You may have heard that the new owners of Atlantic Station have plans to diversify the mixed use area’s commercial base.  But the Midtown Patch site has some pretty interesting quotes from the new owners, which provide a bit more detail as to the problems and the proposed solutions.

[Mark] Toro [managing partner at North American Properties] said his plan is to change between 20 and 25 percent of the retailers at Atlantic Station. That means of the 1.3 million square feet of retail space, about 150,ooo square feet will be retooled, he said. The development’s major tenants IKEA, Dillard’s and Target shall remain, Toro said.

“Midtown is a mecca for the creative class,” Toro said. He said he wants Atlantic Station to bring in those retailers that appeal to “Generation Y” shoppers. He said he hopes local boutiques and mom-and-pop restaurants will be among the new tenants. “The national chains have not done well here.”

Toro said Atlantic Station will evolve over the next three or four years. “It is going to be slow, but steady,” he said. But Toro said leaders will immediately be more engaged with Midtown residents.

It’s interesting to hear this brand-new view of Atlantic Station, which admits to the national retailers combined shortcomings outside their mall-confines and envisions more “mom-and-pop” stuff.  Not to mention the slightly odd – but understandable – juxtaposition of the stated desire to hold onto the big-box stores. (Is the urban retail future actually a combination of the big-box and “authentic” local retail shops and restaurants?)

These quotes also raise the topic of developing or retaining “authenticity” in urban areas.  Cities, neighborhoods and towns can acquire this “authenticity” in different ways, either through a diverse array of local shops or historic streetscapes.  While having both is preferable in the 21st century retail search for individuality – as Decatur currently does –  having none may just be a death-knell in an urban setting.

Stuff to think about.