City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix A 5 and 15 Year Implementation Project Lists
DORAVILLE LCI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Transportation Projects
Project Name
Description
Type of
Improvement
Engineering Year Engineering Cost ROW Year
ROW Cost
Five Year Transportation
Projects
Town Center Area Intersection
Improvements Central @ New
Peachtree
New Peachtree Roadway and
Safety Enhancements
New Peachtree at Central Ave, New Peachtree at Park Ave. Buford Hwy at Park Ave
ADA ramps, mast arm signals, pedestrian countdown timers, textured crosswalks,
signage
Non-Peak hour Parking on 4 lane segment, from South of MARTA station to
Clearview Ave. Striping, signage meters, signal optimization. Class 3 on-street Bike
route
Pedestrian
Pedestrian
New Peachtree Sidewalks - 4
Lane Area
Primary streetscape. sidewalks (10'), lighting, trees (30') street furniture.
Consolidate telephone and cable with electric utilities
Pedestrian
Sidewalks to Schools
Improved sidewalks connecting Schools south of Buford Highway to Town Center,
MARTA
Primary streetscape. sidewalks (10'), lighting, trees (30') street furniture
Primary Streetscape. sidewalks (10'), lighting, trees (30'), street furniture
Pedestrian
Buford Highway Streetscape
Oakmont Avenue Extension
New Peachtree Sidewalks - 2
Lane/Shallowford Area
Shallowford Road Sidewalks
MARTA Parking Deck
$74,000
2008
0
2006
$44,000
2008
0
2006
$2,500
2008
$0
Complete
Complete
2008
$100,000
2007
$462,000
2009
$270,000
Roadway
MARTA Pedestrian Improvements Improve signs directing to pedestrian entrances from Central & Park. Create a
covered walkway from deck to station. Remove interior fencing, restrict fencing to
outer perimeter of station and busway. Remove out-of-date signs.
Shallowford Road and New
Realign intersection of Shallowford Road and New Peachtree Road and improve
Peachtree pedestrian and
pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and signalization
intersection safety improvements
Central Avenue Sidewalks
Park Avenue Sidewalks
2006
Roadway/
Pedestrian
Pedestrian
Pedestrian
2008
$40,000
2010
$200,000
2008
$220,880
2010
$210,000
2008
$216,480
2010
$130,000
2008
$100,000
2010
$0
Install street trees every 30' on inside of sidewalk with property owner permission.
Work with non-profit Trees Atlanta on tree installation. City will purchase trees, nonprofit will install.
Pedestrian
New 2 lane road with sidewalks connecting Buford Highway & New Peachtree, 2
Intersection improvements.
Primary streetscape. Sidewalks (8'), lighting, trees (30'), street furniture. Consolidate
telephone and cable with electric utilities.
Roadway/
Pedestrian
Pedestrian
2008
$240,000
2010
$1,500,000
2009
$484,000
2011
$460,000
Secondary Streetscape. sidewalks (8'), trees (30'), street furniture.
Develop 400 space parking deck to replace surface parking needed for
redevelopment. Parking deck can replace old parking deck location.
Pedestrian
2009
$216,480
2011
$700,000
2009
$1,170,000
2011
$0
King Street, Church Drive streetscapes & sidewalks.
Pedestrian
Urban Design
Fifteen Year Transporation
Projects
Town Center Area Local
Sidewalks
Pinetree Plaza Extension
New 2 lane road with sidewalks connecting Buford Highway & Shallowford, 2
Intersection improvements.
Buford Highway at Pinetree Plaza Mast arm signals, pedestrian countdown timers, textured crosswalks, signage.
Pedestrian Crossing
Alternative to intersection relocation with Pinetree Plaza Extension project.
Enhancements
Roadway/
Pedestrian
Pedestrian
Long Term
$28,000
Long Term
$100,000
Long Term
$226,000
Long Term
$850,000
Long Term
$24,000
Long Term
$0
DORAVILLE LCI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Transportation Projects
Project Name
Construction
Year
Construction
Cost
Total Project
Cost
Cost Range
Responsible
Party
Funding Source
Local Source
Match & Amount
Five Year Transportation
Projects
Town Center Area Intersection
Improvements Central @ New
Peachtree
New Peachtree Roadway and
Safety Enhancements
2009
$370,000
$444,000
High
City Staff, Dekalb
County, GDOT
LCI
$88,800
2009
$220,000
$264,000
High
City Staff
LCI
$52,800
2009
$10,000
$12,500
Low
MARTA
LCI
$0
Shallowford Road and New
Peachtree pedestrian and
intersection safety improvements
2009
$690,000
$790,000
High
City Staff, Dekalb
County
TIP/Doraville/HOST
$790,000
New Peachtree Sidewalks - 4
Lane Area
2010
$2,310,000
$3,042,000
High
City Staff
LCI
$608,400
MARTA Pedestrian Improvements
Sidewalks to Schools
Central Avenue Sidewalks
Park Avenue Sidewalks
2011
$200,000
$440,000
High
City Staff
LCI
$88,000
2011
$1,104,400
$1,535,280
High
City Staff
LCI
$307,056
2011
$1,082,400
$1,428,880
High
City Staff
LCI
$285,776
2011
$200,000
$300,000
High
City Staff
2011
$1,200,000
$2,940,000
High
City Staff/GDOT
LCI
$588,000
2012
$2,420,000
$3,364,000
High
City Staff
LCI
$672,800
2012
$1,082,400
$1,998,880
High
City Staff
LCI
$399,776
2012
$7,800,000
$8,970,000
High
MARTA
LCI
$0
Long Term
$140,000
$268,000
High
City Staff
LCI
$53,600
Long Term
$1,130,000
$2,206,000
High
City Staff/GDOT
LCI
$441,200
Long Term
$120,000
$144,000
Medium
City Staff/GDOT
LCI
$28,800
Buford Highway Streetscape
Oakmont Avenue Extension
New Peachtree Sidewalks - 2
Lane/Shallowford Area
Shallowford Road Sidewalks
MARTA Parking Deck
$300,000
Fifteen Year Transporation
Projects
Town Center Area Local
Sidewalks
Pinetree Plaza Extension
Buford Highway at Pinetree Plaza
Pedestrian Crossing
Enhancements
DORAVILLE LCI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Other Five Year Projects
Housing Projects
Project Name
Description
Affordable housing incentives
Integrate into zoning overlays. Coordinate with Dekalb County programs.
Emphasize mixed income developments with part subsidized, part market rate
projects. Explore senior affordable housing opportunities with non-profit developers.
Available property list
Code enforcement strategy
Prepare an inventory of existing sites/buildings within the core redevelopment area
that includes ownership, condition, use, value of land, lease rates/term es,tc. Update
regularly.
Review current code and survey residents for code enforcement priorities. Educate
citizens on the current code and provide a phone number and internet form for them
to submit code complaints. Create a top ten list of trouble properties and focus on
these properties until issues are resolved.
Cost
Cost Range
Year
Responsible Party
Funding Source
None. Part of
zoning overlay
project.
Low
2006
City Staff/Community
Development
Corporations
Not applicable
Staff time
Low
2006
City Staff
City Budget
Medium
2007
City Staff
City Budget
Cost Range
Year
Responsible Party
Funding Source
$50,000
Medium
2006
City Staff/Consultant/
Georgia DCA
$20,000
Low
2006
City Staff/Consultant/
Georgia DCA
Part of town
center/Buford Hwy
overlay cost
Low
2006-2008
City Staff/Consultant
Not applicable
Staff resources
Low
2006
City Council
City Budget
$3,000 annual
Low
2006
City Staff
City Budget
$2,000
Low
2006
City Staff
City Budget
Medium
2006
City Council
City Budget
Low
2006-2010
City Staff
City Budget
$10,000 annual
Other Local Initiatives
Project Name
Description
New town center overlay + design Regulate building location, orientation, height, bulk, parking location, mixed use,
guidelines
small business set aside, ground floor retail, streetscape requirments, materials,
scale, banned uses. Town center area will be predominantly residential over retail
and civic land uses.
Public amenity design guidelines Identify preferred style of sign system, lighting, furniture, trash cans, kiosks, etc.
Consistent street furniture for entire study area. Can be part of the town center
overlay project.
Developer development
guidelines
Commercial rezoning
Create downtown Doraville map
and circulate
Create LCI plan pamphlet
Create staff positions for LCI
implementation
Redevelopment of New
Peachtree
New overlay guidelines should be summarized into an easy to understand, highly
graphic document to illustrate design principles to developers. Document should be
downloadable from city website.
Rezone properties east of Buford Highway to be a maximum of 8 stories, permit
mixed use, and create a transitional height plane to single family residential.
Create an illustrative, simplified map with major retail and civic destinations.
Emphasize walking routes between destinations. Distribute the map at City Hall, the
library, at the MARTA station and online. Update map annually.
Circulate LCI pamphlet to help developers and citizens understand the LCI vision and
implementation plan.
Create 2 staff positions with qualified personnel to oversee LCI plan implementation.
A community development director and a support person with grant-writing skills
have often been used to fill this role.
Prioritize early redevelopment on New Peachtree, Park, and Central corridors.
Cost
$60,000/ year
Staff resources
City Budget/Georgia
DCA Office of
Downtown
Development
City Budget/Georgia
DCA Office of
Downtown
Develeopment
DORAVILLE LCI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Project Name
Description
Design gateway elements & sign Design and install gateway elements at identified locations.
system for key locations
Establish planning commission for A planning commission can review development proposals to ensure they are
design review in overlay districts consistent with articulated design standards in overlays. The commission is purely
advisory, with final decisions in the hands of city council. Planning commissions
normally have monthly meetings and are staffed by citizen volunteers.
Incorporate a 'Doraville
International' section into existing
newsletter
Redevelopment of US post office
parcel
Acquire Flowers Park parkland
Brownfield testing and mitigation
Business recruitment strategy
Include a section about the many cross-cultural offerings of Doraville, including
restaraunts, shops, events, non-profits, education, etc. Circulate the newletter at City
Hall, the library, and online.
Work with USPS to promote redevelopment of this key site.
Acquire current undeveloped land at northern edge of First Baptist for future park.
Total park acreage approximately 1.0 acre, acquistion about 0.4 acre.
Based on past land uses, compile a list of properties that may need brownfield
testing. Prioritize list based on estimated risk and value for redevelopment. Work
with county and US EPA to obtain resources for remediation.
Develop a business recruitment strategy based on competitive advantages of
location, transportation access, and international image. Consider nearby resources
such as Peachtree Dekalb Airport, Emory/CDC, and the International Village.
Coordinate with available property list.
Buford Highway overlay + design Regulate building location and orientation, mixed use, parking requirements,
guidelines
buffering requirements, streetscape requirements, signage, access management,
interparcel access, bulk and height, materials, etc.
Police parking
Construct a parking area for police and other city vehicles on current pool site.
Create landscaped buffers as appropriate to encourage development along edges.
Because of poor access and visibility, this site is poorly suited to other uses.
Cost
Cost Range
Year
Responsible Party
Funding Source
Medium
2007
City Staff
City Budget
Staff resources
Low
2007
City Council/ City Staff
City Budget
Staff resources
Low
2007
City Staff, APACS
City Budget
Revenue generating
Low
2007
City Staff
Not applicable
$160,000
High
2008
City Council
Dekalb County
Greenspace, Blank
Foundation
Staff resources
High
2008
City Staff
EPA Brownfields
Funds
$20,000
Dekalb Economic
Development, Georgia
City Staff/Georgia
Hispanic Chamber of
Tech Economic
Commerce, Korean
Development Institute
Chamber of
Commerce, City
Budget
$25,000
Medium
2008
$50,000
Medium
2008
City Staff/Consultant
City Budget
$300,000
High
2008
City Staff
City Budget
DORAVILLE LCI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Project Name
Description
City center parking deck
Construct about 80 space parking deck between CPACS and the Police Station to
replace parking lost to future Town Square Park and to meet needs of future
government center.
Create an entrance feature with planting design around Motors Industrial Way and I285 ramp entrances and exits. Conduct regular maintenance. Coordinate with
GDOT as necessary.
Move utility lines off New
Relocate or bury high-voltage utility lines off New Peachtree to alternate location.
Peachtree
Coordinate with New Peachtree streetscape.
Town Square Park
Design new town square park in parking area currently between city hall, the library,
and the courthouse building. Find alternative parking location such as Salvation
Army or civic center for library patrons, or construct parking deck (See 'city center
parking deck' project in this list).
Annual Asian community day
Celebrate Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian communities in town center
area. Consider organizing a joint festival with Chamblee.
Annual Hispanic community day Celebrate Hispanic community in town center area. Consider joint festival with
Chamblee.
International shuttle
Support a jointly operated shuttle between Peachtree Dekalb Airport, Chamblee
MARTA, International Village, Doraville MARTA, and the proposed Gwinnett County
Chinatown on Peachtree Industrial.
Redevelopment of MARTA parcel Work with MARTA to redevelop key surface parking areas into mixed use with first
floor retail. Select a site along New Peachtree with easy access for MARTA patrons
and Doraville city staff.
Sale of surplus land I
Once necessary land is acquired and set aside for public facilities and parks, surplus
city-owned land can be sold to promote private redevelopment of area. Possible
early sites for surplus: UGA extension center, parking site east of Police Station.
Public facility plans should be complete to ensure that sufficient land is in place for
future public facilities.
Cost
Cost Range
Year
Responsible Party
Review regulations governing taxis with public comment. Revise regulations as
needed.
City Budget/ Georgia
DCA Downtown
Development
Revolving Loan
Fund/CDBG Funds
City Budget/GDOT
Transportation
Enhancement Funds
$1,200,000
High
2009
City Staff
$15,000
Low
2009
City Staff
Unknown
Medium/High
2009
City Staff/Georgia
Power
City Budget
$250,000
Medium
2009
City Staff
Dekalb County
Greenspace, Blank
Foundation
$10,000 annual
Medium
2010
City Staff/ Volunteers
City Budget
$10,000 annual
Medium
2010
City Staff/ Volunteers
City Budget
$50,000
Medium
2010
Private developers
Private/public
partnership
None
Low
2010
MARTA/City Staff
Not applicable
Revenue generating
Low
2010
City Staff/City Council
Not applicable
Staff resources
Low
2010
City Staff
Not applicable
Interstate gateway
Taxi regulation review
Funding Source
DORAVILLE LCI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Project Name
Description
Cost
Cost Range
Year
Responsible Party
Funding Source
$3,000,000+
High
Long Term
City Council/City
Staff/GDOT
Bonds
Staff resources
Low
Long Term
City Staff
Not applicable
Staff resources
Low
Long Term
City Staff
Not applicable
Medium
Long Term
City Staff
Dekalb County
Greenspace, Blank
Foundation
High
Long Term
City Council/City Staff
Bonds/Dekalb
County/CDBG Funds
Low
Long Term
City Staff/City Council
Not applicable
Medium
Long Term
City Staff
City Budget
Other Fifteen Year Projects
Acquire land for new community
facilities
Shared parking with BellSouth
Shared parking with MARTA
Flowers Park
Construct new consolidated
government center
Sale of surplus land II
Relocate pool
Acquire land on east side of Buford Highway for small park and community facilities.
Coordinate with GDOT realignment of roadway and pedestrian crossing
improvements.
Establish contacts with BellSouth so that shared parking arrangements may be
feasible for new office or civic development in the future. For example, BellSouth
deck could be used by Doraville City Hall employees.
Establish contacts with MARTA so that shared parking arrangements may be feasible
during evening and weekend hours. This could be useful for future downtown
festivals or restaurants.
Flowers Park can be developed on the site between First Baptist and the UGA
extension building, with access from New Peachtree. A pedestrian connection
should be designed linking this park with the Town Square Park, possibly through the
parking deck stair system. Flowers Park and the Town Square Park will form a pair
of parks on facing slopes.
$250,000
Consolidate mulitple government functions under one roof, such as city hall, civic
center, courts, clinics, etc. at current civic center site. Build an off-site deck adjacent
$8,000,000
to the police station for parking.
Once necessary land is acquired and set aside for public facilities and parks, surplus
city-owned land can be sold to promote private redevelopment of area. Possible
sites for surplus after construction of government center: Existing city hall land, city
Revenue generating
court land, medical clinic land. Public facility plans should be complete to ensure that
sufficient land is in place for future public facilities.
Relocate pool and possibly other community facilities to east side of Buford Highway.
Incorporate pedestrian and bike access into design.
Undetermined
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix B Public Participation
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Kick Off Meeting
June 7, 2005
Cary Reynolds Elementary School
3498 Pine Street
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Attendance:
Fifty-one citizens and stakeholders from the Doraville community signed in to the kick off
meeting. In addition nine members of the consultant team were present.
Introductions:
Mayor Ray Jenkins kicked off the meeting. From the prime consultant EDAW, Ray
Strychalski, Patrick Peters, Louis Merlin, Chao Wang, Chang Lee were introduced. From
the transportation consultant Grice, John Funny, Jonathan Gelber, and Alex Geiger were
introduced. From Ventana marketing, Fabricio Lopez was introduced.
Urban Land Institute Smart Growth Presentation:
Jim Durrett of the Urban Land Institute gave a presentation on Smart Growth. The
presentation explained who belongs to the Urban Land Institute and how they define the
term “Smart Growth.” Mr. Durrett explained the unintended consequences of our current
growth patterns in the Atlanta region. Then he detailed the principals and objectives of
Smart Growth. In particular, he explained the value of mixed-use, mixed income, and
denser development in the appropriate locations. More information about the Urban Land
Institute is available at www.uli.org.
Overview Presentation:
Pat Peters delivered an overview presentation for the Kick-Off meeting. This presentation
explained the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) program, its benefits and requirements. The
presentation also detailed the phases of the plan and the opportunities for public input.
Next, Mr. Peters presented a brief set of observations about the existing conditions of the
study area, including an aerial photograph of the study area.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Question and Answer:
During and after Mr. Peters presentation, a number of questions were asked by meeting
participants.
Question: What is the consultant team’s experience with Livable Centers Initiative
studies?
Answer: EDAW has completed four LCI studies. Grice has completed eight or more LCI
studies.
Question: Do projects from LCI studies actually ever get implemented?
Answer: Some projects from earlier LCI studies are already under construction. Rob
LeBeau of the Atlanta Regional Commmission (ARC), talked in detail about the LCI
program. The ARC has set aside $500 million to fund projected from LCI studies, but
rewards money to communities based on how well they have implemented their LCI
study as a whole. More information about the ARC and the LCI program are available at
www.atlantaregional.com.
Question: How did the City of Decatur transform their community to a thriving, mixeduse community so rapidly?
Answer: Actually, the City of Decatur completed its plan in the mid-1980’s and has been
working on implementation consistently ever since that time. Long-term dedication to
their vision is starting to create major results.
Question: How should we reach out to other demographics who are not in attendance
at this meeting?
Answer: We are trying a number of techniques to reach out to minority communities.
A member of the consulting team specializes in Hispanic markets, and he will be
conducting a Spanish-only session about the LCI study. We have translated flyers
and surveys into Korean, Spanish, and Chinese, and we are working on Vietnamese
translations. We intend to use other forums, such as one-on-one interviews, to reach
out to these communities. An online survey in multiple languages is available at:
http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/20018/doraville-lci.htm.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Question: How will this study address illegal immigration?
Answer: We are obligated to attempt to reach out to all stakeholders that are currently in
the community. The study primarily addresses physical development of the community and
illegal immigration will not be addressed directly.
John Lee, a member of the Asian American business community, stood up and noted
that there are 800 Korean businesses between Shallowford Road and Jimmy Carter. He
explained that he had been working with the Dekalb County Chamber of Commerce for
10 years on a project named the “International Village,” and he urged that this project be
considered as part of the LCI study.
SWOT Exercise:
All meeting attendees were provided four colored post-it notes. They were asked to
write down one strength, one weakness, one opportunity, and one threat and post their
comments on large boards for other members of the meeting to see. Meeting attendees
were invited to look at other people’s comments to gain a better understanding of the
multiple strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats facing the community.
Open Discussion:
After the formal meeting ended, citizens, consultants, and other stakeholders broke into
small informal discussions.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Attachment A - Strengths-Weaknesses, Opportunities-Threats Analysis
Kick-off meeting attendees were asked to evaluate the study area within the City
of Doraville for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. There was
wide agreement on Strengths and Weaknesses, but more varying points of view on
Opportunities and Threats.
Strengths:
–MARTA rail station, especially Doraville’s location as the end of the MARTA line and so the
most accessible station for anyone north or east of Doraville.
–Location - intown location with good access to other parts of Atlanta, good access to major
interstates (I-285, I-85)
–Transformations in Chamblee with new development present similar opportunities for
Doraville
–Diversity - a diverse community, with diverse businesses, services, and residents
Weaknesses:
–Poor pedestrian amenities, including sidewalks, safety, access, lack of trees and lack of
street crossings
–Poor aesthetics - especially strip malls, lack of code enforcement, lack of streetscapes,
sprawl
–Retail and restaraunt variety to meet the needs of all residents
–Physical barriers created within the city by I-285 and Buford Highway
–Lack of a downtown/destination
–Current plan lacks clear goals and objectives
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Opportunities:
–A livable downtown Doraville
–Transit-oriented development
–Increasing the participation of all the diverse cultures in place
–More public spaces, such as parks, courtyards, outdoor markets, etc.
–New sidewalks
–New bike trails
–Improved image/appearance
–Better land use arrangements
–New housing opportunities
–New employment opportunities
–New services - shops, cafes, groceries, restaraunts, gift shops
Threats:
–Resistance to change
–Lack of community involvement
–Lack of communication between different segments of the community
–Lack of understanding of the LCI program by diverse segments of the community
–Lack of follow through/ implementation/ enforcement
–Industrial abandonment
–Government condemnation of property
–Traffic congestion
–An exclusive/ gentrified community
–Loss of existing greenspace
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Community Workshop
July 21, 2005
Doraville Civic Center
3700 Central Avenue
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Attendance:
Forty five stakeholders attended the workshop. There was strong representation from
both the residential and the business community, as well as good representation from
several minority communities. Six consultants were available to present material, answer
questions, and conduct workshop exercises. A few media outlets were present, including a
local Korean TV station.
Introductions:
Mayor Ray Jenkins kicked off the meeting by welcoming participants. Pat Peters
introduced steering committee members in attendance, elected officials, and the consultant
team.
Existing Conditions Presentation:
The existing conditions presentation set the ground for the participant exercises later in the
workshop. The complete presentation is available in Adobe Acrobat Reader format on the
EDAW ftp website. From www.edaw.com/ftp, select “Public Folders,” then “Atlanta,”, then
“DoravilleLCI,” then “Community Workshop.” The presentation can then be selected for
download. The topics covered in the presentation were the following:
Demographics
Residents
Employment
Existing Land Use (including map)
Existing Zoning
Transportation
Major roads, traffic volumes, & congestion
Safety
Pedestrian Issues
Public Transit
Planned Projects
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Urban Design
Real Estate Market
Residential Rental
Residential For Sale
Retail - Occupancy and new construction
Organizational resources of City of Doraville
Mixed Use
Transit Oriented Development
Types of Transit Oriented Development
Question and Answer:
During and after Mr. Peters presentation, a number of questions were asked by meeting
participants.
Question: Can we look to Brookhaven as a model for Transit-Oriented Development?
Answer: Yes, the Brookhaven transit station is comparible in many ways. However
Brookhaven has experienced development pressure not just because of its proximity
to a MARTA station, but also because of its proximity to high-end residential
neighborhoods. Also, the Brookhaven MARTA station is not very pedestrian friendly.
Question: Is the development that is currently going on in Chamblee spurred by their
LCI?
Answer: Yes, much of the development that is currently happening in Chamblee does
appear to be spurred by their LCI plan and their actions taken to implement their LCI
plan, including the creation of new zoning categories.
Question: Many tractor-trailers travel on I-285 and Buford Highway. Will this inhibit
redevelopment in Doraville?
Answer: Because Buford Highway is a major arterial, tractor-trailers and trucks will
continue to use it for transportation. However redevelopment is still possible on Buford
Highway, as well as on other roads that experience less truck traffic.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Question: Greenspace was not mentioned as part of the study. I do not want to see
Doraville become a concrete jungle.
Answer: Increasing greenspace and other kinds of public space is a goal of the LCI study.
By promoting redevelopment of existing developed properties, the LCI study seeks to
promote development while decreasing environmental impacts.
Question: Are pedestrian bridges across Buford Highway a possibility?
Answer: Our experience is that pedestrian bridges are rarely used voluntarily because of
the extra time and effort involved. Also pedestrian bridges are sometimes misused. It is
possible that a pedestrian bridge could be appropriate for a very specific situation, but we
will probably recommend using other techniques to make Buford Highway safer to cross.
Question: Are there any hotels in the study area?
Answer: Yes, there is currently a Comfort Inn on Clearview Avenue. A new hotel could be
part of the LCI redevelopment proposal if appropriate to the overall goals and themes of the
study.
Participant Exercises:
Next, the Community Workshop broke out into three tables to work on a variety of planning
exercises. Each table had a parcel map of the study area. Participants were able to
propose new land uses, the location of civic facilities, new parks, new roads, streetscape
improvements, and bike paths on these maps. Also, other general comments about how
the study area should redevelop were encouraged. At the end of this exercise, each table
reported out to the group, with a volunteer from each table explaining the main ideas of that
table.
A summary of the ideas and proposals from each table is provided below.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Table Ideas and Proposals:
Table 3
-Create a destination and a town square
-Redevelop civic uses and pool
-Create greenspace centered on creek
-Bicycle lanes are needed on New Peachtree & Shallowford
-MARTA parking lot is not inviting
-Encourage high density residential between commercial and low density residential east of
Buford Highway
-Increase connections between Buford Highway and New Peachtree
-Redevelop Pinetree Plaza into high density commercial
-Place mixed use in front of MARTA station
Table 2
-Create a destination and a town square
-Redevelop civic uses and pool and create new green space
-Promote mixed use along New Peachtree south of MARTA station
-Buford Highway should remain low density commercial
-Promote high density residential to the south of the study area
-Increase access management
-Create a greenway buffer with paths between commercial and single family residential
uses
-Create a green streetscape along Buford Highway
-Increase connections between Buford Highway and New Peachtree
Table 1
-Create greenspace in floodplains and drainage ways
-Develop mixed use 3-4 stories with residential above shops along New Peachtree
-High-end mixed use development at the high lands north of Central Avenue
-Encourage mixed income/affordable housing development
-Allow Buford Highway to have the same uses (restaurants) but move buildings up and
parking back, add plantings and greenery and reduce access points for safer & better traffic
flow
-Place a civic center and plaza in center of town
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Open House
October 26, 2005
Doraville Civic Center
3770 Central Avenue
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Attendance:
Forty-nine citizens and stakeholders from the Doraville community signed in to the kick
off meeting. It is estimated that over eighty stakeholders were in attendance, with a
particularly good representation from the Korean community. In addition six members of
the consultant team were present.
