Each design pays homage to the legacies of Atlanta and Hank Aaron.
On Sunday, April 17, Turner Field Stadium Neighborhoods Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) revealed three new potential concepts from Perkins + Will for Georgia State University’s redevelopment of the current Turner Field property.
Posters were displayed at the Atlanta Streets Alive event on the corner of Georgia and Capitol Avenues.
Though the designs are non-binding, the group managing the sale of the property ask the buyers of Turner Field and the surrounding lots to mind the concepts when redeveloping it, since they were created using community input.
The group also shared streetscape proposals including a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge.
GSU and development partners Carter and Oakwood Development plan to close on the sale of the property by the end of this year.
The construction of sports stadiums has long been cited as a strategy to revitalize local economies. However, many times these types of developments – publicly subsidized more often than not – end up doing the exact opposite for the neighborhoods they are planted in.
Though it has been cited that Turner Field generates about $100 million economically for the metro area, that impact obviously isn’t benefitting the immediate neighborhood, as evidenced by the complex’s sprawling parking lot neighbored by boarded-up businesses.
At a glance, one would never know that Summerhill was once a denser residential area laid out in a grid pattern.
The Livable Centers Initiative and Georgia State University’s track record of revitalizing Downtown Atlanta are good signs for residents in the area who hope that this time, the redevelopment of the property may work in favor of both the neighborhood and the regional economy.
Concept 01 – Ballpark Plaza
This plan would create a central plaza combining transit and bike paths with outdoor cafes and kiosks, feature a public square dedicated to Hank Aaron connecting to Georgia State University’s baseball field, and include market pavilions with neighborhood retail and restaurants.
Concept 2 – Big Park
“Celebration Mall” aims to preserve Gold Dome views and connect Hank Aaron’s “historic home run to Atlanta’s Civil Rights legacy.” The open public space would feature artwork and relics from the 1996 Olympic Games.
Concept 3 – Neighborhood Squares
This plan is a throwback to the neighborhood’s (often forgotten) neighborhood scale by creating a series of public squares. Each square would stand in a site important to the neighborhood’s history. One would enclose the Fulton County Stadium’s infield adjacent to GSU’s baseball field.
Photos by WNA reader Ben Nicoara.
Which concept do you think best suits the neighborhood? Tell us below….
11 Responses
I like option 2 with sight lines to Capital and having small blocks. The best of both plans imo.
Transportation: I like the street grid in all options.
Transit: Please insure MARTA (re)aligns bus routes to fit any plan
Housing: workforce housing at 80% AMI is a MUST – work with homeless service agencies to there are programmed affordable housing options for people at 60% AMI
Amenities: insure mixture of large box (grocery) and small neighborhood scale retail near existing residential neighborhoods?
Residents – insure a mixture of rental and homeowner occupied in both individual and multifamily options
I like option #2 or #3 but being a outsider I feel it is more up to the citizens who live in that area and what they feel besthat fits them
I like option 3 but with underground Marta HRT Transit. The Marta Station should be named “Hank Aaron Station” this subway station should be built under the current Turner Field ballpark location with multiple entrances on both ends of this massive site. This new Violet Line should start here with future expansion to the south under Jonesboro Road heading towards Lakewood Fairgrounds. This line will continue north under Capital Ave. with a spur line to the northwest that would cut under I-75/85 to Five Points Station. The line also will continue north after the spru (Octurine Line) under Capital and Piedmont Ave’s to Lindbergh Marta Station. The City of Atlanta and Marta made this mistake not building this station back in the 70’s also they made this mistake not building the Northwest line from Arts Center to Atlantic Steel…now Atlantic Station in West Midtown. BUILD HRT TRANSIT!!!! UNDER THIS PROJECT!!!!! Capital & Piedmont Ave’s is a major thoroughfare in Atlanta!!! Build this subway line just like the current RED/GOLD line under Peachtree Street!!!!!!
I lean towards option 2, but all 3 seem to be providing the same level of problem solving and solutions for the city to me. I really wish the options included analysis of existing and possible new transit options, as other commenters have mentioned. Also, I don’t really see any attempt to attach this new development to the surrounding area. Specifically, a new bridge to attach more of the street grid back over I-75/85 would be really nice at either Richardson or Crumley Street, similar to the 5th street bridge. Current conditions walking under the highway along RDA or over the highway along Fulton feel sketchy and void of any tree cover or pedestrian amenities. Maybe the Fulton street bridge could get a facelift for more pedestrian options.
Josef,
There is a link in the article with more photos for proposed transit developments for the project, including a new pedestrian and bike bridge. Check it out!
For me, I think Option 3: keep the sports fields off in their own area so that they can be efficiently supported with the structures they’ll need (field houses, etc), and they’ll be close to what will likely end up as an athletes quad/dorm.
#2 is intriguing for it’s clever use of the space across from the Ramada being used for the baseball field. But still, you have a wide separation of the athletic facilities. In #1 the configuration just make the whole development seem like an athletic complex — rather than a community complex that has an athletic area.
And where’s the parking in any of them?!? Are they just going to roll the dice and hope everyone walks / bikes / rides transit to the GSU events held at either stadium?
All three options include both a baseball field and a football field for GSU. With that fact comes intermittent traffic issues that make it hard for other business to survive. The ability to sustain quality retail and desirable year around neighborhood living is practically non existent among TWO stadiums. Just ask the ppl near Phillips and the Georgia Dome.
I don’t think those professional stadiums are comparable with a college athletic facility which will likely have sporting events of 1. a much smaller scale, and 2. greater frequency and more variation of sports to include soccer, softball, baseball, football, and if they are smart, track and field.
Since the stadium looks to be enlarged similar to the Olympic Stadium, I would hope that the torch, ugly tho it may be, would be relocated to its original location…..for history’s sake.
…and one other comment along with what Anna Foote says. The streetcar needs to connect down Hank Aaron Drive to Lakewood and back up to the Mercedes Benz Stadium for “REAL” connectivity.