Bank's new plan for Buckhead’s largest undeveloped site gets thumbs up at initial SPI-12 committee review

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A 16-acre piece of undeveloped land at the corner of Roxboro andEast Paces Ferry roads in Buckhead could become a showcase of green space and awalkable community development with the Wednesday thumbs up from theDevelopment Review Committee of SPI-12 district.

Near the height of the development boom, Miami developer TheRelated Group wanted to create CityPlace Buckhead at the site—a massive $2billion development with at least six condo towers and 3,800 units—which is thelargest undeveloped tract in Buckhead.

Above is an architect's rendering of what Wells Fargo plans as the central
park centerpiece of CityWalk, with two water features as part of the park.
The park land grades down from the foreground to the background.  This
view is looking west from Roxboro Road towards Lenox Square. 

Then the recession began and credit dried up. Wachovia Corp.,which was later bought by Wells Fargo & Co., took back the Related site ina 2009 foreclosure auction for $36.7 million.
Wells Fargo has been exploring options for the site, which iswithin an easy walk of Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls and the Lenox MARTAstation. But, knowing that apartments likely would not go over well with the powerfulnearby neighborhoods, Wells Fargo decided to delay the offering.
Wells Fargo has since spent months creating a new idea for thesite, adding features—more green space and connectivity, infrastructure needsfor the area and stormwater retention—which planners and neighborhood groupswanted. The concept could call for almost 5 acres of green space, including acentral park.

The above master plan  for the 16-acre site is what was presented to the
Development Review Committee of SPI-12 on Wednesday afternoon. 

Around those features that underscore a new urbanism—greenspace, trails and parks—commercial development could take place, includingoffice towers and residential buildings.How many towers and how soon they’ll be developed is the bigunknown.
The site falls under the SPI-12 (Special Public Interestdistrict 12) zoning passed earlier this year, which encourages the tallest newbuildings and greatest density close to existing MARTA stations on Peachtreeand by Lenox Square. The zoning also encourages more walkability, green spaceand connectivity.
The Wells Fargo site plan before the SPI-12 Development ReviewCommittee doesn’t indicate how many high-rise towers are planned for the siteor when they might be developed. But the bank would like to start sellingparcels of the property early next year.

Planner Robert Hughes explains the central park area of the
master plan for the development, with two water features. 

So, Wels Fargo and its planner, Robert Hughes of HGOR planners& landscape architects, were before the SPI-12 Development Review CommitteeWednesday to seek the approval of the overall site master plan, which wouldrequire the first of two special administrative permits (SAPs) from the city.
Hughes took the lead in presenting the master plan concept, acentral park with two water features surrounded by new streets to provideconnectivity to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls, the Lenox Mall MARTA railstation and between Lenox and Roxobo roads and Peachtree and E. Paces Ferryroads.
He described the master plan as creating a sense of place andsense of identity that could help convince developers to want to placeresidential, office and retail space around it—an urban neighborhood withinBuckhead.
Hughes also explained that the green space is at the low pointof the 16 acres and is a natural point for facilities to handle storm waterrunoff, during minor Friday afternoon storms or even that infrequent 25- 50- or 100-year storm.

Hughes shows one of the water features of the central park area, which
is on the west end of the park. The view is looking east toward Roxboro
Road and toward the larger green space area of the park. 

He explained that in a 100-year storm, the whole green areacould have five feet of water on it. But it is lower than the street level –theelevation varying between 4 and 6 feet below as it slopes—and it is designed sothat it can spread the water under such situations between the two waterfeatures.
Hughes said this system of dealing with storm water will costabout 20 percent more than putting the retention underground, but it is worthit.
Also, he said the water features in the central park area of themaster plan are well-fed, so that they will always have water and will controlthe hydrology for the plantings in the area.
Hughes said the road system developed for the master plan isdesigned to create connectivity, but discourage cut-through traffic. He saidall the streets would have 15-foot sidewalks, as prescribed by SPI-12, and thewhole area is ADA compliant.
He said the open central park area and wide sidewalks alsoprovide a sense of security for elderly people and mothers with young children,the two most likely groups of people to use such a park area.

This aerial view shows the 16-acre development area and its proximity to
Lenox Square mall, at left, the MARTA rail station at center bottom,
Roxboro Road at the far right and Phipps Plaza at far top left. 

The main Wells Fargo representative at the table Wednesday wasLance Johnson, who said of the master plan “is an important piece for us andfor Buckhead. We have a lot of recovery to do on this property.”
So, Wells Fargo is hoping to get the SAP for this master planconcept approved by the city so the bank can use it to market the buildablesites, that virtually circle the park and road system,  to potential developers.
Asked what Wells Fargo considers to be the highest and best useof the buildable sites, Hughes said the for-rent market is one of the strongesttoday and he would see that as one potential. He also said there is someinterest in age-restricted components.
He said getting the infrastructure in place will maximize thevalue increases for the property, but that the park areas and streets will notbe put in place until the first of the buildable sites is sold and underconstruction.
Hughes said the park land would belong to the neighborhoodassociation, but the streets would be publicly dedicated to the city.
The general reaction of members of the DRC was they think “thisis very much in the spirit of the SPI-12 plans for mixed-use” development.
SPI-12 DRC member Denise Starling said, for safety reasons ”Idon’t think I would want the parks and streets built out until some otherdevelopment is started there.”
DRC member Andrea Bennett suggested that the plan incorporatesome public art at the intersection of Roxboro and E. Paces Ferry roads tocreate “a gateway to Buckhead.” She also suggested it would be great to improveE. Paces Ferry along there, which she characterized as “a rather gloomyentrance to MARTA.”
As for any other SAP requests for the development, Hughes saidthat would be up to the individual developers of buildings, as they buy, designand plan to build on the buildable sites.