Open House Format:
The Open House format allowed stakeholders to become familiar with the background and
the proposals of the Doraville LCI study at their own pace. Boards illustrated the planning
process, proposed land use changes, proposed streetscapes for New Peachtree and
Buford Highway, the town center concept, and a 3-D image of the overall LCI plan. Also,
two boards allowed stakeholders to ‘vote’ for their most favored projects (see Exercise
Results below). Consultants were available to answer questions and listen to stakeholder
comments.
Stakeholder Issues:
A variety of issues and concerns were brought up by stakeholders in attendance. Several
people present favored a sign ordinance to improve the image of Buford Highway. Many
Korean business owners spoke out against the idea of medians on Buford Highway.
Safety on Buford Highway was also a major concern, particularly the problem of trucks
overturning on the entrance and exit ramps of I-285 and Buford Highway. A few citizens
were concerned about the expense of the proposed demolition of existing civic facilities
and construction of new civic facilities. Several developers were in attendance, and were
interested in integrating their development ideas into the LCI plan. Other stakeholders
were interested in how they can be involved in the implementation of the LCI plan.
Exercise Results:
Stakeholders were each given $100 to spend on any of ten projects. By adding up the
total of all stakeholders’ money spent on each project, the most popular projects become
apparent. Overall, all of the streetscape projects were popular, with the most popular
project being streetscaping for Buford Highway. The design overlays for the town center
area and for Buford Highway were the second most popular set of projects. The Doraville
town center green and Doraville Gardens project was also well supported.
Two write-in projects were proposed by stakeholders:
1) Sidewalks connecting Tilly Mill to the elementary school
2) Rerouting tanker trucks away from Buford Highway and Longmire Road
Spend $100 on the following project list to help prioritize LCI implementation
Project Name
Buford Highway Streetscape
Project Description
Budget
$1,140
Install street trees every 30' on building side of sidewalk with property owner permission.
New Buford Highway overlay + Regulate urban design issues along the Buford Highway corridor including building location
design guidelines
and orientation, mixed use, parking requirements, buffering requirements, streetscape
requirements, signage, access management, interparcel access, materials, etc.
New Peachtree Streetscapes
Primary Streetscape. Sidewalks, ramps, lighting, trees, benches, garbage cans, etc.
Reconfigure New Peachtree to allow parallel parking in the 4-lane area during non-peak
hours.
Park Avenue and Central
Primary Streetscape. Sidewalks, ramps, lighting, trees, benches, garbage cans, etc.
Avenue Streetscapes
$500
Doraville Gardens and
Neighborhood Connection.
Acquire land for a new passive greenspace park in the Doraville Town Center Area.
Connect neighborhoods east of Buford Highway to this area with an extension of Oakmont
Street. Design and develop Doraville Gardens park, including adjacent roadways and
Regulate urban design issues in the town center area including building location,
orientation, height, bulk, parking location, mixed use, ground floor retail, streetscape
requirements, materials, architectural style. Town center area will predominantly be
Consolidate city facilities into a single, central, architecturally prominent building at the top
of Central Avenue. Use the existing City Hall location to create a new town square with
greenspace and public gathering space.
Design and construct new, expanded library on lands east of Buford Highway. Also place
pool in this area. Include an open space element fronting Buford Highway in design.
Incorporate pedestrian and bike access from neighborhoods into design.
Relocate high-voltage utility lines off New Peachtree, possibly burying the utility lines.
Coordinate with New Peachtree Streetscape Project.
$360
International Shuttle
Support a jointly operated shuttle between PDK, Chamblee MARTA, International Village,
Doraville MARTA, and the proposed Gwinnett County Chinatown
$70
Other Project
Please write down the project you would like to fund on a 3x5" card and the amount you
would like to set aside for that project.
New town center overlay +
design guidelines
Town Square Development
Library and Pool Relocation
Project
New Peachtree Road Utility
Relocation
$470
$390
$330
$280
$260
$180
1) Sidewalks connecting Tilly
Mill to elementary school $40; 2) Reroute tanker
trucks away from Buford
Highway and Longmire Road
- $50
Complete project list is available for review in the draft LCI report under the Action Plan section.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Online Survey Summary
1.
What are your areas of knowledge or interest related to the Livable Centers Initiative
(i.e. land use, economic development, transportation, etc.)?
Stakeholder Type
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Homeowner
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Employee
Primary interest
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Interested in city center revitalization
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Interest in more mainstream services
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Transportation
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Land use
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Buford Highway improvements/front door
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Real estate
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Community services
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Business opportunities
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Multi-cultural access to community services
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Aestethics
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Safety
2.
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What recent events or activities or upcoming plans should we consider while working
on the plan? (i.e. Major developments, new businesses, new schools, new public
facilities, etc.)
Dekalb’s long range plans – no specifics
GM possible plant closing and possible fiscal impact on the City of Doraville
I-285 transit proposals
Current moratorium on development
Chamblee developments and revitalization
Chamblee International Village
Duluth China Town
Buford Highway Transit
Dekalb DOT proposal for Shallowford & New Peachtree
Sidewalk proposal for Buford Hwy
Brownfield meetings
General demand for living ‘inside the perimeter’
3.
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What are the main obstacles to redevelopment in the study area?
Lack of vision, lack of clear goals and objectives IIII
Flight path of Peachtree Dekalb Airport causes height limits
Perception of immigrant-only business environment
Poor public schools
Best land taken by low-density government buildings
Brownfields & industrial sites
Opposition to change
Land assemblage
Poor aesthetics and image
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
4.
What are the different stakeholder groups that use the Doraville MARTA station, and
how could their needs be better met both at the station and with redevelopment
around the station?
Stakeholders
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People going downtown and to the airport
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People going to events
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Commuters, especially from Gwinnett
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Bellsouth employees
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People without access to a car
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Immigrants
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Most people who own homes/cars do not use station
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Bus to rail riders
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Park and ride users
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Walk and ride users
Station Improvements
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Need for clean restrooms
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Better cleanliness, especially of elevator
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Clock
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Better orientation
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Improved transit service (reliability of trains)
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Transit line extensions
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Good place for taxi drivers exists
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Improved access/egress
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Better sidewalks with connections to Buford Highway
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Hard to find a parking space
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Greenspace or open space near the station
Redevelopment
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Doraville should be a destination, where transit commuters spend time
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Restaurants within walking distance
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Attractive shopping areas
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Coffee shops and bars
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Convenience shops for transit users
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Breakfast shop
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Groceries
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
5.
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Are there any examples of Transit Oriented Development that you are familiar with
that you feel can serve as models for the Doraville study area? (i.e. Lindbergh,
Decatur, etc.)
Decatur, Georgia (most popular)
Chamblee – MidCity district
Lindbergh Center
Atlantic Station
Washington DC area
Do not want to be a carbon copy.
Brunswick, Georgia
Wolfenbuttel Germany
Hanover, Germany
Eat and shop in the transit station
Lincoln, NE
Bloomington, IN
Shuttle buses between neighborhoods and shopping in Gatlinburg TN
6.
In your opinion, what would be the necessary outcome for you to consider this plan
ning effort a success?
Redevelopment
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Clear goals of what we want Doraville to look like in the future
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An economically feasible redevelopment plan, achievable in phases
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Live/work development with sidewalks, shops, and restaraunts
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Redevelopment
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Would not cost the taxpayers money unless they benefit from it
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Improved shopping and restaurant options
•
Agree on an exciting plan with support from property owners, users, government, the ARC,
and developers
Services
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Provide goods and services to all Doraville’s residents without catering to special interests
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New businesses that serve commuters and the community
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Publix or Kroger in Doraville
Transportation
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Transportation improvements
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Improvements to Buford Highway – streetscape, trees, etc
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More transportation alternatives
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Traffic calming
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Easy access to MARTA for commuter & local businesses
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Making it safe for pedestrians on Buford Hwy
Destination
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Destination/sense of downtown/sense of community
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Doraville should become a place you would want to stop on your way to somewhere else.
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Focus on citizen involvement
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New greenspace in the town center area
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
7.
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Which of these issues do you consider most important?
Economic development and redevelopment IIIIIIII
Pedestrian improvements & public realm improvements IIIIII
Future land use III
Public-private cooperation II
Increase residential options
Better housing across all incomes
Replace old industrial with redevelopment
Limiting expenses to taxpayers
8.
What strategies do you suggest for addressing these issues?
Organizational
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Hire city manager
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Work closely with other cities (i.e. Chamblee)
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Economic development team for GM plant
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Develop a citizen panel to oversee implementation
Public Process
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Continue public meetings and meet with private land owners
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Make it easy to participate by using the library and Hispanic community institutions
Planning & Redevelopment
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Create a redevelopment plan
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Revise land use ordinances to mirror improvements in Dekalb County’s ordinances
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More mixed use development
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Elderly friend design codes
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Need new condominium development
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Well planned mixed use development with public input
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Finding quality developers willing to take risk on a grander scale
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Provide an attractive, safe, strolling, dining and shopping environment. Living and shopping
within a 10 minute walk.
Pubic Improvements
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Streetscape & bikelanes for Buford Highway
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Seek state and regional funds for transportation improvements
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Increase transit connectivity with new routes
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Traffic light coordination and sensor improvements
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Sidewalk improvements in downtown area
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Pool improvements
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New common green
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Trolley down Buford Highway
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Transit connection to Northlake mall area
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Make signs in Spanish too
Financial
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Tax incentives for new development
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
9.
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What kinds of new residential development would be suitable for the study area?
Condominiums/lofts IIIIII
Townhomes – like those between Chamblee Tucker and Henderson Mill Road - IIII
Mixed use development III
Apartments – preference for higher end, garden apartments, midrise II
Retail over residential
Higher density single family
Green development
Trade off density for brownfield cleanup
Movie theatre, grocery stores, community activity center
10.
What kinds of new employment or business opportunities would be suitable for the
study area?
Employment
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Office over retail III
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Office near MARTA
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International fashion, design, import/export, IT, biotech
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Services businesses
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Trade schools
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Service sector, software
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Software businesses
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Employment opportunities
Services
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Restaurants IIIIII
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Grocery store II
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Businesses that serve resident homeowners
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Shops – flower shop, book stores, groceries, pharmacies, shoe shops,
newstands, office supply, doctors, etc.
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Things people walk to
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Professional offices (legal, medical)
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Retail strip centers that are not exclusively ethnic
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
11.
Where or what kind of public space improvements are most needed in the study area
(parks, plazas, public markets, bus shelters, etc.)
Urban Design Features
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All of the above
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Doraville identity builder
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Gateway features
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Consistent street lights and fencing
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Landscaping by businesses
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Make public safety building look and feel user friendly
Pedestrian
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Pedestrian improvements
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Sidewalks in residential areas
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Sidewalks and street plantings on Buford Highway
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Sidewalks
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Bike trails
Parks
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Parks II
Park for kids to play in
Plaza with fountains and a nice place to relax
Pocket parks
Parks for rest and recreation
Are people using existing parks? Why or why not?
Other
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New bus shelters III
New community center
Pool improvements
Bandstand
Arbor with vines
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
12.
How is the government center area currently used, and how could it be changed to
better serve the needs of Doraville residents?
Government Center Changes
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Consolidate buildings and create a city center for activities IIII
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Land is too valuable for these facilities – relocate III
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Move everything up the hill across from the library
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Could be changed into a more condensed space with sidewalks, streetlamps, store fronts
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Waste of space, underused
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Place police closer to MARTA, disburse police facilities
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This area is not at all inviting and not of the people
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More parking for court house
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Improve and maintain pool area
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Community center suitable for art shows, weddings, etc.
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Should be more pedestrian friendly
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Library is very underfunded, needs better and more materials and events.
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The government area is very nice
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Make the post office a true community post office
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All of this is the wrong location.
13.
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What do you think about the Buford Highway corridor and its role in relation to the
rest of Doraville?
Vital part of Doraville. Helps Doraville be a transportation hub.
A disgrace. No sidewalks, too much traffic, no pattern to development.
Incorporate a Doraville look on Buford Hwy.
New urbanism should not be applied to Buford Hwy because it is auto-oriented and road
capacity should not be limited.
Buford Hwy is our front door to our neighborhoods. It is ugly and a detriment to further
growth. Excessive signage, safety issues, large parking lots.
Ugly. It is the spine and major roadway. Poor image for the city.
High traffic, high visibility, high entertainment value. Should be an entertainment overlay
zone with high buildings.
Tacky.
Make it a showplace instead of an eyesore.
Excellent location for growth and cultivation
Doraville should highlight the diversity of the area and market it.
It’s a very good but ugly business community
Needs vast improvement
It’s the main artery of Doraville and needs help
I think that this area is not very attractive. It causes people from other areas not to come to
Doraville to shop and eat. Some people don’t feel safe around Buford Hwy.
It is a speedway. Plant it, put in sidewalks, slow it down.
One of the MOST detering factors for people considering living in Doraville
Buford Highway could be made more presentable with landscaping center islands, cross
walks, trees, sidewalks, signage improvements.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
14.
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What other people should we talk to in order to gather relevant information? Please
provide any contact information you have.
David Berears
Look to other cities as models – Austin, Denver, Lincoln NE, Kansas City
Shop owners and others who work in the area
GM plant manager
Halpern enterprises
School principals and PTA leaders
MARTA riders
Marvin Hancock with First Intercontinental Bank
Residents from before the 80’s who remember historic Buford Hwy
Harold Shin (Buford Highway Farmer’s Market)
Jack Halpern (Pine Tree Market)
John Gordon (Dekalb Economic Development)
Talk to the youth of the city
Talk to the citizens of Doraville.
Business owners
School parents
City of Tucker and Chamblee
15.
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What documents or websites should we review to gather information for the plan?
City of Doraville website
Buford Hwy website
NNA30340@yahoogroups.com
DVPG30340@yahoogroups.com
Unofficial city site
Northwoods Neighorhood Association Yahoo Group
ULI Ten Points to TOD Successful Infill Development
Look at Chamblee and Decatur as models
Look at Atlanta’s redevelopment plans
Agency Point of View
Doraville Town Center LCI
Hispanic Focus Group
After the Focus Group session, we have audited and reviewed the tapes with the coinciding
questions used in the group. Based on the information compiled from the questionnaires
and discussions we have drawn the following conclusions:
All participants are very interested with the development and improvement of the current
conditions of their city, especially on the related to the following subjects:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Transportation
Land Use
Economic Development
Lifestyle & Safety
Appearance
Racial Issues
The condensed opinions from this focus group study are listed below in order of relevance
for the participants:
1. Transportation
Doraville is in general a great area to live for Hispanics since is well located and the
transportation options to destinations outside Doraville are plentiful. There are clear
concerns related to the frequency of the MARTA trains over the weekend since they
still work or run errands on weekends.
Most participants agree that they like the fact that they can walk to most places in
Doraville, like stores, bus stops, Marta, etc.
The great majority of participants live in Doraville but work somewhere else, most of
these workers don’t know where they will end up working on a given day and they
like the fact that their employers can drop them at a Marta location and they can
come to the very center of Doraville.
10 out of 12 people in the group agreed that the location and transportation options
made them choose Doraville as their place to live.
Most participants agree that they would use bicycles if there were more paths to go
to the main areas, currently they think it is too dangerous and there is no driver
awareness of bicycle use in the area.
90 EAST Crossville Road– Roswell, GA 30075 – Phone 770-841-9969
www.ventanamktg.com
All participants agree that:
• All pedestrian areas are “bad”
• Traffic signals are NOT timed for pedestrians. A lady with children or an older
person can NOT possibly cross the street (Buford Hwy) in such short time.
• Vehicular right turns are especially dangerous for pedestrians since drivers
will turn even when the pedestrian light is green for people to cross the
street.
• Bicycle paths are VERY important since they can’t get Driver’s Licenses
• Bus stops could be better equipped so they can find shelter from the weather
while they wait for the bus.
• Taxis are too many and too expensive. Anybody can get a permit from the
city to stick a sign an ANY car and become a taxi service.
• Taxis are not regulated properly and they abuse the users.
• The bus service is good during the week but not on weekends
• The new bus service “Royal” is much better than all the others.
• Buses should go to the residential areas
Some participant’s comments:
“I live here because it is much closer to everywhere and because of the
transportation. Here we’re in the middle of everything and we have the I-285, the I85 and MARTA”
“I moved from Chamblee to Doraville, I have been working for many years on a
construction company and I don’t have a Driver’s License therefore I go to work in
the morning to the company and from there we go to the work locations that can be
in many areas of Atlanta or Alpharetta or any other place. From the work location I
can take a Bus and then take Marta straight here to Doraville, that’s is why I moved
to Doraville, when I lived somewhere else I had to take a taxi… like the other lady
said, here everything is at hand and you can take ‘transportation’ much easier and
quicker”
“I guess I can walk from school to Marta twice a day but one day I had to go to the
airport and that was a big problem… Marta is great and it goes all the way to the
Airport, but my problem is how to get from my house to Marta”
2. Land Use
Some participants commented on the fact that there are too many “Used car
dealerships” they suggested the city should stop giving so many permits to these
types of businesses and allocate the land to a big superstore like Wal-Mart or Target.
Participants also mentioned the lack of other services like pharmacies or Hospitals
(Clinics) in the region.
All participants agree that there are many small stores but not a major store where
you can do a one-stop shopping like Wal-Mart. They also expressed that because of
the nature of their jobs they need stores that are open 24 hours.
All participants agreed that residential options should be changed; most of them
cannot buy a house and feel the need for more apartments.
90 EAST Crossville Road– Roswell, GA 30075 – Phone 770-841-9969
www.ventanamktg.com
They also agreed that people that owns a house, town-home or condominium take
better care of the property; opposite to renters and transient people that don’t care
about the property and the image of the area in general. All participants agree that
some sort of ‘public image’ regulations should be implemented to avoid this problem.
Some participant’s comments:
“I believe that because Hispanics cannot get a Driver’s License -and we are many
here in Doraville- there should be a good medical center here in Doraville, instead of
so many used car dealerships”
“Many of us come here to work ‘temporarily’ and we are not interested in buying a
house” (it is more convenient for us to have apartments).
3. Economic Development
All participants believe that the city grants permits to ‘anybody’ that requests one
and this affects the economic development of the area. For example there are too
many taxis and too many used car dealerships.
Excessive taxis and lack of users creates a bad environment and pushes the prices
higher. The taxi drivers and company owners are the ones loosing at the end since
the business can not be profitable this way.
For all participants, Doraville is a residential area, a place where they all return to
rest and sleep. They all expressed that there’s no jobs in Doraville, maybe a big
store like Wal-Mart will offer some job opportunities for Hispanics in the area.
4. Lifestyle & Safety
All participants agree that:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Doraville is a place to live; most of them don’t work here and perceive the
city as a tranquil place to live. They relate tranquility with ‘safety’ (which is
common from Hispanic immigrants coming from politically unstable
countries).
The added safety is due to the proximity the City Hall and the gas station but
it’s not the same in the rest of the city in General.
They like the fact that they can find their foods and products from many
Latin-American countries at hand, they can easily go to restaurants, markets,
beauty salons, etc.
Would hope to see more parks and green areas where both kids and adults
can play.
They would love to see some of those gray and ugly looking car dealerships
gone and instead have some nice park where they can go to have fun and
relax.
The parks should offer some activities that take kids away from drug
addictions.
Not all Hispanics play soccer, so parks should offer other alternatives for
recreations and sports.
90 EAST Crossville Road– Roswell, GA 30075 – Phone 770-841-9969
www.ventanamktg.com
Not one in the group knew the existence of a pool near the City Hall and all believed
the existing park is a private property because is always closed or only used by
leagues or sport teams with uniforms.
It was also expressed by a few that the City Hall employees are all old people and
that new blood is needed; we need younger people with a fresh point of view that
can make some important changes in the City.
Some participant’s comments:
“Here in Doraville we have more security than in other places, like Chamblee, where
nobody can walk at night and will get beat and robbed, I have lived here in Doraville
for 1 year and I live in tranquility”
“They should have green areas in commercial zones so you can go shopping and stay
around, rest in a park, eat, etc… The should also make the parks and gardens more
appealing not only for children but also for adults and Senior citizens, you should be
able to exercise, ride a bicycle, skate and enjoy the street, because the street is not
only for transportation it is also good to live your life and enjoy”
“They say that Hispanics don’t exercise, we love to exercise but where? The parks
where there’s only a small area with 3 swings? We need an area where to exercise
(soccer fields or so) because the gyms are too expensive for us”.
5. Appearance
All participants agreed that:
• The general area looks ugly and disorganized
• There’s no plants, trees, it is all full of businesses
• There’s no uniformity on the streets on the commercial areas, the signs are
all different, with all colors, sizes and styles.
• They believe this can be consider “visual contamination”
• They should improve the public lights to increase safety and better
appearance.
• Traffic signals need to be re-organized
• More pedestrian areas needed
• Less businesses and more trees needed
• More green areas needed
Some participant’s comments:
“if you want that companies make investments in Doraville there must be a drastic
change”
“There has to be limits, there has to be measures, if you announce something. For
example, if my storefront is 8’ x 8’ I should not be able to put a sign that is 12’ x
10’.”
“When you’re coming here from the 109 or 104 streets you get into Doraville and it
looks ugly, horrible”
“When I tell people that I live in Doraville they think it is a dangerous area because
the way it looks”
90 EAST Crossville Road– Roswell, GA 30075 – Phone 770-841-9969
www.ventanamktg.com
6. Racial Issues
Participants think that the government does not pay enough attention to Doraville
because it is full of Hispanics; they see other areas well developed with pedestrian
areas and well organized.
Some participant’s comments:
“In the ‘white’ areas they have it all, they have pedestrian zones, including areas
where to ride in a bicycle and the people respects the bicycles”
“There’s racism here, they only care to give tickets and fines to the Hispanics”
Recommendations
1. Transportation
a. Determine if MARTA trains can offer more frequency during the weekend.
b. Plan pedestrian and bicycle areas for the area
c. Plan improvements for traffic signals and their timing for pedestrians.
d. Plan improvement for Bus stops with shelters.
e. Suggest to the City of Doraville more regulations for Taxi companies
f. Study new routes that can better service the residential areas
2. Land Use
a. Initiate conversations with City Hall to reduce or control “Used Car
Dealerships”
b. Investigate the possibility of a large store coming into the City and
communicate these efforts to all minorities.
c. Suggest the development of more apartments in residential or mixed use
areas
3. Economic Development
a. Encourage private investment that can generate jobs in the area.
b. Control Used Car Dealerships and abusive practices
c. Control Taxi companies and permits
4. Lifestyle & Safety
a. Plan more pedestrian and bicycle areas
b. Plan more green areas and parks
c. Plan more organized activities at parks to avoid drug-addiction in youth
d. Promote or better inform citizens on current recreational areas
5. Appearance
a. Plan for pedestrian zones with trees and green areas
b. Regulate signage for businesses
c. Regulate Taxi companies and their appearance
d. Regulate Used car Dealerships and their appearance
6. Racial Issues
a. Reach out to all citizens with a solid communications effort promoting all the
positive aspects of a diverse society and the potential socio-economic benefits
that this can bring to the city. This will enhance the understanding and
tolerance among different racial groups and different nationalities.
Ventana Marketing
Atlanta, Georgia – August 2005
90 EAST Crossville Road– Roswell, GA 30075 – Phone 770-841-9969
www.ventanamktg.com
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Korean Focus Group Summary
August 20, 2005
Center for Pan Asian Community Services
3760 Park Avenue
5:00PM-7:00PM
Moderators: John Lee
Consultant Staff: Pat Peters, Chang-Keun Lee
Attendees:
Jung O Yoon
Chaiwon Kim
Sung Min Kang
Seong S. Shin
Jenny Hwang
Sookhee Cho
Michelle Park
Young Shinn
Moon Kim
Jay Park
Chiwoon Oh
Do Hyun Kim
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Online Survey Summary
1.
What are your areas of knowledge or interest related to the Livable Centers Initiative
(i.e. land use, economic development, transportation, etc.)?
Stakeholder Type
•
Business Owner
•
Employee
Primary interest
•
Economic development
•
Business opportunities
•
City facilities/amenities upgrade
•
Land Use
•
Transportation
•
Safety (area known for crime)
•
Public and private land use
•
Pedestrian traffic opportunities
•
Green space utilization
•
Interested in city center revitalization
•
Real estate
2.
•
What recent events or activities or upcoming plans should we consider while working
on the plan? (i.e. Major developments, new businesses, new schools, new public
facilities, etc.)
No responses
3.
•
•
•
•
What are the main obstacles to redevelopment in the study area?
City of Doraville’s public policy (wants the policies nice and smoother for transitions)
Resident’s opposition (vs. business owners regarding the size of business)
Policy against Korean community
Policies that hinder small business growth/development
4.
What are the different stakeholder groups that use the Doraville MARTA station, and
how could their needs be better met both at the station and with redevelopment
around the station?
Stakeholders
•
People going downtown and to the airport
•
Immigrants
•
Bus to rail riders
•
Park and ride users
•
Walk and ride users
Station Improvements
•
Safety
•
Improved access/egress
•
Convenient/safe transportation
•
Convenient shopping locations
•
Pedestrian friendly
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
5.
•
6.
Are there any examples of Transit Oriented Development that you are familiar with
that you feel can serve as models for the Doraville study area? (i.e. Lindbergh,
Decatur, etc.)
No responses
•
•
•
In your opinion, what would be the necessary outcome for you to consider this plan
ning effort a success?
Involvement with public – understanding its concern
Satisfying business people will lead to growth of small business
Cooperation from every sector of community
7.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Which of these issues do you consider most important?
Economic development and redevelopment – IIIII I
Pedestrian improvements & public realm improvements - IIII
Future land use - IIIII
Public-private cooperation – II
Increase residential options
Better housing across all incomes
Replace old industrial with redevelopment
Improving transportation alternative – II
Increasing internal mobility – I
Improving regional transit – I
Develop into a multi-cultural area - I
8.
•
•
•
What strategies do you suggest for addressing these issues?
Continue public meetings and discussions (involving business owners) to solve/note
problems when they arise
More frequent bus lines
Safer crossing across Buford Highway
9.
•
•
•
•
What kinds of new residential development would be suitable for the study area?
