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Atlantic Station® Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Atlantic Station considered a model for smart growth?
As the largest urban brownfield redevelopment in the United States, the Atlantic Station® community is energy efficient, pedestrian-friendly and serves as a national model for new urbanism and smart growth. Transforming this former steel mill site into a livable, 138-acre mixed-use development required significant environmental reclamation.
After two years of reclamation, 9,000 dump truck loads (approximately 165,000 tons) of contaminated materials were removed from the site, 2,800 new trees have been planted on the property and in surrounding neighborhoods, an interception system to collect groundwater was installed on site and a monitoring program (in
conjunction with the EPA) was put in place to ensure Atlantic Station is designed and built with elements that encourage alternatives to single occupancy vehicle trips.
An environmentally-friendly central cooling system on site will save building owners more than $35 million in construction costs, while operating more than 25 percent more efficiently than traditional building HVAC systems resulting in lower energy bills for tenants. During the property’s reclamation, concrete building foundations were uncovered, which were broken into smaller pieces and reused as backfill.
To demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, the 171 17th Street building pursued LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) -- a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. In order to achieve LEED certification, a building must meet requirements for sustainable design, construction and operation. In 2005, the 171 17th Street building was awarded certification, making it one of the first buildings in the Southeast built to LEED specifications.
How can building so much be good for the environment?
Once we actually started building , we based it on an environmentally sustainable, Smart Growth platform. The Smart Growth approach was taken in response to the amazing growth of the city of Atlanta and the push for cleaner air in our metropolitan area—not only just downtown but throughout the metro region.
When people live near where they work, they walk to the office. When they live near where they shop and eat, they walk there, too. When clean-fueled trolleys are available to shuttle through them Atlantic Station and to MARTA, they'll use them.
A live, work, play community like Atlantic Station reduces the number of cars on the roads—not only in the downtown and mid-town areas, but throughout the entire region.
What about schools?
There are not any schools located within the Atlantic Station community, but Atlantic Station falls within the Atlanta City Public School system. Residents of Atlantic Station will attend Centennial Elementary School, Inman Middle School and Grady High School. Atlantic Station also borders the campus of Georgia Tech.
What churches or places of worship are near Atlantic Station?
There are not any churches or places of worship within the Atlantic Station community, but there are nearly 150 places of worship of all denominations within a 5-mile radius of Atlantic Station.
Are pets welcome?
Absolutely! We even built them their own park, complete with fire hydrants and lots of room to run.
Who owns Atlantic Station?
The project is being co-developed by Jacoby Development, Inc. and AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp.
How can I afford to live ?
The residential developers inside Atlantic Station are designing and building homes for a wide range of people and incomes. Check out their offerings on our live page.
Do I need a car ?
Only if you like having something to wash on the weekends. Everything you need will be within walking distance, from groceries, to work out facilities, to such a wide range of restaurants, that you'll never be bored with what’s for dinner. Need to get somewhere outside Atlantic Station? Just hop on our trolley and catch a ride to the MARTA Arts Center station.
How do I schedule an event in the park?
Atlantic Station makes our Park – The Commons – available to the tenants and residents of Atlantic Station with a refundable deposit. Please visit our special events page for more information or contact:
How was Atlantic Station remediated?
Environmental reclamation of the site took approximately two years upon the issuance of the No Further Action (NFA) letter by the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) in December 2001. Below are the steps taken to ensure proper environmental reclamation and to create an environmentally-friendly neighborhood:
- Contaminated Soil: 9,000 dump truck loads (approximately 165,000 tons) of contaminated materials were removed from the site.
- Trees: 2,800 new trees have been planted on the property and in surrounding neighborhoods.
- Groundwater: An interception system to collect groundwater was installed on site. This will monitor and treat (if necessary) intercepted groundwater prior to discharge to the city sewer system.
- Stormwater: Detention facilities will reduce the peak runoff from the post-development condition to less than, or equal to, the pre-development conditions. The design of these detention facilities includes an aesthetically pleasing one-acre pond in the center of the residential development.
- Air Quality: Redevelopment of the site includes a monitoring program (in conjunction with the EPA) consisting of site design criteria and transportation performance targets. These measures are in place to ensure that Atlantic Station is designed and built with elements that encourage alternatives to single occupancy vehicle trips.
- Energy: An environmentally-friendly central cooling system will save building owners more than $35 million in construction costs, while operating more than 25 percent more efficiently than traditional building HVAC systems resulting in lower energy bills for tenants. A two-mile-long network of 36-inch pipes will deliver chilled water from a 50,000-square-foot central cooling plant to office, residential and retail buildings.
- Recycled Materials: During the property’s reclamation, concrete building foundations were uncovered, which were broken into smaller pieces and reused as backfill. This recycled concrete accounted for 132,000 cubic yards of material. Additionally, the 164,000 cubic yards of granite that was removed in order to create a level building site was crushed and reused as backfill. By using these large amounts of existing material, Atlantic Station reduced the amount of material that had to be taken to construction and debris landfills and lessened the material that had to be brought in from outside sources.
- LEED Certification: To demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, the 171 17th Street building decided to pursue LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. In order to achieve LEED certification, a building must meet requirements for sustainable design, construction and operation. In 2005, the 171 17th Street building was awarded certification, making it one of the first buildings in the Southeast built to LEED specifications.
Why is the 17th Street Bridge yellow?
The people of Atlanta actually chose the color. Atlantic Station did research and asked people what the bridge should look like and what color they'd like it to be. Yellow is the color that won.
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