Received this press release from Carter this morning…

Carter to Develop $40 Million Mixed-Use Project in Decatur 

Development to include 233 apartments with street-level retail in one of Atlanta’s most livable cities

ATLANTA (April 24, 2013) – Carter, one of the nation’s leading real estate development, investment and advisory firms, announced today that the company will develop 315 West Ponce, a $40 million mixed-use project in Decatur, Ga. The five-story residential buildings will comprise 233 apartment units and approximately 10,000 square feet of street-level retailspace.

“Carter is incredibly excited to be developing a Class-A mixed-use project right in our backyard,” said Conor McNally, chief development officer at Carter. “While Decatur has experienced significant population and retail growth during the last 10 years, no new apartment projects have beendelivered since 2001, which makes the timing for this project ideal.”

315 West Ponce will target young professionals with a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a full line of amenities including a pool, clubhouse, fitness center and two outdoor courtyards with green space. The development will also include a structured parking deck to be shared between the new retail and residential buildings and the existing 10-story office building located on the site.

The Decatur Downtown Development Authority has approved the site plan for the project, which is located two blocks from the DecaturSquare and approximately 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta. The Preston Partnership is the architect for the project and Brasfield & Gorrie is the contractor. Construction is anticipated to begin later this summer.

Carter has a rich history of developing multi-family projects and specializes in developing complex, urban mixed-use projects across multiple asset classes. From complicated mixed-use developments to high-rise condominiums, Carter’s leadership brings a depth of experience to a variety of project types.

Ralph has a great write up over on Patch about the continuing discussion between Carter, the developer of the 315 West Ponce project, and surrounding concerned residents.

Since the last meeting a couple of weeks back, the developer has made a few concessions according to the article, including 235 apartments instead of 242 and 527 parking spaces, instead of 548.  Additionally…

Carter also tiered the nine units facing Montgomery Street, so that only three stories directly face the street, and removed balcony lights.

The developer agreed to paint the parking garage to match the colors of the apartments. But Gannon said that’s not enough and that facades and trellises need to be installed on the deck’s upper levels.

Like the last time this site was considered for development, surrounding residents remain concerned about traffic flow and shared parking.

If the plan is approved at the March 22nd meeting of the Downtown Development Authority, Carter can start applying for building permits.

One of the most talked about pre-“Great Recession” Decatur development projects is back from the dead.

The city has sent a letter to residents surrounding the 315 West Ponce 10-story office building and its giant wind tunnel parking lot stating that “An application for a building permit has been submitted for a new mixed use development at 315 West Ponce de Leon Avenue.”  The city will be hosting a meeting at city hall on Tuesday February 26th at 7pm for adjoining property owners.

CLICK HERE to view the full size site plan and the variety of elevations of this project.

As this is a new development project/plan for this site, the development must follow new downtown multiple dwelling ordinances, who’s “R60 next to C2″ components were developed in no small part with this property in mind.  And according to Planning Director Amanda Thompson, the current plan is “zoning compliant”, which was not the case the last time around when the developer desired a parking variance (under the old pre-ZOUTF revisions).  After the neighborhood meeting, the developer will likely “present to the DDA [Downtown Development Authority] in March or April depending on what changes come out of the neighborhood meeting. Then once those are finished they will submit for a permit.”, according to Ms. Thompson.

Feel free to point out other differences between this project and the previous one, but two of the most obvious ones to me are the inclusion of the sidewalk-smooching West Ponce building (“Building A” for those who lived and breathed this development debate back in 2008) and the open courtyard along Montgomery Street.

h/t: Patch

For anyone still a bit confused about where and when you can see the traveling “Lima Lives” exhibit traveling around Decatur this evening, the Decatur Arts Alliance’s Angie Macon provides a few more details for us…

Lima Lives! will be seen in the downtown Decatur street scape projected by the artists throughout the area before projecting the image onto the front of the 315 West Ponce De Leon Avenue building for app. 30-45 minutes. No route information was provided. I would suggest everyone interested in this project enjoy a great fall evening in downtown Decatur and be on the lookout for Lima between 8 and 10 p.m. Perhaps the best viewing for the 315 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue would be anywhere from the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Ponce de Leon Place west to Decatur CD–just a suggestion. This is art unrestrained by boundaries! Give me a call if you have questions.

From the Decatur Arts Alliance…

Images of a running zebra will flash across the Decatur streetscape this Friday evening, September 24. After making its journey through Decatur, the zebra image will be projected on the front of the Decatur Court building at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. for 30-45 minutes on Friday night.

The artistic installment, Lima Lives!, honors and celebrates the life and spirit of Lima, the zebra that escaped from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus last winter and made a mad dash through downtown Atlanta. For nearly one hour, this courageous animal managed to break free of his circus routine and run wild in the streets of Atlanta. Riffing on the excitement of multiple sightings of him that day, Lima Lives! will roam Atlanta at night.

The project premieres in Decatur and features nightly projections around Atlanta culminating October 1 in Castleberry. Lima Lives! is presented by Flux Projects, a non-profit arts organization that commissions and presents temporary public art projects for large audiences beyond the walls of traditional arts venues.