Atlantic Station
Encyclopedia
- This article describes a recently developed mixed-use neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. For the Atlantic Avenue subway stations in New York City, see the list of New York City Subway stations. For the light-rail station in Newark, New Jersey, see Atlantic Street (NLR station)Atlantic Street (NLR station)Atlantic Street Station is a light rail station in Newark, New Jersey on the Newark Light Rail. Service on this line opened on July 17, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. EDT....
.
Atlantic Station is a large brownfield redevelopment project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
at the northwestern edge of Midtown Atlanta
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
, Georgia. Atlantic Station is being master developed by AIG Global Real Estate and local development partner Jacoby Development, Inc. First planned in the mid-1990s and officially opened in 2005, its 138 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (558,000 m²) of mixed-use land development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
is on the former brownfield site of the Atlantic Steel
Atlantic Steel
The Atlantic Steel Company was a steel company in Atlanta, Georgia with a large steel mill on the site of today's Atlantic Station multi-use complex....
mill, which after years of industrial use and contamination was remediated by its two developers along with AIG Environmental, Inc. At completion, the redevelopment is ultimately projected to include 15000000 square feet (1,393,545.6 m²) of retail, office, residential and hotel space as well as 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) of public parks. Its size encouraged the Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
to award the neighborhood its own ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
: 30363.
Atlantic Station received the EPA's 2004 Phoenix Award as the Best National Brownfield Redevelopment, as well as, the Sierra Club's 2005 America's Best New Development Projects listing.
History
Redevelopment
First opened in 1901, the Atlantic Steel mill originally stood in the place of what is now Atlantic Station. The steel mill was nearly closed in the mid-1970s, but it remained nominally operational primarily to avoid the huge costs it would have required to remediate the soil contaminationSoil contamination
Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment....
present after years of operation.
Developer Jim Jacoby
Jim Jacoby
James F. "Jim" Jacoby is founder, chairman and CEO of Jacoby Development, a land development company in Atlanta, Georgia.Jacoby was born in Miami, Florida in 1943. He served in the Naval Security Group, a U.S. Navy intelligence unit, from 1961 to 1969...
, who also redeveloped Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's Marineland
Marineland of Florida
-External links:**...
, began putting the project together in 1997 when his company became the property contractor of the land. The redevelopment of the land into what is now Atlantic Station was financed largely by private investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
, but was heavily supplemented by a special tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
to pay for city tax bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
for public utilities (street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
s, sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
s, and sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
s).
Atlantic Station was designed with energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
in mind and many of the buildings are LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
certified. Additionally, the project was developed to help mitigate urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
and reduce air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
by allowing many more people to live and work within walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
distance of most everyday things they need, with many alternative transportation options nearby. The proposed Belt Line transit/greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
project is expected to pass within a few miles or kilometers of the development.
In October 2003, the very first residents moved into the development. The 17th Street bridge was completed in January 2004 and the first round of retail establishments opened in October 2005.
Fire
In July 2005, a pre-dawnDawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
on July 24 completely destroyed a large wood-frame residential building under construction. Two days later, it was ruled arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
after a major investigation. In addition to the destruction of the 65-unit Element building, which was only framed-in at the time, another 80 inhabited units at the Art Foundry across Mecaslin Street had damage to the facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, including scorch
Scorch
Scorch may refer to:*Scorch, a Beanie Baby toy: a dragon with iridescent wings and lavender fur*Scorch, the boss of the Evening Lake world in the video game Spyro: Year of the Dragon...
ing, broken window
Window
A window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
s, and melted miniblinds. At least five million dollars of damage was done to the buildings, 18 cars parked on the street were destroyed and another 7 were seriously damaged from the intense heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
. A reward
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
of $10,000 is being offered by the state, plus another $50,000 from the Lane Company, which was constructing the building. Insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
by Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
and Chubb Group will cover the company's damages.
Layout
Downtown Connector
In Atlanta, Georgia, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, the Downtown Connector runs generally due north, meeting the east-west Interstate 20 in the middle....
and Northside Drive. They are known (from east to west) as The District, The Commons, and The Village.
