Anyone who’s wandered the blocks north and west of Georgia World Congress Center and noticed a distinctive lack of vibrancy—or buildings in general—hasn’t been alone.

The initial steps of a potentially billion-dollar plan are being put in place that could make the 220-acre, state-owned campus feel less like a fortress and more like a natural extension of downtown, where investments on a massive scale aim to reshape the urban landscape over the next decade.

Atlanta-based architecture firm HKS is putting together a master plan for mixed-use growth around the GWCC that was unveiled for the first time to one of the agency’s committees last week. It marks the GWCCA’s first master plan since 2008, prior to a major convention center expansion, the construction of its Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and other updates to campus, as the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports.

In general, the new development could create between $1.1 and $1.3 billion of hotel rooms, housing, offices, and retail space—some of it directly linked to a multi-use Atlanta BeltLine connection trail—on what’s underused land today. The result could be a more robust convention business and more developed blocks around Atlanta’s Westside, especially in Vine City. It’s all in nascent stages, as crucial components such as funding sources and potential development partners have not been discussed, GWCCA officials told the ABC. What section of land might be redeveloped first has also not been determined.

The master plan pinpoints four potential development sites: A surface parking lot just west of the GWCC along Northside Drive called the Blue Lot.

Just north of there, another site could be the GWCCA’s Yellow Lot and its adjacent marshaling yard fronting Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard (briefly considered a viable site for building Mercedes-Benz Stadium a decade ago).

Another potential property is just south of Centennial Olympic Park, next to MARTA’s GWCC/CNN Center station.

The two main development sites in question (at top). Property adjacent to MARTA’s GWCC/CNN Center station is also being considered. GWCCA

Key highlights could include: a bridge over Northside Drive linking the Blue Lot redevelopment with main convention center facilities. That site would also have direct access to the 1.7-mile Westside BeltLine Connector trail. Today’s yellow lot and marshaling yard could see apartments, a grocery store, and creative offices, with greenspace possibly lining Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. Next to the MARTA station, a new hotel and two levels of food and beverage spaces could be worked in, per the plan.

Next steps call for HKS to conduct more studies throughout this year, and for GWCCA staff to dive into hypotheticals in September during a planned annual retreat, per the ABC.

Shutterstock

The study comes as GWCCA has taken a more active approach to developing other adjacent land in its portfolio.

Atlanta’s tallest new hotel in nearly four decades—the 976-room Signia by Hilton—opened next door to convention spaces in January.

More recently, GWCCA officials issued a call in April for developers to remake its 11-acre Home Depot Backyard into a “entertainment development project.” GWCCA’s goal is to create a more seamless integration of entertainment venues, convention center buildings, and greenspace on the westernmost fringe of downtown, between convention space and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Request for Qualifications bids for that project were due last week.

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Downtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)