DDA 25c.indd - City of Decatur

DECATUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SPECIAL REPORT
25
Years of
Downtown
Development
PM
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Before
Y
201 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
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1982 -2007
Before
In 1982, the Decatur City Commission adopted the Decatur Town
Center Plan. It was a defining moment in the history of our community and set the course for the redevelopment of Decatur’s
central business district.
The plan, created under the direction of the Downtown Redevelopment Task Force over a
two-year period, offered two “essential recommendations” to the Decatur City Commission:
• Adopt the plan at the commission’s earliest convenience; and
• Appoint a “coordinating body” to take responsibility for the implementation of the plan.
The City Commission adopted the plan and, in October 1982, created the Decatur
Downtown Development Authority to take primary responsibility for putting it into action.
INSIDE
A Brief History . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Goals and Policies from
the Town Center Plan. . . . . . . 3
Downtown Residential . . . . . . . 4
Character and a Sense of Place . . 5
25-Year Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Transportation and Parking . . . . 7
Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Public Sector Improvements . . 11
Economic Development . . . . . 12
Restaurant and Retail Statistics . 14
DDDA/DDA Board Members . . 15
The Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Thanks and
Acknowledgements . . . . . . 16
Here we are
25 years
later . . .
Decatur’s Community Bandstand
Before
Decatur’s Town
Center Plan,
published in 1982
2 • DDA@25
celebrating the foresight of the
Town Center Plan and the creation
of the organization that charted
the course for achieving the vibrant
downtown we enjoy today. This
25-year journey is a story of strong
public leadership, successful publicprivate partnerships, active citizen
involvement, and a commitment
to a long-term vision for the success
of our city.
This report revisits the goals and policies outlined in the original plan and highlights a few of
the projects and programs accomplished in the
last quarter century. While refinements were made
over the years to respond to changing markets, the
vision and goals have remained the same.
The plan encouraged mixed-use, high-density
development radiating from the MARTA station.
The vision encouraged more pedestrian activity
and the growth of retail and restaurant businesses,
to bring back the active hum of commercial activity that downtown Decatur enjoyed during the
middle of the 20th century.
Today, as we begin along the road toward the
next 25 years, the Decatur Town Center Plan provides as clear a vision for our downtown district
as it did in 1982. With continued commercial
activity, growth of downtown retail and restaurant
businesses, and the rebirth of downtown residential opportunities, the downtown Decatur of today
more closely resembles the one that existed in the
1950s before the rise of suburbanization.
History
A Brief History
W
hat was the catalyst for creating the Decatur Town Center Plan? In
1979, the MARTA East line opened and the Decatur station was one
of the first stops to be completed in this new system. New development proposals called for massive buildings around the Decatur station. Citizen concerns about these plans generated the creation of the
Downtown Redevelopment Task Force.
The Task Force included a broad representation of the Decatur community and
began work in 1980. Over the course of two years, it held a series of public input
sessions that encouraged Decatur residents to participate in creating a new vision for
downtown development. The plan was presented to the City Commission for adoption
in May 1982.
One of the important aspects of this process was the inclusion of a developer as part
of the planning team. As a result, the plan included a real-life development model and
construction on this project began within two years after the plan was adopted.
The City Commission adopted a resolution in October 1982 creating the first Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The DDA could buy, sell and lease property, make
contracts, borrow money, receive and use government grants and issue private activity bonds. This seven-member board, appointed by the Decatur City Commission, was
charged with taking responsibility for the implementation of the Decatur Town Center Plan.
Unlike other boards and commissions that must often deal with competing constituency groups, the DDA’s focus was to be advocate and advisor to the Decatur City Commission on issues related to downtown development.
A Review of the Plan
The original Town Center Plan included 10 goals and 10 policies (see sidebar) designed
to bring about the community’s vision for downtown Decatur. While some of the specific
recommendations listed for achieving these goals have been refined over the years, the
Goals and
Policies from the
Town Center Plan
Goals
• Define the Edge of Downtown – Citizens
recognized that to have an “image,” downtown
has to become a special place.
• Improve Access and Parking Downtown
• Interrelate Different Scales and Types of
Development
• Conserve Decatur’s Small-Town Scale
• New Development Should Reinforce the
Existing Scale
• Optimize the MARTA System
• Develop Incentives for New Infill Structures
• Explore Opportunities for New Housing
Downtown
• Create a Demonstration Development on the
Candler Hotel Block
• Seek an Image for Downtown
Policies
• Design the Ring Road (Commerce Drive) for
Through Traffic
• Develop a Coherent Traffic and Parking
System
• Implement Streetscapes
• Restore the Courthouse Square Focus
• Integrate the MARTA Station with New
Construction
• Adopt Guidelines for Integration with SmallTown Scale
• Unify Retail Facades and Graphics
• Give Downtown a Memorable Image
• Make the Candler Hotel Block a
Demonstration Development
• Make a Demonstration Development for New
Housing
Streetscape in front of the Old Courthouse
1982 Town Center Plan, page 9
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 3
Everybody Wants to Move Downtown
A major component of our downtown development strategy has been the construction of
residential projects in the central business district.
