In The News:
Edgewood Retail District Takes Shape
July 2005
In Spring 2005, Target became the first retailer open at Atlanta's
Edgewood Retail District, a 40-acre mixed-use urban- and transit-oriented
project planned by TSW for the former Atlanta Gas Light Company's
corporate campus on Moreland Avenue. Since then, the project has
seen several other openings, including: Lowe's, Kroger, Best Buy,
Petco, Barnes & Noble, and Ross.
The Fall 2005 opening of mixed-use buildings and parks along Caroline
Street will bring neighborhood-commercial and above-shop housing
to the project and fulfill the Edgewood neighborhood's long-standing
desire for a mixed-use neighborhood center. Longer term, the project
also includes residential units along adjacent neighborhood streets.
When completed, the project will raise the bar for integrating big
box retail into a pedestrian-oriented, urban setting.
The following are before and after shots of different parts of the development.
Before: Atlanta Gas Light property, before development
Before: The northeast corner of Moreland Avenue and Caroline
Street was
marked by marginal industrial uses and a self-storage facility.
After: Today the area includes mixed-use, street-oriented
buildings,
new streetscapes, pedestrian crossings, and a Best Buy store located
mid-block so as to limit its impact on the urban fabric.
Before: Narrow sidewalks and pedestrian-hostile buildings
once marked the
north side of Caroline Street near Moreland Avenue.
After: Soon, the area will house mixed-use buildings
and
wide, tree-lined sidewalks.
Before: Prior to the development of the Edgewood Retail
District,
the Caroline Street entry into the Edgewood neighborhood was a
no-man's land of parking, vacant land, and industrial uses.
After: The redevelopment of Caroline Street will bring a
pedestrian-oriented
shopping street to the Edgewood neighborhood, complete with a narrowed
street, on-street parking, wide sidewalks, and above-shop housing and office
uses.
Before: Moreland Avenue was once fronted by barren
surface parking lots and narrow sidewalks.
After: Today, street-oriented retail and mixed-use buildings,
wide sidewalks and street trees promise to enhance the pedestrian
experience along more portions of Moreland Avenue, while a new
median calms traffic. However, blank walls along Office Depot's
frontage, building gaps and the Georgia Department of Transportation's
requirements for a deceleration lane on Moreland Avenue have somewhat
compromised the TSW plan.
Before: At one time, a mid-rise office building, large blocks,
and surface parking defined the Moreland Avenue experience.
After: Today, Mixed-use buildings, new streets, and wide
sidewalks
are changing the character of the avenue.
Before: North of Caroline Street, a vacant lot and
vacant historic shoe factory once defined the urbanscape.
After: New streets through parking areas now define a long-term
vision
for further infill development on new parking areas, while mixed-use
buildings and a renovated shoe factory will increase housing options.
Before: The western end of Caroline Street was once marked
by vacant land and an excessive width.
After: The view towards towards Moreland Avenue now
shows
future mixed-use and retail buildings, wide sidewalks,
and traffic calming
controls.
Before: The bulk of the site south of Caroline Street
once served as a parking and storage area.
After: Today the area includes underground parking,
new
retailers, and new streets.
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