to-Savannah intercity rail Josh Green Wed, 03/19/2025 - 08:18 Imagine boarding an intercity train at lunchtime on Friday in Atlanta, finishing out the workweek online while in transit, and spending the weekend in one of the most walkable cities in America—Savannah—before boarding the train again Sunday to swing back home. 

Or imagine using the train system to do business in either city during the week—no sitting in traffic, gas expenses, or exorbitant parking fees required. 

Seem like science fiction? Maybe not. 

Following a stakeholder kickoff meeting in late January (yes, during this presidential administration), the Georgia Department of Transportation (no, not a typo) has entered the public engagement phase of what’s called the Atlanta-Savannah Intercity Passenger Rail Project (squeal!). 

Many hurdles and question marks, of course, stand between here and actual passenger rail service from Georgia’s state capital to The Hostess City, but for alternate transportation enthusiasts, an analysis covering many of Georgia’s largest and fastest-growing cities could be a step in the right direction. 

The project study area in question covers a wide swath of Georgia. Georgia Department of Transportation

The $10 million study—funded with $8 million from the Federal Rail Administration awarded in 2023, plus a $2 million match from GDOT—aims to produce what’s called a Service Development Plan for passenger rail between Georgia’s growing population centers and increasing demand for travel between them. 

The broader goal is to develop a program that helps guide the creation of an intercity rail network around the country, starting with rail projects deemed ready for implementation. 

According to GDOT, Amtrak is just one of the “successful private operators” that will be vetted for cost and feasibility for operating the rail line in Georgia. (Amtrak has praised intown Atlanta as a strategic intercity rail hub location and last year requested nearly $30 million in federal funding to secure a development site at an undisclosed location here.)

As a first step, GDOT is asking for your 2 cents with a quick and engaging survey to gauge interest in and take suggestions for potential Atlanta-to-Savannah rail. Our test-run took less than three minutes.

Expected to span several years, the Atlanta-Savannah Intercity Passenger Rail Project will evaluate benefits and costs of the passenger rail line, weigh financial feasibility, and whittle down the range of service alternatives. 

Nothing resembling a construction timeline has been compiled because no funding for final design and building the rail line has been identified, per GDOT. 

Georgia Department of Transportation

More optimistically, GDOT says a cost-benefit analysis and the hunt for potential funding sources will come next year. 

GDOT’s goal is to complete the corridor’s Service Development Plan and then finish an Environmental Impact Statement by early 2028. 

Choo choo? 

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Intercity Rail Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Georgia Department of Transportation Savannah City of Savannah Georgia Rail Travel Train To Savannah City of Atlanta Atlanta-Savannah Intercity Passenger Rail Project

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The project study area in question covers a wide swath of Georgia. Georgia Department of Transportation

Subtitle Survey asks: Would you use it, ATL?

Neighborhood OTP

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Images: Growing The Works ATL district adds $18M parking deck Josh Green Tue, 03/18/2025 - 16:54 Four and a 1/2 years after it started rolling out office, retail, and food-and-beverage spaces, big things are afoot at The Works ATL, a growing adaptive-reuse district in Underwood Hills. 

Officials with Selig Enterprises, the property’s developer, tell Urbanize Atlanta another parking deck with modern-style screening is scheduled to open in coming weeks on Logan Circle, just north of The Works’ main working and dining hub. 

The $18-million public parking deck will add 550 spaces to the district, according to Selig reps. 

It joins another Smith Dalia Architects-designed parking garage (dare we say, an eye-catching structure) that opened as part of The Works’ 27-acre first phase in 2021. 

Eventually, The Works is expected to span some 80 acres in what’s been coined Atlanta’s “Upper Westside,” about three miles northwest of Midtown.  

Exterior of the $18-million parking deck, as seen earlier this month. Chad Buxton/Dakota Contractors; via The Works ATL FB

Location of the district's second parking structure (starred) in relation to entries. Google Maps

Selig officials also relay that The Works’ first phase of offices—totaling 125,000 square feet of space—is now fully leased, despite a historically challenging office market across Atlanta and other cities. 

Alongside Google Fiber, recently signed office tenants at The Works include branded content production company Narrative Content Group; leading Southeast communications and PR firm Babbit Bodner; office furniture retailer and interior design studio Interior Environments; and the City of Atlanta, which has leased space for a division of Atlanta Police Department’s public safety team at The Works. 

