Atlanta News

High-rise development site in prime downtown location hits market Josh Green Mon, 01/06/2025 - 13:47 A strategically located property that could help continue downtown Atlanta’s development boom leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has hit the open market.

The 314 Luckie St. property, recently listed with commercial real estate firm Bull Realty, totals about .84 acres between two main downtown arteries.

It’s marketed as a “high-rise development site” with a “prime” location, in that Georgia Aquarium is across the street, and major downtown draws such as Centennial Olympic Park, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, and other attractions are minutes away by foot.

Next door to the south is the Hyatt Place Atlanta Centennial Park Hotel, which opened in 2019, and the under-construction, 183-room Moxy by Marriott hotel project.

Bull Realty

The corner site's Luckie Street frontage (and former lounge building) today. Google Maps

Bull Realty brokers have listed the property for $12.5 million and say its SPI-1 SA5 zoning calls for dense development. That could be a hotel, multifamily, or mixed-uses including retail.

One potential plan, as drawn up by Goode Van Slyke Architecture, calls for roughly 200 apartments across 18 stories. Other components would be 10,500 square feet of retail and 240 parking spaces.

Attributes of the site—positioned along Luckie, Marietta, and Simpson streets—include three street frontages, a “Very Walkable” Walk Score of 86, and “Excellent” Transit Score of 75.

The site is used as public parking today. One section was formerly home to Encore Hookah Lounge, an establishment forced to close by the city in 2022 following a security guard’s fatal shooting and what authorities said was 171 calls to police in previous years.

Potential multifamily scheme for the site as seen from Marietta Street. Any development plans would require zoning and permit approval. Goode Van Slyke Architecture/Bull Realty

Overview of the .8-acre site from above Marietta Street, looking north toward Midtown.Bull Realty

As a parking lot today, the site generates $750,000 annually after expenses. According to Bull Realty, the parking use “can be continued to hold for future development.” Or—as ATL urbanists would contend—not.

Head up to the gallery for more 314 Luckie St. context.

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• Downtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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314 Luckie Street NW Downtown Development Bull Realty Georgia Aquarium Moxy by Marriott Downtown Atlanta Moxy Land for Sale Parking Lots Centennial Olympic Park Bureau of Big Ideas Goode Van Slyke Goode Van Slyke Architecture

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Overview of the .8-acre site from above Marietta Street, looking north toward Midtown.Bull Realty

The corner site's Luckie Street frontage (and former lounge building) today. Google Maps

Potential multifamily scheme for the site as seen from Marietta Street. Any development plans would require zoning and permit approval. Goode Van Slyke Architecture/Bull Realty

Bull Realty

Bull Realty

Bull Realty

Bull Realty

Bull Realty

Goode Van Slyke Architecture/Bull Realty

Subtitle Property currently used as public parking overlooks Georgia Aquarium

Neighborhood Downtown

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From the Saporta Report:

On Jan. 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it is moving forward with a plan to expand the acquisition boundary of one of Georgia’s most precious natural resources — the Okefenokee swamp. The expanded acquisition boundary authorizes the FWS to purchase or conserve additional land around the Okefenokee. However, the decision remains […]

The post U.S. Fish and Wildlife announces plans to expand Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by 22,000 acres appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

For many of us, movies are such an important part of our lives that they may shape the way we think, communicate, and remember eras past. However, less familiar is […]

From WABE Politics News:

The new Georgia travel guide gives Georgia residents and potential travelers an opportunity to explore what the state has to offer throughout 2025. The Georgia Department of Economic Development released […]

From WABE Politics News:

Jimmy Carter and the man he beat for president, Gerald Ford, got so tight after office that their friendship became a kind of buddy movie, complete with road trips that were […]

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

On the “City Lights” series “Speaking of Comedy,” Atlanta’s funniest locals share insights on the perks and perils of their profession. This edition features Atlanta-based comedian Pauline Johnson. Johnson comes […]

From the New York Times:

Donald Trump may not face a penalty for his conviction in the hush-money case, but he could still be the first felon to be president — and civil proceedings against him continue.

