Vine City MARTA Station Area
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FY 2008 Livable Centers Initiative Study Application Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Including the Ashby MARTA Station, and areas serving the Georgia Dome, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Atlanta University Centre and Washington Park. Sponsor: City of Atlanta Contact: Flor Velarde, City of Atlanta, Department of Planning & Community Development 404-330-673 1 Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Application City of Atlanta 1. LC1 Application Form Date: November 16,2007 ' Name of responsible organization: City of Atlanta, Department of Planning & Corgmunity Development Name of contact person: Flor Velarde Title: Assistant Director Department: Bureau of Planning . 55 Trinity Avenue, S.W. Suite 3 350 Atlanta, GA 30303-03 1Q Telephone: FAX: E-mail: Non-profit designation: Government Agency . Study area name and location: Vine City MARTA Station Afea LC1 Study, Atlanta GA . a. Total study budget: Funds requestedi ' Cash Match: Is the study proposal consistent with the adopted local Comprehensive Plan? Yes * Signature: Flor Velarde, Assistant Directar Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Application City of Atlanta 2. Study Area The City of Atlanta's proposal for a Vine City MARXA.#&ticm :~&iz~e~mtehhithive Study area eisompasses a9 sea af appximatdy 1/3 mile diameter around the Vine City MARTA transit station, dong witb an additi.4 mniM extending eastward, which meetthe Vine,City MARTA station mato the Ashby ~~ARTAsfation area. The study location is shown in Figun I. aad mC shdy we& 2io'un"wis shown in Figure 2. I 1x17 I wlm-dq~art attach&. .' The dimemions of the study area are: Length: 1.2 Miles, Washington (OIlie Di.) to Northside Drive Width: Betweea 0.3 rniIe'&dii,$ &lq la&sely defined as the area ck&d.w,Martin Luther Kmg Jr, Bould corridor on the South, aard extending between one to elght blocks to the n& Area: 239 Acres, or The Study area includes: \ Vine City MARTA Transit Station; Ashby MARTA Transit Station; Moms Brown College Campus; Two regionally significant commercial corridors: o Northside Drive; o Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive; A large number of vacant, underutilized properties adjacent to the Ashby MARTA transit station; A developing commercial node adjacent to &e Ashby MARTA station. The Sbdy Area is adjacent to: East: Georgia Dane, ~eArgia~ozd conbe& Center, centennial Park, and the Proposed City Center LC1 area; South: Atlanta University Center, Atlanta Theological Seminary; West: Washington Park, AtIanta BeltLine; North: JSA-McGill LC1 Area, Vine City Neighborhood, English Avenue Neighborhood. Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Application City of Atlanta Figure 1: Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Study Area Locator Map Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Application City of Atlanta 3. Matching Funds The following legislation was passed by the Atlanta City Council, Community Development/Human Resources Committee onL 13,2007 and will be submitted to full Council on November 20, 2007: I1 A RESOLUTION BY COUNCILMEMBER IVORY YOUNG A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO APPLY FOR A LIVABLE CENTERS INITIATIVE (LCI) GRANT FROM THE ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSION (ARC) IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($120,000), IN ORDER TO CONDUCT AN LC1 STUDY FOR THE VINE CITY MARTA STATION ACTIVITY NODE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, the City of Atlanta participates in the Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) program sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC; and WHEREAS, the purpose of the LC1 program is to define activity centers and corridors in local jurisdictions to help spur private and public investment in and adjacent to this centeq ,sad , I WHEREAS, the City has received notification from the ARC that funds are available for new LC1 comdor studies; and e- , WHEREAS, the City desires to apply for a grant from the ARC ,in the amount of One Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($120,00) in order to conduct a LC1 stydy for the Vbe City MARTA Station Activity Center; and WHEREAS, in the event that the City r&eives said bt,the kRC requires matching hdsin the amount of Twenty Four Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($24,000); and WHEREAS, the Councilmember for District 3 has identified matching funds for this study.Ji and will be provided fiom the Quality of Life Bond Program NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, as follows: Section 1. That the Mayor is hereby authorized to apply for a Livable Centers Initiative (LC1 ) grant &om the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) in an amount not to exceed $120,000 for the Vine City MARTA Station activity node study. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the LC1 will require matching bdsin the amount of Twenty Four Thousand Dollars and No Cents (24,000), Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Application City of Atlanta - 4. Issue Statement +-! ' The City of Atlanta is nominating the Vine City MARTA Station Area as a proposed Livable Centers Initiative Area because of the area's potential for transit-supportive redevelopment adjacent to the City Center, combined with its strategic location connecting multiple significant regional activity centers. The study area, while focused on the Vine City MARTA station, area will also include the Ashby MARTA station and portions of the Northside Drive and Martin Luther King JR Drive corridors to maximize linkages and relationships between multiple existing activity centers, neighborhoods, and parks while maximizing the potential for sustainable redevelopment of underutilized areas adjacent to existing transportation infrastructure. I * 1 z. :t The Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 proposal is presents an ideal combination of assets, opportunities and conditions to support the LC1 program goals:: The Vine City and Ashby MARTA Transit Statidrfs are two of the few remaining MARTA rail stations in the Atlanta Metropolitan region without a recent redevelopment emphasizing sustainable mixed-use redevelopment adjacent to an existing high-capacity rail transit station. The neighborhood surrounding the Vine City MARTA Transit Station is characterized by high rates of vacant properties and buildings, and relatively low population densities. Vine City and Ashby MARTA Transit Stations have extremely low rates of ridership, (respectively ranking 31S' and 36" out of 38 Marta stations in terms of average station entries) despite the stations' central location immediately west of Five Points, the center of the MARTA system. This is especially significant in light the area's adjacency to major activity generators. The area's existing transportation idfastructure is extensive and is likely suitable to support increased development. With two existing MARTA Rail Stations, two state-classified arterials (Northside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr Drive) and convenient access to three Interstate Freeways ( Intertates 20, 75, and 85) within one mile. The Vine City MARTA Station Area is adjacent to the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center, which, with Centennial Olympic Park, comprise one of the largest convention, sports, and entertainment complexes in the world, hosting more than a million visitors each year. This is great opportunity not only to improve the Vine City Neighborhood, but also actively foster and develop a positive image of the City of Atlanta to over one million international visitors. The Vine City MARTA Station Area encompasses the proposed alignment the multi-use West Side Trail which forms a vital spoke of the City's greenspace and trail plan, linking the City Center and other downtown activity nodes to the proposed BeltLine Transit and recreational system at Washington park. The Vine City MARTA Station Area is immediately adjacent to the Atlanta University Center, the world's largest consortium of predominantly African-American higher education institutions. Redevelopment in the Vine City MARTA Station Area would provide access to Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Application City of Atlanta transit, housing, shopping, and services to the over 12,000 students, faculty and staff of the Atlanta University Center. The Vine City MARTA station is adjacent to the Herndon Home, one of the City's most significant cultural, historical and architectural resources, which is currently underutilized. The proposed study area includes Morris Brown College campus, which is currently evaluating opportunities to redevelop significant portions of its campus. The Study Area encompasses two regionally significant commercial corridors which have been identified as the targets of mixed-use redevelopment in recent plans. LC1 designation will facilitate implementation of those recommendations. The Vine City MARTA Station Area is likely to experience increased development pressure over the next decade, as several recently completed major development projects, such as those along the Marietta Street Corridor and Ivan Allen Plaza indicate. High density development has been moving west and south from Atlanta's core in recent years. Recent proposals for redevelopment in Castleberry Hill, Peachtree Bottoms Atlanta's "Railroad District" and the "Gulch" (the site of the proposed Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal) suggest that Vine City itself will soon begin to feel redevelopment pressures. Now is the optimum time to create a plan to proactively address these pressures to ensure that development is consistent with regional goals. Study Purpose The Vine City MARTA Station Area LC1 Study will formulate strategies to develop this activity node to create an urban scale, mixed-use node that exemplifies pedestrian-friendly design, provides multi- modal transportation choices and a creates an efficient regional east-west connection linking the City Center to activity centers such as the BeltLine, Washington Park, the recently redeveloped Historic WestSide Village, and the Atlanta University Center. The strategies would assist surrounding neighborhoods and employment centers with streetscape improvements and increased connectivity, while leveraging the area's relationship with the Georgia Dome 1 GWCC sports, convention & entertainment complex to create an integrated, sustainable, and vibrant 24 hour community. Desired Outcomes There are several primary outcomes that are expected of this study: , I,.