Mindy Selig, the developer’s senior vice president, called the recent office signings “a testament to The Works’ creative and innovative environment that continues to draw in top-tier companies even while the larger office market experiences headwinds” in an announcement. 

Formerly rundown warehouses, the adaptive-reuse district has tallied numerous awards— including the Metro Atlanta Redevelopment Summit’s 2024 Project of the Year—as it’s grown into a mixed-use destination. 

Parking garage entry and screening. Chad Buxton/Dakota Contractors; via The Works ATL FB

Fenced-off roadway to the new parking deck near Google Fiber offices and Scofflaw brewing today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Other office tenants include local food media company Atlanta Eats, radio conglomerate iHeart Media, creative editorial shop Uppercut, and photopolymer plate manufacturer MacDermid Graphic Solutions. 

Those companies join more than 50 retail tenants at The Works’ first phase, including the 31-stall food hall Chattahoochee Food Works, Fetch Park, Your 3rd Spot, Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, Dr. Scofflaw’s brewery, Ballard Designs, and Adelina Social Goods. 

Other components of the district include the first residential piece, 306-unit Westbound at The Works apartments, a linear hangout area called The Spur, and kid-friendly, 1-acre greenspace The Camp. 

The new Logan Circle parking structure in relation to existing The Works buildings (at left), as seen in January. Google Maps

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1295 Chattahoochee Avenue NW Westbound at The Works The Works ATL Blandtown Selig Development The Works Topgolf Atlanta Smith Dalia Architects Andrew Zimmern Adaptive-Reuse The 3rd Sport Eatertainment 400 Chattahoochee Row AMP Up1 Selig Enterprises Selig High Street Windsor Interlock GID Atlanta Development Upper Westside Food Halls RJTR Brasfield and Gorrie The Camp Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio Atlanta apartments RangeWater Real Estate aerial tours Flippo Civil Design Parking Decks Atlanta Parking Decks Google Fiber Dakota Contractors Interior Environments Narrative Content Group Babbit Bodner uppercut

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Location of the district's second parking structure (starred) in relation to entries. Google Maps

The new Logan Circle parking structure in relation to existing The Works buildings (at left), as seen in January. Google Maps

Fenced-off roadway to the new parking deck near Google Fiber offices and Scofflaw brewing today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Exterior of the $18-million parking deck, as seen earlier this month. Chad Buxton/Dakota Contractors; via The Works ATL FB

Parking garage entry and screening. Chad Buxton/Dakota Contractors; via The Works ATL FB

Subtitle Selig-developed project has also fully leased all phase one office space, officials announce

Neighborhood Underwood Hills

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The Works - 1295 Chattahoochee Avenue NW

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Vision emerges for vacant corner near downtown Connector Josh Green Tue, 03/18/2025 - 15:09 How a long-vacant corner in the northern blocks of downtown could be repurposed for Atlanta visitors is coming into clearer focus. 

Officials with Atlanta-based BCA Studios Architects have recently shared renderings depicting how a dual-branded hotel project could look and function at 524 West Peachtree St., between a major hospital and the Connector freeway. 

Hotel uses have been pitched for the relatively tight, .46-acre corner site—where the 1920s Rosser Building was demolished more than six years ago—for a decade. 

According to BCA Studios, the project will include Georgia’s first Motto by Hilton hotel adjacent to a TownPlace Suites by Marriott, both of them operating independently. Plans call for 381 rooms total, plus a rooftop restaurant and coffee shop at street level. 

Looking north across the two-brand proposal into Midtown. BCA Studios Architects

The 524 West Peachtree St. site where a 1920s building was razed six years ago. Google Maps

The architecture firm counts offices in Atlanta and Gainesville, and its portfolio includes numerous hotel projects around the Sunbelt, including multi-brand high-rise hospitality developments.

The site is situated between the Connector and Emory University Hospital Midtown, directly south of a 3,000-space parking garage that city planners once hailed as being “beautiful” before it debuted in 2021. 

Next door to the west is historic Baltimore Block, a row of 1880s landmark buildings considered Atlanta’s first apartments.  

We’ve inquired with developer Horizon Hospitality for a construction outlook this week, and we’ll update this story with any additional details that come. Building permit filings show no activity since September, when the project initially came to light. 

A Special Administrative permit filing from last year indicates the hotel project would include just 19 onsite parking spaces total, when 384 are allowed. (Parking decks are located next door and across the street to both the east and south.) Per the filing, 45 bicycle parking spaces would also be in the mix. 

