Northside Drive Corridor Study Final Report – DRAFT B The City of Atlanta July 2005 Northside Drive Corridor Study – Final Report The City of Atlanta Shirley Franklin Mayor James Shelby Acting Commissioner, Department of Planning and Community Development Beverley Dockeray-Ojo Director, Bureau of Planning Lisa Borders, City Council President Carla Smith, District 1 Anne Fauver, District 6 Jim Maddox, District 11 Debi Starnes, District 2 Howard Shook, District 7 Joyce Sheperd, District 12 Ivory Lee Young, District 3 Clair Muller, District 8 Ceasar Mitchell, Post 1 at large Cleta Winslow, District 4 Felicia Moore, District 9 Mary Norwood, Post 2 at large Natalyn Archibong, District 5 C. T. Martin, District 10 H. Lamar Willis, Post 3 at large PREPARED BY Adam Baker, Atlantic Station, Laura Lawson, Northyard Corporation 1000 LLC Business Development Abernathy Road, Suite Tracy Bates, English Avenue Brian Leary, Atlantic Station 900, Atlanta, Georgia Community Development 30328 Tacuma Brown, NPU-T Scott Levitan, Georgia Institute of Technology Carrie Burnes, Castleberry Hill Bill Miller, Georgia World In Association With: Sule Carpenter, NPU-K PEQ, Urban Collage, Congress Center Richard Cheatham, NPU-E Key Advisors, Jordan, David Patton, NPU-M Jones, and Goulding Ned Drulard, Turner Properties Tony Pickett, Atlanta Housing Authority Robert Flanigan Jr., Spelman College CORE TEAM Jerome Russell, HJ Russell & Robert Furniss, Georgia Company Institute of Technology Alen Akin, Loring Heights D'Sousa Sheppard, Morris Harry Graham, Georgia Dept of Brown College Byron Amos, Vine City Civic Transportation Association Donna Thompson, Business Shaun Green, Home Park Owner Suzanne Bair, Marietta St. Community Improvement Assoc. Artery Association Amy Thompson, Loring Heights Meryl Hammer, NPU-C Community Pete Hayley, UCDC David Williamson, Georgia Institute of Technology Makeda Johnson, NPU-L Angela Yarbrough, Mt. Vernon Bob Jones, Bethursday Church Development Corportation Mark Zimmerman, Georgia Mike Koblentz, Northwest World Congress Center Coalition Association DRAFT B, July 2005 About This Report and Other Products of the Study This document is the final report of the Northside Drive Corridor Study and contains a full description of each phase of the Study. The organization of the report matches the chronological execution of the study process: the first section describes the existing conditions, issues and opportunities of the corridor and study area, the second section describes the study methodology, the third describes the study recommendations, and the final section gives details of the recommended action plan. The Appendix contains detailed information which may be useful as a reference, but would not ordinarily be read as primary material of the study. In addition to this report, several other documents are available: Northside Drive Plan Overview – This is a 4-page color brochure that gives a general overview of the Plan and its recommendations. It is appropriate for a general audience as an introductory overview of the Plan and its recommendations. Northside Drive Corridor Study Recommended Projects – This is a concise listing of recommended projects taken from the Implementation section of the full report. Obtaining these Products All study documents and other materials are available on the Internet from the Bureau of Planning web site: http://www.AtlantaGA.gov/government/planning/burofplanning.aspx Look for the link to Northside Drive Corridor Study. In addition, library copies are available at the Bureau of Planning, City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 3350, Atlanta, GA 30303. These copies can be reviewed at the Bureau of Planning and individual pages may be copied in black and white for a slight fee. A small number of for-sale copies of the plan will be produced and made available through the Bureau of Planning after the plan has been approved by the Atlanta City Council and Mayor. These copies include all color maps. For More Information For additional information on this study, contact the Bureau of Planning, City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 3350, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 330-6145. Northside Drive Corridor Study Final Report, Draft B page i Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 STUDY PURPOSE .............................................................................................................................1-2 1.2 STUDY AREA ...................................................................................................................................1-2 1.2.1 Study Area Zones..........................................................................................................................1-2 1.3 STUDY PROCESS .............................................................................................................................1-4 2.0 ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES...................................................................................................2-1 2.1 REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT TRENDS...............................................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Overview Of Current Development Conditions..............................................................................2-1 2.1.2 Findings.........................................................................................................................................2-2 2.1.3 Demographics ...............................................................................................................................2-3 2.1.4 Residential Sector .........................................................................................................................2-6 2.1.5 Office Sector..................................................................................................................................2-9 2.1.6 Retail Sector................................................................................................................................2-10 2.1.7 ARC Growth Projections..............................................................................................................2-12 2.1.8 Summary Observations ...............................................................................................................2-14 2.2 LAND USE, ZONING, AND URBAN DESIGN ASSESSMENT.....................................................2-16 2.2.1 Land Use Assessment.................................................................................................................2-16 2.2.2 Zoning .........................................................................................................................................2-24 2.2.3 Urban Design Assessment ..........................................................................................................2-30 2.2.4 Potential Development Opportunities ..........................................................................................2-36 2.2.5 Existing City Of Atlanta 15-Year Land Use Plan..........................................................................2-42 2.2.6 Observations ...............................................................................................................................2-48 2.3 TRANSPORTATION..........................................................................................................................2-48 2.3.1 Roadway Characteristics.............................................................................................................2-48 2.3.2 Transit Services...........................................................................................................................2-50 2.3.3 Freight and Passenger Rail .........................................................................................................2-53 2.3.4 Traffic Conditions.........................................................................................................................2-54 2.3.5 Congestion Management System (CMS) ....................................................................................2-61 2.3.6 Safety and Accident Assessment ................................................................................................2-61 2.3.7 Planned Improvements................................................................................................................2-62 2.3.8 Observations ...............................................................................................................................2-64 2.4 PREVIOUS PLANS AND STUDIES.......................................................................................................2-66 2.4.1 Blueprint for the Greater Atlanta University Center Community...................................................2-66 2.4.2 Terminus (2004) ..........................................................................................................................2-66 2.4.3 Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan (2000)..................................................................................2-67 2.4.4 English Avenue Redevelopment Plan (1998) ..............................................................................2-67 2.4.5 Central Atlanta Action Plan (1999) ..............................................................................................2-67 2.4.6 Castleberry Hill Neighborhood Master Plan (2000)......................................................................2-68