Atlanta Condos For Sale

Midtown Neighbors' Association Opposes Proposed Credit Union Plans

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In a letter dated January 31, 2011, the Midtown Neighbors’ Association has expressed its concerns about the proposed interior and exterior renovations to a site in Midtown Atlanta by the Delta Community Credit Union (DCCU).

Proposed Delta Community Credit Union
Proposed Delta Community Credit Union

The letter, from Tony Rizzuto, Land Use Committee Chairman, states that the current site has a single drive-through window, but DCCU wants to expand the drive through service to multiple lanes. Rizzuto further states that the Midtown SPI-16 Zoning Ordinance  specifically prohibits drive through service windows and drive-in facilities from being located east of Spring Street or along Storefront Streets.

The site is located just a block from the Midtown MARTA station and the DCCU’s SAP (Special Administrative Permit) is asking for two curb cuts on Cresent Avenue, and another on Peachtree Place to allow for the proposed vehicle traffic.

One of the great things that makes Midtown Atlanta what it is today, and will be in the future is the Midtown Blueprint. This well designed (for the most part) calls for specific types of design with an emphasis on promoting a livable, walkable and sustainable community. Such automobile-centric design proposals still show that the larger business community needs to look past the hood of the car and more to the tennis shoes on the street. Such a design is just fueling (sorry for THAT pun) Atlanta’s continued love affair with their automobiles, and less of a love of their shoes and the street.

Midtown currently ranks as the highest walkable community in the Atlanta area. Residents from both Historic Midtown as well as the numerous condominium communities enjoy the ability to walk from their homes to shopping, restaurants and markets, without the use of a car.

For those unfamiliar with the site, here is a map of the location. It will be interesting to see how this makes it through the City Hall planning process.

80 Peachtree Place

RFP Issued For GA 400 and I-85 Interchange Ramps

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RFP Issued For GA 400 and I-85 Interchange Ramps

If you’ve ever traveled South on I-85 and wanted to head North on GA 400, you know what a big deal this announcement is. If you don’t, then here is what the current commuter must do:

  • Exit at Cheshire Bridge/ Lenox Road.
  • Turn Right on Lenox Road.
  • Turn Left on Buford Highway.
  • Turn Right on Sidney Marcus Blvd
  • Turn Right to GA400 Northbound On Ramp
I-85 GA400 Interchange
I-85 GA400 Interchange

Yep. That is how you currently go from I-85 Southbound to GA400 Northbound. A real morning mess. Or mess anytime for that matter. And it’s repeated pretty much when you are coming Southbound on GA400.

I’ve read the interchange was never finished due to money. Could be true. But considering the Metro Atlanta Region’s track record when it comes to planning for transportation, I’d say they just never thought that would be a route people would use. I could be wrong.

Nonetheless, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) issued a Request For Proposal on January 14th for the build-design services on the proposed project. Of course, it will probably be several years before this project is completed? (Note: If you saw how fast the GDOT finished the I-85/GA316 Interchange in Gwinnett County, you know a project can be moved quickly when so desired….that was finished in record time!)

The State Transportation Board and the State Road and Tollway Authority voted to continue the tolls on GA400 to pay for these imporvements. The tolls were going to expire this summer when the original bonds from the early 1990’s will be paid off.

The current tolls are expected to raise $50 million. The interchange construction is estimated at about $40 million.  The remaining monies collecteed will go toward 10 other smaller projects along the 400 corridor.

For those many Midtown Commuters that head to the business centers of Buckhead or Perimeter for work, this will certainly help some local streets. But, for those that live say in Gwinnett or the Chamblee/Druid Hills areas, this will make the transition to GA400 North MUCH easier.

Of course, NO highway construction comes without controversy, and the residents of nearby Lindridge/Martin Manor have express concern about their quality of life and property values in their neighborhood as the GA400 Southbound ramp to I-85N will be right along their neighborhood.

GMAC… Payments or Not, The Foreclosure Machine that Just Won’t Stop – Mandelman Matters

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GMAC… Payments or Not, The Foreclosure Machine that Just Won’t Stop


Once upon a time…

Our story begins back in 1995 when Michael and Pamella Negrea built their 2400 square-foot, colonial style home in Eastlake, Ohio, and took out a $200,000 mortgage.  Michael’s 53 years old, a Willoughby, Ohio police officer for 25 years… Pam, a graphic designer, is 57.  They’ve never been late on, much less missed a single mortgage payment.  Nary a one… they should be quite proud.