Property records indicate the site sold for $8.4 million to an Alpharetta-based LLC called Atlanta Hotel Development in 2023. 

How the West Peachtree Street hotel project would stack up next to a newer, large parking garage just to the north. BCA Studios Architects

Google Maps

The West Peachtree Street site was formerly home to the Rosser Building, named for an architecture firm based there for decades, until it was demolished in 2018 to make way for a 12-story, dual-branded Marriott hotel that didn’t move forward. Ditto for another hotel proposal that had been put together a couple of years earlier.

The site's former structure was designed by prominent Atlanta architect A. Ten Eyck Brown for an automobile distributor, and it was once considered part of the city’s “Automobile Row,” a chain of distributors and dealerships. Following its automobile uses, the building served as the headquarters for Eastern Airlines. In the 1980s, Rosser architects moved into the building, occupying it until 2012. Abandoned and in desperate need of repair, the building was sold in 2015.

Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Motto by Hilton brand has been trying to crack into the Atlanta market as part of the Waldo’s development in Old Fourth Ward, which remains delayed more than three years after initial phases of construction launched.

Looking south across the site today toward Centennial Olympic Park. Google Maps

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524 West Peachtree St. Atlanta Hotels Motto Motto Hotel BCA Studios Downtown Development west peachtree Street 512 West Peachtree Street Urban Planning Downtown Hotels Baltimore Block Rosser Building Atlanta Architecture Atlanta Design Building Design

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The 524 West Peachtree St. site where a 1920s building was razed six years ago. Google Maps

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Looking north across the two-brand proposal into Midtown. BCA Studios Architects

How the West Peachtree Street hotel project would stack up next to a newer, large parking garage just to the north. BCA Studios Architects

Looking south across the site today toward Centennial Olympic Park. Google Maps

Google Maps

Subtitle Dual-branded hotel concept calls for nearly 400 more rooms on West Peachtree Street

Neighborhood Downtown

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524 Peachtree St. NW

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BREAKING: Midtown announces permanent park for failed mega-project site Josh Green Tue, 03/18/2025 - 13:42 Atlanta greenspace lovers, rejoice! 

A large, vacant site in the heart of Midtown where one of the most ambitious high-rise proposals in city history, No2 Opus Place, was pitched for several years, tweaked, and ultimately fell apart will become a permanent public park, the subdistrict’s leadership announced today. 

The Midtown Improvement District’s Board of Directors revealed today that the agency is under contract on a 4-acre site at 98 14th St. that couldn’t be much more high-profile, surrounded by Atlanta arts institutions, landmark office buildings, and notable high-rise hotels and residential towers. 

The idle, partially excavated 14th Street site—situated between Peachtree and West Peachtree streets—is considered one of the final developable sites of its size left in Midtown. According to Midtown Alliance, more than 44,500 residents, students, workers, and visitors are located within a seven-minute walk of the parcel on any given day. 

For context, the 4-acre site is about 2 acres smaller than Woodruff Park, a centerpiece downtown greenspace. 

The 4-acre site's 14th Street frontage, as seen last summer. Google Maps

Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Pitched as one of the grandest, most amenitized skyscrapers Atlanta’s ever seen, No2 Opus Place first came to light in 2016 as a 74-story, $300-million statement condo building with amenities that called for two pools, an IMAX screening room, and a 40th-floor golf simulator. Despite staging a dynamite-fueled “groundbreaking” in 2018, the project was scaled back and consistently delayed—to the chagrin of development observers and neighborhood boosters—until the site ultimately tumbled into foreclosure in fall 2023. 

Now, MID officials are aiming to close on the 14th Street site in mid-May at what agency leadership calls a pivotal time for Midtown, which has been the epicenter of Atlanta’s high-rise real estate boom for more than a dozen years. The pending land acquisition was announced today at the 2025 Midtown Alliance Annual Meeting at the Fox Theatre, which was attended by more than 1,000 civic and business leaders. 

Design and fundraising phases would follow the land acquisition. The goal is to create a “premier attraction” that’s a hub for cultural and arts experience people won’t find anywhere but Atlanta, officials said in today’s announcement. Malloy Peterson, an MID board member and Selig Enterprises senior vice president of development, said the “pioneering move” marks the first time a Community Improvement District in Georgia has acted to acquire land to create a signature public space.

