For all its attributes, Buckhead is disparaged for its reputation as the most suburban-y, shopping-center addled intown market, and for its severe lack of public parks and walkability. But several initiatives are under way that could lift Buckhead from the dubious distinction of having the least green space of any intown market. The latest idea involves a 16-acre site near Lenox Square Mall and its adjacent MARTA station (where Roxboro and East Paces Ferry roads meet). Buckhead's largest slice of undeveloped land, the site once harbored the dreams of Miami developers, who'd planned a $2 billion condo project with six towers and 3,800 units there. Those plans crumbled with the economy's cliff dive.
The site's owner, Wells Fargo, has been exploring options with planners to harvest fresh ideas — ones that add green space and connectivity and address infrastructure issues like stormwater retention (sound familiar?). The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the new vision could set aside almost five acres for greenspace, including a two-acre central park girded by office towers and residential buildings. The site plan goes before a development board next week, and there's no timeframe for construction, but the plans could illustrate Buckhead's commitment to New Urbanism. One city planner told the newspaper the Roxboro site draws inspiration from the Historic Fourth Ward Park.
· Cutting-edge project in Buckhead [Atlanta Business Chronicle]
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