Proposed Residential Tower Over 10th Street Fire Station Would Include Affordable Housing
08/13/2025
The Midtown Development Review Committee (DRC) reviewed one case at their August 12 meeting. The Fire Station #15 site along 10th St. will be rebuilt as part of a residential high-rise. Details are provided below:
170 10th Street NE – Fire Station #15
The applicant team presented a new 21-story mixed-use tower along the north side of 10th St. between Peachtree St. and Juniper St. It features a new 19,448 SF fire station at the base levels with a 224-space podium deck and 231 units (with about one-third of units designated as affordable). Fire station garage doors, residential leasing, lobby, and bike rooms are all located at street-level facing 10th St. An easement connected to 11th St. provides rear access to the fire station, loading, trash services, and all parking. The DRC commended the team for providing affordable housing on the narrow site and offered comments focused on the 10th St. frontage, public safety, short-term parking, and façade treatments.
DRC Recommendations:
- Reconfigure the accessory residential uses (including leasing, lobby, and bike room) facing 10th St. Doing so would allow the continuity of vibrant public life and safety along 10th St. In conjunction, considerably increase the size of bike storage facility to be in-line with demand found at the other recent projects in Midtown.
- Simplify the façade treatment of the Fire Station with a recommended brick punched opening design for the first three levels. With the funds saved here, provide greater screening of the parking deck to minimize any light spillage to the west and north facing adjacent residential uses. Other recommendations included providing recessed, directional, and shielded interior lights and provided exterior lighting to ‘splash’ on the podium façade. Also, within the approximate 9’ wide side yard setbacks provide evergreen trees to mitigate light and sound.
- In addition to the managed single loading space, offer short-term pick-up/drop-off spaces onsite with a delineated pathway to the lobby and mailroom. Consider the spaces along the easement connecting to 11th St. or coordinating this with an adjacent property. Include signage to prohibit pick-up and drop-off along 10th St. and direct vehicles to these short-term pick-up/drop off spaces elsewhere. This is necessary due to the time critical nature of the fire station and the planned extension of the 10th St. cycle track.
- Incorporate refinement and details on the streetscaping elements along 10th St. including streetlights and street trees consistent with the Midtown Streetscape Plan.
Next Steps:
The committee expects to receive updated plans at the applicant’s earliest convenience and reserves the right to review these plans at next month’s DRC meeting to confirm adequately addressing these recommendations and applicable code.