March DRC Recap: Consortium Pitches Micro-Housing Project; Greystar Presents Plans for 34-Story Tower
Published: 03/11/2020
Two new residential projects were presented to the Midtown Development Review Committee on March 10. While the projects are vastly different in terms of scale and materials, both are being constructed on small sites (roughly 0.6 acres) and include micro units within their overall programs — a concept that has not been seen yet in the Midtown market and could help address issues around affordability.
Crescent Avenue and 13th Street
First on the agenda was a new parking structure proposed by the development team at Tenth Street Ventures near the NW corner of 13th Street and Crescent Avenue. What sets the project apart are 40 residential/hotel units distributed in a colorful grid across the 13th Street façade. The units are only 160 square feet each and intended to provide a unique option in the short-term rental market. The six-story parking structure provides spaces for 111 cars and includes a street level lobby/office space and a rooftop amenity deck that could be leased for events. Vehicular access to the garage is provided on 13th Street, along with pedestrian access to the street level lobby.
Overall the DRC was supportive of this novel concept, which would provide much needed public parking in an area of the district known for restaurants and nightlife. The committee’s questions and feedback focused on site design and operational issues related to service and accessibility. Additional information was requested about the screening of the trash compactor, which will serve the new parking structure and micro units as well as all three existing buildings on the 0.68 acre site. The buildings facing Crescent Avenue, including Veranda, South City Kitchen and the 14 apartment units above it, are not part of the SAP application.
Next step: Applicants are to follow up with information electronically for review.
1382 Peachtree Street
The second project was a new 34-story residential tower located at 1382 Peachtree Street. Formerly the site of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, the site is only 0.62 acres on the southwest corner of Peachtree and 17th Streets. The program includes 284 multi-family units (up to 50 of which would be micro units of approximately 410 square feet each), just over 6,000 square feet of sidewalk level commercial space fronting on Peachtree Street, and 319 parking spaces. The residential lobby entrance is located on 17th Street along with all vehicular access and loading.
The property includes a driveway/alley at the rear of the site, which also provides vehicular access to the property to the south (Midtown Plaza). The proposed vehicular access for the new tower will expand and utilize the existing alley. The façade of the tower is distinctive in its use of a metal panel system that incorporates a green finish and a screening system for the podium parking deck that introduces a copper tone into the material palette. The parking podium is eight levels, with a solid masonry wall on the south façade of the building and a screened elevation on the north façade of the building.
Early concepts show a mural treatment on the south façade and the committee asked for additional information on how that mass could be further articulated to reduce its scale relative to the tower. The committee also suggested that the vertical elements of the tower could be extended through the parking deck screening to carry that expression all the way to the base of the building on the north façade. Additional feedback focused on access and storage of bikes as well as access and short-term parking for rideshare services and deliveries.
Next steps: Applicants are to follow up with information electronically for review.
