What The Varsity's neighboring high-rise in Midtown might look and function is coming into clearer focus.
Athens-based developers Landmark Properties this week submitted revised, elevated designs — including a new rendering — for a student housing proposal at 680 Spring St. that would take up surface parking immediately north of The Varsity's iconic original location.
Landmark now plans to develop a 40-story, U-shaped tower—originally 34 stories—that will be one of Midtown's tallest buildings constructed in the current development cycle. Other changes to Landmark's proposal include an increased number of residential units, from 560 to 626, for a total of 2,235 bedrooms for students.
That's 243 more bedrooms than originally planned when the tower project was announced in early November.
The revamped aesthetic bears several similarities to the Legacy Tower, completed last year by the same developer downtown near Centennial Olympic Park. This project spans 32 floors. The pool and other amenities are located in the parking garage, also under a U-shaped tower.
The south side of the 40-story Landmark Properties project between Spring Street (right) and Connector. landmark; Designs, CNNA Architects
The revised plans for 431 parking spaces (in a six-and-a-half-story podium enclosed on three sides with student housing) are actually fewer than the 554 parking spaces originally proposed.
The planned retail space on the ground floor of the building has now been increased from 8,100 to around 8,600 square meters.
According to Midtown DRC, the tower's southern driveway near The Varsity would be an extension of Ponce de Leon Avenue and would provide on-street parking.
During their final meeting of 2024 on Tuesday, Midtown DRC members welcomed the changes Landmark made to previous designs, but emphasized that outdoor retail patios along Spring Street and site design in the southern and western portions of the project still need improvements could be.
A more detailed look at street level retail plans and other aspects of the tower base. landmark; Designs, CNNA Architects
Midtown DRC, an advisory committee, makes formal recommendations to the city's planning department on all applications for special management permits for projects in the district.
Below are some highlights of the Midtown DRC recommendations for 680 Spring St. to developers, reproduced in a Midtown Alliance summary and edited for clarity and length:
- Coordinate with Midtown Alliance and [Atlanta Department of Transportation] expand to explore [a proposed] Bike lane north to 3rd Street to connect and adapt to the existing one-way bike lane along Spring Street. If not possible, remove it [the bike lane] from the plan.
- To further reduce parking demand, unbundle [separate] Parking costs from rental prices.
- Reduce the size of the proposed dog park and relocate it to the northwest corner of the site instead of the street section and turnaround area. Explore additional secure bicycle parking spaces and flexible spaces in the southwest area like in the north.
The approximately 2-acre site is located immediately north of the original Varsity location. Google Maps- Maximize access and “soften” outdoor retail patios along Spring Street [by] Removing all unnecessary railings, providing planter boxes, hanging planters from the remaining railings, and providing a well-lit artistic or decorative treatment on the end wall of the sunken north terrace.
- Consider providing additional bicycle parking within the building at grade by taking over a portion of Retail Area B to the far west [nearest to The Varsity]. Due to the limited visibility, this area would be difficult to rent.
landmark; Designs, CNNA Architects
As a next step, Midtown DRC members expect the Landmark team to submit updated plans for electronic review before the project moves forward.
For Landmark, the project would be the fourth student housing project in downtown and midtown.
The tower would take up about 2 acres of parking space immediately north of The Varsity, near where North Avenue meets the Downtown Connector, which the restaurant group leases to parking providers but has been trying to sell for several years. The restaurant next door has been serving chili dogs and frosted oranges for nearly a century.
For further context and images on the 680 Spring St. proposal, see the gallery above.
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter /Facebook/and now: Instagram
• Midtown News, Discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)