Since 2000, the following units have been added:
Townhouses
Maple Street townhouses • 13 units
Commerce Drive townhouses • 15 units
Condominiums
Historic Decatur condominiums • 20 units
Town Square condominiums • 105 units/
13,000 sf retail
Decatur Renaissance • 170 units/10,000 sf retail
The Clairemont • 68 units
335 Ponce de Leon • 70 units
Artisan Phase I • 75 units/12,000 sf retail
Artisan Phase II • 56 units (under construction)
Talley Street Lofts • 90 units (currently selling)
527 N. McDonough • 4 units (approved)
432 E. Howard Ave. • 65 units (approved)
527 N. McDonough • 14 units (approved)
Apartments
Ice House • 101 units
233 E. Trinity Place • 210 units/25,000 sf retail
(approved)
2615 E. College Ave.• 271 units/14,000 sf retail
(approved)
1996 • 1,050 downtown housing units
2006 • 1,628 downtown housing units
Condominiums at 335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
4 • DDA@25
underlying focus of these objectives remains unchanged. They tend to group together
under four themes:
• Maintain a Strong Sense of Place
• Address Transportation and Parking Issues
• Focus on Design
• Encourage Quality Growth and Development
This report summarizes accomplishments and references goals and policies based on
these themes.
Character
Develop Character and
Maintain a Strong Sense of Place
L
ike so many historic downtown districts across the nation, downtown Decatur
was on the decline in the 1970s. Many traditional retailers had opted for the
suburbs and the district closed its doors after 5 p.m. and on weekends. Empty
storefronts, acres of surface parking lots and a malfunctioning MARTA station
presented problems.
Throughout the Decatur Town Center Plan, citizens voiced a desire to maintain Decatur’s unique small-town character while encouraging new development in the downtown
district. A strong sense of place gave Decatur a unique personality that attracted residents
who related to its special qualities. This strong connection between residents and the
community offered the DDA the opportunity to enlist the support of Decatur’s citizens in
marketing a new image for the city
Finding ways to connect citizens with the square became a priority. Early efforts focused on harnessing the interest and commitment of citizens to function as our primary
“sales” force and developing opportunities for citizens to come downtown for fun experiences. The colorful Decatur logo, adopted in the late 1970s, offered an ideal chance to
develop a brand for the city. The DDA assumed responsibility for marketing Decatur logo
The AJC Decatur Book Festival
items like license tags, T-shirts and mugs and actively encouraged citizens to “wear” their
city.
To enlist the participation of Decatur citizens and create a sense of ownership with the
plan, the DDA worked with local business leaders to create the Decatur Business Association in 1984. Membership in the DBA gave residents and business leaders the chance
to work together on a variety of projects intended to build community and improve the
downtown business district.
One of the first projects this partnership took on was the recruitment of Steve Nygren
to open a restaurant in the downtown district. He opened Buck’s, later called Mick’s, in
1987 as a direct result of this targeted marketing effort.
Festivals and special events were critical
to developing a positive image for the
downtown district. The first special event
created was the Decatur Beach Party. Held on
the MARTA plaza and featuring a couple of
pickup trucks of sand and a radio DJ playing
oldies, this event has grown into the signature
event for the Decatur Business Association.
It now features more than 60 tons of sand,
live music and a street dance that requires the
closing of Ponce de Leon Avenue.
The Concerts on the Square, initiated by
residents Catherine Carter, Lyn Deardorff and
Liz O’Brien, was adopted by the DDA and
later the Decatur Business Association and
moved from Sunday afternoons to Saturday
nights in May and September. Originally
featuring local musical groups who were willing to perform for free, the concerts program
eventually secured Wachovia as a presenting
sponsor and was able to pay its performers.
This popular event was expanded with the
SunTrust Blue Sky Concerts to bring entertainment to Decatur’s downtown employees every Wednesday in May and September.
Other events initiated by the DDA for the purpose of bringing people to Decatur and marketing a positive image of the community included:
• Decatur Arts Festival • Decatur Tour of Homes • Breakfast With Santa
• Easter Egg Hunt
• Terrific Thursdays
• Heritage Festival
Some of these important community-building activities have moved on to
other organizations and committees that grew up around them, but the DDA is
proud to have played a role in launching them.
In addition, the Decatur Downtown Development Authority provided coordination and support for other special events that were created by others but
needed the help and support of the city. These events included:
The overall goal is to achieve the
image of a traditional and intimate
small-town center while encouraging development of modern high-rise
offices, a new hotel, new residential
areas and new commercial facilities.
— Decatur Town Center Plan, page 9
431 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Before
July 4th Pied Piper Parade – originally started by a group of residents and adopted by
the DDA;
Great Decatur Beer Tasting Festival – the brainchild of a group of local pub owners
that has raised more than $250,000 for local charities since it began; and the
AJC Decatur Book Festival – joined the Decatur calendar of events in 2006.
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 5
Communication is another essential component of creating and maintaining a
strong sense of place. During the 1970s and early 1980s the City of Decatur published
a one-page monthly newsletter mailed to all residents, called Around Decatur. The DDA
began publishing a newsletter for members of the Decatur Business Association called
Central Focus around 1985.
In 1990 the DDA approached the city and the DBA with a plan to combine these
two publications into one newsletter that would be mailed to all residents, business
owners and DBA members. The first edition of this combined effort, called the Decatur
Focus, was published in June 1990. This award-winning monthly publication has a circulation of more than 10,000 and includes an online version.
The Decatur Beach Party
Sycamore Place along the MARTA plaza
Before
1982 Town Center
Plan, page 15
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1982 -2007
Years of Development in Decatur
6 • DDA@25
1982
• Decatur Downtown
Development Authority formed
• Concerts on the Square started
by Catherine Carter, Lyn
Deardorff and Liz O’Brien as
Sunday afternoon programs in
the summer
1983
• First Decatur
Holiday Candlelight
Tour of Homes
1984
• First Decatur
Beach Party
Transportation
W
Improve Transportation Options
and Parking Opportunities
hile much of the language in the original plan focused on improving automobile access, the plan also included a call to improve the MARTA station, build on transit options and create a pedestrian-friendly downtown
district.