Condominiums/lofts - I
Mixed use development - II
Townhouses - I
Apartments – preference for higher end - II
10.
What kinds of new employment or business opportunities would be suitable for the
study area?
Services
•
Large shopping malls
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
11.
Where or what kind of public space improvements are most needed in the study area
(parks, plazas, public markets, bus shelters, etc.)
Urban Design Features
•
All of the above
•
Korean community centre
•
Community service center
•
More bus stops
12.
How is the government center area currently used, and how could it be changed to
better serve the needs of Doraville residents?
•
Police station, city hall, recreation center, swimming pool, community center – currently used
•
Need a more distinguished community service center to accommodate the wide and varying
ethnic population of Doraville
•
People use the recreational facilities
•
Community sports competition
•
Minorities need more access to the area (not minority friendly)
•
Serve the need when occasions arise for community meetings
13.
•
•
•
14.
What do you think about the Buford Highway corridor and its role in relation to the
rest of Doraville?
Vital part of Doraville. Helps Doraville be a transportation hub.
Everything - center, main street, feeds the whole community, integral to Doraville’s success
now and in the future
An important commercial area that serves the community’s convenience
•
•
•
•
•
•
What other people should we talk to in order to gather relevant information? Please
provide any contact information you have.
GDOT
ARC
City of Doraville officials
Talk to the citizens of Doraville – focus groups
Korean business organizational groups
Korean private developers
15.
•
•
What documents or websites should we review to gather information for the plan?
Korean newspapers
Press release
Other Comments/Discussion Topics
•
No raised medians!! – this will kill small businesses along the corridor as happened along
Memorial Drive and Jimmy Carter Boulevard, no skybridges
•
More small business space needed - over 1,000 small Korean business owners on Buford
Highway
•
Continue work with DeKalb Chamber of Commerce on international village concept,
federal grant money not received for initial concept
•
Tax abatement as a redevelopment incentive, easier access to streamlined process for small
business loans
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Other Comments/Discussion Topics
•
No increase in side setbacks between commercial properties
•
Would like another public meeting involving GDOT, ARC, consultants and all communities
before October open house meeting
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Chinese Focus Group Summary
August 19, 2005
Doraville Civic Center
3700 Central Avenue
3:00PM-5:00PM
Moderators: Pat Peters
Consultant Staff: Pat Peters, Chaozhong Wang
Attendees:
Frank Ma
Johnny Koo
Anthony Wong
Jack Bai
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Other Comments/Discussion Topics
•
Knowing the Mayor’s vision for the City would be helpful, need excitement, vision to
accomplish
•
Additional sidewalks would be helpful
•
There are too many auto body shops along New Peachtree Road. It can be designed with
more shops, beautiful sidewalks
•
Lack of green space in the study area
•
Signage needs to be better designed to help with wayfinding. Multi-language signs are a
plus, but need better, more rigid design standards like Gwinnett County
•
How serious is the city about redevelopment? Do they have any stimulus for the
redevelopment, such as tax exemptions, abatements, etc.? Is there any land in the study
area for development or redevelopment?
•
Where is the city at in terms of comprehensive planning (documents and maps)?
•
The design should contribute to the safety of the area and contribute to people staying in the
area after work hours
•
More design thought should be put into creating a character for the city
•
Look at Sugarland development in Houston, Texas
•
Need to look at senior housing
•
Would like to see police statistics, is there a lot of crime or just perception of crime?
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
June 2, 2005
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Attendance:
Chai Won Kim, Steering Committee
Sam Letson, Steering Committee
Alan Malcom, Steering Committee
Susan Fraysse, Steering Committee
Scott Pendergrast, Steering Committee
Ray Jenkins, Mayor
Jason Anavitarte, City Council
Marlene Hadden, City Council
Betty Cloer, City Clerk
Ellen Heath, EDAW
Pat Peters, EDAW
Louis Merlin, EDAW
John Funny, Grice
Jonathan Gelber, Grice
Alex Geiger, Grice
Fabricio Lopez, Ventana Marketing
Introductions:
Everyone in attendance introduced themselves to the group.
Steering Committee Responsibilities:
Pat Peters discussed the role of the steering committee and handed out the steering
committee packet. He also handed out a sheet with contact information and asked those in
attendance to verify their contact information.
Key Issues Discussion:
Every member of the steering committee and several others in attendance were asked
to write down their top four issues regarding the study area. These issues were then
discussed briefly at the meeting.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
The following list summarizes the main
issues discussed at the meeting:
• Completion of sidewalks along Buford
Highway south of I-285. Participant said
that funding has been allocated for this, but
sidewalks have not come for many years.
• Need for a stoplight at Chestnut and
Buford Highway
• Better pedestrian access to MARTA
• Zoning criteria for new construction, like
Brookhaven & Chamblee
• Town center identity
• Mixed-use zoning
• Brownfield reclamation
• Balacing industry and small businesses
• Wider sidewalks
• Traffic calming
• Green building and recycling standards
• Pedestrian connections
• Orientation signs
• Lack of a town center & gathering places
• No planning commission and no useable
plan
• Lack of attractive shops and streetscapes
• No bike paths
• Places to walk for exercise
• City with little charm, need street appeal to
attract businesses and residents
• Attracting a grocery store
• Shopping areas need to be a destination,
i.e. Chamblee antique village, a place where
you can park and walk.
• Need to shape the image of the city
• Pedestrian safety
• Smart development
• Embrace diversity, can’t leave people out
• Lack of language access for Asian
community
• Homelessness
• Social services - embracing diversity and
serving people
• Dekalb County’s project to widen New
Peachtree sidewalks
• Attract mainstream retail businesses
• Eye appeal, image
• Park improvements
• Translating plan publicity materials into
Vietnamese
• Concern about adequate publicity and
turnout to public meetings
• Publicizing meetings in Asian language
newspapers
• Improvements and regulation to taxi
service
• Improving design aesthetics of new
development
• Integrating greenspace into commercial
areas
• Pedestrian friendly shopping
• An attractive community center
• Improvements to the swimming pool
• Library is too small
• Improving access to training at the
Goodwill Center and at the Latin American
Center
• The need for separate outreach to Korean,
Chinese, and Vietnamese communities
• Publicity through the unofficial Doraville
website
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Overview of June 7, 2005 Public Meeting:
Pat Peters reviewed the draft version of the presentation for the first public meeting. It was
noted that one of the councilmember names was out of date and needed correction. No
other changes to the presentation were proposed.
Conclusion:
The meeting was concluded with an invitation for steering committee members to talk to the
consulting staff individually about other concerns.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Doraville City Hall
July 15, 2005
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Attendance:
Chai Won Kim, Steering Committee
Glenn Carracappa, Steering Committee
Scott Pendergrast, Steering Committee
Jason Anavitarte, City Council
Ed Lowe, City Council
Ellen Heath, EDAW
Pat Peters, EDAW
Louis Merlin, EDAW
Jonathan Gelber, Grice
Alex Geiger, Grice
Update:
Pat Peters provided an update on LCI plan activities. Pat briefly reviewed the Kick Off
Meeting, which he noted was well-attended and received an enthusiastic response. Pat
also talked about the Hispanic Focus Group meeting, online survey results to date, and
ongoing stakeholder interviews. The online survey will continue to remain available until
July 21.
Steering Committee Comments:
Members of the steering committee and others in attendance provided several comments.
It was noted that even those roads that link directly to the MARTA station, Park and Central,
lack sidewalks.
Another steering committee member requested that focus groups be held for the Korean,
Chinese, and Vietnamese communities. It was noted that these communities do not
have a tradition of public participation and some members of these communities have
limited English speaking ability. A focus group for a specific community held in their native
language would be the best way to ensure participation by these minority communities. Pat
said he would look into the possibility of focus group meetings for these communities.
Meeting attendees said that most of the feedback from the neighborhood was positive
about the Kick Off Meeting and the LCI planning process, and that there was a general
sense of excitement that physical improvements would be coming to the city.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Community Workshop:
Pat handed out a draft of the presentation that will be used at the Community Workshop
and asked that comments on the presentation be provided in the next couple of days. Also,
it was explained that the community would be able to create a ‘blue sky’ plan for land use
and transporation for the study area during the workshop. Maps were presented that would
be used to orient workshop participants and which would be used to illustrate a future plan
for the study area.
Transportation Update:
Jonathan Gelber of GRICE reviewed transportation findings to date.
He noted that the main transporation issues include vehicular and pedestrian safety,
barriers to connectivity, and congestion. Jonathan explained that most of the congestion
on Buford Highway is not due to lack of capacity but due to the poor functioning of
intersections and the high number of access points to the corridor. He also noted the poor
condition of pedestrian facilities in the area.
Jonathan also discussed transportation projects that are already planned for the study area.
New sidewalks for Buford Highway are programmed and are expected within a few years.
Also an intersection improvement for New Peachtree and Shallowford is anticipated. In the
longer term, Bus Rapid Transit services, a kind of higher-speed bus service, is planned for
Lindbergh to Doraville and Cumberland to Perimeter to Doraville.
Next Steps:
Pat then spoke about the next steps in the planning process. The Public Workshop will
be held Thursday, July 21 at 7:00 PM. Also, the consulting staff will meet with the ARC
Monday July 18 to discuss progress on the plan. Pat noted that he is going to schedule the
final open house for some time in October at Sequoyah Middle School.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Further Discussion:
One meeting attendee explained that there has been a persistent desire by residents
for a mainstream grocery store in Doraville. Others in attendance speculated that
there may not be enough residential base to support such a grocery store, and that at
one time there was such a grocery store and it went out of business. It was noted that
grocery stores only locate in areas where they think they can make money. Also it
was noted that the market study may help illuminate whether there is enough demand
currently for a new grocery store or not.
Another discussion began about the intention of the LCI plan. Often stakeholders
misunderstand the nature of a future land use plan and think that the city intends to
condemn their property. However, the purpose of a future land use plan is to create a
framework for change when it occurs, not to force existing businesses and residents
out.
Conclusion:
The meeting was concluded with an invitation for steering committee members to talk
to the consulting staff informally about other concerns.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Doraville Civic Center
August 11, 2005
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Attendance:
Chai Won Kim, Steering Committee
Glenn Carracappa, Steering Committee
Scott Pendergrast, Steering Committee
Susan Fraysse, Steering Committee
Alan Malcom, Steeling Committee
Harry Graham, Steering Committee
Ray Jenkins, Mayor
Betty Cloer, City Clerk
Kathy Brannon, Chamblee City Manager
Pat Peters, EDAW
Louis Merlin, EDAW
Fabricio Lopez, Ventana Marketing
Eleanor Matthews, Marketek
Jonathan Gelber, Grice
Update:
Pat Peters reviewed the contents and the public feedback from the Community Workshop
on July 21. A summary of the Community Workshop is available at EDAW’s ftp website,
www.edaw.com/ftp.
Fabricio Lopez discussed some of the input from the Hispanic Focus Group, and how the
members of that focus group wanted to see increased pedestrian safety and an improved
image for Doraville.
Discussion with Kathy Brannon, Chamblee City Manager:
Kathy Brannon discussed Chamblee’s strategy and challenges in implementation of its LCI
plan (completed in 2000). The Chamblee LCI was focused on 250 acres of Chamblee’s
Mid-City district, centered on the Chamblee MARTA station. The discussion was extensive
and covered many issues. Some highlights were the following:
-Ms. Brannon explained that the zoning was a work in process. She said that is has been
amended 4 times to help implement the plan.
-She explained that implementation of streetscapes was very slow due to required
bureaucratic approvals. She estimated that new streetscapes take 3 years to implement.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
-Ms. Brannon discussed her strategy for dealing with developers. She explained that the
zoning rules were enforced consistently. She emphasized the importance of treating all
devleopers equally and not granting special favors. She explained that variances are only
granted for specific hardships.
-Ms. Brannon talked about the efforts of Chamblee to promote mixed use development, as
opposed to just multifamily development.
-She talked about testing and cleanup of brownfields, and how the Georgia Environmental
Protection Department enforces these requirements, including possible loopholes.
-Ms. Brannon explained what staff and financial resources are necessary to implement and
LCI. She estimated she spends 20 hours a week talking with developers. She said that
Chamblee is exploring hiring a Community Development Director to help implement the
plan. Also Chamblee has a consulting firm on retainer to work on planning issues.
-Ms. Brannon also talked about the Design Review Board, composed of qualified citizen
volunteers, who review applications for development. She said that Chamblee was thinking
of re-forming this board into a Planning Commission.
Vision and Goals Discussion:
Mr. Peters introduced the concept of developing a vision and goals for the Doraville LCI
study. He explained that the vision and goals will be based on public input from meetings,
on line surveys, and focus groups. A proposed draft of the vision and goals will be
circulated among steering committee members for their review.
The floor was opened for discussion of possible vision statements or goal statements.
Some goals that were proposed were:
-Creating an attractive, cohesive town center
-Providing affordable housing and providing a variety of housing choices
-Finding ways to bring various communities together and improve mutual understanding
Other issues were discussed as well, including the plethora of taxi companies, lack of
shopping opportunities, the lack of evening activity, the use of public space, corrupt car
dealerships, and the lack of condominium for-sale housing.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Character Image Survey:
The Steering Committee participated in a Character Image Survey. The Character
Image Survey consisted of a presentation of 15 images, 5 images in each of three
categories: Main Street, Transit Place, and Urban Corridor. Main Street images were
intended to correspond to what might happen along New Peachtree. Transit Place
images were intended to correspond to what might happen at the Doraville MARTA
station, and at bus stops as well. Urban Corridor images were intended to correspond
to what might happen along Buford Highway.
Each member of the Steering Committee rated each image between 1 and 5. The
number rate images as follows:
5 - Very Positive Image
4 - Positive Image
3 - Neutral Image
2 - Negative Image
1 - Very Negative Image
Also, Steering Committee members were encouraged to write comments about what
specifically they liked or disliked about these images. The surveys were collected at
the end of the presentation.
Conclusion:
The meeting was concluded with a discussion of upcoming meetings, including another
steering committee meeting in early September and the Open House planned for
October.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Center for Pan Asian Community Services
September 15, 2005
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Attendance:
Chai Won Kim, Steering Committee
Scott Pendergrast, Steering Committee
Susan Fraysse, Steering Committee
Alan Malcom, Steeling Committee
Jimmy Cushman Jr., Steering Committee Alternate
Ray Jenkins, Mayor
Marlene Hadden, City Council
Pat Peters, EDAW
Louis Merlin, EDAW
Eleanor Matthews, Marketek
Jonathan Gelber, Grice
Draft Plan Handout:
The first draft of the existing conditions LCI plan sections were handed out to the steering
committee. Mr. Peters briefly described the contents of the plan, and drew the committee’s
attention to the Vision, Goals and Objectives. Mr. Peters asked the committee to submit
final comments on the Vision, Goals, and Objectives within the next week.
Other handouts included the agenda, a summary of the 1994 comprehensive plan, a
memo from the consultants working on the comprehensive plan update on the coordination
process between the LCI and the comprehensive plan, and a packet of land use plan
alternatives.
Draft Land Use Plan:
Next Mr. Peters went through various versions of the land use plan. He explained how the
three public versions of the land use plan were refined into two land use plan alternatives.
Then he explained the preferred land use plan scenario and requested feedback on this
scenario.
Some of the key features of the preferred land use plan scenario are:
-A central town green with a city hall or other civic building at the high point of the study
area
-A defined Doraville presence on Buford Highway at three key intersections
-Civic functions and open space brought across Buford Highway to connect with the
Northwoods Neighborhood area.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
There were some questions about how the proposed realignment of Chestnut to New
Peachtree would interact with a new commercial development going in nearby. That
development currently plans to use Chestnut for its primary access.
Mr. Peters explained that in the next phase of the plan, projects would be developed. Mr.
Merlin explained that many of the projects are implicit in the land use plan, and that most
of the proposed projects would be transportation-related. Mr. Peters then opened the floor
for suggestions for projects to help implement the LCI plan. No additional projects were
proposed at this time.
Committee Concerns:
The committee voiced a number of concerns during the meeting.
It was noted that the Korean business community is very concerned about the possibility
of medians on Buford Highway and how they would impact existing retail businesses. At
the meeting, it was explained that the LCI consultants are not recommending medians for
Buford Highway.
Georgia Department of Transportation has approved a project for pedestrian refuges in
Buford Highway. This project is not related to the ongoing LCI study, but was already
underway before the study began. Each refuge island will be approximately 90’ long and
there are expected to be two refuges between I-285 and Shallowford Road. Questions
concerning this project should be directed to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Mayor Jenkins noted that a map of the proposed refuge islands is available for viewing at
City Hall.
The upcoming Dekalb County Comprehensive Transportation Plan meeting for September
22 was brought up as a coordination issue. Some discussion occured around what were
Doraville’s main interests at this upcoming meeting. Some issues that may affect Doraville
are planned Bus Rapid Transit routes and a preference for transit-oriented development in
the comprehensive transporation strategy.
An attendee brought up a recent published article about the Buford Highway corridor in
Harvard Design Magazine. She noted that there were several strong ideas in the article
that should be reflected in the study. Some of the ideas included an incremental approach
to redevelopment and flexible buildling designs that can adapt to changing uses over time.
Next Steps:
Mr. Peters concluded the meeting by talking about the next steps in the planning process.
The final steering committee meeting is planned for Thursday, October 13 and the open
house is planned for Thursday, October 20. A member of the committee requested that
new flyers be printed and brought to the next steering committee meeting to help the publicity effort for the open house.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Doraville Civic Center
October 13, 2005
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Attendance:
Chai Won Kim, Steering Committee
Scott Pendergrast, Steering Committee
Susan Fraysse, Steering Committee
Alan Malcolm, Steeling Committee
Jimmy Cushman Jr., Steering Committee Alternate
Shari Strickland, Dekalb County
Sidney Douse, Dekalb County
Ray Jenkins, Mayor
Marlene Hadden, City Council
Betty Cloer, City Clerk
Pat Peters, EDAW
Louis Merlin, EDAW
Fabricio Lopez, Ventana
Steve Noble, Grice
Jonathan Gelber, Grice
Open House Preparations:
Mr. Peters ran through a number of handouts that will be used at the Open House on
October 26. Three boards will be used to display key concepts for the plan. One board
uses images to review the plan development process and public participation. The other
two boards represent the proposed land use scenario for the study area, including land
uses, new streets, key intersections, and proposed new parks. One board is presented as
an overhead, two dimensional view, and the other board is a three-dimensional view of the
same plan.
Next, Mr. Peters went through the handouts that will be circulated during the Open House.
These handouts include a vision statement, a description of the proposed land use
scenario, and a list of proposed projects to help implement the LCI plan.
Committee Concerns:
The committee voiced a number of concerns during the meeting.
It was noted that the Korean business community is still very concerned about medians on
Buford Highway even though the LCI plan does not propose medians. Overall, the steering
committee did not want medians to become a major topic at the open house since they
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
are not part of the study. Handouts will be available at the open house to help address
this issue. If possible, an article explaining the proposal from a Korean newspaper will be
circulated. Members of the steering committee also pointed out that there is a desire in
the community for high-end as well as affordable housing. It was explained that most new
construction will tend to be higher-end. Language will be added to the plan to explain that
the goal is mixed income housing, with housing choices for a broad range of incomes.
Mr. Merlin then went through the proposed project list. Proposed projects cover
transportation, urban design, redevelopment, community facilities, parks, and housing. The
projects range from from relatiely affordable to very expensive, and Mr. Merlin described the
overall project list as very ambitious.
Some meeting attendees expressed concern about the number of proposed revisions to
existing community facilities. It was pointed out that all of the currently community facilities
are clustered together, and that this is an advantage. Also, most of the community facilities
are in good shape and do not need to be replaced in a short time frame. Acquiring new
land and replacing community facilities is very expensive, and it is not likely the City of
Doraville would be able to afford all of the proposed projects in the next twenty years.
Other meeting attendees noted that they liked the current location of the library and would
like to see it remain in its current location.
It was also mentioned that the proposed Doraville Gardens area may already be under
contract for a new development.
Mr. Merlin and Mr. Peters responded that the all of the proposed projects do not need to
be implemented, but that the plan overall lays out a vision that has been endorsed by the
community. Projects can be implemented gradually over time as the opportunity arises. In
particular, citizens have expressed a strong interest in a town square or other public park
in the study area. A new town square could also serve as an anchor for redevelopment.
Also, many stakeholders would like to see the many small city buildings consolidated into a
single, prominently located and architecturally signifcant civic building.
The plan will be revised in response to steering committee comments after we gather further input at the Open House on October 26th.
Next Steps:
Mr. Peters concluded the meeting by reminding everyone about the upcoming open house
on October 26. Steering committee members asked about how we can publicize this meeting. Mr. Merlin reviewed the methods to be used, including publicity through word of mouth
via the steering committee and by sending e-mails to previous public meeting attendees.
Ms. Cloer suggested further publicizing the meeting through flyers at City Hall and on
Doraville’s official website.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix C Transportation Report
City of Doraville
Livable Centers Initiative Study
Assessment of Existing Transportation Conditions
September 2005
Table of Contents
Introduction ...........................................................................................................1
Study Area Boundaries: ........................................................................................1
Roadway Network.................................................................................................2
Primary Roads...................................................................................................2
Secondary Roads..............................................................................................3
Pedestrian Facilities..............................................................................................3
Transit...................................................................................................................5
MARTA Rail.......................................................................................................5
MARTA Bus.......................................................................................................6
MARTA Demand-Response (Paratransit) Service ............................................7
Gwinnett County Transit....................................................................................8
Royal Bus Lines ................................................................................................8
Adame Central de Autobuses ...........................................................................9
Vehicular Crash Analysis ......................................................................................9
Traffic Volumes ...................................................................................................10
Existing And Future Roadway Capacity Analysis................................................11
Existing Capacity Analysis ..............................................................................12
2030 Capacity Analysis ...................................................................................13
Mobility Issues ....................................................................................................14
Barriers due to Transportation and Manufacturing Facilities ...........................14
Barriers due to Land Use and Planning...........................................................15
Identified Traffic and Transportation Issues ........................................................16
Planned and Programmed Improvements ..........................................................17
Buford Highway Pedestrian Improvements .....................................................17
Shallowford Road and New Peachtree Road Intersection Improvement.........18
Fixed Guideway / Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).....................................................18
List of Figures
Figure 1: Study Area Location Map......................................................................1
Figure 2: Existing Roadway Network and Traffic Volume Counts ........................2
Figure 3: Existing Sidewalk Inventory and Pedestrian Crashes..........................4
Figure 4: Typical Cross Section of Buford Highway Pedestrian Improvements ...5
Figure 5: Vehicular Crashes at Intersections and Crash Rates ..........................10
Figure 6: 2000 Existing Congestion ...................................................................13
Figure 7: 2030 Projected Congestion.................................................................14
Figure 8: Barriers to Public Access & Mobility ..................................................16
Figure 9: Shallowford Road and New Peachtree Road Intersection Design
Concept ..............................................................................................................18
Introduction
As part of the Doraville Living Centers Initiative study, this report provides an
assessment of existing transportation facilities and operational conditions. The
results of the existing conditions analysis will be used as a basis for the
development of transportation improvements which will enhance the livability of
the community.
Study Area Boundaries
The study area for the Doraville LCI study is approximately one (1) mile long by
1/3 mile wide, bounded by:
• MARTA and Freight rail corridor on the Northwest
• Interstate 285 on the North
• A line delineating the transition between commercial and residential landuses east of Buford Highway on the East and Southeast
• Shallowford Road. on the East
The study area is entirely within the City of Doraville, in Dekalb County in the
State of Georgia. A general location map is provided in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Study Area Location Map
1
Roadway Network
The existing transportation system within the Doraville LCI study area includes a
network of state and local roadways serving residential, business and regional
transportation needs. The roadway network is illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Existing Roadway Network and Traffic Volume Counts
Primary Roads
The dominant roadway in the study area is Buford Highway (State Route 13), a
Major arterial which bisects the study area from the southwest to the northeast.
Buford Highway is a six-lane highway with a continuous two-way center left turn
lane, with additional turning lanes at major intersections. Throughout the study
area, Buford Highway is fronted by primarily commercial land-uses with frequent
driveways and access points. A wide center turn lane, which is marked to
provide dedicated left turn lanes at major intersections, serves as an uncontrolled
bi-directional turn lane in between major intersections. Due to the roadway’s
peculiar pedestrian conditions, the center-turn lane also serves as an improvised
2
pedestrian refuge. The combination of the uncontrolled bi-directional turning
movements, the frequent driveways, and the presence of pedestrians in the turn
lane, creates potentially unsafe conditions.
New Peachtree Road., a minor arterial, parallels Buford Highway approximately
¼ mile to the North. New Peachtree Road consists of two lanes in the southern
half of the study area, and widens to four lanes with a center left turn lane near
the MARTA rail station at Park Avenue. Shallowford Road, a two lane minor
arterial, also roughly parallels Buford highway until it merges into New Peachtree
Road. There are no major east-west arterials in the study area.
Secondary Roads
Two local streets, Park Avenue and Central Avenue, connect Buford Highway
and New Peachtree Road adjacent to the Doraville MARTA station and the
Doraville town center in the heart of the study area. Several local streets connect
the residential neighborhood beyond the East side of the study area to Buford
Highway, including Clearview Avenue, Jesse Norman Way, Chestnut Drive,
Oakmont Drive, and McClave Drive.
Pedestrian Facilities
The Doraville LCI study area has limited pedestrian facilities. Within the entire
study area, only the half-mile portion of New Peachtree Road adjacent to the
MARTA station has continuous sidewalks on both sides: . Neither of the two
roads which connect the Doraville Transit Center to Buford Highway, the area’s
dominant commercial corridor, has continuous sidewalks. The shoulders of most
roadways in the study area have well-worn foot-paths which indicate heavy
pedestrian usage despite the lack of sidewalks. During field visits, numerous
pedestrians were seen walking within paved travel lanes on roadways.
Buford Highway, the study area’s primary commercial corridor, is characterized
by a general lack of safe and convenient pedestrian facilities and crossings.
Between 2000 and 2002, 13 pedestrians were struck by vehicles, 3 fatally, within
the 1.1 mile Stretch of Buford Highway within the Doraville LCI study area.
Although there are 6 signalized intersections with crosswalks on Buford Highway
within the study area, most lack pedestrian crossing signal heads, and signal
timing at most of these intersections was observed to involve long waits between
cycles, and inadequate green time for crossing the seven lanes of traffic safely..
A strong majority of pedestrians were observed to cross in-between marked
cross-walks, even if in close proximity to a signalized crosswalk.