Kevin Green, Midtown Alliance president and MID secretary, told Urbanize Atlanta the seller is an entity of Benmark Atlanta Lender LLC that foreclosed on the property in November 2023, but he said the purchase price won’t be disclosed until the transaction is finalized. 

“Once the property is closed, we will embark on a public design process to create something spectacular,” Green wrote via email. “Midtown Alliance will then lead a philanthropic capital campaign to fund and construct these enhancements. Timing on construction is to be determined.”

Context of the site between the Connector expressway (left) and Colony Square (right). Google Maps

An early rendering shows No2 Opus Place when it was designed to be taller—a 730-foot glass statement piece to rival the condo towers of Manhattan and Tokyo. Plans were later scaled back. Perkins+Will/No2 Opus Place

Constituting Midtown’s central high-rise and business core, the MID spans 770 acres but counts just 1.1 acres of permanent open public space today. The one-square-mile district, founded 25 years ago, has seen 55 major development projects delivered since 2018 with a value of more than $10.6 billion, per MID officials. 

“This is a seminal moment to secure open space designed for community gathering, and ensuring its availability forever,” said Mary Pat Matheson, Midtown Alliance Board Chair and Atlanta Botanical Garden president and CEO. 

Long before No2 Opus Place plans, a sweeping symphony hall by Spanish starchitect Santiago Calatrava also failed to take flight on the 14th Street site, a victim of the Great Recession. 

“Our leadership viewed this as a generational opportunity to preserve land forever and create a signature amenity for Midtown and our city,” added Kurt Hartman, MID board chair and Hines’ retired senior managing director. “Given the rapid rate Midtown has been developing, this was seen as now or never.” 

Find more site context and imagery in the gallery above.

The shabby, vacant site from ground level today.Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

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• Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Midtown Improvement District Selig Enterprises Midtown Alliance Atlanta Parks Atlanta Greenspace Midtown Parks 14th Street No. 2 Opus Place Opus Place Megaprojects Atlanta Parks and Recreation Parks and Red

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Context of the site between the Connector expressway (left) and Colony Square (right). Google Maps

The 4-acre site's 14th Street frontage, as seen last summer. Google Maps

Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

The shabby, vacant site from ground level today.Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Subtitle Midtown Improvement District targets 4 acres in heart of district where No2 Opus Place didn’t happen

Neighborhood Midtown

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Next phase of West Highlands redevelopment breaks ground Josh Green Mon, 03/17/2025 - 16:22 A mixed-income housing venture with dozens of units has officially entered the pipeline northwest of Midtown. 

Atlanta Housing and its development partners, Perry Homes Redevelopment and Brock Built Homes, held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to kick off construction of the next phase of redevelopment at the expansive West Highlands project. 

The 2000 Perry Boulevard NW site is situated between Midtown’s northern reaches and Interstate 285, adjacent to Norfolk Southern’s massive Inman Yard railroad hub. 

The property formerly housed the Perry Homes housing projects, built in the 1950s and fully demolished in 1999 as efforts to clear public housing in the city ramped up. 

The next phase of West Highlands—already one of the largest master-planned communities in the City of Atlanta—calls for 65 for-sale townhomes and detached single-family houses. 

Overview of the latest West Highlands section to break ground, with communal greenspaces included. Courtesy of Atlanta Housing

Context of the 2000 Perry Boulevard site, situated northwest of Midtown. Google Maps

According to Atlanta Housing officials, 25 units (or 38 percent of the next phase) will be priced at rates deemed affordable, while the rest will be market-rate. 

That means 25 townhome units will ask $252,000 when finished. Elsewhere, the 40 units of market-rate housing will be priced between $385,000 and $490,000. 

The West Highlands homes will range from 1,400 to 2,500 square feet, according to officials.

The next phase is considered a public-private partnership led by both Atlanta Housing and Brock Built, which has been building a range of communities in the area for years. 

Atlanta Housing is providing $562,500 as a development cost subsidy, in addition to land-value subsidies for affordable units, per agency officials. 

Terri Lee, Atlanta Housing president and CEO, called the project “another step forward in [the agency’s] mission to create inclusive communities where families of all income levels can thrive” in an announcement. 

Totality of the West Highlands project, with the under-construction new section shown at far left. Courtesy of Atlanta Housing

Today, the West Highlands redevelopment includes 700 mixed-income rentals and 513 for-sale homes, 144 of those capped for families earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Another 114 homes are currently in the pipeline. 