From the Saporta Report:

To see fuller versions of the photos, click on any image and swipe right or left.

The post James Earl “Jimmy” Carter – Rest in Peace appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Politics News:

Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to make a state visit to sub-Saharan Africa. He once called helping with Zimbabwe’s transition from white rule to independence “our greatest single […]

Arts Atlanta:

Every week, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better. Mykal June is a writer, producer and musician. She has spent over a decade in public radio at WABE and, most recently, is making podcasts for iHeartRadio. She is...

From the Atlanta Daily World:

If Sunday’s game is a glimpse of what’s to come, Michael Penix Jr. and Bryce Young will be battling for years in the NFC South. Both quarterbacks proved that they can make big plays when it counts.  A rookie with only his third career start, Penix was seeking to lead the Atlanta Falcons to their … Continued

The post Michael Penix Shows Promise, But Falcons’ Defense ‘Disappoints’ In Season Finale Against Panthers appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

At MARTA's doorstep, affordable housing build in construction homestretch Josh Green Mon, 01/06/2025 - 08:12 A year after construction began in earnest, a Decatur affordable housing venture has topped out and entered the homestretch of building phases in an area that’s seen a surge of development steps from a transit station.

The four-story building, Decatur East Phase II, continues the push across Atlanta and inner suburbs to create Transit Oriented Development housing nodes next to MARTA transit hubs.

The project, a partnership between Columbia Residential and Decatur Housing Authority, is slated to deliver 80 more units of affordable senior housing with direct access to MARTA transit at Avondale station.

The station is situated on the eastern fringes of Decatur, along MARTA’s Blue Line.

The Freeman Street facade today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The scope of MARTA's TOD development to date and how it connects to Avondale station. Decatur East Phase II is at top. Google Maps

Expect one and two-bedroom units with amenities designed for seniors who have a range of incomes below 80 percent of the area median income, according to project officials.

Next door, 92 units of similar housing were opened in the project’s initial phase in 2018, alongside hundreds of other apartments.

According to general contractor J.M Wilkerson Construction, the new building’s amenities will include a courtyard elevated off the street, a fitness room, a business and leasing center, and other community rooms.

MARTA sold the two parcels totaling 1.45 acres next to the rail station to Columbia Residential four years ago, citing the firm’s track record of delivering affordable senior units.

The second phase of senior housing is considered one of the two final pieces of the southside master TOD plan outlined by MARTA, the City of Decatur, Columbia Ventures, and developers Cortland. 

According to the Decatur Housing Authority, the current project is on pace to deliver this summer.

MARTA officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta the first units should be available for rent in late summer. Leasing efforts have yet to begin.

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Decatur East Phase II facade at Freeman and New streets. JHP architecture/City of Decatur

Similar mixed-income developments that have opened near stations in recent years—specifically Marchon at King Memorial station and the Quill complex in Edgewood—quickly reached leasing stabilization within six to 12 months, according to MARTA.   

Columbia Ventures reported last year that Quill’s lease-up was the fastest the company has experienced, with 40 units being rented per month over a peak leasing period of three months, proving that transit connectedness and living options below market rate is a potent combination.

Hundreds of new housing units have joined MARTA’s Cortland Decatur East in the corridor over the past several years, in both Decatur and Avondale Estates.

The trend is also continuing just west of the MARTA station today, where a project called Halo East Decatur has cleared a full block and begun vertical construction on 370 more rentals, plus retail and plaza space.  