3
A map of Doraville’s sidewalk inventory and pedestrian safety issues can be
seen in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Existing Sidewalk Inventory and Pedestrian Crashes
Buford Highway’s pedestrian issues have been well documented, and pedestrian
improvements are planned to be completed by 2007. The improvements will
include improved sidewalks on both sides and enhanced pedestrian crossing
facilities, such as nine(9)-foot wide by ninety-six (96)-foot long refuge islands in
the center turn lane at intervals between signalized intersections. A sample
cross-section of the planned improvements is illustrated in Figure 4.
4
Figure 4: Typical Cross Section of Buford Highway Pedestrian Improvements
Transit
Transit service in the Doraville LCI study area is provided by a variety of public
transit operators, including the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
(MARTA), Gwinnett County Transit, as well as some private transit providers.
MARTA Rail
The MARTA rail system currently has 36 stations with 46 route miles. MARTA
carries about 250,000 rail passengers on weekdays. MARTA's rail system
operates from approximately 5 A.M. to 1 A.M. Monday through Friday and from 5
A.M. to 12:30 A.M. weekends and holidays. The Fare for a single ride is $1.75.
MARTA’s Doraville transit station is the northern terminus of MARTA’s NortheastSouth line. The station is 13.3 Miles north of the system’s central point, the Five
Points station, which is a ride of approximately 24 minutes. The station opened
in December, 1992.
5
As the Northeastern terminus of the MARTA rail system, Doraville MARTA Station
serves a major role as a commuter park & ride facility. The station has three (3) large
parking structures adjacent to the Doraville station, with 1,070 parking spaces.
MARTA serves the City of Atlanta, most of Dekalb and Fulton Counties, and
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport (most of which is in Clayton County), with
heavy rail transit, bus transit, and demand response transit. In 2002, MARTA
carried an average of 500,000 passengers per day. Marta’s rail headways are
summarized in Table 1.
Table 1: MARTA Rail Headway
Time Period
Airport/Doraville
Line Headway
Weekday Rush:
10 minutes
Weekday Midday:
10 minutes
Weekday Evening:
15 minutes
Saturday:
15 minutes
Sunday:
15-20 minutes
Source: MARTA
MARTA Bus
The Doraville LCI study area is served by four (4) MARTA bus routes, all of
which stop at the Doraville Transit Center. Their schedules and operating
statistics are shown in Tables 2 through 4.
The four (4) buses operated by MARTA include the following:
• Route 39- Buford Highway
Operates weekdays and weekends with a peak headway of 10 minutes
•
Route 91- Henderson Mill
Operates only weekdays with a peak headway of 40 minutes
•
Route 104- Winters Chapel
Operates only weekdays with a peak headway of 30 minutes
•
Route 124- Chamblee Tucker
Operates weekdays and Saturday with a peak headway of 21 minutes
6
Table 2: MARTA Bus Weekday Operating Statistics
Route
Route
Rail
Name
Stations
NE 10,
N6
NE 10,
NE8
NE 10
NE 10,
NE9
39
Buford Highway
91
Henderson Mill
104
Winters Chapel
124
Chamblee Tucker
Route
39
Route
Name
Buford Highway
91
Henderson Mill
104
Winters Chapel
124
Chamblee Tucker
Route
39
Route
Name
Buford Highway
91
Henderson Mill
104
Winters Chapel
124
Chamblee Tucker
Peak
Buses
AM
PM
Service Hours
Frequency
From:
To:
Peak
Base
Night
5
5
4:51AM
11:58PM
10
20
30
3
3
6:05AM
9:48PM
40
40
40
1
1
5:31AM
7:09PM
30
30
30
4
4
6:00AM
11:44PM
21
21
42
Table 3: MARTA Bus Saturday Operating Statistics
Rail
Stations
NE 10
NE 10,
NE8
NE 10
NE 10,
NE9
Buses
5
3
Service Hours
From:
To:
5:30AM 11:54PM
AM
AM
AM
PM
6:00AM
9:59PM
Frequency
10
40
Table 4: MARTA Bus Sunday Operating Statistics
Rail
Stations
NE 10
NE 10,
NE8
NE 10
NE 10,
NE9
Buses
5
Service Hours
From:
To:
5:42AM 12:47AM
AM
AM
AM
PM
AM
AM
Frequency
10
MARTA Demand-Response (Paratransit) Service
MARTA operates 110 paratransit vans on an average of 275,000 hours per year.
The paratransit service provides ADA-compliant transportation to eligible persons
with disabilities, with service restricted to within ¾ miles of MARTA fixed routes.
Restrictions to the use of this service are as follows:
MARTA provides ADA Complementary Paratransit Service to eligible
persons with disabilities who are, because of their disability, unable to
board, ride or disembark from an accessible vehicle in MARTA's regular
bus or rail services. Service is provided with special lift-equipped vans on a
curb-to-curb, shared ride basis. Certified individuals having a MARTA ADA
Photo Identification Card may call MARTA's Paratransit Reservation Office.
7
Paratransit Service is an advanced reservation service. Same day requests
cannot be accommodated. The service is offered on the same days and
hours as the regular bus and rail service. Service is restricted to the ADA
designated service area within Fulton and Dekalb Counties along a ¾ of a
mile corridor located on each side of all fixed bus routes and in ¾ of a mile
radius of each station. Generally, service hours are from 4:30 AM to 1:30
AM, seven days a week including holidays. However, when a fixed route in
a particular area operates on a more limited basis, Paratransit services will
operate comparable days and hours. The one-way fare is $3.50 per person,
payable by cash, one trip passes, two tokens or a MARTA TransCard plus
$1.75. Eligible individuals requiring a Personal Care Attendant that has
been authorized by a medical professional may travel with the disabled
patron free.
Visitor's that have been certified by another transit system in another city
are authorized to use MARTA's Paratransit Services and are subject to
MARTA's operating requirements.
Gwinnett County Transit
The Doraville LCI study area is served by one (1) Gwinnett County Transit bus
route. Route 10 connects Gwinnett County Transit passengers to the MARTA
system via a connection at the Doraville Transit Station. The fare for a single
ride is $1.75. Operating Statistics are detailed in Table 5.
Table 5: Gwinnett County Transit Operating Statistics
Route
10
Route
Name
Buford Hwy to Gwinnett Place
Mall
Service Hours
From:
To:
5:40AM
12:51AM
Frequency
Peak
Off Peak
15
30
Royal Bus Lines
Royal Bus Lines provides Transit Service along eight miles of Buford Highway
corridor between the Lindbergh Plaza and Doraville MARTA Transit Services.
The Royal Service duplicates MARTA bus service along the same corridor.
Royal operates 16 Minibuses and reports 60,000 passengers per month, an
estimated 80% of whom are Hispanic. The fare is $1.50, and buses operate from
4:30 AM to 8:00 PM.
The hours of service for Royal are 4:30 A.M. to 8 P.M. during the summer
months and from 4:50 A.M. to 7 P.M. during the winter months. This schedule is
for seven days a week. A basic ticket from this provider costs $1.50. However,
children that are under the age of 12, students and senior citizens may travel for
a fare of $0.75.
8
Adame Central de Autobuses
Adame is a private intercity bus service that primarily serves the Hispanic
community. Adame operates an intercity bus station at the intersection of Buford
Highway and Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, immediately south of the study area.
Adame offers daily bus service from Doraville/Chamblee to multiple cities in
Mexico, by way of North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
Vehicular Crash Analysis
Vehicular crashes in Doraville were researched using GDOT crash records from
2000 through 2002. Crash volumes were calculated for key intersections in the
study area, and crash rates were determined for road segments. Figure 4
depicts the results of the crash analysis.
From 2000 through 2002 there were 879 vehicular crashes in the Doraville LCI
study area. Of that total number, 716 of the crashes occurred on Buford
Highway, 449 of which occurred at one of the six intersections within the study
area. The intersections in the Doraville study area with the highest crashes are
as follows:
f Buford Highway at:
f Motors industrial Way (131 Crashes)
f Jesse Norman Way (76)
f Central Ave(67)
f Park Ave (70)
f McClave Dr (79)
f Shallowford Rd. (51)
f New Peachtree at
f Shallowford Rd. (25)
Crash volumes locations were analyzed to determine a crash rate which can be
applied to determine the overall safety of specific road segments. The crash rate
measures the number of crashes per 1 million vehicle miles traveled over a road
segment.
The following Road Segments had significantly high crash rates (above the 90th
percentile) for Dekalb County:
Buford Highway
• I-285 to Jesse Norman Way
29.23 Crash/Mil VMT
• Camblee Dunwoody Rd. to McClave Ave 28.10 Crash/Mil VMT
• Jesse Norman Way to Oakmont Ave
15.24 Crash/Mil VMT
• Oakmont Way to Pine Tree Plaza Entrance 11.42 Crash/Mil VMT
New Peachtree Rd.
9
•
•
from Shallowford Rd. to Park Ave
from Park Ave to Interstate 285
VMT
8.28 Crash/Mil VMT
6.33 Crash/Mil
Figure 5: Vehicular Crashes at Intersections and Crash Rates
Traffic Volumes
Historic Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) data for the study area was
obtained from Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) database for the
time period from 1997 to 2004. AADT values were obtained from four different
count stations on all major roadways within the LCI study area. These volumes
are summarized in Table 1.
A review of the historical count data revealed a significant drop in AADT on
Buford Highway from 2002 to 2003.
10
Table 6: GDOT Count Station Volumes
Count
Station
number
Road
Shallowford Rd.
Buford Hwy
3612
3103
New Peachtree Rd
3594
Cross Street
S of New
Peachtree
S of Oakmont
N of Central
Ave
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
7855
33645
7712
34241
8142
30557
8286
34643
8421
34682
8567
35487
7420
28920
7370
27880
14600
14527
17657
16514
16979
17272
17320
15070
Locations of ADT count stations are shown in Figure 2.
Existing and Future Roadway Capacity Analysis
One major component that determines the level of congestion and delay
experienced by roadway users is the capacity of the roadway. Capacity refers to
the quantity of traffic that a roadway is designed to handle before levels of
congestion and delay fall below acceptable levels. By comparing the actual
volume of traffic on a roadway against the design capacity of the roadway, it is
possible to gauge the level-of-service that roadway users are likely to
experience. The ratio of Volume-to-Capacity, (or V/C ratio) corresponds with a
letter grade to indicate the theoretical level of service along that roadway. If the
V/C ratio is greater than 1.0, than a roadway is considered to be unacceptably
congested.
Level of service ratings based on capacity analysis provides an indication of
which roadways are congested because they simply handle more traffic than
they are designed for. This type of analysis does not account for additional
delays hat may be caused by operational problems at specific areas or
intersections along a roadway. Table 5 outlines the relationship between levelsof-service and V/C ratios.
11
Level of Service Criteria for Roadway Segments(1)
Table 71: Level of Service Criteria for Roadway Segments
Level of
Service
Interpretation
Nominal Range
to Volume-toCapacity Ratio
A
Low volumes; primarily free-flow operations. Density
is low, and vehicles can freely maneuver within the
traffic stream. Drivers can maintain their desired
speeds with little or no delay.
0.00 - 0.60
B
Stable flow with potential for some restriction of
operating speeds due to traffic conditions.
Maneuvering is only slightly restricted. The stopped
delays are not bothersome, and drives are not
subject to appreciable tension.
0.61 - 0.70
C
Stable operations; however, the ability to maneuver
is more restricted by the increase in traffic volumes.
Relatively satisfactory operating speeds prevail, but
adverse signal coordination or longer queues cause
delays.
0.71 - 0.80
D
Approaching unstable traffic flow, where small
increases in volume could cause substantial delays.
Most drivers are restricted in their ability to maneuver
and in their selection of travel speeds. Comfort and
convenience are low but tolerable.
0.81 - 0.90
E
Operations characterized by significant approach
delays and average travel speeds of one-half to onethird the free-flow speed. Flow is unstable and
potential for stoppages of brief duration. High signal
density, extensive queuing, or progression/timing are
the typical causes of the delays.
0.91 - 1.00
F
Forced-flow operations with high approach delays at
critical signalized intersections. Speeds are reduced
substantially, and stoppages may occur for short or
long periods of time because of downstream
congestion.
1.010+
(1)
Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board Number 212, January 1990.
Existing Capacity Analysis
The existing transportation system Levels of Service (LOS) and system needs
based upon existing design and operating capacities is illustrated in Figure 6.
The Capacity analysis indicates that under existing conditions ,most roadways
within the LCI study area is operating with LOS B or better with a few exceptions.
The section of Buford Highway adjacent to Motors Industrial Way operates at
LOS E, while Motors Industrial Way operates at LOS C. All of Interstate 285
operates at LOS F.. These results suggest that, with some exceptions, observed
and reported congestion problems within the LCI study area are related to
operational issues, rather than inadequate capacity.
12
Figure 6: 2000 Existing Congestion
2030 Capacity Analysis
Capacity analysis was performed for the future year 2030 using the ARC Travel
Demand Model illustrates the roadway LOS levels in the area. The 2030 LOS is
illustrated in Figure 7.
The projected LOS for most of Buford Highway remains B or better, except for
the portion adjacent to Motors Industrial Way and I-285, which is expected to be
F.
Shallowford Road is projected to operate at an LOS of C, and New Peachtree
Road. is projected to operate at a LOS of E. Motors Industrial Way is expected
to operate at LOS F.
13
Figure 7: 2030 Projected Congestion
Mobility Issues
A unique and challenging characteristic of Doraville’s transportation infrastructure
is the preponderance of barriers to connectivity, some necessitated by the
segregation of special-use transportation facilities, but many caused by
intentional land-use and planning issues. These barriers inhibit travel by
blocking direct access requiring counter-intuitive routing for seemingly simple
trips. While those who regularly drive in Doraville may readily adapt to these
barriers, they are significantly insurmountable to those who do not drive.
Barriers due to Transportation and Manufacturing Facilities
The most significant barriers to local transportation connectivity in Doraville are
large transportation and manufacturing facilities:
• Freight Rail Corridor
14
•
•
•
MARTA’s North-South Rail Line
Interstate 285
Doraville GM Plant
Barriers due to Land Use and Planning
Doraville has developed along a unique street grid in which provides 3 significant
roadways providing north-south accessibility with no equivalent east-west
connectors. This has the effect of creating very long narrow “Superblocks” which
lack public access. One example of such a superblock is the area bounded by
Buford Highway, Shallowford Road, New Peachtree Road and Park Avenue.
The distance across the center of the block is only 600 feet, yet the distance
required to move from one side to the other, using public right of ways, is over
6,000 feet. The lack of connectivity in cases such as this contributes to
increased auto dependence by making the use of alternative modes of
transportation less attractive, and disproportionably impacts the elderly, children,
and transit dependent-populations. Another side-effect of poor connectivity is
inefficiency and increased congestion due to short local trips that could be
completed on foot or on local streets which are converted into longer trips along
arterials.
15
Figure 8: Barriers to Public Access & Mobility
Identified Traffic and Transportation Issues
During the first phase of the Doraville LCI study public involvement process,
members of the public were asked to identify transportation issues in the study
area. The following issues were identified:
• Lack of sidewalks and condition of existing sidewalks
• Poor aesthetics and streetscaping on roadways
• Pedestrian safety
• Physical barriers impair mobility (Especially Buford Hwy & I-285)
• Traffic congestion
• Intersection alignment: Buford Highway at Clearview Avenue and Jesse
Norman Way
• Bus access to MARTA Station
16
Members of the public also expressed a desire to see the following:
• Improved sidewalks & bike trails
• Transit Oriented Development
• Improved Streetscaping
Planned and Programmed Improvements
Based upon a review of planned and programmed projects by all agencies, the
following transportation improvement projects are planned for implementation,
and will significantly impact the Doraville Study Area.
Buford Highway Pedestrian Improvements
•
GDOT is currently implementing an upgrade of pedestrian facilities along the
length of Buford Highway from I-285 in Doraville to Sidney Marcus Drive in
Atlanta. The first phase of the project will be from I-285 to Chamblee, which
includes the Doraville LCI study area. This phase of the project is expected to be
completed by 2007. The improvements will include improved sidewalks on both
sides and enhanced pedestrian crossing facilities, such as refuge islands in the
median. A sample cross-section of the planned improvements is illustrated in
figure 3.
17
Shallowford Road and New Peachtree Road Intersection Improvement
•
City of Doraville and Dekalb County have developed design plans to improve the
intersection of Shallowford Road and New Peachtree Road to improve
operations, safety, and pedestrian amenities. A schematic of the new design is
included below in figure 9.
Figure 9: Shallowford Road and New Peachtree Road Intersection Design Concept
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
The Atlanta Regional Commission has included several BUS Rapid Transit (BRT)
projects in its Mobility 2030 plan which will significantly impact Dekalb County’s
transportation network. BUS Rapid Transit is a transit concept in which standard or
modified rubber-tired buses are operated in a manner to fixed-guideway rail vehicles,
sometimes in fully or partially dedicated ights of-way. In most cases, these systems will
have a major impact on transit use patterns. Programmed BRT projects likely to affect
the Doraville LCI study area include: Two different Proposed BRT lines are planned that
will pass through Doraville, most likely interfacing with the existing Doraville MARTA rail
station.
•
AR-901: I-285 NORTH BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) FROM PERIMETER
CENTER AREA TO DORAVILLE MARTA TATION Programmed for 2020
•
AR-910: SR 13 (BUFORD HIGHWAY) ARTERIAL BUS RAPID TRANSIT
(BRT) which will connect the Lindbergh MARTA Station to Gwinnett County
along Buford Highway (SR 13). Programmed for 2026
18
INTERSECTION CAPACITY ANALYSIS
As part of the existing conditions assessment and project recommendations for the
Doraville Livable Centers Initiative, Grice and Associates, Inc. conducted an Intersection
Capacity analysis of the two primary intersections adjacent to the Doraville MARTA
station and the proposed Town Center. These intersections included: New Peachtree
Road at Central Avenue and New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue.
The purpose of this analysis was to establish a clearer understanding of existing and
likely future traffic operation conditions, and to test the feasibility of recommended
transportation improvements. The results of this analysis are one of the factors used to
develop specific transportation recommendations in the Action Plan.
The existing and future capacity and Level of Service (LOS) for the study intersections
was based on analysis procedures provided in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM),
Special Report 209, published by the Transportation Research Board (2000). Synchro, a
traffic simulation model which follows the HCM criteria for determining LOS for
signalized and unsignalized conditions was used in this study.
Existing Conditions
Table 1 shows the existing conditions analysis results for AM and PM peak periods for
signalized intersections.
Table 1
LOS for Signalized Intersections – Existing Conditions
LOS (Delay in seconds)
AM Peak
PM Peak
New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
B (10.6)
B (19.4)
Northwest bound Approach
B (10.7)
B (19.7)
Northeast bound Approach
C (24.4)
B (17.7)
Southwest bound Approach
D (47.3)
C (20.9)
Overall
D (40.2)
B (18.9)
New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
C (21.5)
Northwest bound Approach
B (15.3)
Northeast bound Approach
C (28.1)
Southwest bound Approach
A (2.0)
Overall
A (10.0)
C (24.8)
B (17.5)
C (34.1)
B (10.3)
C (24.7)
Future Year Analysis
The future year analysis was performed for 2015 No Build, 2015 Build, and 2015 Build
with 24-hour on street parking on both sides. The traffic volumes were projected based
on the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) historical average daily traffic
(ADT) data.
The most current vehicle volumes for the roadways in the study area are reflected in the
Table below. These traffic volumes were obtained by researching the ADT recorded by
the GDOT Count Stations located in Doraville. The growth rate was calculated based on
a regression analysis.
Count
Station
number
Buford Hwy
3103
Central Ave
New
Peachtree
Rd
8565
Cross
Street
S of New
Peachtree
S of
Oakmont
N of Buford
Hwy
3594
N of Central
Ave
Road
Shallowford
Rd.
3612
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
7,855
7,712
8,142
8,286
8,421
8,567
7,420
7,370
33,645
34,241
30,557
34,643
34,682
35,487
28,920
27,880
857
1,840
17,320
15,070
14,600
14,527
17,657
16,514
16,979
17,272
Regression analysis is illustrated in the chart below. According to the trendlines shown
in the chart, a growth rate of 1.3% for New Peachtree Road, and 8% for Central Avenue
and Park Avenue are used for traffic forecasting from 2005 to 2015. It should be noted
that the calculated result for Central Avenue is 16.3%. However the two-year data is
insufficient for regression analysis.
Traffic Growth Projection
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
ADT
y = 197.2x + 15355
15000
10000
Shallowford Rd.
Buford Hwy
Central Ave
New Peachtree Rd
Linear (Buford Hwy)
Linear (New Peachtree Rd)
Linear (Shallowford Rd. )
Linear (Central Ave)
5000
y = 983x - 6024
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
-5000
-10000
Year
The existing traffic volumes were factored to account for the growth in the area and the
capacity analysis was performed. Tables 2 through 4 below reflect the results of the
future conditions analysis.
Table 2
LOS for Signalized Intersections – 2015 No-Build
LOS (Delay in seconds)
AM Peak
PM Peak
New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
B (13.0)
C (24.4)
Northwest bound Approach
B (13.2)
C (24.9)
Northeast bound Approach
C (20.8)
B (10.2)
Southwest bound Approach
D (44.1)
B (16.9)
Overall
D (36.3)
B (13.9)
New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
C(29.0)
Northwest bound Approach
C(20.3)
Northeast bound Approach
C(24.6)
Southwest bound Approach
A(3.7)
Overall
B(12.2)
C (30.5)
B (19.7)
D (36.1)
B (12.7)
C (26.4)
Table 3
LOS for Signalized Intersections – 2015 Build
LOS (Delay in seconds)
AM Peak
PM Peak
New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
B (13.8)
B (17.7)
Northwest bound Approach
B (14.0)
B (18.0)
Northeast bound Approach
A (5.8)
A (6.3)
Southwest bound Approach
B (13.7)
B (11.6)
Overall
B (12.0)
A (9.3)
New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
B(18.7)
Northwest bound Approach
B(16.9)
Northeast bound Approach
B(15.9)
Southwest bound Approach
A(4.2)
Overall
A(9.8)
B (19.0)
B (14.1)
C (23.2)
A (6.8)
B (16.8)
Table 4
LOS for Signalized Intersections
2015 Build With 24-hour On-Street Parking on Both Side
LOS (Delay in seconds)
AM Peak
PM Peak
New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
C (27.3)
D (50.4)
Northwest bound Approach
C (27.3)
D (50.5)
Northeast bound Approach
A (6.8)
A (4.0)
Southwest bound Approach
C (25.6)
A (6.2)
Overall
C (21.6)
A (9.6)
New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue
Southeast bound Approach
C(32.6)
Northwest bound Approach
D(36.2)
Northeast bound Approach
B(10.5)
Southwest bound Approach
A(6.5)
Overall
B(14.7)
D (51.8)
D (45.0)
D (41.7)
B (15.8)
D (36.0)
Improvements for “2015 Build” conditions:
1. Lane reconfiguration for both intersections (to provide peak on-street parking):
• AM: Northeast bound Approach—one through + one shared through-rightturn reduced to one shared through-right-turn.
• PM: Southwest bound Approach —one through + one shared through-rightturn reduced to one shared through-right-turn.
2. Traffic signal optimization for both intersections:
• Intersection splits
• Intersection cycle length
• Intersection offset
• Network cycle lengths
• Network offsets
Additional Improvements for “2015 Build Full Parking” conditions:
•
On-street parking is provided 24-hour on both sides of New Peachtree Road,
narrowing New Peachtree Road to two-lane two-way plus one left-turn lane.
Summary of the four conditions:
1. Existing:
• New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue: operates at LOS D in the AM peak
and B at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
• New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue: operates at LOS A (ideal conditions) in
the AM peak and C at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
2. 2015 No-Build:
• New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue: operates at LOS D in the AM peak
and B at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
• New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue: operates at LOS B in the AM peak and C
at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
3. 2015 Build:
• New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue: operates at LOS B in the AM peak
and A (ideal) at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
• New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue: operates at LOS A (ideal) in the AM
peak and B at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
4. 2015 Build Full Parking (24-hour on both sides) on New Peachtree Road:
• New Peachtree Road at Central Avenue: operates at LOS C in the AM peak
and A at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
•
New Peachtree Road at Park Avenue: operates at LOS B in the AM peak and D
at PM peak. Both are acceptable.
Conclusions:
•
•
Both intersections operate at acceptable LOS (D or better) in all the four
conditions analyzed.
24-hour on-street parking (parallel or angle) on both sides of New Peachtree Road
is feasible regarding capacity. Parallel parking design is preferred for safety
consideration.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix D Market and Demographics Report
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
A demographic profile of households key to the redevelopment of the study
area – Retail and Residential Market Area residents – is provided in this
section. Retail and Residential Market Areas (delineated below) are the
geographic areas from which the majority of potential customers and
residents of new housing emanate and are based on drive time estimates,
geographic and man-made boundaries and the location of existing
competitive supply. The Retail Market Area is comprised of a “Local” and a
“Greater” area. Local Retail Market Area residents (defined by a 10-minute
drive from the intersection of Buford Highway and Park Avenue) will look to
the study area for specialty shopping, entertainment and convenience
related goods and services. The Greater Retail Market Area (defined by a
20-minute drive) is much larger and is the area from which a majority of
“destination” shoppers emanate. Residents of new housing in the study area
will largely be drawn from the Residential Market Area, which is defined by a
20-mile radius from the intersection of Buford Highway and Park Avenue.
Residential and Retail Market Areas
Local Retail: 10 Minutes
1
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Greater Retail: 20 Minutes
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Residential: 20 Miles
The delineation of the Retail and Residential Market Areas is not meant to
suggest that prospective customers of study area businesses and residents of
new housing will be drawn solely from these geographic areas. Because of
the study area’s location, competitive assets and proposed redevelopment
activity, prospective retail customers and residents will also be drawn from
outside of the corresponding market areas. Comparisons with the study area,
the City of Doraville, the Atlanta MSA and the State of Georgia are made
where appropriate. Demographic and economic trends are analyzed for the
1990-2010 timeframe.
Population & Household Growth
• Over the past 15 years, the study area population has expanded from 874
to 1,252, growing at an average annual rate of 2.88% (EC-1), essentially
mimicking population growth within the City of Doraville (2.82% annually).
Over the past several decades, development in the study area has been
predominantly limited to commercial and industrial uses, resulting in a
limited residential base.
2
•
Study area and city households have grown at a much slower rate than
population since 1990, primarily due to a high share of ethnic households
(e.g., Hispanic and Asian) that tend to be larger. The average household
size within the study area is estimated at 4.33 persons; 3.33 persons within
the City of Doraville. Household size within the other geographic areas
shown in EC-1 ranges from 2.45 to 2.68.