Since that time, however, GMAC has foreclosed on Michael and Pamella Negrea’s home three times… so far.  The couple’s attorney, Stephen Futterer, also of Willoughby, says…

“It’s like a foreclosure machine.  It won’t stop.”

ABSOUTELY INCREDIBLE STORY WORTH READING!

Streetcars vs. Monorails: The fight for the future of urban transportation. – By Tom Vanderbilt – Slate Magazine

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See a Magnum Photos gallery of streetcars, trams, and trolleys.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty. Click image to expand.

There is a great, if unnamed and often overlooked, attraction in Disney World: Transportationland.

As any visitor knows, one of the most striking experiences at Disney World is navigating it. The place offers an impressively multi-modal suite of options. There’s walking, horseless carriages, steamboats, the famous monorail (said to carry more passengers than most U.S. light-rail systems), horse-drawn trolleys, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, not to mention mobility scooters and, at some parks, bikes. Then there’s the bus fleet that shuttles visitors from the parking lots to the entrance gates. (If it were a municipal fleet, a Disney engineer once told me, it would be the 21st largest in the United States.)

Read more here…..

A great read and some thoughts about the transportation of the future….I never thought about it, but really, how many people DO ride the Monorail at Disneyworld? Hmmmmm.

Thom Midtown Mojo

Buckhead's tallest building sells for $167M  

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By Rachel Tobin

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Buckhead’s tallest building, the 50-story Sovereign tower, is fetching the highest price of any property of its type in Atlanta all year.

Parkway Properties, an investment firm based in Jackson, Miss., said it has a contract to buy the office and retail portion of the building at 3344 Peachtree Road for $167.3 million. Closing is expected in January.

The Class A offices, which are 93 percent leased, include tenants such as real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle; law firms Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins Gunn & Dial and Littler Mendelson and Hodges Ward Elliott; undergarment maker SPANX; and Fifth Third Bank.

The Buckhead Club, Barclays and Bistro Niko also are in the building.

The tower, whose swooping, angular profile cuts a distinctive figure on the Buckhead skyline, also has 82 high-end condos that are not included in the sale.

Parkway Properties is an investor in the nearby One Capital City Plaza building.

Alan Wexler, of the real estate research firm DataBank Atlanta, calculated the sale amounts to about $346 per square foot, not counting the condos.

“This is the highest price we’ve recorded all year,” he said. He believes there was as much as $250 million invested in the tower, which was finished in 2008. He believes the purchase price comes close to covering what was invested.

“It’s a Class A, very well leased building in a great location. It’s a big deal,” he said.

Regents Partners developed the building, which was designed by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart.

via ajc.com

Could this be the sign that real estate is on the climb upward! Let’s hope so!

Thom

Midtown Atlanta Streets to Get Make Over

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Midtown Atlanta Streets to Get Make Over

14th and CrescentConstruction began back in August as part of the  Midtown Alliance plan to improve sidewalks, add lights, trees and parallel parking. Once that portion is completed, they will commence the 14th Street Streetscape from West Peachtree all the way to Piedmont Park.

Construction funds for the project were provided from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It was designed to enhance the pedestrian environment, improve public safety, and achieve a better balance between accommodating large volumes of vehicular traffic and creating a more livable urban environment. Over the last eight years, the Midtown Alliance Cityscapes Program has completed similar improvements along Peachtree Street, WestPeachtree Street, Piedmont Avenue and 14th Street (between Fowler and West Peachtree Streets).

Midtown Atlanta has been working to improve its walkability and mobility with projects that provide wider sidewalks, enhanced street and sidewalk lighting, new landscaping, granite curbing colored accent pavers, trash receptacles (AMEN AMEN!!!) and bike racks among other improvements.

Sadly, the announcement also mentions that a number of exiting trees will have to be removed on 14th Street due to utility conflicts and to allow for changes in the street function. This means some pretty big trees will probably be giving their lives up for progress. Bummer. However, some 70 new Elm trees will be installed every 30 feet on either side of the street the entire length of the project. They will be keeping Midtown Atlanta green, but it might be a few years before the trees look anything like they currently do on 14th Street, depending on which ones come down…

Construction will be intense, so if you are in this area of Midtown Atlanta, please watch out. Of course we’ll be watching this program very closely and will capture some more pictures as things progress.

Here’s a quick look at what Crescent Avenue currently looks like….I’ll get some before pictures of 14th Street so we can all see the changes!

Thom Abbott

Associate Broker, REALTOR(R)
905 Juniper Street, NE Suite 110
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
770.713.1505 Direct
404.876.4901 Office

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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