Last month, SEK Northside LLC, an affiliate of Augusta-based Southeastern/M. Hakim Hilliard submitted a planning application to amend a previously approved mixed residential and commercial development site plan located at the southeastern corner of Northside Drive and 17th Street.
The current request to amend the site plan now represents a major amendment, requiring review and approval by the Atlanta City Council following consideration of approval by the Zoning Review Board on November 4th.
Initially, a rezoning was granted on 480 17th Street NW from I-2 (Heavy Industrial) to MRC-3C to accommodate the 6.2-acre mixed-use development in 2018.
In June, What Now Atlanta reported that the developer submitted an administrative permit application for the 321-multifamily unit and 30,000 square foot ground-floor retail space to accommodate a minor site plan amendment removing the Kroger Grocery Store from the project.
While the property would remain MRC-3C, certain variances from the approved development standards are being requested to accommodate the five-story building. According to documents submitted by the applicant, the current site plan increases the residential floor area by 104,186 square feet. The commercial space will be reduced by approximately 10,000 square feet. Despite the increases in the residential area, the amount still falls well below the maximum residential floor area of 858,336 square feet in MRC-3 zoning districts.
The property is designated as Medium-Density Residential (MU) according to the Comprehensive Development Plan. The proposed increased square footage continues to keep the project consistent with the set density. The applicant further argues that the changes to the site plan will continue to positively impact the mix of uses in the Atlanta Station development and other nearby properties.
The Statement of Intent, written by the applicant M. Hakim Hilliard, argues that the development “cannot be economically developed by the owner as currently zoned.” If approved, the projected completion of the residential and commercial development is in 2024.