•
Population and household growth rates within the Retail and Residential
Market areas have been moderately strong since 1990 (2.68% to 3.26%
annually), a trend that is expected to continue over the next five years
(2.15% to 2.42% annually). The Local Retail Market Area population is
estimated at 346,801; an estimated 1,501,926 persons reside within the
Greater Retail Market Area; and the Residential Market Area
encompasses a population of almost 2.8 million.
•
According to “Moving DeKalb Forward,” an August 2004 report
generated by the DeKalb County Comprehensive Transportation Plan, the
47 square-mile “north quadrant” of the county, within which Doraville lies,
had a 2000 population of 159,984 persons, or 24% of the county’s total
population.
•
Between 1990 and 2005, population growth within the Atlanta MSA was
extremely strong, increasing at an average rate of 4.15% annually. In the
1990s, population growth within the Atlanta MSA was largely fueled by a
booming economy. Between 2005 and 2010, population growth in the
Atlanta MSA is expected to remain strong but decrease to 3.32% annually.
•
The State of Georgia ranked fourth nationally in terms of its 1990-2000
numeric growth rate as its population increased 26.4%; the national
average growth rate was 13.2%.
California, Texas and Florida
experienced more total growth than Georgia, but much of the growth in
those three states has been due to immigration. Projections for the State
of Georgia for the next five years reveal some slowing in the average
annual growth rate to 2.25%.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
EXHIBIT EC-1
POPULATION GROWTH
Study Area, City of Doraville, Local Retail Market Area, Greater Retail Market Area,
Residential Market Area, Atlanta MSA and State of Georgia
1990-2010
Avg. Ann. Change
1990-2005
Avg. Ann. Change
2005-2010
Geographic Area
1990
2005
(Estimate)
Number
Percent
2010
(Forecast)
Number
Percent
Study Area
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
874
230
3.77
1,252
284
4.33
25
4
0.037
2.88%
1.57%
1,359
306
4.33
21
4
0.000
1.71%
1.55%
City of Doraville
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
7,594
2,762
3.33
10,804
3,220
3.33
214
31
0.000
2.82%
1.11%
11,762
3,472
3.36
192
50
0.006
1.77%
1.57%
247,418
105,182
2.34
346,801
136,730
2.50
6,626
2,103
0.011
2.68%
2.00%
384,068
150,418
2.52
7,453
2,738
0.004
2.15%
2.00%
Greater Retail Market Area
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
1,057,333
433,097
2.38
1,501,926
596,967
2.45
29,640
10,925
0.005
2.80%
2.52%
1,664,100
658,921
2.47
32,435
12,391
0.004
2.16%
2.08%
Residential Market Area
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
1,857,071
715,586
2.54
2,764,218
1,037,171
2.61
60,476
21,439
0.005
3.26%
3.00%
3,098,553
1,158,508
2.62
66,867
24,267
0.002
2.42%
2.34%
Atlanta MSA
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
3,069,425
1,140,843
2.65
4,980,447
1,824,531
2.68
127,401
45,579
0.002
4.15%
4.00%
5,807,513
2,124,032
2.70
165,413
59,900
0.004
3.32%
3.28%
State of Georgia
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
6,478,216
2,366,615
2.66
9,133,680
3,371,161
2.64
177,031
66,970
-0.001
2.73%
2.83%
10,162,517
3,756,173
2.64
205,767
77,002
0.000
2.25%
2.28%
Local Retail Market Area
Population
Households
Avg. Household Size
1990-2010 Average Annual Population Growth Rates
4.50%
4.00%
3.50%
3.00%
2.50%
2.00%
1.50%
1.00%
0.50%
0.00%
1990-2005 Avg. Ann. Change
2005-2010 Avg. Ann. Change
Study Area
City of Doraville
Local Retail Market Area
Greater Retail Market Area
Residential Market Area
Atlanta MSA
State of Georgia
Note: Doraville and study area 2010 population and household projects do not account for
anticipated redevelopment activity.
Source: ESRI BIS
3
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Age Distribution
• The study area’s “nearby” populations (i.e., study area, Doraville, Local
and Greater Retail Market Areas) are generally younger than the
Residential Market Area and MSA populations. Exhibit EC-2 shows that the
estimated median age of each of the geographic areas increases
moving away from the study area, ranging from 32.1 years in the study
area to 34.1 years in the MSA.
•
While the share of the children (i.e., age 14 and younger) is higher in
further out areas (Residential Market Area and MSA), the share of young
adults (age 20-34) is greatest in the nearby areas: ranging from 34% of
study area residents to only 22% of MSA residents. The proportion of
residents at the peak of their spending potential (age 35 to 64) is highest in
the Greater Retail Market Area, Residential Market Area and MSA. The
Local Retail Market area maintains the highest share of persons age 65
and older (10%) among the six geographic areas shown in Exhibit EC-2.
EXHIBIT EC-2
POPULATION BY AGE
Study Area, City of Doraville, Local Market Area, Greater Market Area,
Residential Market Area and Atlanta MSA
2005
Age Category
Study
City of
Local Retail
Greater Retail
Residential
Atlanta
Area
Doraville
Market Area
Market Area
Market Area
MSA
Under 5
5-14
15-19
20-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75-84
85 and Older
6.9%
10.5%
5.9%
9.3%
24.7%
19.2%
11.7%
5.7%
3.4%
2.3%
0.4%
6.7%
11.6%
6.5%
9.8%
21.5%
17.5%
11.5%
7.6%
4.2%
2.6%
0.0%
6.8%
11.0%
5.4%
8.6%
21.8%
17.2%
11.7%
8.1%
4.7%
3.5%
1.3%
6.6%
12.4%
6.3%
8.1%
19.3%
17.3%
13.5%
8.7%
4.1%
2.7%
1.1%
7.2%
14.0%
6.7%
7.3%
16.9%
17.4%
14.1%
8.7%
4.1%
2.6%
0.9%
7.5%
14.7%
6.8%
6.8%
15.6%
17.3%
14.1%
9.1%
4.5%
2.6%
0.9%
Total
1,252
10,804
346,801
1,501,926
2,764,218
4,980,447
Median Age
32.1
32.2
33.3
33.6
33.8
34.1
2005 Age Distribution of the Population
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Under 5
5-14
15-19
20-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
MARKET ANALYSIS
65-74
75-84
85 and
Older
Study Area
City of Doraville
Local Retail Market Area
Greater Retail Market Area
Residential Market Area
Atlanta MSA
Source: ESRI BIS
4
54-55
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Household Income Distribution
• Exhibit EC-3 shows that Retail and Residential Market Area households are
somewhat more affluent than study area and Doraville households and
slightly more affluent that Atlanta MSA households. Estimated 2005
median household income ranges from $50,214 in the City of Doraville to
$65,987 in the Greater Retail Market Area.
•
The wealth of Retail and Residential Market Area households is clear when
considering the proportion of households with annual incomes of $200,000
and greater: ranging from 7% to 9% compared to 5% in the MSA, 2% in
Doraville and 3% in the study area.
•
Despite the fact that study area and city household incomes are below
MSA and Retail and Residential Market Area levels, both have median
incomes above the national median of $49,747: 7% higher in the study
area and 1% higher in the city.
EXHIBIT EC-3
HOUSEHOLDS BY INCOME
Study Area, City of Doraville, Local Market Area, Greater Market Area,
Residential Market Area and Atlanta MSA
2005
Income
Study
City of
Local Retail
Greater Retail
Residential
Atlanta
Area
Doraville
Market Area
Market Area
Market Area
MSA
Less than $15,000
$15,000 to $24,999
$25,000 to $34,999
$35,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $74,999
$75,000 to $99,999
$100,000 to $149,999
$150,000 to $199,999
$200,000 and more
9%
7%
12%
17%
25%
10%
13%
4%
3%
10%
9%
11%
19%
24%
10%
13%
2%
2%
7%
7%
9%
15%
20%
13%
16%
6%
8%
8%
7%
8%
14%
20%
13%
17%
6%
9%
9%
7%
8%
13%
20%
13%
17%
6%
7%
9%
7%
9%
14%
21%
14%
16%
5%
5%
Total
284
3,220
136,730
596,967
1,037,171
1,824,531
$53,169
$50,214
$64,429
$65,987
$65,016
$62,156
107%
101%
130%
133%
131%
125%
Median
Median as a % of US
2005 Household Income Distribution
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Less than
$15,000
$15,000 to
$24,999
$25,000 to
$34,999
$35,000 to
$49,999
$50,000 to
$74,999
$75,000 to $100,000 to $150,000 to $200,000
$99,999
$149,999
$199,999
and more
Study Area
City of Doraville
Local Retail Market Area
Greater Retail Market Area
Residential Market Area
Atlanta MSA
Source: ESRI BIS
5
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Racial Composition
• Over the past several decades, the City of Doraville has evolved into one
of the Atlanta region’s most ethnically diverse communities. An estimated
42% of Doraville residents are Hispanic (Exhibit EC-4). In terms of race, 46%
of Doraville residents are white, 15% are African American, 15% are Asian
and 19% are categorized as “some other race alone.” The racial and
ethic composition of the study area population closely resembles the City
of Doraville.
•
Although the Retail and Residential Market Area populations are not as
racially and ethically diverse as Doraville’s population, all three areas are
more diverse than the MSA. For instance, 25% of Local Retail Market Area
residents and 13% of Greater Retail Market Area residents are Hispanic.
Exhibit EC-4
RACIAL COMPOSITION
Study Area, City of Doraville, Local Market Area, Greater Market Area,
Residential Market Area and Atlanta MSA
2005
Race
Study
City of
Local Retail
Greater Retail
Residential
Atlanta
Area
Doraville
Market Area
Market Area
Market Area
MSA
White Alone
African American Alone
American Indian Alone
Asian Alone
Pacific Islander Alone
Some Other Race Alone
Two or More Races
44.5%
18.8%
0.8%
11.8%
0.2%
19.7%
4.2%
46.3%
15.0%
0.8%
14.5%
0.3%
18.8%
4.4%
57.6%
18.8%
0.4%
8.7%
0.1%
11.3%
3.2%
54.5%
30.0%
0.3%
7.1%
0.1%
5.6%
2.6%
53.4%
34.3%
0.3%
5.2%
0.0%
4.6%
2.2%
61.8%
29.0%
0.3%
3.6%
0.0%
3.4%
1.9%
Total
1,252
10,804
346,801
1,501,926
2,764,218
4,980,447
Hispanic (any race)
37.5%
41.5%
25.3%
13.0%
10.6%
8.0%
Some Other
Race Alone
Two or More
Races
2005 Racial Composition of the Population
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
White Alone
Black Alone
American
Indian Alone
Asian Alone
Pacific Islander
Alone
Study Area
City of Doraville
Local Retail Market Area
Greater Retail Market Area
Residential Market Area
Atlanta MSA
Source: ESRI BIS
Community Tapestry Segments
• Recognizing that people who share the same demographic
characteristics may have widely divergent desires and preferences,
Community Tapestry data (developed by ESRI Business Information
Solutions) categorizes neighborhoods throughout the nation into 65
consumer groups or market segments.
Neighborhoods are
geographically defined by census blocks, which are analyzed and sorted
6
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
by a variety of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well
as other determinants of consumer behavior. Based on this information,
neighborhoods are classified as one of 65 market segments.
•
Retail and Residential Market Area households have been grouped into
Community Tapestry market segments. The top ten market segments
within each of the geographic areas are shown in EC-5 and summarized
below (listed alphabetically).
•
While the characteristics of each market segment varies, households
within the Retail and Residential Market Areas are generally upwardly
mobile, established and affluent.
Most groups are made up of
professionals and dual income households are the norm. Younger market
segments (e.g., Young and Restless, Enterprising Professionals, Metro
Renters, etc.) reflect a more urban and active lifestyle where purchases
and activities are centered on entertainment and setting up their homes.
Older and more established market segments (Connoisseurs,
Metropolitans, Wealthy Seaboard Suburbs, etc.) have the wealth to
maximize and enjoy their free time. Overall, Retail and Residential Market
Area households have an urban orientation without the perceived
drawbacks of living downtown.
Exhibit EC-5
HOUSEHOLDS BY PRIMARY MARKET SEGMENT
Retail and Residential Market Areas
2005
Local Retail Market Area
Market Segment
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Percent of Market Segment
Households
Young and Restless
Enterprising Professionals
Metro Renters
Connoisseurs
International Marketplace
In Style
Aspiring Young Families
Old and New Comers
Trendsetters
Wealthy Seaboard Suburbs
Total Households
Greater Retail Market Area
17.5%
9.7%
9.1%
8.1%
6.3%
6.0%
5.4%
4.9%
4.8%
4.5%
Young and Restless
Metro Renters
Enterprising Professionals
Aspiring Young Families
Boomburgs
Laptops and Lattes
Suburban Splendor
Connoisseurs
Up and Coming Families
Metropolitans
136,730
Residential Market Area
Percent of Market Segment
Households
13.0%
11.7%
8.7%
6.5%
5.3%
4.9%
3.8%
3.7%
3.3%
3.2%
Up and Coming Families
Young and Restless
Boomburgs
Metro Renters
Enterprising Professionals
Sophisticated Squires
Aspiring Young Families
Suburban Splendor
Milk and Cookies
Inner City Tenants
596,967
Note: Market Segments in bold indicate primary status in more than one geographic area.
Source: ESRI BIS
7
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Percent of
Households
8.8%
8.1%
7.8%
6.7%
6.5%
6.4%
6.1%
4.3%
3.7%
3.0%
1,037,171
8
Market Segment
Socioeconomic
Residential
Preferences
Aspiring Young Families
• Local Retail HH: 5.4%
• Greater Retail HH: 6.5%
• Residential HH: 6.1%
• Young families,
married couples or
single parents.
• Ethnically diverse.
• Average income.
• Work mostly in service,
sales, administration
and government jobs.
• Approximately onehalf have purchased
single family detached
and attached
townhouses, valued
slightly below the
national average.
• If renting, rents are
typically slightly below
average.
• Buy big-ticket home
furnishing items and
electronics.
• Purchase baby and
children’s products and
toys.
• Like dancing, going to the
movies, working out at the
gym, kickboxing and
attending pro basketball
games.
• Dine out at family
restaurants.
Boomburgs
• Greater Retail HH: 5.3%
• Residential HH: 7.8%
• Fast growing market
segment.
• Affluent, double
income families.
• Newest addition to
suburbia.
• Median home value
far above the national
average and
increasing.
• Almost all own their
homes.
• Busy, upscale lifestyle.
• Focus on home upgrades,
furnishings and
landscaping.
• Spend on family, leisure
and electronics.
• Play golf, tennis and swim.
Connoisseurs
• Local Retail HH: 8.1%
• Greater Retail HH: 3.7%
• Affluent and older.
• Approaching
retirement.
• Older children, if any,
at home.
• Live in older, affluent
neighborhoods.
• Likely to own.
• Median home value is
almost three times the
national level.
• Top rated for conspicuous
consumption.
• Spend heavily on travel
and vacations.
• Civic participation is high.
Enterprising Professionals
• Local Retail HH: 9.7%
• Greater Retail HH: 8.7%
• Residential HH: 6.5%
• Young, highly
educated working
professionals.
• Single or recently
married.
• Live in newer
neighborhoods in
townhomes or
apartments.
• Mobile but prefer to
own rather than rent
• Purchases reflect their
youth, mobility and
growing status.
• Rely heavily on Internet for
shopping, work and
communication.
• Travel, practice yoga, jog
and go to the gym.
Inner City Tenants
• Residential HH: 3.0%
• Young, multicultural
households.
• Singles and single
parents.
• Not highly educated.
• Below average
incomes generated
from service and
unskilled labor jobs.
• Usually rent in mid-rise
and high-rise buildings.
• Renters predominate.
• Much of their income is
devoted to infant and
children’s products.
• Enjoy going to the movies,
watching TV, shopping
and attending basketball
and football games.
In Style
• Local Retail HH: 6.0%
• Affluent professionals.
• Small household size –
few children.
• Dual income
households.
• Favor townhomes over
single family
detached.
• Live in prestigious
neighborhoods.
• More suburban than
urban but prefer an urban
lifestyle.
• Technologically savvy.
• Home repairs and yard
work are contracted out.
• Health conscious – eat
healthy and work out.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Market Segment
9
Socioeconomic
Residential
International Marketplace
• Local Retail HH: 6.3%
• Urban with a rich
blend of cultures.
• Young.
• Half are Hispanic.
• Labor force
participation is high;
many have part time
jobs.
• Variety of housing
types.
• Most rent apartments
in multi-unit structures,
but over one-third own
their own home.
• Homes tend to be
older.
• Family is a priority.
• Purchases include
groceries, children’s
products.
• Movie buffs, enjoy dining
out, drinking beer.
• Buy domestic & foreign
vehicles.
• Cost-conscious, shop at
Target, Wal-mart, K-Mart.
Laptops and Lattes
• Greater Retail HH: 4.9%
• Young, affluent and
single.
• Educated, working
in professional jobs.
• Median age slightly
above the national
level.
• Singles and couples.
• Likely to still be renting.
• Live in multi-unit
structures.
• Active and
unencumbered.
• Technologically savvy
(PCs, PDAs, etc).
• Health conscious and
physically fit.
• Buy organic, exercise and
are environmentally
aware.
Metro Renters
• Local Retail HH: 9.1%
• Greater Retail HH: 11.7%
• Residential HH: 6.7%
• Young, well
educated
professionals that
are just starting out
on their own.
• Nearly one-third are
in their twenties.
• Incomes are slightly
above average and
climbing.
• Likely to rent in highrise buildings.
• High rents may force
them to have
roommates.
• Live in ethnically
diverse
neighborhoods.
• A young market,
expenditures are primarily
devoted to themselves:
ski/workout clothing,
designer apparel, organic
food, travel and imported
wine/beer.
• Go to concerts, movies
and dancing and enjoy
yoga, skiing and jogging.
• Shop online.
• Favorite stores are
Bloomingdales, Banana
Republic, Macy’s and
Gap.
Metropolitans
• Greater Retail HH: 3.2%
• Singles and childless
couples.
• Slightly older with
incomes above the
national average.
• Live in older
neighborhoods.
• Mix of single family and
multi-unit structures.
• Almost equally divided
by renters and owners.
• Busy, urban lifestyle.
• Enjoy yoga, listen to jazz,
rent foreign videos,
attend rock concerts and
visit museums.
• Travel frequently for
business and pleasure.
Milk and Cookies
• Residential HH: 3.7%
• Young, affluent
couples who are
starting their families.
• Many with children.
• Dual income
families.
• Single family homes,
valued close to the
national average.
• Most likely rent.
• Focused on life, family
and the future.
• Buy baby and children’s
products, invest and are
well insured.
• Spend time with their
families at the zoo, going
to the movies and visiting
theme parks.
• Busy lifestyles necessitate
fast food and instant
breakfasts.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Preferences
Market Segment
10
Socioeconomic
Residential
Preferences
Old and Newcomers
• Local Retail HH: 4.9%
• A combination of
households just
starting their careers
or are retiring.
• Young or old: in their
20s or 75+.
• Incomes are slightly
below average.
• Single person and
shared households
more common than
families.
• Almost two-thirds rent.
• Unencumbered lifestyle.
• Drive compact cars and
own cats
• Recreation includes
jogging, walking, golf and
racquetball.
Sophisticated Squires
• Residential HH: 6.4%
• Primarily families with
children.
• Commute to
maintain a semi-rural
lifestyle.
• Well educated and
professional.
• Enjoy cultured country
living in newer home
developments.
• Preference for low
density development.
• Ownership
predominates.
• Embracing a rural lifestyle.
• Golf is a major interest –
playing and watching.
• Enjoy do-it-you-self home
projects and gardening.
Suburban Splendor
• Greater Retail HH: 3.8%
• Residential HH: 4.3%
• Upwardly mobile
suburban families.
• Dual incomes.
• Well educated and
well employed.
• Median age of 40.
• Children at home.
• Homes valued far
above the national
level.
• Ownership
predominates.
• Value family and travel.
• Purchase time saving
gadgets.
• Homes feature the latest
amenities and designs.
• Hire professionals to
maintain their homes.
Trendsetters
• Local Retail HH: 4.8%
• Young, diverse and
mobile.
• Above average
incomes.
• Non-traditional but
professional jobs.
• Rent upscale
apartments.
• Frequently singles and
roommates.
• Cutting edge urban style.
• Love to shop online and in
stores.
• Technologically savvy.
• Health conscious – eat
well and exercise.
Up and Coming Families
• Greater Retail HH: 3.3%
• Residential HH: 8.8%
• Generation Xers
growing up.
• Young, affluent
families with young
children.
• Growth market.
• Newly developed
homes.
• Ownership
predominates.
• Homes valued slightly
above the national
average.
• Family and home priorities
dictate purchases: baby
and children’s products,
gardening supplies, home
furnishings, etc.
• Visit the zoo, take adult
education classes, attend
ball games.
Wealthy Seaboard Suburbs
• Local Retail HH: 4.5%
• Older, affluent,
professional couples.
• Married with and
without children.
• Live in established,
affluent
neighborhoods.
• Most likely own their
home.
• Single family structures.
• Enjoy traveling and value
their leisure time.
• Contract out home and
garden maintenance and
repair.
• Rely on the Internet for
convenience rather than
entertainment.
Young and Restless
• Local Retail HH: 17.5%
• Greater Retail HH: 13.0%
• Residential HH: 8.1%
• Young and on the
go.
• Single person and
shared households.
• Moderate incomes.
• Work in service and
professional
management
occupations.
• Due to their youth,
high turnover.
• Approximately threequarters are renters.
• Rents and home
values are in line with
the national average.
• Purchases center on
themselves: sports
clothing/gear, designer
clothing and
computers/software.
• Enjoy movies, concerts,
fast food and bar/grilles.
• Use storage facilities.
• Shop at Banana Republic
and Express.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Employment Trends
• The Selig Center of the University of Georgia predicts that the Atlanta MSA
will generate 41% of total statewide job growth in 2005, increasing by 1.7%
or 23,700 jobs. Statewide, job growth will remain sluggish at 1.5% due to
residual weaknesses in the IT, air transportation, hospitality and
manufacturing clusters.
The Atlanta MSA’s high share of serviceproducing jobs and low shares of government and manufacturing jobs
partially explains slightly above average employment gains (i.e., 1.7% vs.
1.5% statewide). Still, however, Atlanta’s sizable air transportation industry
will limit job gains in 2005. The Atlanta MSA is an excellent choice for
businesses to locate due to Hartsfield International Airport (the second
busiest passenger airport in the world), a large pool of educated and
talented workers, a diversified economy, several renowned academic
institutions, continued, albeit slower, population growth and an excellent
transportation system (e.g., interstate system, rail, transit, etc.).
•
Within the study area, there are an estimated 384 businesses that employ
4,738 workers (Exhibit EC-6). A large share of study area jobs (58%) are
concentrated in the services sector, followed by the retail trade (17%),
wholesale trade (10%), manufacturing (8%) and construction (6%). The
ratio of employees (“daytime population”) to residents (“nighttime
population”) is 3.78, indicating a significantly stronger commercial than
residential base.
EXHIBIT EC-6
BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE STUDY AREA AND WITHIN A 1-MILE, 2-MILE AND 3-MILE RADIUS
2005
Study Area
1-Mile Radius
2-Mile Radius
3-Mile Radius
Businesses Employees Businesses Employees Businesses Employees Businesses Employees
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Industry
Agriculture & Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Transportation
Communication
Electric/Gas/Water/Sanitary Services
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Home Improvement
General Merchandise
Food Stores
Auto Dealers/Gas Stations/Auto Aftermart
Apparel & Accessories
Furniture & Home Furnishings
Eating & Drinking Establishments
Miscellaneous Retail
Finance/Insurance/Real Estate
Banks and Savings/Lending
Securities Brokers
Insurance Carriers and Agents
Real Estate/Holding/Other Investment
Services
Hotels & Lodging
Automotive Repair, Services, Parking
Motion Picture & Amusements
Health
Legal
Education Institutions & Libraries
Other Services
Government
Other
Total
1%
5%
5%
4%
1%
0%
7%
31%
1%
0%
4%
3%
4%
4%
7%
9%
9%
2%
1%
3%
4%
34%
0%
5%
2%
2%
1%
2%
23%
1%
1%
2%
6%
8%
1%
0%
0%
3%
17%
0%
0%
1%
6%
1%
3%
4%
3%
4%
1%
0%
1%
2%
58%
0%
2%
0%
1%
0%
2%
53%
1%
0%
1%
6%
6%
4%
1%
0%
10%
27%
1%
0%
3%
4%
3%
4%
6%
7%
9%
2%
1%
2%
4%
33%
0%
4%
2%
2%
1%
2%
22%
1%
1%
2%
9%
9%
3%
0%
0%
6%
19%
1%
1%
1%
5%
1%
2%
5%
4%
3%
1%
0%
0%
2%
49%
0%
2%
1%
1%
0%
4%
42%
1%
0%
2%
6%
7%
4%
1%
0%
9%
24%
2%
0%
3%
3%
2%
3%
6%
5%
10%
3%
1%
2%
4%
36%
0%
4%
2%
4%
2%
2%
22%
1%
1%
2%
9%
10%
5%
0%
0%
8%
22%
2%
1%
2%
5%
1%
2%
5%
3%
5%
2%
0%
1%
2%
39%
0%
2%
1%
2%
1%
4%
28%
1%
0%
2%
6%
6%
4%
1%
0%
9%
22%
1%
0%
2%
3%
1%
3%
5%
5%
10%
3%
1%
2%
4%
38%
0%
4%
2%
5%
2%
2%
24%
1%
2%
2%
8%
9%
4%
0%
0%
9%
19%
2%
1%
2%
4%
1%
3%
5%
3%
6%
2%
0%
1%
2%
40%
1%
2%
1%
4%
1%
5%
26%
3%
0%
384
4,738
951
10,785
3,233
29,947
4,987
48,457
Daytime/Nighttime Population Ratio
3.78
1.00
Source: ESRI BIS
11
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
0.74
0.49
12
•
Major employers in DeKalb County’s north quadrant include the General
Motors Doraville plant, which currently employs some 3,500; President
Baking Co., with 3,000 employees; Scientific Atlanta (435 employees);
Quebecor Printing Atlanta (350 employees); and Hostess Cake Kitchens
(325 employees). Outside the boundaries of the study area, Doraville’s
General Motors plant is facing an uncertain future. General Motors’
ongoing financial difficulties combined with the fact that the Doraville
plant is one of the company’s oldest facilities (1947) in a time of rapidly
changing technologies suggests jobs losses or plant closure could occur in
the foreseeable future.
