OK. I admit in the past that I”ve spent a lot of time relieving developmental angst by railing against Atlantic Station. I sit here at the corner of Ponce and Smart-Growth Ave. and let the damning adjectives fly. I mock. I sarcaz. I scoff.
But really, how does that help anything other than my blood pressure?
So this morning, after reading a very interesting op-ed over on Maria Saporta’s new blog “The Saporta Report” by the developer of Atlantic Station, Jim Jacoby, about the new “Aerotropolis” he plans to build on the site of the Ford Hapeville Plant, I’m taking a step back. And instead of just cuing up a snarky rant, I’m going to attempt to be a bit more constructive. (BTW, the Atlantic recently used Hapeville as a great, graphic example of how much $ it costs to dissemble an auto assembly line. Highly recommend a look.)
If we must continue to endure these examples of “auto shrines cloaked in smart growth” metro-wide we might as well learn from our mistakes for the next time around, right? So…the following are my specific gripes with Atlantic Station from a development perspective. I don’t claim to have any background on how these things are make money. This looks at the long term success of these projects, not the short. Take them for what they’re worth…
1. The near complete separation of residential and commercial/office is a tragic concept. Continue reading “Fixing the Atlantic Station Model”