Georgia Tech casts eyes on West Midtown for mixed-use project

Georgia Tech is hoping to jump into the development game in West Midtown.

The university has issued a request for proposals, asking developers to bring a mixed-use project to a university-owned tract of desirable real estate on a white-hot thoroughfare.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports Tech officials are looking for help in bring residences, office space, retail, and possibly even a hotel to the 11.5-acre site at the southeastern corner of 14th Street and Howell Mill Road.

Formerly occupied by industrial companies, the site was abandoned in summer of 2015, raising speculation it would soon be transformed into high-end retail, residential, or office space like many other sites in the neighborhood.

However, Georgia Tech’s Real Estate Development director told Curbed that while the school anticipated redeveloping the site at some point, there were “no specific plans or schedule” at that time.

Now, the school reportedly hopes to create office space to house tech start-ups, as well as hundreds of units of affordable housing.

The project — slated to fill the last undeveloped site at the intersection — could rustle up concerns about already heavy traffic volumes and lack of transit options around the Westside Provisions District.

But does worsened traffic beat the alternative? I.e., this:

Google Maps

• Georgia Tech eyes new West Midtown project [Atlanta Business Chronicle]
• Key Westside Corner Vacated. Can Development be Far Behind? [Curbed]