•
Exhibit EC-6 also illustrates the types of industry immediately surrounding
the study area and those further away (e.g., one-, two- and three-mile
areas). The share of service jobs decreases moving away from the study
area (from 58% in the study area to 40% within a three-mile radius) with
gains in retail and wholesale trade, construction and manufacturing. The
ratio of daytime/nighttime population significantly decreases as you
move outside of the study area from 1.00 within a one-mile area to 0.74 in
a two-mile are to 0.49 in a three-mile area, demonstrating a strong
neighboring residential base.
•
The high number of employees within a one-, two- and three-mile area
speaks well for future redevelopment activity in the study area as nearby
employees are a valuable market for new retail and housing
development. Almost 10,800 people work within one mile of the study
area; nearly than 30,000 people work within two miles; and almost 48,500
work within three miles of the study area.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
13
•
For the fourth consecutive year 2004 proved to be another fast paced
year in the nation’s single-family market as new home sales reached
record-breaking levels. Improved job growth, a rise in incomes, growth in
new household formations (partially fueled by immigration) and moderate
interest rates all contributed to a strong housing market. Low interest rates
have had a direct impact on homeownership rates, as renters are finding
that mortgage payments are increasingly comparable to rents –
especially in the entry-level market. In addition, second-home purchases
by baby boomers are also contributing to a strong housing market.
Despite the likelihood of increasing interest rates, homebuilders anticipate
a strong – although slightly weakening – housing market in 2005 as jobs
and household income continue to improve.
•
The apartment market is positioned for a continued, mild recovery in 2005
with strong gains anticipated for 2006. While rising employment and
interest rates should strengthen the rental market, the recovery will be
subdued by an oversupply of units due to high completions in recent
years. This is compounded by the fact that modest interest rate hikes will
have a limited impact on homebuyers. The real estate brokerage firm,
Marcus & Millichap reports vacancy rates holding steady at slightly less
than 7% and expect a 40 basis point decrease in vacancy by year-end.
A pull back in concessions is expected to push effective rents up by 2% in
2005.
•
Within the Atlanta region, homebuilders anticipate another record year
for residential development, largely supported by low interest rates.
Metrostudy (which tracks new home construction in the Atlanta metro
area) reports that local housing inventory has remained steady over the
past year. Metrostudy reports that single family inventory in the northern
metro Atlanta counties was at an 8.3-month supply at the end of the first
quarter of 2005, up from an 8.1-month supply a year ago. Within south
metro counties, inventory was at an 8.7-month supply, up from a 7.9month supply a year ago.
•
The Atlanta Journal Constitution 2005 Home Report shows a 2004 median
new home sales price of $189,900 in the Atlanta metro area, while resales
earned a median price of $166,500. Housing prices in the metro area
have remained somewhat in balance with incomes in recent years –
unlike so many metro areas throughout the nation – largely due to a
continuing supply of land, steady housing construction and moderately
increasing employment. However, rising cost of materials and land will
likely push sale prices upward in 2005. Choice Homes recently repriced its
product from an average of $136,000 for a home to $145,000 to reflect the
increased cost of materials. Another builder in the area, Forrest Homes,
predicts that their average sales price will increase from $170,000 to
$180,000.
•
In 2004, 232 homes sold in the study area’s 30340 Zip Code (up 9%) with a
median price of $172,250 (up 1%). Exhibit EC-7 on the following page
provides an overview of housing characteristics within the study area, city
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
and Residential Market Area as well as the Atlanta MSA for comparative
purposes.
EC-7
SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTING HOUSING UNITS
Study Area, City of Doraville, Residential Market Area and Atlanta MSA
Housing Characteristic
Study
Area
City of
Doraville
Residential
Market Area
Atlanta
MSA
46%
54%
46%
54%
62%
38%
69%
31%
$160,547
$168,721
$150,112
$158,044
$192,783
$252,400
$169,439
$218,080
Contract Rent (2000)
Median
Average
$709
$713
$654
$653
$677
$678
$640
$638
Units in Structure (2000)
Single Family Detached
Single Family Attached
2-4 Units
5-9 Units
10+ Units
Mobile Home
Other
48.5%
5.9%
13.7%
17.0%
15.0%
0.0%
0.0%
58.8%
4.2%
13.5%
9.4%
13.9%
0.4%
0.0%
59.7%
4.7%
7.3%
8.9%
18.0%
1.2%
0.0%
67.0%
3.5%
5.5%
6.8%
12.5%
4.4%
0.0%
Median Year Occupied Units Built (2000)
1967
1967
1980
1982
Occupied Units (2005)
Owner-Occupied
Renter-Occupied
Owner-Occupied Unit Value (2005)
Median
Average
Source: ESRI BIS
•
Housing tenure within the study area and City of Doraville is essentially split
between rental and ownership. Not surprising due to a high share of
renter units, the study area and City of Doraville have a smaller share of
single family detached units compared to the Residential Market Area
and Atlanta MSA. Housing value and rents within the study area and City
are below Residential Market Area and MSA levels and units are generally
older.
Competitive For Sale Market
• Atlanta’s condominium market continues to thrive, particularly in intown
markets and close-in neighborhoods that surround downtown. Successful
formats range from high-rise condominium projects such as the Metropolis
in Midtown to mid-rise condo/loft projects in downtown Decatur to
adaptive reuse loft projects in Inman Park. Factors underlying the
resurgence of the condominium market in Atlanta include:
−
14
MARKET ANALYSIS
A demographic shift derived from the growth in the aging baby
boomer and early retiree markets. Members of these groups are
seeking active lifestyles in smaller, maintenance free, secure housing
and prefer to own rather rent.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
−
−
−
15
As housing prices rise, condominiums are relatively more affordable
than single family detached housing. This is especially appealing to
young professional/first time homebuyers who want to build equity
and enjoy the tax benefits of home ownership.
A national shift in demand favoring intown or close-in housing.
As interest rates fall, renters realize that rents are exceeding potential
mortgage payments.
•
Although there is growing concern that Atlanta’s “condo craze” will result
in an overbuilt market, larger scale projects continue to sell – and resell –
well (e.g., the Metropolis). There is, however, a narrowing likelihood of
high returns on flipping units as the supply expands. High quality
affordable product (e.g., priced from $160,000-$190,000) is where the
market is strongest as mortgage payments rival rents at this price point.
•
While higher density condominium/loft development has not yet reached
Doraville, Chamblee’s Mid-City District has successfully capitalized on this
trend. In only the past few years, several higher density loft and
townhouse projects have been built or are in the process of being built.
Peachtree-Malone Lofts, an adaptive reuse project on Peachtree Road
completed in 2001, was Chamblee’s first large scale loft development.
Peachtree-Malone sold out quickly and today units are selling in the
upper $100,000s to low $300,000s.
•
The success of Peachtree-Malone combined with Chamblee’s excellent
access and unique qualities have gained the interest of the development
community. Two completed residential projects have experienced strong
sales (The Chalfont on Peachtree and Heritage Lofts), so much in fact that
the developers of both have taken on additional for-sale projects in the
Mid-City District. An unnamed 60 to 70-unit condominium project is being
built by the developers of The Chalfont with slightly more affordable but
smaller condominium flats priced from the mid $200,000s to $300,000.
Gilmer Development is breaking ground on Phase II of Heritage Lofts,
where units will be priced significantly higher than Phase I.
•
Several other for-sale loft/condominium projects are in the development
and planning stages. One large-scale project currently under construction
– Lofts at 5300 by Charter Development Company – was originally slated
to be rental apartments but was later adapted to accommodate
condominiums. Smaller units start in the low $100,000s and reach the low
$200,000s. Charter is also planning to break ground on an 83-unit mixeduse project (Miller Station) with 12,000 square feet of retail space within
the next year. Another condominium project that will break ground by
the end of 2005 is the Lofts at Antique Row, offering 55 luxury lofts priced
from $350,000 to $550,000 with first-story retail. The developers of Lofts at
Antique Row are also involved with Chamblee’s International Village
project.
•
Exhibit EC-2 on the following page summarizes completed on nearly
completed high density for-sale projects in Chamblee.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
Exhibit EC-8
SUMMARY OF SELECTED HIGHER DENSITY, ATTACHED FOR-SALE PROJECTS
Competitive Market Area
Summer 2005
Development (Year Opened)
Developer/Builder
Unit Type
Heritage Lofts of Chamblee (2004)
Chamblee Dunwoody @ Peachtree Rd
Gilmer Development
New Contraction
Mid-rise Brick Structure
Two Bedroom, Two-Story Lofts
First Story Retail
Lofts at 5300 (2005)
Peachtree Rd @ Miller Dr
Charter Development Company
New Contraction
Mid-rise Building
Under Construction
Mid City District Location
Chalfont on Peachtree (2005)
Chamblee Tucker @ Peachtree Rd
Luxury Townhomes
Three-Story Brownstone Brick
New Contraction
Peachtree Malone Lofts (2001)
Peachtree Rd @ Malone
Michael Perkins Development
Adaptive Reuse/New Construction
Adjacent to the Mid City District
Mid-rise Building
Across from MARTA Station
Total
Units
16
Unit Price Range
Unit Size Range
From
To
From
To
$299,000
$329,000
1,250
1,400
Price/SF
$237
Sales
Total
/Mo
13
1.6
New construction with historic loft elements. Sound proofing, steel frame construction.
French doors with balconies, granite countertops, exposed brick, hardwood and
concrete floors, high ceilings, full gym. Attracting Chamblee Airport pilots/employees,
singles/couples without children and empty nesters. Success has prompted Phase II
that is expected to break ground at the end of 2005, priced at $450,000 and up.
Located next to Chamblee City Hall.
242
$116,900
$235,000
622
1,230
$190
30
15.0
Located across from the Chamblee MARTA station. Under construction with first
closings scheduled for September. Sales began two months ago with 30 units under
contract. One-, two- and three-bedroom units priced from the low $100,000s to mid
$200,000s. Pool, rooftop garden/tennis, three courtyards, business center, fitness
center. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors. Project
includes 5,300 square feet of retail. Charter plans to build an additional 83 condos from
the $190,000s at the adjacent mixed-use Miller Station project that is expected to
begin construction within the next year.
25
$350,000
$357,000
2,500
2,500
$141
25
4.2
Close to the Chamblee MARTA station. Phase I and II sold out in six months. Prices
started at $314,000 and last home is under contract for $350,000. One resale listed at
$357,000. Two- and three-bedroom luxury townhome units: optional third bedroom on
the lower level. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, butlers pantry, security
system, double sinks, 2-car garage. Attracts single and married professionals and
empty nesters. Some investor units. The developer plans to build a new 60-70 unit midrise condo development across the street with first story retail priced in the mid
$200,000s to $300,000.
140
(Approx)
$174,900
$299,999
1,075
1,820
$164
Resales Resales
Centered on a former warehouse built in the 1940s. First phase was the redevelopment
of the warehouse. Second phase included a newly developed mid-rise building. Oneand two-bedroom resale units ranging from the $170,000s to the to $300,000. Concrete
floors, exposed finishes, high ceilings, pool.
Source: Marketek, Inc.
•
16
Although outside of the study area, there are several large-scale
condominium projects planned in the Perimeter Mall area. Sembler is
planning a 42-acre, $165 million mixed-use project across from Perimeter
Mall. Anchors will include a Super Target and an Archer Farms grocery
store. The development will entail 500,000 square feet of retail (including
13 restaurants) as well as a 325-unit apartment building developed by
Lincoln Properties and a 27-story, 220-condominium unit tower developed
by South Eastern Capital. Sembler is also planning to renovate Park Place,
located across from Perimeter Mall, which will include 110 high-end
condominiums in the rear. Although just in the planning stages, Cousins
Properties/Equity Office Properties Trust is planning a major development
project at the corner of Perimeter Center West and Hammond Drive that
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
will include 1.3 million square feet of office space, 650 residential units and
150,000 square feet of retail. The project is contingent upon market
conditions.
Competitive Rental Market
• Similar to the national apartment market, the Atlanta area has been hard
hit by recent job losses and low interest rates. Anticipated job gains in the
MSA combined, hopefully, with continued restraint on the part of
developers will help the rental market regain its footing in 2005. By yearend, asking rents are expected to increase modestly by 1% to an average
of $806 per month with vacancy rates down slightly to 10.8%. There
appears to be some level of consensus that the worst is over in the
apartment market. Developers are showing the greatest interest in intown
and close-in submarkets.
17
•
The popularity of Atlanta’s entry-level condominium market is taking its toll
on apartment development, particularly in Atlanta’s intown and close-in
areas. For the first time in one of the area’s best known apartment
developer’s 33-year history, Post Properties began construction on a $95
million condominium project in Washington D.C. last year followed by its
announcement to develop a 500-unit condominium project in Buckhead
due in 2007.
Post Properties and other developers are increasingly
converting apartments to condominium units to capitalize on this growing
trend. As mentioned earlier, Chamblee’s Lofts at 5300 was originally
intended to be an apartment development but was later redrafted as a
condominium project.
•
Within and immediately bordering the study area there are a handful of
older (i.e., approximately 30 years or more) apartment complexes with
limited amenities. Apartment development has been absent from the
recent flood of residential development in Chamblee’s Mid City District.
There is only one apartment development planned in the district (The
Battery) that has been held up for almost two years by environmental
issues. The Battery, which is expected to begin leasing in spring/summer
2006, will offer 192 one- and two-bedroom units targeting young
professional singles and couples as well as empty nesters. The project
manager noted that on several occasions his company has been
approached by others interested in acquiring the site for condominium
development.
•
The Promenade of Peachtree (formerly the Jefferson on Peachtree) is one
of the most recently developed apartment communities in the area.
Opening in 2000, the Promenade on Peachtree is located in Chamblee
on Johnson Ferry Road (“North Brookhaven”) and offers an ample variety
of community and unit amenities. Reportedly 96% occupied, rents range
from $795 for one-bedroom units to $1,300 for three-bedroom units.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
•
Exhibit EC-9 provides an overview of apartment communities located
within and close to the study area. Value ratios range from $0.58 to $0.98
per square foot with generally high occupancies. The rental market is
considered in equilibrium when occupancy rates reach 95% or more.
Exhibit EC-9 also shows that most of the projects in the vicinity of the study
area were built prior to 1990 and offer standard unit and community
amenities (pool, laundry, washer/dryer connections, playground and
clubhouse/community room).
Exhibit EC-9
SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED RENTAL PROJECTS
Competitive Residential Market Area
Summer 2005
Project/
Unit Size
Promenade at P'tree
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
Low
Rent
High
Square Feet
Low
High
Rent/
Sq. Ft.
Location
Structure
Type
Occ
Rate
Year
Built
Comments
Mid-rise
Flats
96%
2000
Recently developed, attractive community that is
attracting young professionals. Upgraded amenities
include tennis, housekeeping, sauna, whirlpool, pool
and door attendant.
3-Story
Flats
96%
1989
$735
$950
$1,300
$875
$1,135
$1,300
406 Units
742
929
994
1,338
1,446
1,446
Johnson
$0.96
Ferry Road,
$0.89
Chamblee
$0.90
Cameron Brook
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$415
$631
$829
$595
$767
$849
440 Units
543
851
988
1,114
1,254
1,350
$0.72 Dawson Blvd,
Doraville
$0.67
$0.64
Wood Terrace
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$490
$625
$750
476 Units
715
809
980
1,080
1,289
1,289
$0.62
$0.61
$0.58
Wood
Terrace
Place,
Doraville
3-Story
Flats
82%
$460
$625
$750
Foxfire
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$549
$659
$800
266 Units
900
900
1,150
1,150
1,300
1,300
$0.61
$0.57
$0.62
Peachtree
Industrial
Blvd,
Doraville
3-Story
Flats
93%
$549
$659
$800
Wyndham Creek
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$0.51
$0.49
Tilly Mill
Road,
Doraville
2-Story
TH and
Flats
1972
$799
$930
114 Units
1,190
1,557
1,190
1,928
98%
$590
$590
Peachtree Place North
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$0.65
$0.58
$0.98
Peachtree
Place
Parkway,
Doraville
2-Story
Flats
1983
$560
$700
$875
309 Units
800
900
1,038
1,284
1,351
351
99%
$550
$650
$800
Medowglen Village
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$535
$575
$1,000
646 Units
555
710
840
1,034
1,204
1,524
$0.77
$0.60
$0.66
Peachtree
Place
Parkway,
Doraville
2 and
3-Story
Flats
97%
$445
$555
$799
Shallowford Gardens
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
1970s
626
828
$0.88
$0.79
Shallowford,
Doraville
100%
$550
$650
104 Units
626
825
2-Story
$550
$650
Located in the study area. Mostly families (80%),
many Asian and Hispanic. On-site laundry,
playground, community room. Tenants work
in landscaping, painting, construction.
Shallowford Arms
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Shallowford,
Road,
Chamblee
2-Story
Flats
1970s
$550
$750
$800
48 Units
NA
NA
NA
96%
$525
$725
$800
Purchased the property in 1990 and has slowly been
renovating the property. Basic amenities (Laundry
and playground) but well managed. Mostly Hispanic
and African American families, most of who work in
the northeast area.
Shallowford Pines
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
NA
NA
NA
NA
Shallowford,
Chamblee
2-Story
Flats
1970s
$550
$750
72 Units
NA
NA
96%
$525
$725
Owned by the same company as Shallowford
Purchased the property in 1995. Has also
purchased other properties nearby.
Wynchase
One Bedroom
Two Bedroom
Three Bedroom
$565
$750
$815
136 Units
784
784
885
943
1,154
1,154
$0.72
$0.79
$0.71
Shallowford,
Road,
Chamblee
2-Story
Flats
99%
$565
$690
$815
1970s Located within the study area. A number of families.
On-site laundry, pool, palyground.
Tennis, playground, fitness center, pool, on-site
laundry, car wash.
W/D/C, on-site laundry, clubhouse, fitness, pool,
tennis, whirlpool.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
1973
W/D in unit or W/D/C, fitness, extra storage, hot tub,
business center, pool.
Clubhouse, business center, playground, on-site
laundry.
W/D connections, fitness, tennis, clubhouse, pool.
1987
W/D connections, tennis, clubhouse, pool,
playground
Source: Marketek Inc.
18
1987
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
•
19
Managers at projects located within or bordering the study area noted a
high share of Hispanic and African American tenants, many with families.
Rents at these projects are surprisingly high, likely forcing many tenets to
allocate a disproportionate share of their income (i.e., more than 30%) for
rent.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL PROFILE
RETAIL PROFILE
20
•
Throughout the recent economic downturn and gradual recovery, the
nation’s retail sector remained one of the few well performing sectors of
the economy. Low interest rates played a key role in supporting retail
sales by increasing the borrower’s disposable income. However, as oil
prices continue to rise, consumers will have fewer discretionary dollars to
spend on retail items. Thus far, long-term leases and restrained new
construction have shielded shopping center landlords from fluctuations in
spending. Reis reports that during the first quarter of 2005, vacancy rates
edged up slightly but effective rents also increased. Over the next few
years Reis predicts that added new construction (a faster pace than
previous years) could push vacancy rates upward, but that higher rents at
new shopping centers will boost average effective rents.
•
Atlanta’s strong population growth and in-migration, robust residential
development and a strong economy have sustained the local retail
market. Retail growth is expected to be especially strong in Atlanta’s
intown neighborhoods and southern suburbs where new residents are
being drawn. While Marcus & Millichap predicts a 4.4% increase in
Atlanta’s retail sales in 2005, vacancy is expected to drop only slightly to
8.7%, due to significant recent and near term construction as national
retailers continue to increase their presence in the metro area. Asking
rents are expected to climb to $16.87 (2.5%) by year end.
•
According to statistics published by Dorey Publishing and Information
Services, a local commercial real estate database company, in its semiannual Dorey’s Atlanta Retail Space Guide, the metro Atlanta retail
submarkets within which the study area is located is called the “Northeast
Atlanta” submarket by Dorey. As of the spring/summer of 2005, according
to Dorey the Northeast submarket included over 5.8 million square feet.
Vacancy is reported at 4.5% with 261,308 square feet of available space.
Available rent range is $16.72 to $18.64.
•
There is no space under construction in the Northeast Atlanta Market but
several retail/office projects are planned including Chamblee’s highly
anticipated International Village. Peter Chang and Chuck Schmidt have
broken ground on the 30-acre International Village redevelopment
project that extends from Chamblee Tucker Road to Chamblee
Dunwoody Road. The project is designed to build upon Atlanta’s growing
reputation as an international city, appealing to nearby and regional
residents/businesses as well as visitors (particularly those using DeKalb
Peachtree Airport). Construction of Phase I of the 500,000 square foot
mixed-use project is expected to take two years, which will include the
expansion of the existing Chinatown Square (Asian Square) and the
development of multi-national pubic market. Once complete, Asian
Square will entail 144,500 square feet of for-sale office and retail space.
The public market will be occupied by a variety of food-related businesses
(e.g., restaurants, organic grocery, venders, etc…) and arts
related/cultural activities and goods. Ultimately, International Village will
also include the following:
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RETAIL PROFILE
−
−
−
−
−
A 120 to 150-room hotel at the center of the development;
A 17,400 square foot performing arts center with two adjacent
office/retail buildings (15,750 square feet);
An amphitheater intended for a variety of entertainment uses;
A Mediterranean Village with 28,500 square feet of Italian and Greek
restaurants, specialty shops and offices; and
A 20,300 square foot/1,000 seat conference center.
Development is expected to begin at the Chamblee Dunwoody side of
the site and move toward the Chamblee Tucker side. Residential
development will not be included in the project due to noise abatement
restrictions placed on the site due to its proximity to the airport.
21
•
Also planned in Chamblee is an “urban format” Wal-Mart in the Mid-City
district. Located on Peachtree Industrial at Chamblee Tucker and
Claremont, the Wal-Mart will occupancy just under 300,000 square feet
with the vast majority of parking developed underground. While still a bigbox, the new Wal-Mart will be brick with smaller retail spaces wrapped
around the store (all of which must be competed before the Wal-Mart
opens). The project is expected to be complete in 2007.
•
Members of the International Village development team also participated
in the development of the Plaza del Sol shopping center, just outside of
the study area in Chamblee. Formerly a rundown warehouse on New
Peachtree Road, the 66,000 square foot Plaza del Sol opened in 2002 as a
shopping center that is reminiscent of a Latin Village with features such as
murals painted above the entranceway, tiled roof and low archways.
Today the center is approximately 60% occupied with lease rates at
approximately $17 N per square foot. Vacancies can be partially
attributed to the developer’s unsuccessful attempts to attract a clinic to a
prime space. Tenants include restaurants, sports apparel/goods, an event
space, a bakery, the Mexican/American Business Chamber, Dollar Store,
hair salon, photography studio and a Latin grocery store. The project is
located within an Enterprise zone as well as an International Overlay
District.
•
The square footage of the shopping centers in the area from Chamblee
Dunwoody to Doraville Plaza on Buford Highway north of I-285 is
approximately 500,000 square feet. Summary characteristics of a sample
of these centers are shown in Exhibit EC-10 on the following page.
•
Leasing agents in the area say that it is difficult to find vacant space for
new businesses. In an interview with the Atlanta Business Chronicle, a
commercial property owner in the area recently noted that the Buford
Highway retail market is “strong as a rope. There’s very little vacancy and
you can build just about anything and enjoy a lot of tenant demand.” The
square foot rate is generally $14 to $16/N.
•
This retail market is extremely tight despite the fact that some of the
shopping centers are obsolete with marginal businesses. Overall, however,
the predominantly ethnic centers such as Northwoods Plaza and
International Plaza are busy, well maintained with an array of interesting
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RETAIL PROFILE
shops and restaurants. The district is sometimes referred to as Atlanta’s
“Little Asia,” reportedly hosting the greatest ethnically-owned
concentration of businesses in the southeast. One of the interesting
aspects of Buford Highway’s international retail base is that it is truly multicultural (Japanese, Korean, Hispanic, Chinese, Taiwanese, etc.), which
boosts retail sales by encouraging cross ethic traffic. Ethically owned
businesses have essentially transformed this segment of Buford Highway,
creating a new identity for the area and occupying space that had
almost been forgotten.
The unique variety of ethnic goods not only
serves the needs of nearby ethnic residents, but pulls in shoppers from
throughout the region.
Exhibit EC-10
SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED SHOPPING CENTERS
Summer 2005
Center/Location
Location
Type
Distance
(Miles)
GLA
Year
Built
Number
of Stores
Anchors/Businesses
Sq. Ft.
Rate
Doraville Plaza
5766 Buford Hwy.
C
0.79
189,467
0%
0
NA
30
Value City. Center
obsolete, marginal
businesses.
$14/N
Northwoods Plaza
5053 Buford Hwy.
N
0.88
48,850
0%
0
NA
29
Unanchored strip
center. Well kept,
clean, busy
$14/N
International Plaza
5979 Buford Hwy.
N
1.39
58,834
2%
1,400
1995
23
Unanchored strip
center U-shaped center
$18-$25/
NNN
North Hills
3549 Chamblee Tucker Rd
N
1.53
101,714
1%
1,260
1980
9
Duron Paints, Big Lots.
An aging center with a
mix of ethnic and
traditional businesses.
Main Event Fitness
$14/N
Pinetree Plaza
5229 Buford Highway
C
0.49
206,411
0%
0
1959
70
Pinetree West Plaza
5280 Buford Highway
N
0.35
21,688
0%
0
1964
14
H&R Block
$10-$12/N
Asian Square
5150 Buford Highway
C
0.48
NA
0%
0
NA
38
80% ethnic, pediatric
clinic, books, videos,
jewelry, optical, herbs,
Anchored by Ranch
Market
$12/N
Farmers Market
Buford Highway
C
0.60
140,000
0.00%
0
1975
4
A market with food and
some dry goods. About
80% ethnic.
NA
Vacancies
Rate
Space
Note: Distance is measured in miles from the intersection on Buford Highway and Dogwood Drive.
Key:
C: Community Shopping Center
D: Downtown Business District
N: Neighborhood Shopping Center
PC: Power Center
Source: Marketek, Inc.
22
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RETAIL PROFILE
$14-$16/N
23
•
The nearest traditional super market, a Kroger, is located at Embry Hills
located on Chamblee Tucker Road, roughly 1.5 miles from the intersection
of Buford Highway and Park Avenue.