Retail and residential
The District is where most of Atlantic Station's retail and office space is located. Opened on October 21, 2005, it is set up in the style of an outdoor mall, with many choices of shopping, dining, and a 16-screen RegalRegal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group also known as REG is a movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regal operates the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuit in the United States, consisting of 6,775 screens in 548 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of...
movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
. The stores include the Southeastern flagship store of Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
, and stores such as H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, Guess, Z Gallerie, Banana Republic
Banana Republic
Banana Republic is an American clothing brand founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978 as a travel-themed clothing company; it has subsequently largely eliminated this tropical or travel-related theme. The company was bought by Gap in 1983...
, and Gap. Above the retail levels is an additional two to three stories of condominiums known as ATLofts. The District is actually above two stories of one of the country's largest parking decks. With the 7,300 space parking garage underneath, the shopping area is pedestrian-friendly and many of the surface level streets are often closed off for special events. The southwest corner of The District is home to the 26-story, 336 feet (102.4 m) TWELVE Hotel and Residences Atlantic Station, which was completed by RJ Griffin & Co. in December 2005. In addition, townhomes constructed by Beazer Homes in 2004 line 16th Street one block south of The District.
Office
The District's office space is located along the six-lane 17th Street Corridor and is currently home to the 22-story tall 171 17th Street171 17th Street
171 17th Street is a skyscraper located in the Midtown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, within the Atlantic Station mixed-use development. It has 22 stories of office space and was completed in 2004, when it was called the Southtrust Tower...
, known as the Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
Building (previously SouthTrust
SouthTrust
SouthTrust Corporation was a banking company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2004, SouthTrust reached an agreement to merge with Wachovia in a stock-for-stock deal. At the time of the merger with Wachovia was completed, SouthTrust had $53 Billion in assets. SouthTrust was listed on the...
, then Wachovia
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...
), which was completed in 2004, and to the 17-story 201 17th Street, which was completed in July, 2007. Developed by AIG Global Real Estate, 171 17th Street was awarded the silver certificate in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Core and Shell Development program. 171 17th Street became the first-ever LEED Silver-Core and Shell certified high-rise office building, and the first high-rise office building in Georgia to receive any LEED certification.
Additionally, the 25-story BB&T
BB&T
BB&T Corporation is an American bank with assets of $157 billion , offering full-service commercial and retail banking services along with other financial services like insurance, investments, retail brokerage, mortgage, corporate finance, consumer finance, payment services, international...
Tower at 271 17th Street was completed in early 2009, becoming Atlantic Station's tallest office tower. 271 was built by Brasfield & Gorrie.
The Commons
The Commons is home to many low-rise condominiumCondominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s, apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s, townhomes, and a large man-made stormwater retention pond that is located within the median of 17th Street.
Millennium Gate
Adjacent to the Commons pond is the Millennium GateMillennium Gate
The Millennium Gate is a triumphal arch and Georgia history museum located in Atlanta, on 17th Street in the Atlantic Station district of Midtown. Based on the Arch of Titus, the monument celebrates peaceful accomplishment, with special attention paid to Georgia's history and people...
, an $18 million arch intended to celebrate peaceful accomplishment, with special attention paid to Georgia's rich history and people. The Millennium Gate opened July 4, 2008. As of 2008, it is the largest classical monument to have been dedicated since completion of the Jefferson Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third President of the United States....
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Hugh Petter of ADAM Architecture was commissioned by the National Monuments Foundation
National Monuments Foundation
The National Monuments Foundation The National Monuments Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to building monuments for the ages which will enrich the communities in which they are built. The foundation has planned and created some of the most beautiful and successful...
to work alongside National Monuments director, Rodney Cook Jr., to develop the initial concepts into the final architectural design. The design is embellished with a sculptural allegory by Alexander Stoddart
Alexander Stoddart
Alexander Stoddart is a Scottish sculptor, who, since 2008, has been Her Majesty's Sculptor in Ordinary in Scotland. He works primarily on figurative sculpture in clay within the neoclassical tradition...
, telling the story of peaceful accomplishment over the last 2000 years.
