It seems every week brings the announcement of a new high-rise for Buckhead. With 10 large-scale projects in the works and another 20 on the drawing boards, a newly announced mixed-use development by Gables Residential is keeping the trend alive. Slated to have 327 apartments, townhomes and a rather small 3,000 square feet of commercial space, the project is toting the tower trend to new territory (alliteration!) While OliverMcMillan's Buckhead Atlanta has brought development to the intersection of Peachtree and East Paces Ferry roads, currently the stretch beyond the development to Piedmont Road is occupied by low buildings and single-family homes turned into commercial buildings, for the most part. Not for long.
Gables' new proposal is configured in two 14-story towers connected by a three-story element containing a pool and sun deck. Befitting the swanky reputation of the neighborhood, it seems the building will have a doggie park for four-legged residents. All of this is set to happen on land purchased from Charlie Loudermilk, who pretty much owns the entire area. Loudermilk, and his family's company, are in the process of gaining approval to develop at least two large swaths of land within blocks of the Gables proposal, while Hanover Company and OliverMcMillan also have plans for the street.
The transformation of the suburban-scaled streetscape at Maple Drive and East Paces Ferry Road suggests that the Buckhead-boom is moving into a new phase. While the majority of high-rise developments the last few years have focused on the Peachtree Road corridor and other equally large-scale streets, the Gables project extends the upward trend away from a major thoroughfare. Does this spell the beginning of densification of older neighborhoods tucked in amongst the growing Buckhead skyline? Whatever it may mean, don't hold your breath for things to happen overnight — construction isn't slated to start until at least the third quarter of 2015.
· Gables mixed-use plans latest for redo of E. Paces Ferry [BuckheadView]
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