•
The shopping centers shown in Exhibit EC-10 have food, services and
merchandise targeted at the ethnic market in the area. At the Farmers
Market on Buford Highway at I-285, the manager estimates that only
about 20% of the food and merchandise is “traditional.”
•
Chamblee’s “Antique Row” shopping district is a short drive from the study
area in downtown Chamblee. Over 200 antique and collectable dealers
are located in the district, occupying approximately 500,000 square feet
of retail space, much of which is located in historic spaces. The success of
Antique Row will likely assist in attracting retail businesses to the study
area, as it demonstrates the market for smaller, related and often
independently owned businesses in the area.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
RETAIL PROFILE
OFFICE-INDUSTRIAL PROFILE
Doraville is located close to three major metro Atlanta concentrations of
office space: Central Perimeter, Peachtree Corners, and I-85 North/Inside I285.
Office Market
• Clustered around the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange, the Central Perimeter is
Atlanta's single largest concentration of office space. According to Dorey
Market Analysis Group, a local commercial and industrial real estate data
provider, the high-density Central Perimeter submarket hosts some 22.8
million square feet of buildings, comprising 17.7% of the 128.4 million
square-foot metro market as a whole.
24
•
Driven since its inception in the 1980s by a user base that runs the gamut
from medical services to all members of the FIRE (Finance, Insurance and
Real Estate) sector, Central Perimeter has been suffering from relatively
high vacancy rates over the past several years, thanks in large part to
price-and-location-based competition for tenants from facilities in the
Roswell/Alpharetta/GA 400 market to the north.
•
Although newer, top-quality Central Perimeter office buildings tend to be
well-occupied, overall vacancy here has fluctuated in the 20% range for
the past several years, ending second quarter 2005 at the 25.6% mark,
compared with 21.6% for the Atlanta office market as a whole.
•
There are currently no major office buildings under construction here.
Indeed, the current trend is for older office buildings to be torn down to
make way for high-density residential and retail projects, as evidenced by
recent teardowns of office buildings at Perimeter Center Office Park to
make way for a retail center by The Sembler Co. and an apartment
project by A.G. Spanos.; and the recent sale of a 135,000 square-foot
office building at 1100 Ashwood Parkway by Southeast Capital Partners
for luxury townhome development.
•
To the east of Doraville, Peachtree Corners is a 5.1 million square-foot
office market with a 20.7% vacancy rate. Started in the 1970s to provide
decision-makers living in upper-end housing in the area with work
locations close to home, over the past several years this suburban market
has begun to experience vacancy problems. According to some
observers, this market is suffering as decision-makers move their residences
north and east to new upper-end residential areas springing up in
northeast Gwinnett County, taking their offices with them.
•
South of and immediately contiguous to Doraville, I-85 North/Inside I-285 is
a 5.5 million square-foot market comprised primarily of older buildings.
These buildings are largely tenanted by governmental-and-related space
users drawn by the market's easy access, via I-85, to a vast portion of the
metro area, along with low rents. Activity by these users tends to keep this
market fairly well occupied: vacancy as of the end of second quarter
2005 was 14.7%, one of the lowest vacancy rates among all components
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
OFFICE-INDUSTRIAL PROFILE
of the metro office marketplace. It also generates some new construction
from time to time in well-established parks such as Century Center.
Industrial Market
• Doraville, along with neighboring Chamblee, is situated in what Dorey
Market Analysis calls the "Northeast/I-85" industrial corridor. This corridor
runs from intown Atlanta northeast through Gwinnett County, and is
centered upon I-85, Buford Highway, and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
It contains a wide variety of industrial product types, including smaller,
older, often functionally obsolescent distribution facilities, located within
aging intown industrial districts, that are in some instances being
converted to retail uses; diverse manufacturing and R&D facilities both
large and small; and, as one moves into eastern Gwinnett, the latest in
big-box warehouse development. As of the end of second quarter 2005,
this 120.7 million square-foot market (comprising nearly 30% of metro
Atlanta's 422.9 million square-foot total) was 10.5% vacant, compared with
a metrowide average of 15.6%.
25
•
One of Doraville’s most significant competitive assets in attracting
industrial development is its location inside the Perimeter, something that is
increasingly rare. While more expensive space inside the Perimeter is not
always desirable, some companies benefit from improved proximity to a
denser labor base and/or clients.
•
A major focus of industrial development/redevelopment in the
Chamblee/Doraville area may likely be upon the General Motors Doraville
Plant. It is currently unclear whether this plant, originally constructed in
1947, will survive the current cost-cutting/profitability pressures with which
the world's largest automaker is currently addressing.
MARKET ANALYSIS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
OFFICE-INDUSTRIAL PROFILE
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
New housing development will play a central role in building a vibrant and
sustainable study area, acting as an anchor that will attract businesses,
services and activities, enlivening the overall district. The Residential Market
Area is comprised of the area within a 20-mile radius of the study area and is
considered to be the area from which a majority of potential residents of
newly developed housing in the study area will be drawn. Estimates of
potential demand for the for-sale and rental sectors for the 2005-2015 period
are provided.
•
A statistical demand analysis was performed for the Residential Market
Area to estimate the potential market depth for for-sale and rental
housing (Exhibits HD-1 to HD-3). Even though the analysis uses finite
numbers, the end result (i.e., potential market support) should be
interpreted as an approximation of market depth that is balanced with
the characteristics of the competitive supply.
•
The two main sources of annual potential demand for housing are new
household growth and turnover. New household growth1 is traditionally
used to project market growth and is based on population and household
growth projections. The owner and renter analyses use the average
annual increase in population beginning with the estimated household
base in 2005 and the projected 2005-2015 annual increase in new
households.
•
In both the owner and renter demand analysis, the more quantitatively
significant source of potential demand, turnover, has as a base the
estimated number of owner or renter occupied units that will exist within
the Residential Market Area during the next ten years. Projected owner or
renter occupied households are qualified or segmented by owner or
renter turnover rates (derived from the 2000 Census).
•
Households that will potentially be owners or renters are qualified by
income, household size and Tapestry data. Recognizing that potential
demand for study area housing will depend on housing preferences of
new and existing market area households, Tapestry data is used to narrow
the estimated potential demand to include households that would be
most attracted to new housing developed in the study area (e.g., young
professionals, empty nesters, couples with few or no children, etc.). In
other words, the appeal of residential development in the study area will
vary depending on a household’s characteristics or preferences/lifestyle
choice. For instance, a large family may prefer a house with a big yard as
opposed to a loft-style condominium in a transit-oriented, mixed-use
setting.
•
It is assumed that a majority of prospective homebuyers have annual
incomes of $40,000 and higher and live in one to three person households.
Based on the estimate that 62% of Residential Market Area households will
1 New households are those currently living outside of the Residential Market Area, the majority of
whom likely reside within the Atlanta MSA.
26
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
own rather than rent and that 66% of new households moving into the
Residential Market Area prefer to own their home, Exhibit HD-1 estimates
that over the next ten years 20,200 households will be potential buyers of
higher density, mixed-use market rate housing built in the Residential
Market Area each year.
•
Exhibit HD-2 presents the potential demand for market rate rental product
within the Residential Market Area. Similar to Exhibit HD-1, households are
qualified by Tapestry group, income and household size. One to three
person households with annual incomes between $25,000 and $60,000 are
represented in Exhibit HD-2. An estimated 16,079 annual households in the
Residential Market Area are potential renters at market rate projects set in
a mixed-use setting. The potential demand analysis completed for this
study does not include prospective households from outside the Market
Area that would be drawn to the study area as redevelopment
progresses.
•
Based on an evaluation of the housing market in the Doraville area
(particularly in neighboring Chamblee), planned and proposed physical
improvements in the study area, access to MARTA and the Interstate, the
anticipated expansion of the Doraville’s position as a mixed-use center
and our experience in facilitating residential development in comparable
areas, Marketek estimates that during the first ten years of development,
approximately 6,209 units of market rate for-sale and rental housing units
could be absorbed in the study area (Exhibit HD-3). Again, this estimate is
narrowed by Tapestry data to include only households that would be
most interested in living in a higher density, transit-oriented, mixed-use
environment.
•
Within the estimated demand for 6,209 residential units in the study area,
59% (or 3,636 units) is for-sale product and 41% (or 2,573 units) is rental
product. Marketek estimates that the study area has the potential to
capture 2% of Residential Market Area demand for higher density, for-sale
product and rental product between 2005 and 2015, the vast majority of
which will be new construction. The projection for the potential demand
for housing in the study area assumes that there will exist marketable forsale and rental product and that a marketing program for new housing
will be underway. This will include marketing programs tailored to ethnic
households who, often despite excellent creditworthiness, find it difficult to
overcome existing barriers to homeownership (language obstacles,
established credit histories, etc.).
•
While the conclusion that there is unmet potential demand for housing in
the study area is difficult to quantify directly, the following evidence exists
to support this conclusion:
−
−
−
−
−
27
MARKET ANALYSIS
Proven market for higher density for-sale product in Chamblee.
Growing popularity of mixed-use housing.
Immediate access to MARTA and I-285/I-85.
Inner perimeter location without intown prices.
Shortage of newly developed, affordable and/or quality rental units in
the area.
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
28
•
Based on recent home sales in and close to the study area, opening price
points of condominium/loft units should range from $160,000-$270,000 with
townhouses priced from $220,000-$320,000. Opening price points for single
family detached infill housing in the study area’s established
neighborhoods should range from $250,000-$350,000. Smaller, more
affordable units will appeal to first time homebuyers while larger, more
expensive units will appeal to move-up or move-over buyers as well as
empty nesters/retirees. Although there is clearly demand for units priced
above $350,000, it is our opinion that in this market when unit prices rise
above this level – particularly in the early phase of redevelopment –
demand will begin to thin out.
•
Current monthly rents at market rate rental communities surveyed in the
Doraville area suggest that market rents in the range of $950 to $1,150 for
a two-bedroom unit would be achievable in the study area. These rents
assume the apartment communities would offer a unique architectural
style, be developed in a transit-oriented/mixed-use setting and have
amenities offered at competitive projects. Community features should
include secure parking with at least one space per unit, a fitness center,
pool, enhanced security measures and a business center. Possible
upgraded community features shared space (e.g., community/rooftop
garden, internet café), tennis, housekeeping/concierge services and a
car “checkout” program for tenants who primarily rely on MARTA.
Washer/dryer hookup or washer/dryer, balcony, extra storage,
dishwasher/disposal, cable-ready and high-speed Internet access should
be standard unit features. Many successful rental projects throughout the
nation incorporate features that were once reserved for owner occupied
homes to reduce the distinction between renters and owners: private
street level entrances, assigned street addresses to individual units,
garages and storage with direct access to the unit.
•
While a bulk of rental communities developed in the study area will target
upwardly mobile/affluent nontraditional households (e.g., singles living
together, childless couples, empty nesters, etc.), affordably priced
workforce housing should also be incorporated in the housing program.
Although quantifying the market for affordable housing (i.e., housing
targeted at households with incomes at or below 80% of the Area Median
Income) is beyond the scope of this project, ideally a portion of new
housing in the study area will target low to moderate income households.
Providing a variety of housing options that meet the needs of varying
income groups help to create authentic, vibrant and sustainable
communities.
•
Recent housing development in Chamblee has failed to include
moderately priced housing, and only a fraction of new housing
developed is rental. The growing presence of immigrant households in
the area – many with large families – underscores the need for affordably
priced housing (particularly rental). The study area’s proximity to MARTA
will enable residents without cars (often the case for low income
households) to access employment opportunities throughout the metro
area. Higher density housing is one way to facilitate affordable housing
development, as well as government-sponsored programs (e.g., Low
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
Income Housing Tax Credit Program, down payment assistance programs,
Community Development Block Grants). The most successful mixed
income communities are those where lower and higher priced homes
blend seamlessly.
29
•
Live/work units – rental and for-sale – should be included in the study area
housing mix to accommodate growing numbers of people who are
seeking larger than average space that is adaptable to living and
working. The concept of live/work housing is gaining momentum as more
people are choosing to work from home. Live/work units range from
smaller (1,000 square feet) open floor plans with exposed structural
features and curtains/low walls to separate living/working space to higher
end commercial first floor space (retail, office, service, technology-based)
with upper level (one or two floors) living areas accessed by a separate
entrance.
•
Early residents of newly developed market rate housing in the study area
are likely to be relatively mobile, well educated, active and somewhat
adventuresome. Exhibit HD-4 provides a generalized summary of primary
target markets for residential development in the study area. Prospective
residents will primarily include singles and couples with few or no children,
employees who work nearby, empty nesters interested in downsizing or
moving to a location where they can walk to shopping, entertainment
and MARTA. Immigrant households in the study area could also prove to
be a valuable market for new housing, many of whom will demand larger
units to accommodate families as well as affordable rents/home prices.
Unit/project design should vary depending on target market lifestyles. For
instance, young singles who spend little time at home will be happy with
smaller units but large bedrooms while empty nesters will require space for
entertaining and ample storage for years of accumulating furniture,
books, clothing, etc.
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
Exhibit HD-1
POTENTIAL ANNUAL DEMAND ANALYSIS FOR FOR-SALE UNITS
Residential Market Area
2005-2015
New Household Demand
Annual New Households (1)
Owner Propensity
Number
Target Market Adjustment (2)
Number
Income Qualified (3)
Number
Household Size Qualified (4)
Sub-Total
Turnover
25,687
66%
16,953
30%
5,086
71%
3,611
71%
2,564
Total Households (1)
1,037,171
Owner Propensity
Number
62%
643,046
Turnover Rate (5)
Number
Target Market Adjustment (6)
Number
Income Qualified (7)
Number
Household Size Qualified (8)
Sub-Total
Adjustment Factor (9)
1. ESRI BIS
2. Based on Tapestry data, estimated proportion of new households to whom the proposed type
of housing would appeal.
3. Estimated proportion of new households with annual incomes of $40,000 and greater.
4. Estimated proportion of new households with 1, 2 and 3 persons.
5. U.S. Bureau of the Census estimate of the number of owner households that turnover
within a 15 month period.
6. Based on Tapestry data, estimated proportion of existing market area households to whom
the proposed type of housing would appeal.
7. Estimated proportion of existing households with annual incomes of $40,000 and greater.
8. Estimated proportion of existing households with 1, 2 and 3 persons.
9. Adjustment for households that fall outside of the model.
Sources: Marketek, Inc.; Census 2000; ESRI BIS
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
83,596
35%
29,259
72%
21,066
75%
15,800
10%
Total Potential Annual Market Demand
30
13%
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
20,200
Exhibit HD-2
POTENTIAL ANNUAL DEMAND ANALYSIS FOR RENTAL UNITS
Residential Market Area
2005-2015
New Household Demand
Annual New Households (1)
Renter Propensity
Number
Target Market Adjustment(2)
Number
Income Qualified (3)
Number
Household Size Qualified (4)
Subtotal
Turnover
25,687
34%
8,734
30%
2,620
23%
603
77%
464
Total Households (1)
1,037,171
Renter Propensity
Number
38%
394,125
Turnover Rate (5)
Number
Target Market Adjustment(6)
Number
Income Qualified (7)
Number
Household Size Qualified (8)
Sub-Total
Adjustment Factor (9)
1. ESRI BIS
2. Based on Tapestry data, estimated proportion of new households to whom the proposed type
of housing would appeal.
3. Estimated proportion of new households with annual incomes of $25,000-$60,000.
4. Estimated proportion of new households with 1, 2 and 3 persons.
5. U.S. Bureau of the Census estimate of the number of renter households that turnover
within a 15 month period.
6. Based on Tapestry data, estimated proportion of existing market area households to whom the
proposed type of housing would appeal.
7. Estimated proportion of existing households with annual incomes of $25,000-$60,000.
8. Estimated proportion of existing households with 1, 2 and 3 persons.
9. Adjustment for households that fall outside of the model.
Sources: Marketek, Inc.; Census 2000; ESRI BIS
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
177,356
35%
62,075
30%
18,622
76%
14,153
10%
Total Potential Annual Market Demand
31
45%
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
16,079
EXHIBIT HD-3
POTENTIAL SUPPORTABLE FOR-SALE AND RENTAL PRODUCT
Residential Market Area and Study Area Capture
2005-2015
Year
For Sale Units
Renter Units
Total Study Area Capture
Potential
Study Area
Potential
Study Area
For-Sale &
Percent
Percent
Demand
Capture
Rate
Units
Demand
Capture
Rate
Units
Rental
For-Sale
Rental
Units
Units
Units
Units (1)
Units (2)
Year 1
20,200
1.0%
202
16,079
1.0%
161
363
55.7%
44.3%
Year 2
20,200
1.0%
202
16,079
1.0%
161
363
55.7%
44.3%
Year 3
Year 4
20,200
20,200
1.0%
2.0%
202
404
16,079
16,079
1.5%
1.5%
241
241
443
645
45.6%
62.6%
54.4%
37.4%
Year 5
20,200
2.0%
404
16,079
1.5%
241
645
62.6%
37.4%
Year 6
20,200
2.0%
404
16,079
1.5%
241
645
62.6%
37.4%
Year 7
20,200
2.0%
404
16,079
2.0%
322
726
55.7%
44.3%
Year 8
20,200
2.0%
404
16,079
2.0%
322
726
55.7%
44.3%
Year 9
20,200
2.5%
505
16,079
2.0%
322
827
61.1%
38.9%
Year 10
20,200
2.5%
505
16,079
2.0%
322
827
61.1%
38.9%
Total
201,999
1.8%
3,636
160,787
1.6%
2,573
6,209
58.6%
41.4%
1. As shown in Exhibit HD-1
2. As shown in Exhibit HD-2
Source: Marketek, Inc.
© 2005 by Marketek, Inc.
32
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
EXHIBIT HD-4
PRIMARY TARGET MARKET CHARACTERISTICS FOR NEWLY DEVELOPED HOUSING
For-Sale Product
Rental Product
Occupation
Age
Household Size
Income
Approximate Price Point
Motivations/Preferences
Entry-Level Professionals
25 to 35
Singles/couples, few with children
$40,000-$60,000
$160,000-$230,000
Access to work/MARTA/intown activities
Value unique/international identity
Tired of rentals/first time buyer
Investment and resale key
Intown lifestyle without intown price tag
Seek vibrant, mixed-use setting
Relatively mobile
Entry-Level Professionals
25 to 35
Singles/couples, few with children
$30,000-$45,000
$800 Alone/$1,200 Roommate
Access to work/MARTA/intown activities
Seek vibrant, mixed-use setting
Value unique/international identity
Highly Mobile
Creatives/Professionals
25+
Singles/couples, few with children
$30,000+
$170,000+ Buy/$950+ Rent
Seek urban/international lifestyle
Require large adaptable spaces
Access to suppliers, customers
Creative community
Lofts and one- and two-bedroom
Relatively mobile
Occupation
Age
Household Size
Income
Approximate Price Point
Motivations/Preferences
Higher Level Professionals
30 to 50
Singles/couples, few with children
$60,000+
$240,000-$400,000
Access to work/downtown/MARTA
Move-up or move-over buyer
Seek vibrant, mixed-use setting
Value authenticity/community
Investment and resale important
Relatively mobile
Higher Level Professionals
30 to 50
Singles/couples, few with children
$45,000+
$1,000-$1,300
Access to work/downtown/MARTA
Seek vibrant, mixed-use setting
Location with unique identity
Enjoy flexibility of renting
Demand expanded amenities
Relatively mobile
Professionals
More traditional fields of
accounting/finance, IT,
education, law, logistics,
import/export, various
types of consulting
Occupation
Age
Household Size
Income
Approximate Price Point
Motivations/Preferences
Ethnic Families
Varies
Families/extended families
$40,000+
$160,000-$250,000 (some with assistance)
Space for larger families/large kitchen
Tired of rentals/first time buyer
Proximity to similar ethnic groups
Investment and resale key
Value access to work/activities/transit
Relatively settled
Ethnic Families
Varies
Families/extended families
$25,000-$40,000 or available equity
$550-$900 (some units subsidized)
Space for larger families/large kitchen
Walk to businesses/services
Close to transit
Security key
Proximity to similar ethnic groups
Relatively mobile
Occupation
Age
Household Size
Income
Approximate Price Point
Motivations/Preferences
Empty Nesters/Retirees
55+
Singles/couples
$35,000 and/or available equity
$180,000-$400,000
Close to family/children/friends
Walk to businesses/services/MARTA
Proximity to cultural activities
Less maintenance, more security
Move-over, move-down buyer
Value over investment
Extra bedroom/den for visitors
Storage, large kitchen/living area
Highly settled
Empty Nesters/Retirees
55+
Singles/couples
$35,000 or available equity
$1,000-$1,500
Close to family/children/friends
Walk to businesses/services/MARTA
Proximity to cultural activities
Less maintenance, more security
Still may be looking for final residence
Storage, large kitchen/living area
Extra bedroom/den for visitors
Relatively settled
© 2005 by Marketek, Inc.
33
Live/Work Units
For-Sale and Rental
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
Creative
Advertising, marketing,
film & music, software
developers, inventors,
photographers, designers,
clothing design, furniture design
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Establishing the study area’s position as a commercial center for local and
area residents as well as other key target groups is a central component of
the planning process. To gauge the appropriate level of commercial
development in the study area, this section provides estimates of potential
market demand for retail uses in the Local and Greater Retail Market Areas as
well as the study area’s capture of this demand.
•
Potential retail sales are estimated by applying expenditure potential2 by
type of merchandise to market area population figures and are divided
among six merchandise and service categories: shoppers goods,
convenience goods, food & beverages, automotive products, personal
services and other retail expenditures. Exhibit RD-1 specifies the types of
goods and services within several of these categories.
For instance,
“apparel” includes women’s apparel, men’s apparel, children’s apparel,
footwear, watches and jewelry.
•
Estimates of sales per square foot of store space (derived from the Urban
Land Institute’s Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers) are used to
convert potential sales to supportable space estimates. In Exhibit RD-2, for
example, in the case of apparel, potential sales of $507,541,760 in 2005
within the Local Retail Market Area at sales per square foot of $209 will
support 2,428,429 square feet devoted to this type of merchandise.
•
Exhibit RD-2 shows that within the Local Retail Market Area in 2005,
potential sales of $3.6 billion would support 15.0 million square feet of retail
space. By 2010, potential sales of $3.9 billion would support 16.5 million
square feet of retail space, representing a five-year increase of 1.5 million
square feet. In 2015, potential sales of $4.3 billion would support 18.1
million square feet of retail space, an increase of 761,974 square feet. It is
important to note that potential expenditures by residents may occur
outside of the Local Retail Market Area – including the Internet – if
desirable goods and services are not available.
•
Exhibit RD-3 provides the same type of analysis for the Greater Retail
Market Area. From 2005 to 2015, the amount of retail space potentially
supported by Greater Retail Market Area resident expenditures is
estimated to increase from 67.8 million square feet to 82.7 million square
feet, an increase of 14.8 million square feet.
•
Exhibit RD-4 distributes increases in supportable retail space in the Local
and Greater Retail Market Areas among various retail categories for the
years 2005 to 2015. Exhibit RD-4 also provides estimates of the study area’s
potential capture of this space. Estimates of demand account for the
study area’s “potential” and assume that a comprehensive
redevelopment program is underway. In other words, a passive or
segmented approach to redevelopment would likely result in the study
2 Consumer spending is estimated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure
(CEX) Surveys. The CEX surveys have been used for over a century to provide data to study
consumer spending and its effect on gross domestic product.
34
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
area achieving only a fraction of its estimated potential. Capture rates
are primarily based on Marketek’s experience in similar shopping districts
throughout the nation, the study area’s current retail potential relative to
the market area and the study area’s competitive advantages once
redeveloped. Over the next ten years, Exhibit RD-4 shows the study area
capturing 16% of the increase in potential Local Retail Market Area retail
expenditures, translating into 497,978 square feet of retail space.
Marketek estimates that the study area has the potential of capturing 5%
of the increase in Greater Retail Market Area expenditures over the next
ten years, representing a total of 761,801 square feet of retail space. The
following summarizes the distribution of space among shoppers goods,
convenience goods, restaurant, entertainment and personal service retail
categories.
− Shoppers goods account for the largest share of space. Over the next
ten years, the study area could capture 389,776 square feet (6%) of
retail space supported by Greater Retail Market Area resident
expenditures, an estimated 54% of which (209,943 square feet) would
be supported by Local Retail Market Area residents.
− Marketek estimates that the study area could potentially capture
131,360 square feet of convenience goods space supported by
Greater Retail Market Area resident expenditures over the next ten
years. This level of potential demand could accommodate a market
with prepared foods, small grocery store and/or a drug
store/pharmacy. While the community has repeatedly expressed an
interest in attracting a “conventional”/American grocery store to the
study area, the Wal-Mart in Chamblee will include a grocery store that
will satisfy a large portion of the demand for a conventional grocery
store in the area. In selecting a site, grocery retailers typically consider
population density, resident income and the competitive market
(supply and success of nearby stores). The fact that there are two
Publix stores and four Kroger stores within four miles of the study area,
a Wal-Mart Super Center in the works and a citywide income below
the MSA3 would certainly reduce the study area’s potential of
attracting a national grocery retailer at this time. However, interest
among national grocery retailers will likely increase as new housing
and businesses are developed in and around the study area. The
primary target market for convenience goods in the study area will be
nearby residents as consumers are typically willing to travel only a few
miles from home for most convenience goods and services.
− The study area should be able to capture 6% of the increase in the
restaurant and entertainment sales in the Greater Retail Market Area
by 2015, resulting in additional demand of approximately 137,718
square feet of restaurant space and 51,365 square feet of
entertainment space. Local Retail Market Area residents would
support almost two-thirds of the potential demand.
Estimated
demand is based upon the assumption that by the year 2015, the
study area will have established itself as an expanded mixed-use
3 Publix generally selects sites where the median income is $60,000 and greater: Doraville’s 2005
median household income is estimated at $50,214.
35
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
commercial center with a wide variety of specialty/ethnic shopping,
entertainment, new housing and office uses. Primary target markets
for restaurants and entertainment are Local and Greater Retail Market
Area residents, people who work at nearby businesses, MARTA
riders/visitors.
− Over the next ten years, the study area could capture 4% of personal
service space supported by Greater Retail Market Area resident
expenditures, resulting in 51,583 square feet of supportable personal
service space. Similar to convenience goods, the primary market for
personal services will be those living within close proximity of the study
area.
36
•
In an effort to put the demand estimates into context, Exhibit RD-5 shows
the average size of several types of businesses that may be appropriate
for the study area. In addition to the median size of all businesses within a
particular business category, the median size of national, local chain and
independent retailers is also shown.
