After public survey, vision for MARTA’s next mixed-use endeavor emerges

Shipping container offices, a temporary dog park, an outdoor fitness area, soccer field, and something called the front porch could be in store for a key MARTA station following a process of community input.

More long-term changes could include hundreds of housing units—and a parking deck with a soccer pitch on the roof.

That’s the word following a community survey process, hosted on MARTA’s dedicated transit-oriented development website, coUrbanize, that closed last month.

From 433 completed surveys, a batch of “winning” but tentative designs has emerged, alongside popular declarations such as, “Make East Lake MARTA the front porch.”

The survey aimed to find amenable solutions for the development of acres of parking lots on both the north and south sides of the station, as voted on by neighbors in Decatur, Oakhurst, Kirkwood, Druid Hills, Lake Claire, and beyond.

Currently, average daily usage of parking spaces at the station is less than 40 percent, so opportunity abounds to create new uses from the asphalt seas.

MARTA is actively partnering with developers to transform similar parking dead zones from Chamblee to Avondale Estates and many points between.

After public input, a list of “Common Themes” was determined for East Lake, including these:

Potential short-term “fixes” for the station and surroundings:

More permanent changes could resemble the design below, though it’s important to note this, too, is a draft concept.

We’re told the renderings will be updated prior to a final public meeting on the East Lake MARTA Station scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 26 at Church of Epiphany, Parish Hall (2089 Ponce De Leon Ave NE).

The coUrbanize site has a bounty of other draft images here.

• Throughout Atlanta, an array of transit-connected MARTA development is rolling [Curbed]