The plan called for upgrading critical gateway intersections and
improving signal timing to allow Commerce Drive to function as an efficient option for
through traffic. The importance of the MARTA station was recognized along with the need
to move bus traffic off Church Street and redesign the station entrance and the plaza area.
The importance of pedestrian-friendly streets was identified throughout the plan as an
important transportation option and as an important component of developing Decatur’s
special sense of place. Parking problems, a perennial complaint, were identified with suggestions focused on better management of existing parking and improved signage.
[Citizens] also called for landscape
and streetscape treatments – trees,
pedestrian crossings, lighting,
graphics coordination – that would
make downtown Decatur a delightful
and safe place for pedestrians night
and day, in all seasons.
— Decatur Town Center Plan, page 11
The completion of the Decatur MARTA Station Redevelopment
Project in 2007 marked a major milestone in the history of Decatur’s
long-term downtown redevelopment strategy. Plaza problems were
identified in 1982, and the DDA spearheaded a number of small bandaid
efforts to address concerns. A steel and glass arbor that bisected the upper
plaza area along with a number of large wooden planters containing deteriorating trees were removed in the 1980s. The city assumed responsibility
for maintaining the landscaped planters around the station.
After years of negotiations, the DDA, working with the Decatur City
Commission, convinced MARTA to build a new bus-to-rail transfer facility on Swanton Way and move all of the bus traffic off Church Street. This
project was completed in late 1995 in time for the 1996 Olympics.
As part of this effort, an unsightly concrete elevator shaft that once
punctured the lawn area in front of the present day Pasta Please restaurant
was removed and the glass and steel pyramid that once covered an entrance to the MARTA station in the middle of the square was replaced with
the community bandstand.
While these changes eased traffic congestion on Church Street and improved the appearance of the station, major renovations were still needed to open up the plaza level
and expand sidewalks and pedestrian access around and through the plaza area. The Decatur Downtown Development Authority and the Decatur Business Association provided
matching funds to the City of Decatur to hire a design team to develop a master plan for
the MARTA plaza area in 1999.
When the Atlanta Regional Commission created the Livable Centers Initiative program and released its first call for grant applications, Decatur submitted the MARTA project and was awarded $4 million in grant funds to complete the project.
The Church Street entrance was redesigned to bring the station’s scale in line with
1985
• Decatur Business Association Charter
• One Town Center building completed
• Concerts on the Square move to every Saturday
in May and September
• First Easter Egg Hunt
1986
• Blue Sky Concerts started
• Newsome Tire Building
renovated into Shops of West
Ponce Place
Clairemont Avenue
Before
1987
• Large planter tubs removed from the top of
the MARTA Plaza
• Buck’s Restaurant (later named Mick’s) opened
by the Pleasant Peasant Restaurant Group
• Seventeen Steps moves from Sycamore to 112
E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 7
More Population, but Fewer Trips
In spite of increased development, traffic counts in Decatur have remained relatively unchanged. We have worked
to discourage through traffic and encouraged the use of
MARTA, bicycling and walking as alternatives to driving.
Our efforts to increase downtown residential opportunities
and develop more local retail and restaurant businesses
have helped reduce the number of necessary auto trips and
encouraged a “park once” opportunity within downtown Decatur. The addition of the free CLIFF shuttle system between
downtown Decatur, Emory and Clifton Corridor employee
centers has also reduced automobile trips.
surrounding buildings, sidewalks were widened on either side of the station to
improve pedestrian access and large walls that created physical barriers were removed.Streetscapeimprovementswereextendedintotheprojectareatotiethe
station into surrounding sidewalks.
Creating pedestrian-friendly streets provided a very visible public sector improvement that set the stage for private sector investment in the
downtown district. In 1993, the City of Decatur applied for the first round
of a new alternative transportation enhancement grant program (TE Funds),
administeredbytheGeorgiaDepartmentofTransportation.Withitsfirstaward,
the city, led by the DDA, involved the public in creating a downtown streetscape
master plan and implemented Phase I of the plan.
Radiating from the Old Courthouse, Phase I included the 500 block of N.
McDonoughStreet,EastCourtSquareandPoncedeLeonAvenuebetween
CommerceDriveandChurchStreet.Itwascompletedin1996intimeforthe
Year
PDL*
WPDL EPDL
Scott Clairemont
1996 Olympics.
1992 33,449 10,921 17,810 32,432
22,561
Sincethatfirstgrant,Decaturhasreceivedadditionalgrantstocomplete
1999 42,471 11,415 13,013 33,664
17,814
PhasesIIandIIIalongChurchStreetandthewesternendofPoncedeLeon.In
2004 32,100 10,960 11,870 30,300
18,940
2002, new design standards adopted in the downtown district required all new
*PDL = Ponce de Leon Avenue (measurement taken at East Lake Drive);
developments to include streetscape improvements in accordance with the masWPDL = W. Ponce de Leon; EPDL = E. Ponce de Leon.
ter plan. This requirement allowed the city to extend streetscape improvements
Source – Georgia DOT website
throughout downtown with private sector funding. More than 400 streetscape
trees have been planted downtown since 1995.
Recent grants were awarded to extend streetscape improvements along E. Trinity Place
to the Old Depot. This project will be coordinated with planned private sector streetscape
Yes! We have Plenty of Parking
improvements to stretch the funds as much as possible.
