City Haul

Urbanism and transit at street level

Photo Post
The Atlanta Civic Center could be coming to the end of its life as a place to see a show and becoming a place to film one. Saporta Report and the AJC reported last week on the results of a CAP and ADID-funded study that found that the 47-year-old facility is showing its age can’t compete with newer, larger venues. The firm hired to evaluate the building’s prospects also concluded that, without major changes, the Civic Center will need to be subsidized by the city to stay afloat financially. One recommendation to keep the building from going permanently into the red is to convert it a full-time production facility for the state’s fast-growing film and TV industry. The Civic Center’s 18-acre campus sits directly across Ralph McGill Boulevard from Georgia Power’s black glass tower. It’s hard to tell whether the building’s neighborhood has more working for it or against it - vacant buildings across from new apartments, an empty lot across from a park, petty crime and panhandling across from restaurants - all of it along five lanes of one-way traffic on Piedmont Avenue. Converting the facility from one that’s active about 10 percent of the year to one that’s in constant use would benefit the entire immediate area. View high resolution

The Atlanta Civic Center could be coming to the end of its life as a place to see a show and becoming a place to film one.

Saporta Report and the AJC reported last week on the results of a CAP and ADID-funded study that found that the 47-year-old facility is showing its age can’t compete with newer, larger venues. The firm hired to evaluate the building’s prospects also concluded that, without major changes, the Civic Center will need to be subsidized by the city to stay afloat financially.

One recommendation to keep the building from going permanently into the red is to convert it a full-time production facility for the state’s fast-growing film and TV industry.

The Civic Center’s 18-acre campus sits directly across Ralph McGill Boulevard from Georgia Power’s black glass tower. It’s hard to tell whether the building’s neighborhood has more working for it or against it - vacant buildings across from new apartments, an empty lot across from a park, petty crime and panhandling across from restaurants - all of it along five lanes of one-way traffic on Piedmont Avenue. Converting the facility from one that’s active about 10 percent of the year to one that’s in constant use would benefit the entire immediate area.

Posted in atlanta civic center downtown
Photoset Post

downtownatlanta:

Here are some photos from this morning’s Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge ceremony celebrating Atlanta Gas Light’s achievements on the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. 

Through participation in the Atlanta BBC, the Atlanta Civic Center has already created 89 jobs, and has saved the all-electric facility $93,000 in utility costs of the past six months (and it is projected to save the City $200,000 annually.)

Keep up the great work in making our city center more sustainable! 


Predictions that the civic center might be on its way to being mothballed were apparently premature, as the city chose “fix up” rather than “tear down.”

With everything else going on (and not going on) in that corner of Bedford Pine, there’s not a lot to indicate that the neighborhood’s turnaround is imminent. Preparing the civic center for more years of use will at least head off the creation of yet another vacant building or lot - something in plentiful supply just to the north and south of the civic center site.

Posted in atlanta downtown civic center better buildings challenge
Photo Post
I’ve gone in or out of this station at least 10 times every week for more than two years now. Yet only after having taken this photo did I realize that something’s just a liiiiiitle bit off with that sign. View high resolution

I’ve gone in or out of this station at least 10 times every week for more than two years now. Yet only after having taken this photo did I realize that something’s just a liiiiiitle bit off with that sign.

Posted in marta civic center sign mistake spelling station
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