New Underground Atlanta Renderings Could Assuage Fears

Earlier this month, renderings of proposals at Underground Atlanta began circulating that caused consternation among the passionate development-watchers of Atlanta.

Some of the images were more than two years old, and the ones showing an abundance of surface parking and possible destruction of historic buildings (rightfully) rubbed people the wrong way.

Ostensibly to smooth things over, WRS Real Estate Investment group, the hopeful developers of Underground Atlanta, have issued new renderings to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, showing updated — and dramatically different — designs. And the developers dropped a bombshell, telling the ABC they have an additional 14 buildings (give or take) under contract near Underground, with hopes of reviving their tired facades and injecting new retail and offices.

Among the collection of old retail buildings pending sale is downtown's Metro Mall, the newspaper reports.

The new renderings, executed as part of a concept master plan by S9 (the group behind 725 Ponce who worked on Ponce City Market), are flashy, showing dense high-rise development over downtown’s railroad gulch, where parking was shown in previous versions. A WRS representative told the ABC that attention would be paid to the historic buildings on the Underground site as well, with plans to expose long-ago hidden early-Atlanta facades.

WRS hopes to break ground on the $400 million project, which could include seven high-rises, in the next year. (There are whispers that Kroger could be the anchor).

Clearly, the project could be a game-changer for the heart of downtown Atlanta.

• Plans for Underground Atlanta get even bigger [Atlanta Business Chronicle]
• New Underground Atlanta Renderings Cause (Unwarranted?) Ire [Curbed]