Decatur has more than 500 metered parking
spaces and 2,200 spaces in surface parking lots
Traffic flow and signal timing continue to be hot topics and work is underway to
and parking decks. Look for new directional signs
address these issues. Where possible, the city has implemented “road diets” in the downthroughout the downtown area that indicate
town district to reduce lane widths and widen sidewalks.
parking. The Artisan Project includes 113 public
A signal timing study was completed in late 2006 and the city is working with DeKalb
parking spaces to provide additional retail/restauCounty officials who operate the signals to get equipment upgraded and change signal
rant parking for the downtown district.
timing in accordance with the plan.
FlexCars are available
at several Decatur
locations
1988
• Decatur Holiday Inn/Conference Center
opens
• Two Town Center building opens
• First Fidelity National Bank Tree Lighting
event inaugurated
8 • DDA@25
Decatur pursued a community-wide approach to addressing traffic concerns in 2006
and the completed plan is currently under review. The plan takes a comprehensive approach to improving all levels of transportation throughout the community by identifying
pedestrian corridors, cycling routes and intersection improvements that provide for a
better interface between automobile, transit, walking and cycling through downtown and
throughout the community.
ConstructionofthePATHtrailonthesouthernedgeofdowntownin2004offeredan
excellent opportunity to expand on the streetscape master plan and to develop an improved cycling network for the downtown district. A TE grant awarded in 2006 will create on-road bicycle lanes along W. Trinity Place and W. Ponce de Leon Avenue and extend
thebicycleconnectionbetweenthePATHtrailandthecentralbusinessdistrict.
1989
• First Decatur Arts
Festival
1990
• First Retail & Restaurant
directory published
• First Decatur Focus
newsletter published in
June
1991
• 101 Ponce de Leon
Plaza office building
completed
New transportation options help achieve the goals of the Town Center Plan. The
growing number of scooters in the downtown district represents an alternative transportation option not foreseen when the plan was adopted in 1982. To support this environmentally friendly transit option, the Downtown Development Authority proposed the creation of scooter
parking in the downtown district. The first location in
the 100 block of E. Ponce de Leon was very successful
and two additional scooter parking zones are planned.
The DDA entered into a partnership with the FlexCar program in 2007 and currently has seven cars in
the downtown district. This co-op program gives residents and downtown employees an alternative to owning a car or bringing a personal vehicle into downtown
Decatur every day.
FlexCar members pay a minimal annual fee and
an hourly rental fee when a car is used. Members can
view car locations on the Internet, reserve a car and
use their membership card to unlock the vehicle. The
member returns the car to its spot, locks the keys in
the vehicle and walks away. There is no additional
charge for gas or insurance.
A downtown employee can take MARTA, ride a bicycle or walk to work and use a FlexCar for access to a
car during the day. The FlexCars located in downtown
Decatur are averaging three times as much use each
month as other metro Atlanta locations.
180 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Parking management is an important component of the plan. The
DDA assumed management responsibility for downtown metered parking
in 1995. Management and enforcement were improved and efforts made
to ensure that short-term metered spaces are available for customers and
clients.
New mixed-use projects in the downtown district include adequate
parking for the street-level retail shops and for the residential units. The
Artisan includes 113 public parking spaces negotiated by the DDA as part
of the sale of a surface parking lot for the development. These spaces are
not “free,” but offer a new inventory of centrally located public parking.
The construction of retail parking in each of these new projects increases the number of “park once” options that allow a downtown customer to
park at one location, conduct business there and walk to other destinations throughout the downtown district.
This fall the first phase of a new “wayfinding” system of directional
signs will be installed and include directions to public parking in the downtown district.
The Town Center Plan listed improved signage as a way to help visitors locate parking.
We are happy to begin implementing this Town Center Plan goal.
1992
• Eddie’s Attic
opens
1993
• DDA funds Retail and
Restaurant Market Study
• Decatur Receives first
TE grant for downtown
streetscape improvements
• Decatur Federal Savings and
Loan sold to First Union
1994
• Decatur City Jewelers
opens on Clairemont
Avenue
• Last Fidelity Family tree
lighting held
• Emory Healthcare moves
to 101 Ponce de Leon Plaza
Before
1995
• Seventeen Steps moves to 205 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
• By Hand South moves to 112 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
• DDA purchases old Revenue building on E. Court
Square from DeKalb County and resells to developer
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 9
New buildings adjacent to the
Courthouse Square may be of any
height and material the developer decides. However, the main mass of the
building should accord with setback
requirements permitting an “apron”
with cornice and bays effecting a continuation of the human scale and materials of the historic Masonic façade.
— Town Center Plan, page 18
113 E. Court Square
Before
1996
• Phase I of downtown streetscapes completed
• MARTA bus-to-rail transfer moved from Church
Street to Swanton Way
• Bandstand on the Square dedicated
• Starbucks opens
• Twain’s opens
• Hometown to the World Olympic festival held
10 • DDA@25
Design
Design – A Visible Way of Achieving
the Vision of the Town Center Plan
M
ost designers and urban planners agree that when it comes to creating
a pedestrian-friendly downtown, the height of a building is not as important as how the building addresses the street. Decatur lost a number
of its historic buildings to the west of the square as a result of urban renewal programs in the 1960s and ’70s. The challenge faced by the DDA
in 1982 was to define small-town character in terms of design and marry this with the
goal of encouraging contemporary “mid-rise” structures in the downtown district.
A set of design standards evolved that encouraged contemporary architecture and a mix
of uses that built back the urban room, reestablished the traditional building line, cornice
lines and pedestrian-focused activities at the street level.
The goal was not to prescribe a “look” for downtown resulting in an artificial history,
but rather to encourage the continued evolution of downtown
Decatur as a district with a variety of architectural styles spanning
the century. New standards required new buildings to respect the
basic design components of adjacent buildings.