Other components of the project—described by Atlanta Housing as “a model for mixed-income, community-driven revitalization”—include a community center, a park, and playground.

Breakdown of affordable housing units at West Highlands (red) and market-rate housing.Courtesy of Atlanta Housing

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Context of the 2000 Perry Boulevard site, situated northwest of Midtown. Google Maps

Breakdown of affordable housing units at West Highlands (red) and market-rate housing.Courtesy of Atlanta Housing

Overview of the latest West Highlands section to break ground, with communal greenspaces included. Courtesy of Atlanta Housing

Totality of the West Highlands project, with the under-construction new section shown at far left. Courtesy of Atlanta Housing

Subtitle Where townhome prices will start in the $250Ks, per officials

Neighborhood Westside

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Wedge-shaped project tops out near Beltline, MARTA station Josh Green Mon, 03/17/2025 - 14:13 Another three dozen housing units are quickly taking shape in West End on a lot that had been vacant for well over a decade near the Atlanta Beltline and a MARTA station. 

The wedge-shaped infill project stands in the shadow of elevated MARTA tracks at 889 Lee St. SW, less than a block north of the mixed-use Lee + White warehouse district, and the Beltline’s Westside Trail beyond that.

A Chevron gas station borders one edge of the site, and a street called Rose Circle the other. MARTA’s West End station is about two blocks farther north.

Filings with Atlanta’s Department of City Planning indicate the project will include 36 apartments and 39 parking spaces on what had been a grassy, empty lot. 

Duluth-based United Family Homes is developing the project, according to building permit filings. Inquiries to that company for construction updates and details on forthcoming rentals have not been returned. 

“Lee Street in [Southwest] Atlanta represents a tremendous challenge to area residents—and an opportunity for a safe connection for people outside of cars,” reads a description of the project on the company’s website.  

How the topped-out, three-story project meets Lee Street between West End's MARTA station and the Lee + White district today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Projected look of facades in the 800 block of Lee Street.Gamble + Gamble Architects

Site plans indicate the project was designed by seasoned Atlanta firm Gamble + Gamble Architects, whose work includes the Hotel Clermont renovation and more recently the Lyric Lofts building in Castleberry Hill and Walker Place Townhomes in Edgewood. 

The vacant .85 acres in question last traded for $676,000 in 2019, according to Fulton County property records. An Alpharetta-based LLC called United Apartments at Lee Street is listed as the owner today. Land development at the site started more than two years ago. 

Southernmost flank of the 36-unit project today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The .85-acre construction site in relation to MARTA's Gold and Red lines, Lee + White, and the Beltline. Google Maps

As reported on these pages last week, another West End housing development—23 townhomes in two phases—is also underway on the opposite side of the Lee + White district along White Street. 

Find more photos and context in the gallery above. 

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The .85-acre construction site in relation to MARTA's Gold and Red lines, Lee + White, and the Beltline. Google Maps

How the topped-out, three-story project meets Lee Street between West End's MARTA station and the Lee + White district today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

How 36 units are being wedged into an oddly shaped site at 889 Lee St. Gamble + Gamble Architects

Projected look of facades in the 800 block of Lee Street.Gamble + Gamble Architects

Southernmost flank of the 36-unit project today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Entry to the community's parking area off Lee Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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Subtitle Another three dozen housing units on tap for West End

Neighborhood West End

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Census: Atlanta drops two spots on biggest metros list Josh Green Mon, 03/17/2025 - 12:50 Tough news for ATL zealots: We’re not No. 6 anymore. 

The metro areas of both Miami and Washington D.C. have leapfrogged metro Atlanta in terms of overall population, bumping Georgia’s capital city back to No. 8 on the list of largest metros in the country, according to Vintage 2024 estimates of population totals and components of change recently published by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Last year, the 2022-2023 version of the same report showed metro Atlanta had surpassed both Miami and Washington D.C.—after having overtaken metro Philadelphia the year prior—to become the sixth largest U.S. metro, and the biggest in the Southeast. That marked an impressing jump for Atlanta from being the ninth largest metro at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic—but alas, it was short-lived, per the new Census tabulations.   

Those estimates put Greater Miami as the sixth largest U.S. metro, after it notched more than 123,000 new residents over the year ending July 1. Washington D.C. brought in another 90,600 people, good for No. 7, per the Census findings. 

