There’s an excellent article in this morning’s AJC about all of the Peachtree Street development projects that never made it off the drafting table before the recession hit.  The article itself is entitled “The City That Was Never Built”, but it reads more like a wishful romp through “The City That Could Have Been”.

While I enjoyed the article and Peachtree’s development ride of the aughts as much as the next city advocate – especially Midtown’s – I am also sort of glad for the break in the action.  Yes, I know that development historically comes in spurts propelled by the national economy, but I think we pretty much exhausted the market this time around.  And instead of thinking too much about “what could have been”, which is a guilty pleasure shared by both progressive city advocate’s version and preservationists alike, we should spend more of our energy reflecting on all that was accomplished.

Peachtree’s transformation over the past decade has been incredible, but I for one am glad for the break in the action.  Not just because supply had far exceeded demand, but also because I becoming a bit worried that our clearly 1970s downtown, would soon have two glassy, one-decade sister business districts up the street. Healthy growth is one thing, artificial growth is another.

And besides, even though we may no longer be building at a rapid pace, fulfilling that city-wide, consumerist desire, Atlanta’s next decade could prove even more interesting than it’s last.  If and when these newest projects fill with residents, we could see the true revitalization of a downtown, once thought to have been abandoned forever.

Yesterday, NY Times architecture critic, Nicolai Ouroussoff, wondered out-loud if the luxury residential tower has taken the place of the civic building as the great urban landmark of the late 20th/early 21st century’s “Guilded Age”.  (For a nice sample of NYC’s luxury towers click here)

If so, Atlanta’s got plenty of new landmarks whether they want them or not. Though they are becoming a more dominating presence along our skyline, it seems that these works of modern architecture are lacking the residents to pay the bills. Atlanta condo sales are down an astonishing 12% since last year.

Yet many developers continue to build. Some have no choice, others may need to reevaluate.

(Picture of 12th & Midtown courtesy of MyUrbanCity)