The One Town Center building was developed as part of the
Town Center Plan to serve as a model for the type of new development Decatur wanted in its downtown district. The neo-traditional building took its cue from the Masonic Temple building in
the same block by creating an identifiable ground floor, orienting
the main entrance of the building to the sidewalk and locating
the parking behind the building. The street trees installed by the
developer as part of this project more than 20 years ago offer one
of the most beautiful and pleasant streetscapes in the downtown
district.
Until 1988, there was no established height limit in the downtown district. During the 1960s and ’70s a half-dozen buildings
were constructed downtown that exceeded 120 feet in height. The
planning commission, working with the DDA, identified a height
limit of 80 feet as a reasonable goal for establishing a pedestrian scale in the downtown
district.
This standard is reviewed with every project and variances are often granted depending on location and what additional components might be offered, such as affordable
housing. The Old Courthouse on the Square is located at the highest point of land in
the downtown district and the topography drops off sharply as you move away from
the square. It is possible to allow for a height variance, depending on the location of the
building, and still retain a fairly even downtown skyline.
In 1999 with the construction of the CVS retail drugstore project, the DDA encountered a situation requiring implementation of more stringent design standards. The original plan for the project called for the location of the CVS store in the center of the block
1997
• DDA buys parking lot at Sycamore and Church
Street to market for condo site
• Ice House opens – first new downtown
apartments in more than 30 years
• Brickstore Pub opens
• Café Alsace opens
• Rue de Leon opens
1998
• DDA locates a condominium project
for the Decatur Town Square project
• CVS project developed and brings
about tougher design standards for
downtown
• Watershed opens
• Decatur celebrates 175th birthday
surrouned by parking. With support from Decatur’s residents, the DDA was able to craft a compromise with CVS
representatives to move the building up to the street and
influence the developer to turn three of the retail spaces
to front Ponce de Leon.
While the overall appearance of the project is still that
of a suburban strip retail center, the project helped us enact new design standards for the downtown district. These
standards required that all parking be located behind or
underneath a new building, that all new buildings, including parking decks, have a commercial use accessible at the
street level, and established a minimum height limit of 18
feet in addition to the 80-foot-maximum standard.
359 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
The construction of Crescent Moon and Ruby Tuesday was the first project built in response to the
new street-level-retail requirement. These restaurant
spaces were added as part of a planned expansion of the
parking deck at that site. The SunTrust bank building
at the corner of W. Ponce de Leon and Commerce Drive
was constructed with the appearance of a two-story building as a result of the minimumheight standard adopted in 1999.
Design issues don’t just relate to buildings. The DDA took the lead in moving forward
with a community-wide Wayfinding signage program that will include a series of directional signs and kiosks when it is implemented in the fall of 2007. The project is a way of
improving access into and throughout the city and underscoring the small-town flavor of
the community.
By funding such small touches as flower baskets on streetlamps the DDA works to
add those special details that make the downtown experience positive and sets the downtown district apart as a unique place.
Public Sector Improvements
The City of Decatur completed a $2.5 million expansion of the downtown Decatur
Streetscape Master Plan in 2002, bringing the
total amount of streetscape improvements
to $4 million. The project was completed
on time and under budget, allowing for the
completion of two additional blocks that
were bid as alternates. This public sector
commitment to improving the pedestrian
quality of the downtown district has had a
1999
• MARTA Plaza Redevelopment
Master Plan completed
• DDA gets title to Old Depot
from CSX Railroad
• Millennium Celebration on
the Square
direct impact in stimulating private sector
investment downtown.
Decatur received a $5 million grant from
the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to
implement improvements to the Decatur
MARTA station in the heart of the downtown
business district.
An additional $80,000 grant from ARC allowed the city to complete a redevelopment
master plan for the 40+ acres along E. College
Avenue that surround the Avondale MARTA
station parking lot, located in the city limits.
2000
• City receives TE funding for Phase II and
III of the downtown streetscape project
• City receives TE Grant to help move the
Old Depot as required by CSX
• Town Square Condominiums
completed
2001
Before
This former industrial park offers a prime opportunity for Smart Growth development.
The plan outlines a 20-year development
strategy and makes the area eligible for more
than $300 million in ARC grants for public
sector transportation improvements. As a
result of this plan, the city received an additional $3 million ARC grant to construct a
parking deck and streetscape improvements
for Phase I of the project, which is scheduled
to break ground in 2008.
Source: Decatur Downtown Development Authority, May 2007
• Crescent Moon moves
into first street-level retail
project in a parking deck
• Clairemont condominiums
completed
2002
• Taqueria del Sol
opens in renovated
gas station
• Peco Camper
building renovated
into retail
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 11
Development
Economic Development –
The Bottom Line
Before
250 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
T
he Decatur Downtown Development Authority was created to direct the
implementation of the Decatur Town Center Plan and bring economic vitality back to the central business district. The vibrant city center envisioned
by those who created the plan included a healthy mix of uses that were once
found in historic city centers.
At first, successes were small but the community stuck with the plan. Each small
project led to a slightly bigger one until momentum built and the economic engine began
to hum. During the 1980s the market was ripe for office development and the Downtown Development Authority worked with developers to bring four new office buildings
on-line. As the Atlanta area office market slowed, Decatur shifted its focus to retail and
restaurant development, building on the improved market created by new downtown
employees. The DDA began publishing a Shopping, Dining and Services directory in the
early 1990s and used it as a tool to attract new customers to the city. The DDA also supports joint advertising opportunities to support local retail and restaurant marketing.