Metro Atlanta’s 29-county region hardly stagnated, however, adding more than 75,000 people, or a 1.19 percent population bump. 

Big picture, Census officials found that even metros where populations had dipped during the pandemic were on the rebound between July 2023 and a year later; all 387 metro areas in the country saw positive net international migration, accounting for nearly 2.7 million people. 

“While births continue to contribute to overall growth, rising net international migration is offsetting the ongoing net domestic outmigration we see in many of these [metro] areas,” noted Kristie Wilder, a Census demographer, in the report released Thursday. 

The top 10 largest U.S. metros right now, per Census estimates released last week. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began five years ago, the population across the City of Atlanta and metro counties has climbed by nearly 5 percent, adding more than 290,000 people, per the Census data. (Contrast that against the metro with the highest rate of increase among top 10 cities, Dallas, which has added more than 676,000 residents; or the one that’s shrunk the most, Los Angeles, where the population had dipped by 119,200 people, as of July.) 

There is a bright spot in the Census findings, as Peach State growth patterns are concerned. 

Two of the top 10 fastest growing counties in the U.S. are in Georgia, in terms percentage growth rates, and both are located in the northern exurbs. 

Situated northwest of Gwinnett County, Jackson County (No. 4) grew by 5.8 percent over the year in question. 

Meanwhile, Dawson County—where Atlanta’s sprawl meets the North Georgia Mountains, due north of the capital city—grew by 6.4 percent, which was good for No. 1 in the country among counties with at least 20,000 residents. (And who says proximity to outlet malls isn’t a selling point?)

Top 10 counties across the country in terms of percentage growth over the year ending July 1, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates.

On the flipside, Clayton County’s reduction of 1,677 residents landed it on the dubious top 10 (No. 6) of counties that saw numeric decline. According to Census findings, 297,700 people now call Clayton home. 

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Top 10 counties across the country in terms of percentage growth over the year ending July 1, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates.

The top 10 largest U.S. metros right now, per Census estimates released last week. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates.

Subtitle Wait—what?!?

Neighborhood Citywide

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Images: Another new downtown ATL hotel nearly topped out Josh Green Mon, 03/17/2025 - 08:02 Barely six months after its site was cleared and prepped for vertical construction, another downtown hotel development has nearly reached its ultimate height, albeit shorter than originally expected.

Intown’s second Moxy by Marriott hotel continues a wave of new and proposed lodging options across downtown Atlanta—from near the Gold Dome to the former Gulch and the tourism district’s heart—with a month of FIFA 2026 World Cup matches now just 15 months away. 

As of this week, the 329 Marietta St. Moxy project has about two more stories to rise before topping out, according to renderings and building permit details.  

The 183-room lodge will stand next to Hyatt Place Atlanta hotel in a location easily walkable to Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, Georgia World Congress Center, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, among other attractions.

Progress on the Moxy by Marriott project Sunday in the 300 block of Marietta Street downtown. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Previous building on the 329 Marietta St. property, with downtown's Hyatt Place shown to the left and behind. Google Maps

The hotel’s development team of Nexera Capital and Emerge Hospitality Group has previously said they hope to finish the project as soon as possible, with downtown’s FIFA frenzy on the horizon next year. Winter Construction is building the project. 

Building permits indicate the hotel will stand 10 stories—a reduction of three stories from earlier plans with different designs, especially for base levels and the roof. (The room count, however, remains the same as before.) An updated Elevate Architecture Studio rendering shows plans for multi-story, lighted signage wrapping a corner of the building have also been subtracted.

Designs do call for a rooftop lounge, a bar at street level, a speakeasy, and several other gathering spaces around the property, according to developers. 

Marriott opened its other Atlanta Moxy hotel—a dual-branded fusion of Moxy and its European-inspired AC Hotel brand—on 14th Street in Midtown just before for another impactful event: Atlanta's 2019 Super Bowl. The hotel giant bills the Moxy concept as more “playful, affordable, and stylish” than more upscale brands under its flag. More than 125 Moxy locations operate around the world.

The hotel's stance near a retail portion of another newer lodge, Hyatt Place Atlanta, next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Moxy project as seen today, looking south from Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Moxy concept will join numerous hospitality ventures recently delivered or in the works near downtown’s signature park.

