Apartment Project on O4W Park to Have Eatery, Coffee Shop

Developers broke ground this week on a mixed-use project that will introduce another 245 luxury units to the apartment magnet Historic Fourth Ward Park has become. North American Properties is calling their latest multifamily venture "Anthem on Ashley," a reference to an adjacent street, and they hope to debut the six-story building by early 2017. Plans also call for 6,000 square feet of retail space, which will bring a coffee shop and restaurant to the cusp of the park, adding to a growing slate of food options on Ralph McGill Boulevard, officials said.

In a press release, Mark Toro, NAP managing partner, touted the project's proximity to the Beltline and "some of the best recreation, shopping and eateries in the city," adding that the location "provides residents with the unique opportunity to experience their neighborhood largely without getting in a car, a lifestyle quality that is in high demand by today's new class consumer."

Beyond location, perks at Anthem will include "a resort-style pool, club quality fitness, clubroom, business center, rooftop terrace overlooking the park" and more, officials said. A low-slung brick building that once housed Thunderbox Studios and Mindzai has been demolished at the site.

In the last couple of years, more than 1,000 rentals have sprung up around the park, with hundreds more in the pipeline. Beyond the Anthem project, plans call for more than 200 units to rise around The Masquerade music compound, plus roughly 200 more apartments at another development where Ralph McGill meets Glen Iris Drive.

· Another Large Apartment Project Wants Piece of O4W Pie [Curbed]