Efforts to bring residential development back downtown began in the mid 1990s.
The Ice House Lofts, completed in 1998, was the first
project, and in 1999 the DDA successfully marketed an
assembled block of surface parking lots for the successful Town Square Condominium project. A list of all the
economic development projects that helped downtown
Decatur achieve success would be too lengthy for one
report. The projects listed below offer a sample of the
types of projects that the DDA has initiated over the
years and those that represent major turning points in
the redevelopment of downtown Decatur.
1
The construction of the One Town Center building was the first tangible element of the Town
Center Plan to be achieved. Local developer Dan
Pattillo partnered with Pope & Land to construct this
building in 1985 and eventually constructed the Two
Town Center building on Clairemont three years later.
2
Convincing Steve Nygren, owner of the Pleasant
Peasant Restaurant group, to open a restaurant in
downtown Decatur marked the beginning of downtown Decatur’s reputation as a destination dining center.
The success of that first restaurant (called Bucks in 1987; it
later became Mick’s) attracted a growing number of young
restaurant owners.
2003
• Phase II and III of downtown streetscape project completed
• Old Depot moved with help from the Decatur Preservation
Alliance
• The Cliff Shuttle begins operation between downtown
Decatur and the Clifton Corridor
• City receives $5 million grant from Atlanta Regional
Commission to fund MARTA Plaza Redevelopment Project
12 • DDA@25
2004
• New SunTrust building
completed at Commerce
Drive and W. Ponce de
Leon Ave.
• Pre-sales begin for
Decatur Renaissance
condominiums
2005
• DDA purchases old DeKalb Physical Plant
Maintenance building on E. Trinity Place
to encourage assemblage
• Construction begins on
335 Condominium Project and on the
Renaissance Condominiums
• MARTA Plaza Project kicks off in October
3
The development of a hotel in downtown Decatur was an important component of the city’s
economic future according to the Decatur Town
Center Plan. Working with a group of local investors,
the City Commission and the DDA crafted a creative
mix of public and private funding to attract a Holiday
Inn franchise to downtown Decatur that opened in
1988. The DDA constructed the conference center and
parking deck adjacent to the hotel, bringing a muchneeded meeting and special-event facility to downtown.
255 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
4
The construction of the 101 Ponce Plaza building at the corner of Clairemont Avenue and
Ponce de Leon in 1990 is an outstanding example of the negotiating skills of members of the DDA
board. The site plan for this property included two office buildings with a concrete plaza filling the corner at
this critical downtown intersection.
The Town Center Plan clearly outlined the importance of recreating the traditional urban “room”
by placing buildings up to the sidewalk and mimicking the relationship that existing
historic buildings had with the street. A sterile, concrete plaza was a suburban solution and didn’t follow the design standards of the Town Center Plan. Yet, the developer
wanted to maintain site lines to the Old Courthouse for the possible second building
on this site.
The compromise worked out by DDA board member Jim Philips was to pull out the
banking component planned for the first building into a small, stand-alone structure that
filled the corner and was connected to the larger office building through a basement level.
This creative solution achieved the needs of the developer and met the design standards established by the Town Center Plan.
5
6
The DDA purchased the vacant Revenue building on E. Court Square from DeKalb
County in 1995. The city used the building as an event facility during the 1996
Olympic activities and sold the building to a developer who renovated it for retail
and commercial use. Today the building houses Starbucks and several other businesses.
Following its success in buying and selling the Revenue building, the DDA purchased a small parking lot at the corner of Church Street and Sycamore Street
from MARTA in 1995 to assist with the assemblage of a site for a mixed-use residential development. To pay the cost of the loan needed to purchase the property, the
DDA continued to operate a parking lot on the site and worked with adjacent private
sector property owners to market the block to potential developers. In 1999, the DDA
reached an agreement with a developer and helped develop the first residential condominium project in the downtown district.
Before
New housing can prove that the
tradition of living downtown can
be revived. New markets for in-town
condominiums and town houses are
expanding. And new housing increases
sidewalk activity, both during and after
working hours, by reinforcing retail, utilizing restaurants and cafes, encouraging recreational pursuits and improving
the quality of life downtown.
— Decatur Town Center Plan, page 20
2006
• DDA sells the old DeKalb County PPM building and facilitates the sale
of the Relax Inn, Dairy Queen and My Sisters Room for redevelopment
projects
• DDA secures a tenant for the Old Depot
• Artisan I completed
• First AJC Decatur Book Festival held
2007
• MARTA Plaza Project completed
• City receives $1 million grant for Phase V of downtown
streetscape project
• DDA celebrates 25th anniversary
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 13
Getting a Bite To Eat . . .
So Many Choices
Restaurants are the economic driver for our commercial districts. They create destination traffic
that has benefited our retail businesses and
sparked a growth in our retail/service sector.
1996 • 38 restaurants
2001 • 65 restaurants
2005 • 79 restaurants
2006 • 86 restaurants
Decatur: Truly a “Mallternative”
to Ho-Hum Shopping Choices
Emphasis is on locally owned, one-of-a-kind
businesses. Since 1999, we have added more
than 100,000 square feet of new retail space in
downtown Decatur. All new construction in our
downtown district, whether it’s a parking deck,
condominium or an office building, must have
retail space on the ground floor. One commercial
development and two mixed-use projects that
have been approved for construction will add an
additional 25,000 square feet of much-needed retail space in the Ponce de Leon Avenue corridor.
