For more than two decades, lofty plans have been floated for an empty, rectangular parcel in the shadow of landmark high-rises in what could be called the middle of Midtown. Now, at last, construction is legitimately underway there. 

Midtown Alliance reports that groundwork has begun for the interim public park phase at 98 14th St. That’s a 4-acre site across the street from Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta where lavish skyscraper No2 Opus Place and a Santiago Calatrava-designed, Atlanta Symphony Center concert hall (initially unveiled in 2005) never materialized. 

Following a three-month search last year, Midtown Improvement District and Midtown Alliance officials picked Field Operations—a global design firm with a portfolio of notable projects from Brooklyn to Santa Monica and China—to create a landmark greenspace from 14th Street acreage. 

But first things first. 

Temporary improvements at the long-idle site will level and grade it, add a grass multi-use lawn, and finally bring down construction fencing that’s lined 14th Street for nearly a decade. Walking paths will also be installed around the greenspace’s perimeter. 

Plans call for the interim park to be ready—in a “hold phase” state—for public use and community programming this summer, according to Midtown Alliance. 

Cleanup is finished and site work is underway for temporary park plans on 14th Street, as Midtown Alliance reports. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

How the 4 acres in question are slotted among some of Atlanta's tallest, most recognizable buildings and cultural landmarks such as the High Museum. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Other additions will include lighting in places and a protected, mid-block pedestrian crossing on 14th Street for visitor safety. Filling the hole left by No2 Opus Place’s ill-fated excavation efforts will require “substantial dirt,” per Midtown Alliance officials. 

Construction schedules call for the site-grading work to finish in mid-July. 

The Midtown Improvement District purchased the foreclosed acreage at 98 14th St. for $46 million in May. Field Operations was announced as project designer in November.  

Field Operations was picked for its ability to meld “design innovation with a deep respect for place” in “creating public spaces that are vibrant, connected, and rooted in their communities,” with “an emphasis on natural ecosystems and community character,” according to Midtown Alliance’s November announcement. 

Now, the first conceptual design renderings for the permanent 98 14th St. park space are scheduled to be unveiled April 14 at the Midtown Alliance Annual Meeting. 

Project leaders have said a "multi-year" public fundraising campaign is expected to begin soon, too. 

The acreage in question, prior to recent infrastructure work. Courtesy of Midtown Alliance

Around the world, Field Operations has worked on notable greenspace and urban reclamation projects, including the High Line in Manhattan, The Underline in Miami, Domino Park in Brooklyn, Tongva Park in Santa Monica, Taopu Central Park in Shanghai, and South Park Plaza at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, among others.  

Should the multifaceted greenspace materialize as planned, it’ll break a long streak of tough luck and empty promises for the marquee Midtown site. 

Calatrava’s grand concert hall fell victim to the Great Recession. A group of New York City-based investors proposed a three-tower concept for the site in early 2014—plans later refined into No2 Opus Place. 

Pitched as one of the grandest, most amenitized skyscrapers Atlanta’s ever seen, No2 Opus Place first came to light in 2016 as a 74-story, $300-million statement condo building with amenities that called for two pools, an IMAX screening room, and a 40th-floor golf simulator. Despite staging a dynamite-fueled “groundbreaking” in 2018, the project was scaled back and consistently delayed until the site finally tumbled into foreclosure in fall 2023, ending years of breathless and ultimately hollow hype.  

The future of 98 14th St.—while lacking the density some urbanists have called for—could be much more public-accessible than a glittery skyrise. Swing up to the gallery for more site context and imagery. 

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