Proposed Buckhead Park Draws Praise, Skepticism
A much-watched proposal to develop a park between the Atlanta Financial Center and the Lenox Road/Buckhead Loop, which would stretch over portions of Georgia 400, could “change the course of Buckhead forever,” according to Edens vice president Herbert Ames.
Ames was part of a panel of developers and brokers at Bisnow's Buckhead Update Wednesday morning, and his comments came after Buckhead CID executive director Jim Durrett spoke of a need for a “central gathering place of significance” in Buckhead earlier that morning.
Durrett said the CID will wrap up its feasability study on the park by this summer before deciding how to move forward with its plans.
Tishman Speyer managing director Chris Ahrenkiel said he spent time recently on the Atlanta Beltline and noted that “Buckhead doesn't have that kind of feel,” adding “Buckhead has one of the least amount of park space per capita in the country.”
But Coro Realty Advisors' John Lundeen — who is also vice chairman of the CID — expressed skepticism that the park's multimillion-dollar price tag is the only answer to add more green space in Atlanta's financial hub. A previous report by Atlanta INtown suggests the cost could range from $195M to $245M.
“The question is how do we pay for it. And there's no answer for that yet,” Lundeen said.
UPDATE FEB. 23 5:52 p.m.: The story was updated with more recent renderings of Buckhead CID's proposed public park.
