APRIL 28, 2005
BY JOHN SCHAFFNER
Atlantic Station Tuesday evening held its annual public Project XL update of environmental performance data and progress toward completing the brownfield redevelopment of the former Atlantic Steel site, including introduction of a transportation program to reduce auto trips and improve the environment.
The major announcements of the evening included introduction of ASAP (Atlantic Station Access Mobility Program), which includes dynamic multi-modal transportation services, advanced access and mobility information tools, unique incentive and rewards programs for not using autos and targeted marketing and promotional efforts to get residents and workers at Atlantic Station to walk and use public transit rather than using their automobiles.
As part of ASAP, it was announced that Atlantic Station expects to have several electric shuttles transporting residents and visitors to various parts of the 138-acre mixed-use development as well as to connections to MARTA at the Arts Center Station by the time the retail district of the development opens for business in mid- to late-October.
Atlantic Station Vice President of Design and Development Brian Leary lead the discussion for some 40 Atlantic Station and Home Park residents, representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency and other parties interested in the live/work/play development west of Midtown across the downtown connector which was jammed with traffic during the 6-8 p.m. meeting.
Looking down from the unoccupied ninth-floor of the SouthTrust office tower on 17th Street in Atlantic Station, those attending the meeting could get a panoramic view of the entire development, including the Beazer townhomes and duplexes along 16th Street, the Lane Company apartment and condominium developments, the lake and commons area, the IKEA store that is scheduled to open June 29 and the retail district that has sprouted from atop the underground parking decks in the past six months.
Leary pointed out that the Atlantic Station site remediation has received a clean bill of health from the EPA for more than three years now under the Project XL mandates. He reviewed the project from its beginning for those attending the meeting. He pointed to the early 2005 highlights such as the majority of Atlantic Station streets being open to the public, approximately 1,000 residents have moved into the development and the first employees occupying the first office tower on 17th Street, home to SouthTrust Bank, Arnal, Golden & Gregory law firm, Burr & Forman law firm and Carter company.
Leary also pointed to the beginning of construction on the 800,000 square feet of the retail and entertainment district of Atlantic Station, which is scheduled to open in October, and the 365,000 square foot IKEA store that will open in June. He said the developers are adhering to the nine enforceable performance targets outlined in the Project XL agreement, some of which include transportation related goals.
Glen Kurtz of Lanier Parking Systems, which is partnering with Atlantic Station, outlined aspects of the ASAP program that is being put in force at Atlantic Station. He said the ASAP program would leverage the flexibility of the project’s multi-use design and multi-modal infrastructure to maximize travel options available to employees, retail patrons and residents. Those options will include shuttles, a vanpool program, ridesharing assistance, guaranteed ride home, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, special events shuttle and a shared car program where people can rent a car for by the hour for special needs.
The program also will include incentives and rewards to entice people to use their vehicles less frequently, such as transit discounts, preferential parking, shared parking, commuter rewards and transit and a movie combo discount programs.
He said an important part of the program will be monitoring the effectiveness of getting people to use their automobiles less and rely more on transit, walking and bicycling throughout the development.
