A new megaproject hopes to bring new life to a former industrial site.
In a piece for Metropolis, Sam Lubell describes the latest ‘megaproject’ on Atlanta’s Beltline, a former rail corridor that Lubell calls “the most successful urban regenerator since New York’s High Line.”
The project, Fourth Ward, will be a mixed-use development with the now familiar mix of green spaces, community amenities, and a 2-acre lake and retention pond.
According to Lubell, “Fourth Ward’s biggest new addition is a 1.1 million-square-foot, 11-story commercial high rise designed by Seattle firm Olson Kundig. The sleek black, metal-edged edifice, containing retail at its base and several levels of sub-surface parking, is two bridged masses, separated by a wide swath of sloping greenery (a collaboration with Future Green.)” The building, which is aiming for LEED Gold certification, includes “intensive thermal and solar modeling” designed to cut energy use.
“Up next for Fourth Ward, in addition to Olson Kundig’s addition, are a collection of multifamily housing buildings by German architects Barkow Liebinger, sited on the development’s lower level. Per local inclusionary zoning rules, each will contain 10 percent affordable units,” as calculated based on Area Median Income (AMI).
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research