1996 • 54 retail businesses
2001 • 78 retail businesses
2005 • 90 retail businesses
2006 • 99 retail businesses
Retail Space 2000: 220,000 sf
Retail Space 2007: 352,000 sf
7
8
Between 1999 and 2007, when downtown residential zoning was implemented,
approximately 700 new residential units were constructed in the downtown district. Most of these projects included street-level retail increasing downtown Decatur’s rentable retail space by 50 percent.
In 2005, the DDA reached an agreement to sell its surface parking lot behind the
Conference Center to the developer of the Artisan condominium project. As a condition of the sale, the developer replaced the 113 public parking spaces in the parking
deck constructed for the project. This condominium development achieved a goal of redeveloping an unsightly surface parking lot at this critical downtown entryway and raised the
bar for downtown residential projects. This was the first project to use the new 20 percent
density bonus for including affordable “life cycle” housing units within the development.
9
Also in 2005, the DDA purchased DeKalb County’s vacant Physical Plant Maintenance building at 233 E. Trinity Place in an effort to encourage redevelopment of
this block. When the city announced plans to renovate the historic City Hall, the
DDA leased the building to the City of Decatur during construction and actively pursued
a developer who would acquire the adjacent Relax Inn and surrounding sites as well as the
PPM structure. In 2006, the DDA sold its property as part of an assemblage for a mixed-use
apartment and retail development project scheduled to begin in 2008.
10
After initiating efforts to acquire the Old Depot from CSX Railroad in 1997, the
DDA acquired title to the building in 2001. Using a TE grant from the Georgia
Department of Transportation and matching funds from the City of Decatur,
DeKalb County and the Decatur Preservation Alliance, the Old Depot was moved 32 feet
away from the tracks in 2003 as required by the sales agreement. A new roof was added
and repairs made to stabilize the structure until a tenant could be found.
The Decatur Preservation Alliance raised additional funds to replicate the large roof
brackets that were on the original building and negotiated with the PATH Foundation to
include major landscape improvements as part of the PATH trail being constructed. After
extensive efforts to find a tenant, the DDA signed a long-term lease with the Depeaux
Restaurant in 2006 in exchange for tenant improvements.
Dining outdoors on East Court Square
1982 Town Center Plan, page 27
14 • DDA@25
The Future
Looking Ahead
T
he vision outlined in the Decatur Town Center Plan 25 years ago remains
as relevant today as it did in 1982. In fact, many of the goals and policies
included in the plan that were considered radical at the time are now considered central components of “Smart Growth” strategy so widely encouraged
throughout the metropolitan region. Growing concerns with air quality and
traffic congestion continue to support interest in higher-density development and in traditional town centers with a variety of transportation options.
What will the next 25 years bring? The DDA will continue to encourage quality
mixed-use projects in downtown Decatur and work to attract developers for redevelopment opportunities that fit the community’s development goals. New developments with
street-level retail will transform remaining surface parking lots into an interesting street
level pedestrian experience.
The Selig parcels along Church Street between Commerce Drive and Ponce de Leon
and the Calloway Building site next to Decatur High School are examples of redevelopment opportunities that remain in the downtown district. Implementation of streetscape
improvements along remaining downtown streets will create a stronger network of pedestrian connections throughout the downtown district and into adjacent neighborhoods.
New downtown residents will continue to bring more pedestrian activity and vitality to
the downtown district and expand the customer base needed to support the retail and restaurant businesses enjoyed by all residents. The residents in these new mixed-use buildings
will walk more and drive less than the occupants of similarly sized office buildings so alternative transportation will continue to grow and automobile traffic numbers will decrease.
Decatur will continue to focus on improving on a wide variety of transportation options.
The construction of a new office building will be encouraged. Decatur has not had a
new office building constructed since the early 1990s. While Decatur is not considered a
“major” employer location, it does attract a consistent number of small office tenants and a
growing number of these tenants select Decatur because they live nearby. Because Decatur
tends to have smaller tenants it is insulated from the speculative boom or bust climate often
created when the local economy rests on the shoulders of one or two larger employers.
The move toward live-work communities will be in Decatur’s favor and the migration
back to the city by empty nesters will continue to create a strong market for downtown residential projects. The challenge will be to find creative opportunities to retain and expand
affordable housing options to keep the economic diversity that the community values.
Finally, our efforts to strengthen Decatur’s strong sense of community will continue
to be a high priority. When everything is said and done, the greatest asset that Decatur
offers is a strong sense of place and the strong connection that residents feel to this city.
Festivals, newsletters and even flower baskets play a major role in nurturing this unique
quality and the DDA will continue to take a leadership role in creating and supporting
these vital programs.
A Smart Growth program includes
the following components: A Mix
of Uses including retail, residential
and office; Transportation Choices;
Existing Infrastructure and Public
Services; Compact Design that
Encourages Higher Density in Existing
Development Areas; Preserving
Existing Open Space; Walkability; and
a Range of Housing Options.
— From a Smart Growth Tour – Tracking
Regional Progress Towards
Community Design Excellence
Building, building, building
Decatur continues to enjoy unprecedented
development. In addition to construction
downtown, homeowners are expanding and
renovating in record numbers.