The Signia by Hilton project delivered almost 1,000 hotel rooms last year, marking Atlanta’s tallest new hotel in four decades. Fronting Centennial Olympic Park, the 22-story Margaritaville resort condo building by Wyndham Destinations opened in 2022 with 200 suites and two floors of retail near SkyView Atlanta. And Centennial Yards expects to finish its 229-room Anthem hotel this year, with another 230-room lodge also under construction as part of that project’s entertainment and sports district.

Meanwhile, near the northeast edge of Centennial Olympic Park, a proposed Residence Inn by Marriott would rise 14 stories. And plans came to light last year for a 260-room hotel that would include the Motto by Hilton brand at 524 West Peachtree St., where the 1920s Rosser Building was demolished several years ago.

Elsewhere in South Downtown, adaptive-reuse The Origin Hotel Atlanta, a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property, was previously scheduled to open last fall, but that’s been delayed.

Head up to the gallery for more context and a Moxy project update in photos. Below is a comparison of current plans and the taller concept initially proposed. 

Current designs for the 239 Marietta St. project. Moxy by Marriott; designs, Elevate Architecture Studio

Earlier designs for the Moxy-branded downtown hotel, with parking levels more transparent and a bolder roofline. Moxy by Marriott; designs, Elevate Architecture Studio

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Progress on the Moxy by Marriott project Sunday in the 300 block of Marietta Street downtown. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Moxy's facade over Marietta Street today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The hotel's stance near a retail portion of another newer lodge, Hyatt Place Atlanta, next door. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Moxy project as seen today, looking south from Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Previous building on the 329 Marietta St. property, with downtown's Hyatt Place shown to the left and behind. Google Maps

Current designs for the 239 Marietta St. project. Moxy by Marriott; designs, Elevate Architecture Studio

Earlier designs for the Moxy-branded downtown hotel, with parking levels more transparent and a bolder roofline. Moxy by Marriott; designs, Elevate Architecture Studio

Subtitle Well, that was quick

Neighborhood Downtown

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Photos: How range of dense housing transformed this Atlanta block Josh Green Fri, 03/14/2025 - 14:26 File this one under random urban observations—and potentially important templates for Atlanta’s growth. 

Where just a single house had stood during the pandemic (along with offices for manufacturer Stein Steel), more than 60 housing units have finished construction and come together in a unique way in Reynoldstown. 

The relatively dense housing node is a block from the Beltline’s Eastside Trail, bounded by Kirkwood Avenue and Gibson, Holtzclaw, and Mauldin streets. 

The majority of the homes (56 units) were built by Empire Communities as part of the expanding Stein Steel project, with prices ranging from the low $300,000s for one-bedroom condos to three-bedroom townhomes in the $600,000s. Duplexes and smaller contemporary cottages by a separate development team also helped fill the formerly barren block. 

Outline of Empire Communities' portion of development, where just one home had stood prior to construction in Reynoldstown. Courtesy of Empire/Google Maps

Demolition at the longstanding steel plant kicked off in early 2021, and construction on the block in question really took off soon after. Today, it’s deserving of a photo tour to help paint the picture. 

So come, take a quick walk around the block in the gallery above. 

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Looking southeast from near the Beltline, the block in question housed Stein Steel's former offices (in white) and parking but was mostly empty. Google Maps

Outline of Empire Communities' portion of development, where just one home had stood prior to construction in Reynoldstown. Courtesy of Empire/Google Maps

Today, where a nook of modern-style cottages is tucked between larger housing structures along Holtzclaw Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Cottage entries along Holtzclaw. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

At left in gray brick are Stein Steel's "stack terrace" units, which have all sold. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

In the distance is another stack terrace building coming together as part of the 6.5-acre Stein Steel infill development. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Two rows of "stack quarters" condos stand in the middle of the block as part of Stein Steel. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A row of larger Stein Steel townhomes stands over Kirkwood Avenue. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

View toward the Beltline's Eastside Trail, with new condo units coming together on the block immediately north. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Stacked condos in brick-clad buildings (the Milltown section of Stein Steel) face Gibson Street. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The same Reynoldstown corner in question in 2016. Google Maps

Wide sidewalks and three-sides-brick buildings on Gibson. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

A new street called Beardon Circle serves as an entry point to much of the new housing. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Rounding out the tour, we find this row of modern-style duplexes that kickstarted the block's redevelopment about four years ago. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Subtitle Could formerly barren Reynoldstown streets near Beltline be template for sites across city?

Neighborhood Reynoldstown

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