The 515 E. Freeman St. site in question in 2022. Google Maps

How the 80-unit new Decatur East Phase II project relates to existing TOD development next door, at left. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

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• Decatur news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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515 E. Freeman Street Decatur East Phase II Avondale Station Avondale Estates Affordable Housing MARTA Columbia Ventures senior housing Columbia Residential TOD Georgia Department of Community Affairs City of Decatur Decatur Housing Authority DeKalb County Cortland Cortland Decatur East Columbia Senior Residences at Decatur East J.M. Wilkerson J.M. Wilkerson Construction JHP Architecture

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The scope of MARTA's TOD development to date and how it connects to Avondale station. Decatur East Phase II is at top. Google Maps

How the 80-unit new Decatur East Phase II project relates to existing TOD development next door, at left. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 515 E. Freeman St. site in question in 2022. Google Maps

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 80-unit project's Sams Street facade today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Freeman Street facade today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Decatur East Phase II facade at Freeman and New streets. JHP architecture/City of Decatur

Subtitle 80 units joining surge of Transit Oriented Development around Avondale station

Neighborhood Decatur

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From the Atlanta Daily World:

Photo: Getty Images Support is pouring in for the city of New Orleans after a terroristic attack on Bourbon Street left at least 14 people dead and dozens more injured on New Year’s Day. According to the FBI, 42-year-old Texas resident Shamsud Din Jabbar rammed through a crowded Bourbon Street in a pickup truck in … Continued

The post Here Are Ways To Support Victims Of Bourbon Street Terror Attack appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the New York Times:

While his home was always in the small Georgia town, Atlanta gave him the opportunities to cement a political and humanitarian legacy.

From WABE Local News:

A major winter storm began Saturday in the central U.S. and was forecast to move east over the next several days, producing heavy snow, significant ice and frigid temperatures, according to the […]

From WABE Local News:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s funeral services have begun in Georgia. The motorcade carrying Carter’s remains traveled through his tiny hometown of Plains, paused at the farm where he grew […]

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Former Georgia Senator Vincent Fort was laid to rest in Atlanta on Jan. 4. Fort’s homegoing service took place at Lindsay Street Baptist Church and featured remarks from Mayor Andre Dickens and other prominent leaders.  Fort, who passed at the age of 68, was a key political leader in Georgia for several decades.  Fort, a … Continued

The post Former Georgia Senator Vincent Fort’s Celebration Of Life Held In Atlanta appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the New York Times:

A motorcade carrying the remains of Jimmy Carter passed through the former president’s hometown and the Georgia State Capitol before ending at the Carter Center for a memorial service.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President, will be laid to rest today. His procession began in Americus, Georgia before passing through his hometown of Plains, Georgia. His procession made its way to Atlanta where a private service was held at the Carter Presidential Center.  Carter served as President from 1977 to 1981, achievements included transferring … Continued

The post Remembering Jimmy Carter: The 39th President’s Homegoing Service Held Today In Georgia (Live) appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the New York Times:

Days of tribute for the 39th president began on Saturday with stops at his childhood farm, the Georgia State Capitol and the Carter Center.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Atlanta Hawks have announced that R&B singer-songwriter Mariah the Scientist will perform at halftime, presented by Jack Daniels, during the team’s home game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, Jan. 14. A 27-year-old visionary and Atlanta native, Mariah Buckles has captivated a highly engaged fan base, showcasing her diverse musical talents and unwavering passion for … Continued

The post Mariah The Scientist To Perform At Atlanta Hawks Game On Jan. 14 appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Photo: Getty Images Student loan borrowers may struggle to buy a home as the last extension of government-mandated pauses for payments is set to expire, Newsweek reports. According to data from the Department of Education, over 43 million Americans have student loans. 7.5 million borrowers are in default on their student loans, which can have … Continued

The post Student Loan Change May Soon Make It Harder For Borrowers To Buy Home appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the New York Times:

The gestures of remembrance have all been selected to reflect the 39th president’s rural roots and political career in Georgia and Washington, and his legacy of global advocacy.

From the New York Times:

The facility in Fulton County, Georgia, has long had problems with assaults, drugs and pests.

Arts Atlanta:

After a year marked by greater partisan polarization than ever, 2025 has opened with the sort of soft-politics moment that gives the nation a breather as we move from one administration to the next. In this case, the awarding of the Presidential Citizens Medals by President Biden provided such a moment at the White House...