Out for a morning walk this week, a reader stumbled upon a unique addition of bicycling infrastructure in Midtown, snapped a photo, and wondered if the theft-deterrent system shouldn’t be copied across Atlanta.
The structure can best be described as a bicycle garage, tucked at the base of renovated Promenade Central offices off Atlanta’s signature street, Peachtree.
“This is a form of infrastructure that encourages and facilitates bicycle commuting—[and it’s] also a nifty bit of architecture,” wrote the morning walker in an email. “MARTA should install these at its stations, and other firms should put them at their offices.”
Curious to know more, we reached out to the 1200 Peachtree Street building’s new marquee tenant, Visa. But Visa reps directed inquiries to Promenade Central’s owner and management company, Cousins Properties.
Cousins officials said this morning they’ll huddle and share any additional details they can. [UPDATE: 7:48 p.m., May 19: Property ownership sends the following: "The bike facility was Cousins’ best solution to embrace the multiple modes of transit available to people who work in Midtown. There is secured access via a card reader to customers in the Promenade Central building. Anyone utilizing this facility or the inside facility at Promenade Tower can also access the showers in their respective fitness areas after their arrival."]
In any case, the bike garage seems utilitarian to the max: heavily fortified and lighted, with a bike-repair station that includes an air pump near the door. But no reasonable Atlantan would call it unsightly.
A unique addition of bicycling infrastructure installed off Peachtree Street in Midtown. Submitted
Cousins bought the 12-story building from Norfolk Southern in 2019 as part of a larger deal that included Cousins’ development of the train company’s new headquarters farther south in Midtown. Visa has leased roughly 1/3 of its office space and expects to eventually employ 1,000 people there. The TVS-designed renovation officially debuted in February.
Marketing materials indicate the building includes a four-level parking garage, with more than 2,000 parking spaces. Maybe those will be a bit less necessary with the advent of a much smaller garage at street level?
...
Follow us on social media:
• Midtown news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