It houses 12000 sq ft (1,114.8 m²) of gallery space, featuring traditional and modern exhibits. Collections of artifacts and family histories contribute to exhibits showcasing the pioneering and philanthropic spirit behind the development of Atlanta. Other exhibits include a recreation of the 1928 Rhodes-Robinson House foyer located on West Paces Ferry Road and a recreation of Thomas K. Glenn's office. Mr. Glenn, the late chairman of Trust Company bank, in the 1930s ran Atlantic Steel, previous owner of the land that is now Atlantic Station. Glenn's family is among the project's supporters.
The Millennium Gate has been greeted with puzzlement regarding its purpose, and it has been criticized for its lack of historic significance and for being a plain imitation of similar designs in Rome, Paris and Munich rather than independent art. Because of its proximity to the IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
furniture store, some observers have given it the nickname "Arc d’Ikea."
The Gate's exhibits are open to the public. The rooftop penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
, Foyer gallery, and Oval Lawn are available for weddings, conferences, and other events by booking only. The Millennium Gate also serves as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, but is only open to the public by appointment.
The Village
The Village is located on the westernmost portion of Atlantic Station running along 16th Street, and comprises an IKEAIKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
store that opened on June 29, 2005 and two apartment complexes: The Flats and AMLI-Atlantic Square.
Transportation
Georgia Department of Transportation
The Georgia Department of Transportation is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in developing public transportation and general aviation programs...
erected the yellow 17th Street bridge over the I-75/85 Downtown Connector
Downtown Connector
In Atlanta, Georgia, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, the Downtown Connector runs generally due north, meeting the east-west Interstate 20 in the middle....
expressway that separated Atlantic Station and the Home Park
Home Park (Atlanta)
Home Park is a neighborhood of Atlanta, north of Georgia Tech roughly between 10th Street, Northside Drive , 16th Street, and I-75/85 in Atlanta, Georgia...
residential neighborhood from the rest of Midtown.
Controversy developed at the time of construction not only because of the bridge's unusual yellow color, but also for GDOT's insistence that the bridge and street meet suburban highway standards. Indeed, the bridge is eight lanes wide, and the enormous right-of-way afforded to 17th Street east of the bridge lacks street parking and utilizes an unusual arrangement of placing street trees and lamps at the edge of the adjacent buildings' property lines instead of against the street. Motorcycles are not allowed. The section of the Street west of the bridge consists of four through-lanes of traffic, in addition to a bus lane
Bus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
, bike lane, and turning lanes in each direction, also lacking street parking.
Access to public transportation is provided via a free shuttle that runs every 5 – 15 minutes to the Arts Center
Woodruff Arts Center
Woodruff Arts Center is a major visual and performing arts center located in Atlanta. The center houses four arts divisions in one campus and not-for-profit organization...
MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
rail station and MARTA bus route (110 Peachtree St./"The Peach"
) which also serves the Arts Center Station. A railroad line runs along the northern border, but passenger service on the Crescent (Amtrak)
Crescent (Amtrak)
The Crescent is a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the eastern part of the United States. It runs daily from Pennsylvania Station in New York City to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, Louisiana as train 19 and returns, on the same route, as train 20. Most of the route of...
is available only at the Peachtree Station in Brookwood, one walking mile away. In April, 2011, the city of Atlanta submitted a grant application seeking $22.5 million to relocate that station to the Atlantic Station community. Shuttle service is also provided by Lanier Parking Solutions, for Georgia Tech students in the student apartments, The Flats.
Despite the pedestrian-friendly arrangement of much of the eastern section of the project, parking is inexpensive and easily available in underground parking decks; indeed most visitors arrive by car.
ASAP+ (Atlantic Station Access + mobility Program) provides information to commuters and incentives for Atlantic Station employees who take alternative transportation (such as carpooling, vanpooling, transit, teleworking, biking or walking) to get to work. ASAP+ is home to America’s first Commuter Café, where Atlantic Station commuters can receive free internet access, commuting information and coffee. The Commuter Cafe is located upstairs in the shopping district near Publix.