Year Building Permits Issued
1995
349
2000
688
2001
433
2005
728
2006
753
Construction Value
$19 million
$41 million
$51 million
$92.5 million
$56.5 million
DDDA/DDA Board Members 1982-2007
Grady Baker*
Ed Bowen**
Candler Broom
Fred Cavalli**
Bruce Cohen
Kecia Cunningham
Lyn Deardorff*
John Drake**
Walt Drake*
Mary Ann Draut
Peter Giles*
Robin Harris*
Bill Hudson
Sheila Hunt**
Joy Jackson
John Joyner**
* Members of the 1982 Board
** Current members
Tony McCullar
Charlie Orth
Jim Philips*
Tissy Rutland Sanders*
Betty Spiker**
Chris Sciarrone**
Construction of The Artisan’s first phase, at the corner of West Ponce de
Leon Avenue and Commerce Drive
DECATUR DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1982-2007 • 15
Decatur, the County Seat of DeKalb County, Georgia . . . is
suburban to Atlanta, being only six miles from the center of
the city. The majority of the residents of Decatur are engaged
in business or professional life in Atlanta, while their homes are
in Decatur, where they enjoy to the fullest extent its unexcelled
educational and social advantages, its ideal healthful
location, its fresh beauty and picturesqueness, and the perfect
environment – so essential to any real home.
— from a brochure titled Decatur: An Ideal Place to Live, 1911
Thank You
City Commissioners
(1982)
Robert E. Carpenter, Mayor
T.P. O’Callaghan, Mayor pro
tem
Candler M. Broom
Marion H. Cunningham
William F. Mealor
Neighborhood
Representatives
Jo Deck
Alan Harvey
Richard Huber
Valerie Maier
Wes Saunders
Louise Thrower
DeKalb County Board of
Commissioners
Manual Maloof, Chairman
Liane Levetan
Robert Lanier
Jean Williams
James Patterson
Gary Moon
Brince Manning, III
DeKalb County
Representative
Nancy Nolan
CBD Redevelopment
Task Force
Lyn Deardorff, chairperson
Gordon Anderson
William H. Breen, Jr.
I.W. Carmack
Anne Estes
Peter H. Giles
Brad Glenn
John F. Ingram
John Joyner
Charles McKinney
Mel Mobley
Allen Moye
Dennis Patterson
Whit Smith
Wales Thomas
John Weitnauer
William W. Woolf
Participating Citizens
and Business Community
Philip Anderson
Wiley Ansley
John B. Antonoplos
Rose B. Antonoplos
Robert E. Atwater, Jr.
Mark Bagget
W.J. Bryan Ball, Jr.
Emile Baran
Frank C. Barber
Mrs. Frank C. Barber
Janie Benson
Diana Berman
Marc Berman
Jim Bitting
Shirley Bitting
Hazel Brown
Michael Brown
Ron Brown
Bob Buckner
Franklin Burke
Bill Butler
Hartford Campbell
Catherine Carter
Harry Clark
Mary Clark
Mayo B. Clark
Norman Coffman
Decatur’s 1982 Town Center Plan
was prepared by the
Decatur Square Development Team
Pope & Land Enterprises Inc.
Urban Design Associates
Uniplan
Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback and Associates
W. G. Conway & Co.
Wilbur Smith and Associates
The 1982 Town Center Plan was the result of the efforts of many people who spent
long hours in meetings generating thoughts and ideas that have helped shape our city
over the last 25 years. Their lasting contributions are most gratefully acknowledged.
David Crenshaw
John Perry Cripe
Jeff Davis
Bill Deck
Barbara Denton
Bill Denton
David Digby
Mrs. L.E. DeLoach
Audrey Earles
Steve Edwards
Ed Ellis
Ron Everett
Lynn Farmer
Gordon French
William E. Green, Jr.
Mandy Griffin
Mrs. C.W. Gowing
Dr. C.W. Gowing
Sam Guest
Robert P. Guyton
Craig Hall
Bill Hamilton
Ellen M. Hammer
J. Robin Harris
Clark Harrison
Thomas Hollingsworth
Don Hooten
William D. Hosford
Richard Huber
Bob Hughes
Pam Hughes
E. Ingram
Curtis A. James
Lamb Johnston
Tom Keating
Christopher Kingsbury
Joe Kusmik
Joe Laseter
Bob Leitch
Nancy Leitch
W.W. Lewis
Michael H. Lott
Linda Lurwig
Thomas Maier
Carolyn Maifeld
Steve Manson
Bill Markert
Vic Maslia
Ham McAfee
Eugene McCord
Jules McCurdy
Barbara McGee
John McGee
Robert McMahon
Art Medlan
Louise Medlan
Bill Merritt
Mrs. Bill Merritt
Jim Miller
Moe Miller
Kenneth Montgomery
Thomas E. Moody
Michael E. Moore
Larry Morris
Bob Nagel
Don Nash
Jim Nevin
Lillian Newman
Ray Nixon
Scott Norman
William C. Painter, Jr.
Linda Parry
Pat Pattillo
Dennis Pitters
Susan Purdom
Wayne M. Purdom
Cathy Reader
Carl Renfroe
Mae Renfroe
William H. Rice
Scott Robinson
Jean Rooks
Lynne Rosner
Bob Rutland
Bill St. Clair
Bonnie Saltzman
Jim Sanders
Stephen Saunders
Wes Saunders
Hyman Schlossenberg
Bedros Sharian
Lillian Sharian
Nancie Sill
Kerry Smith
Jeanne McCord Snipes
Powell Snipes
Porter Spangler
Herman Spratlin
Mrs. Jack A. Star
Jim Sullivan
Chuck Sylvester
Louis Taratoot
Sue Tharpe
Doug Thompson
Jerry Thompson
Leonard Thrower
E.S. Travis
Art Waaland
Dave Wade
Alwilder Wallace
Helen E. Walsh
John Weathers
Mrs. Horace T. Webb
Parlin Wesley, Jr.
James West
Fred Wheeler
Bob Williams
Huw S. Williams
Wheat Williams, Jr.
Elizabeth Wilson
Penny Rush Wistrand
Harry Wistrand
E.P. Yorpp