•
Estimates of potential retail space in the study area should be considered
conservative based on the fact that expenditures of a key market –
employees of nearby businesses who do not live in the Local or Greater
Retail Market Areas – fall outside of the model. As discussed in the
Demographic Profile, almost 30,000 potential customers of study area
businesses work within a two-mile radius of the study area. A survey
conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers found that
downtown workers surveyed spent an average of $130 per week during
lunch and after work; suburban workers spent $143 per week. In addition
to nearby workers, MARTA commuters may look to the study area for a
portion of their shopping needs (e.g., take-home food, drycleaner/tailor,
shoe repair, daycare, mail/packaging centers, gym/fitness) if quality
businesses were present. Finally, new housing developed in the study
area will further boost potential demand for retail space as a major selling
point of new housing will be the ability to walk to shopping and
entertainment.
•
Local and Greater Retail Market Area expenditure data can also be
utilized to reveal what prices residents will pay and/or the level of their
discretionary income they are willing to devote to various goods or
services. The Spending Potential Index (SPI) is a measure of market
activity that denotes actual dollars spent on certain goods and services.
An SPI equal to 100 indicates that consumers are buying or spending at a
rate equal to the national average; a SPI greater or less than 100 indicates
that consumers are buying/spending above or below the national
average, respectively. Exhibit RD-6 shows that Local and Greater Retail
Market Area households spend at a rate far above the national average,
which speaks well for retail development in the study area. Spending is
highest on apparel (women’s, men’s, children’s, jewelry and shoes),
restaurants, computer hardware/software, video/DVD rental, audio
equipment, exercise equipment, video game hardware/software,
theater/movies/ballet/opera, furniture, luggage, school supplies and
childcare.
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
37
•
The Demographic Profile reveals resident ethnic/racial diversity in and
immediately surrounding Doraville. In fact, the Buford Highway corridor is
the most ethnically and economically diverse territory in metro Atlanta,
with at least 37 nationalities represented in a 16 square mile area.
Significant shares of study area, Doraville and Local Retail Market Area
populations are Hispanic (25% to 42%), Asian (9% to 15%) or are
categorized as “some other race alone (11% to 20%). The Selig Center of
the University of Georgia estimates that by 2009, combined buying power
of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans will reach
$1.5 trillion, more than double $456 billion in 1990. Hispanics are already
the leading minority group, with buying power expected to surpass that of
African Americans by 2009. Increased buying power of ethnic/minority
consumers can be largely attributed to strong population growth,
increased levels of education, entrepreneurship and a growing economy.
•
The rapid expansion of ethnic/minority markets is forcing retailers
throughout the nation to recognize that the “one message/product fits
all” approach to business is no longer profitable. Supermarkets were
among the first group of retailers to successfully reach ethnic consumer
markets, not only building market share among one the nation’s fastest
growing market segments but also capitalizing on the growth in
“adventure” eating and cooking. Expanding ethnic food aisles as well as
developing ethnic offshoot stores (e.g., Publix’s new Hispanic
supermarket, Sabor) are examples of how supermarkets are meeting the
needs of ethnic customers. Big box stores are also adjusting their
merchandise mix to meet the needs of ethnic markets. Target offers
expanded toy and children’s clothing sections in largely Hispanic markets
and has launched a Spanish website; Home Depot has partnered with
Hispanic organizations to boost Hispanic hiring; Wal-Mart stocks ethnic
foods, music and beauty products as well as Spanish-based prepaid cell
phones in selected markets.
•
A 2002 survey conducted by American Demographics reveals the
following about the study area’s four primary racial/ethnic markets:
−
African American consumers are highly fashion conscious: 34% polled
said that they keep up with fashion trends compared to 28% of Asians
polled, 27% of Hispanics and 25% of whites. African Americans are far
more likely to travel further to shop at their favorite store and are more
likely to go out of their way to find new stores (especially for bargains).
−
Whites polled are least likely to enjoy shopping, often shopping out of
necessity rather than for entertainment. As a result, white shoppers
tend to avoid browsing. Spur of the moment purchases are most
common among white consumers but they are more likely to plan in
advance for major purchases.
−
Asian shoppers are the most brand conscious and frequent shoppers.
Keeping up appearances is key, with more than one-quarter surveyed
stating that they buy items that they believe their neighbors will
approve of, compared to 12% of Hispanics and 10% of whites and
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
African Americans. Asians polled also reported that they do not like to
shop alone, preferring to shop with friends.
−
38
Hispanics polled view shopping as a family affair, preferring to shop
with family members including their children. In fact, one-quarter
noted that their children have a significant impact on the brands they
buy. Hispanics surveyed are more than twice as likely as white
respondents to go out of their way to find new stores and are far more
likely than white or African American respondents to use the Internet.
National chains are more appealing than mom-and-pop stores to
Hispanics surveyed, who are least likely to seek out bargains.
Hispanics spend heavily on children’s/infant’s clothing, telephone
service, groceries, movies and athletic shoes.
•
Attracting business that build upon the Doraville area’s expanding ethnic
niche will not only serve the needs of a large share of local residents but
will enable Doraville to attract destination shoppers/visitors. Once
complete, International Village will further establish the area as Atlanta’s
multicultural district, offering residents and visitors a truly unique
experience. Several types of businesses will crossover ethnic/non-ethnic
groups, particularly entertainment and restaurants. With the opening of
Wal-Mart in Chamblee, residents will have access to a range of
“conventional” general merchandise and convenience goods (including
groceries).
•
RD-7 identifies primary target markets for retail development in the study
area and summarizes the characteristics and motivations of each. Exhibit
RD-7 also lists businesses and activities that would appeal to key markets,
based on the following: demographic characteristics, retail spending and
purchasing activity, community input, the supply and quality of existing
retail establishments in the retail market and study area, physical
constraints of the study area and retail trends. In some instances there is
overlap in the types of businesses and activities appealing to different
target markets, ultimately reinforcing the demand for such businesses in
the study area.
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Exhibit RD-1
SUMMARY OF MERCHANDISE AND SERVICE CATEGORIES
Merchandise/Service Category
Types of Goods/Services
Apparel
Women's Apparel, Men's Apparel, Children's, Footwear,
Watches & Jewelry
Home Furnishings
Furniture, Floor Coverings, Major and Small Appliances,
Household Textiles, Floor Coverings, PC Software and
Hardware, Housewares, Dinnerware, Telephones
Home Improvement
Maintenance and Remodeling Materials, Lawn & Garden
Misc. Specialty Retail
Pet Care, Books & Periodicals, Sporting Equipment, Toys &
Hobbies, Video Cassettes & Games, TV/VCR/Cameras,
Audio Equipment, Luggage, Eyeglasses
Groceries
Food at Home, Nonalcoholic Beverages at Home,
Alcoholic Beverages, Smoking Products
Restaurants
Food Away From Home, Alcoholic Beverages
Entertainment
Admission to Movie/Theater/Opera/Ballet, Recreational
Lessons, Participation in Clubs
Personal Services
Shoe Repair, Video Rental, Laundry & Dry Cleaning,
Alterations, Clothing Rental & Storage, Watch & Jewelry
Repair, Photo Processing & Supplies, Child Care
Source: ESRI BIS
39
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Exhibit RD-2
RETAIL EXPENDITURE POTENTIAL
Local Retail Market Area
2005-2015
Per
*Target
Household
Sales
Expenditure ($/SF)
Merchandise or
Service Category
2005
Retail Potential
Sales
Space (SF)
2010
Retail Potential
Sales
Space (SF)
Apparel
Home Furnishings
Home Improvement
Misc. Specialty Retail
Shoppers Goods
$3,712
$2,153
$1,242
$2,781
$209
$199
$140
$216
$507,541,760
$294,379,690
$169,818,660
$380,246,130
$1,351,986,240
2,428,429
1,479,295
1,212,990
1,760,399
6,881,114
$558,351,616
$323,849,954
$186,819,156
$418,312,458
$1,487,333,184
2,671,539
1,627,387
1,334,423
1,936,632
7,569,980
$614,246,912
$356,269,828
$205,521,192
$460,188,756
$1,636,226,688
2,938,980
1,790,301
1,468,009
2,130,504
8,327,793
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Convenience Goods
$8,094
$1,292
$390
$365
$1,106,692,620
$176,655,160
$1,283,347,780
2,837,673
483,987
3,321,660
$1,217,483,292
$194,340,056
$1,411,823,348
3,121,752
532,439
3,654,191
$1,339,362,744
$213,794,992
$1,553,157,736
3,434,263
585,740
4,020,003
Restaurants
$4,863
$263
$664,917,990
2,528,205
$731,482,734
2,781,303
$804,709,788
3,059,733
$615
$90
$84,088,950
934,322
$92,507,070
1,027,856
$101,767,740
1,130,753
$1,436
$151
Entertainment
Personal Services
Total
$196,344,280
1,300,293
$216,000,248
1,430,465
$237,623,536
1,573,666
$3,580,685,240
14,965,594
$3,939,146,584
16,463,795
$4,333,485,488
18,111,948
$358,461,344
1,498,201
$394,338,904
1,648,153
Five Year Net Gain
* Target sales are based on the Urban Land Institute, "Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers."
Sources: ESRI BIS; Urban Land Institute; Marketek, Inc.
© 2005 by Marketek, Inc.
40
2015
Retail Potential
Sales
Space (SF)
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Exhibit RD-3
RETAIL EXPENDITURE POTENTIAL
Greater Retail Market Area
2005-2015
Per
*Target
Household
Sales
Expenditure ($/SF)
Merchandise or
Service Category
2005
Retail Potential
Sales
Space (SF)
2010
Retail Potential
Sales
Space (SF)
Apparel
Home Furnishings
Home Improvement
Misc. Specialty Retail
Shoppers Goods
$3,835
$2,244
$1,332
$2,884
$209
$199
$140
$216
$2,289,368,445
$1,339,593,948
$795,160,044
$1,721,652,828
$6,145,775,265
10,953,916
6,731,628
5,679,715
7,970,615
31,335,873
$2,526,962,035
$1,478,618,724
$877,682,772
$1,900,328,164
$6,783,591,695
12,090,727
7,430,245
6,269,163
8,797,816
34,587,951
$2,789,214,675
$1,632,072,420
$968,770,260
$2,097,547,620
$7,487,604,975
13,345,525
8,201,369
6,919,788
9,710,869
38,177,550
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Convenience Goods
$8,315
$1,346
$390
$365
$4,963,780,605
$803,517,582
$5,767,298,187
12,727,643
2,201,418
14,929,061
$5,478,928,115
$886,907,666
$6,365,835,781
14,048,534
2,429,884
16,478,418
$6,047,541,075
$978,952,530
$7,026,493,605
15,506,516
2,682,062
18,188,577
Restaurants
$5,030
$263
$3,002,744,010
11,417,278
$3,314,372,630
12,602,177
$3,658,344,150
13,910,054
Entertainment
Personal Services
$642
$90
$383,252,814
4,258,365
$423,027,282
4,700,303
$466,929,810
5,188,109
$1,494
$151
$891,868,698
5,906,415
$984,427,974
6,519,391
$1,086,593,670
7,195,985
74,888,239 $19,725,966,210
82,660,275
Total
$16,190,938,974
Five Year Net Gain
67,846,991 $17,871,255,362
$1,680,316,388
* Target sales are based on the Urban Land Institute, "Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers."
Sources: ESRI BIS; Urban Land Institute; Marketek, Inc.
© 2005 by Marketek, Inc.
41
2015
Retail Potential
Sales
Space (SF)
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
7,041,248
$1,854,710,848
7,772,035
Exhibit RD-4
SUMMARY OF NEW POTENTIAL SUPPORTABLE RETAIL SPACE IN THE STUDY AREA
2010-2015
Study Area New Supportable Retail Space
Merchandise/Service
Category
2010
Supported by
Local Retail Area
Sq Ft
Capture
Total Study Area New
Supportable Retail
Space
2015
Supported by
Supported by
Greater Retail Area Local Retail Area
Sq Ft
Sq Ft
Capture
Capture
Supported by
Greater Retail Area
Sq Ft
Capture
Supported Supported
By Local
Area
By Greater
Area
106,409
Shoppers Goods
Apparel
10%
25,256
4%
45,776
12%
32,058
5%
60,633
57,315
Home Furnishings
12%
17,684
5%
32,051
14%
22,446
6%
42,453
40,130
74,504
Home Improvement
21%
25,136
8%
45,558
24%
31,906
9%
60,344
57,042
105,902
Misc. Specialty Retail
14%
24,438
5%
44,293
16%
31,019
6%
58,668
55,457
102,961
Subtotal
13%
92,513
5%
167,678
15%
117,430
6%
222,098
209,943
389,776
Grocery
15%
42,002
3%
46,041
16%
48,923
3%
50,820
90,925
96,861
Health & Personal Care
31%
14,959
7%
16,398
33%
17,425
7%
18,100
32,384
34,499
Subtotal
17%
56,961
4%
62,440
18%
66,348
4%
68,920
123,309
131,360
Restaurants
15%
37,965
5%
59,245
17%
47,333
6%
78,473
85,298
137,718
Entertainment
15%
14,030
5%
22,097
17%
17,492
6%
29,268
31,523
51,365
Personal Services
17%
22,129
4%
24,519
18%
25,776
4%
27,064
47,905
51,583
Total
15%
223,598
5%
335,979
17%
274,380
5%
425,822
497,978
761,801
Convenience Goods
Source: Marketek, Inc.
© 2005 by Marketek, Inc.
42
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Exhibit RD-5
TYPICAL SIZE OF SELECTED BUSINESSES
Merchandise or Service Category/Business
Specialty Retail
Appliances
Art Gallery
Arts/Crafts Supplies
Beauty Supplies
Bike Shop
Bookstore
Cameras
Children's Wear
Family Shoe Store
Family Wear
Gift/Cards
Hardware
Home Accessories
Jewelry
Luggage
Men's Clothing Store
Pet Supplies
Record/Tapes
Sporting Goods
Toys
Women's Ready to Wear
Convenience
Drugstore/Pharmacy
Supermarket
Bakery
Gourmet Grocery
Wine/Liquor
Personal Services
Day Spa
Women's Hair Salon
Nail Salon
Picture Framing
Health Club
Mail/Packaging/Photocopying
Tailor/Alteration
Video Rental
Shoe Repair
Drycleaners
Film Processing
Day Care
Laundry
Restaurants
Restaurant with Liquor
Restaurant without Liquor
Bar/Cocktail Lounge
Ice Cream Parlor
Coffee/Tea
Entertainment
Cinema
Median
National
Local Chain
Independent
5,956
1,802
8,928
1,807
3,440
10,093
2,000
3,913
4,000
8,000
4,200
13,200
7,595
1,500
2,500
3,500
7,995
4,464
8,465
7,855
4,400
6,292
~
20,957
1,634
~
23,000
2,000
4,879
4,113
8,500
4,900
13,900
10,215
1,610
2,499
4,319
17,600
6,178
22,000
12,000
4,503
5,911
1,802
~
2,450
~
9,990
~
3,054
5,100
3,474
3,780
~
5,365
1,968
~
3,065
3,201
~
4,980
~
3,960
~
1,907
3,070
1,829
2,596
2,740
~
2,105
2,460
5,132
1,653
~
2,462
1,200
~
2,750
3,200
2,017
2,995
3,344
2,145
10,920
50,420
1,990
18,000
3,440
10,860
49,071
4,000
~
~
16,668
51,495
~
~
6,237
4,977
23,300
1,700
~
2,920
2,875
1,400
1,200
1,600
10,249
1,278
950
6,000
855
1,800
1,252
4,000
2,114
~
1,450
~
1,703
9,548
1,240
~
6,333
~
~
1,600
~
~
2,563
1,250
1,200
~
5,508
~
900
4,240
~
1,800
1,304
~
2,150
3,060
1,361
1,200
1,588
10,249
1,236
1,035
4,733
795
1,649
1,150
3,901
1,955
5,204
3,581
3,821
1,137
1,578
6,669
6,500
~
1,144
1,650
5,600
3,025
~
1,137
1,624
3,362
2,625
3,821
1,116
1,400
35,022
37,161
35,022
21,250
Source: Urban Land Institute, "Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers"
43
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Exhibit RD-6
SPENDING POTENTIAL INDEX OF SELECTED GOODS AND SERVICES
Local and Greater Retail Market Areas
Merchandise/
Spending
Service Category
Potential Index
Local
Greater
Area
Area
Apparel
Men's
Women's
Children's
Footwear
Watches & Jewelry
Other Apparel
Computer
Computer/Hardware for Home
Software/Accessories for Home
Entertainment & Recreation
Entertainment Fees & Admissions
Membership Fees
Sports Participation
Theater/Movies/Ballet/Opera
Sporting Events
Recreational Lessons
Television & Sound Equipment
Cable Television
Color Television
VCR/Video Camera/DVD Player
Video Cassettes and DVDs
Video Game Hardware/Software
Satellite Dishes
Video/DVD Rental
Audio Equipment
Rental & Repair of TV/Sound
Pets & Supplies
Toys & Games
Recreational Vehicles & Fees
Sports/Exercise Equipment & Supplies
Photo Equipment & Supplies
Books/Magazines/Subscriptions
Food & Beverages
Groceries
Bakery & Cereal Products
Meats, Poultry, Fish & Eggs
Dairy Products
Fruits & Vegetables
Other Foods at Home
Meals at Restaurants
Alcoholic Beverages
Nonalcoholic Beverages at Home
142
140
140
139
147
147
144
147
145
145
145
150
151
150
144
143
136
141
135
137
153
141
139
140
134
143
149
151
147
134
153
147
141
128
138
113
141
137
136
139
137
137
137
136
140
136
142
149
136
150
149
141
148
143
145
156
150
147
145
138
149
153
155
153
141
157
151
146
135
142
120
146
144
140
143
141
141
141
139
142
141
147
152
140
Merchandise/
Service Category
Financial Services
Investments
Auto Loans
Health
Nonprescription Drugs
Prescription Drugs
Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
Home
Home Improvement
Maintenance/Remodeling Serv
Maintenance/Remodeling Supp
Household Furnishings
Household Textiles
Furniture
Floor Coverings
Major Appliances
Housewares
Small Appliances
Luggage
Telephone & Accessories
Child Care
Lawn & Garden
Moving/Storage
Housekeeping Supplies
Insurance
Homeowners/Renters
Vehicle
Life
Health
Personal Care Products
School Books & Supplies
Smoking Products
Transportation
Vehicle Purchases
Gas & Oil
Vehicle Maintenance & Repair
Travel
Air Fare
Hotels/Motels
Rental Cars
Food/Drink
Source: ESRI BIS
44
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
Spending
Potential Index
Local
Greater
Area
Area
157
134
159
141
129
111
127
133
116
133
123
113
131
124
137
143
128
131
138
137
144
143
153
117
165
132
143
149
136
137
144
140
151
148
160
124
167
137
113
136
119
120
140
153
134
123
141
127
125
145
156
138
134
133
140
140
138
144
143
130
143
135
147
136
148
140
Exhibit RD-7
PRIMARY TARGET MARKETS AND RECOMMENDED BUSINESSES/ ACTIVITIES
Study Area
Primary Target Markets
Local Residents
Market Size
Motivations
Area Residents
Employees
Study area population will Over 1.5 million people live Almost 11,000 work within a
expand as redevelopment within a 20-minute drive of one-mile radius of the study
the study area.
area; close to 30,000 work
progresses. Currently, more
within a two-mile radius. In
than 346,000 people live
addition, approximately 5,000
within a ten-minute drive.
riders board MARTA at the
Doraville Station each
weekday.
Employees who work close to
the study area are generally
there eight hours a day, five
days a week and,
consequently, are likely to
shop, run errands and eat out
in the study area if the
appropriate businesses are
present. Workers spend an
estimated $130 to $143 per
week during lunch and after
work. In addition,
convenience goods,
personal services and
restaurants will appeal to
commuters boarding MARTA
at the Doraville station.
While the study area is not
currently a strong tourist
destination, the expanding
ethic retail niche in the
Doraville/Chamblee area
could potentially attract the
Atlanta visitor market. Guests
at nearby hotels as well as
those staying close to MARTA
may want to explore
shopping and entertainment
options in Doraville if one-of-akind businesses were present.
Market/Small Grocery
Imported Home
Bakery/Ethnic Bakery
Furnishings/
Beer/Wine Store
Accessories (Antiques,
Restaurants (Taqueria,
Tiles/Ceramics, Asian/
Pizza, Sushi, Korean
Latin, Folk Art)
Barbeque,
Restaurants (Taqueria,
Bar/Grille, Coffee/Tea
Pizza, Sushi, Korean
House, Cuban)
Barbeque,
Home Furnishings/
Bar/Grille, Coffee/Tea
Accessories
House, Cuban)
Variety of Apparel
Bakery (Latin)
(Brand Name/Trendy/
Entertainment (Dancing,
Locally Designed/
Live Music, Theater)
Ethnic Men’s and
Variety of Men’s, Women’s
& Children’s Apparel
Women’s)
(Chains, Locally Designed,
Children’s Clothing/Toys
Ethnic, etc.)
Electronic Supplies/Repairs
Outdoor Market (Food,
Jewelry/Watches
Clothing, Jewelry, Home
Salon/Barber Shop
Furnishings, Flowers/
Shoes (Dress, Casual, Sport)
Gardening)
Video/DVD Rental
Exercise Facility/Gym
Daycare
Music/CDs
Mail/Copy Center
Outdoor Market (Food,
Clothing, Jewelry, Home
Furnishings, Flowers/
Gardening)
Restaurants
(Casual and Sit-Down)
Magazines/Books
Coffee/Tea
Bakery/Ethnic Bakery
Market/Small Grocery
Drugstore Items
Mail/Packaging
Banks/Financial Services
Drycleaners/Alterations
Daycare
Shoe Repair
Gym
Film Processing
Apparel/Accessories
Music/CDs
Unique/Ethnic
Restaurants
(Korean, Vietnamese,
Chinese, Thai, South
American, Mexican, etc.)
Entertainment (Dancing,
Live Music, Theater)
Ethnic Celebrations
(e.g., Dia de los Muertos,
Korean New Years, etc.)
Outdoor Market (Food,
Clothing, Jewelry, Home
Furnishings, Flowers/
Gardening)
Unique Apparel
(Locally Designed, Ethnic)
International Art (Latin, Asian
Folk Art, etc.)
Lodging
© 2005 by Marketek, Inc.
MARKET ANALYSIS
DeKalb-Peachtree Airport is
the second busiest airport in
Georgia, with roughly 230,000
take offs/landings annually.
In 2003, the Atlanta metro
area captured an estimated
$8.8 billion in expenditures by
domestic travelers. A
significant number of hotels
are within a short drive (i.e.,
less than 5 minutes) of the
study area.
Destination shoppers who
Households living within a
short drive/walk will look to would be willing to drive to
the study area for
the study area for a variety of
specialty goods and
specialty goods and services,
entertainment and day-toservices as well as
day convenience goods and
multipurpose/
services.
complementary shoppers
who are patronizing
nearby businesses (e.g.,
Antique Row, International
Village).
Goods and Services
45
Visitors
DEMAND ANALYSIS
RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL
OFFICE-INDUSTRIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
46
•
Doraville’s position within three major metro Atlanta concentrations of
office space (Central Perimeter, Peachtree Corners, and I-85 North/Inside
I-285) appears to argue against large-scale office development in the
study area. The competition from facilities in these three markets would
be stiff. At the same time, though, a surge in downtown residential
development could provide the basis for smaller, carefully conceived infill
professional-office development in the immediate vicinity. This could
perhaps take the form of for-sale office condominiums that,
accompanied by some leaseable space, would comprise a sort of
"neighborhood office market" along the same lines as may currently be
found in the Johnson Ferry Road area of east Cobb County.
•
Large-scale industrial development within the study area would also be
unlikely. One metro-wide trend that may be of interest, however, is the
redevelopment of existing warehouse buildings into "industrial
condominiums." Aimed at a market comprised of smaller businesses
needing relatively limited amounts of distribution space, headed by
owners who live nearby and want to enjoy the advantages of owning real
estate, these projects take larger warehouse buildings, carve them up into
smaller bays, and sell them off individually. Recent examples include a
project in the revitalizing Chattahoochee Industrial District where, citing
strong demand, an investment group has purchased 60,000 square feetworth of old warehouse buildings and is redeveloping them as officewarehouse condominiums; and the recent sale of a new, 65,800 square
foot warehouse building in Gwinnett County's Pinnacle Center to an
investment group that plans to subdivide the building into 5,600 squarefoot warehouse condominium units.
MARKET ANALYSIS
DEMAND ANALYSIS
OFFICE-INDUSTRIAL MARKET POTENTIAL
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix E Redevelopment Guidelines
REDEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES
The following section is intended to provide guidelines on how the study area
should position itself to capture potential demand for retail, residential and
office-industrial space and propose next steps to achieve this potential.
Competitive Assessment
Key observations about the competitive environment for retail, residential and
office-industrial expansion and development in the study area are noted
below.
Opportunities/Strengths
The area’s expanding ethnic niche
will contribute to study area’s
identity, unite residents and help
draw multiple markets.
Challenges
The need to focus on attracting
businesses and activities that have
“crossover” appeal (i.e., among
ethnic and American groups).
Strong access via MARTA, I-285/85
and Peachtree-DeKalb Airport.
Image of the study area is currently
hampered by auto oriented strip
shopping as well as a lack of unifying
design elements along Buford
Highway.
Opportunity to build on the
momentum of development
occurring in Chamblee.
Dated yet economically viable strip
shopping comprise much of land
along Buford Highway, making
property acquisition for
redevelopment difficult.
International Village may prove to
be a valuable success story in terms
of promoting ethnic retail and
activities in the area.
Multiple ethnic groups/cultures
currently divide rather than unite
community.
The study area has the potential of
attracting multiple markets: nearby
residents, destination shoppers
(regional and area visitors), area
workers and commuters (MARTA
and Buford Highway).
Study area must overcome existing
negative perceptions of the area
(e.g., congestion/traffic, aesthetics,
exclusively ethnic shopping, etc.).
Recent nearby housing
development has failed to meet
the needs of various
age/income/ethnic groups –
promoting a range of housing
options would lend authenticity
and character to the study area.
Doraville currently does not have a
recognizable core area from which
to expand.
Opportunities/Strengths
New development/activities will
help unite the community.
Challenges
Existing lack of pedestrian
accessibility/activity.
The study area provides one of the
few remaining “inner perimeter”
redevelopment opportunities.
Constraints on communication due
to multicultural setting breeds mistrust
– heightened communication and
community buy-in throughout the
redevelopment process will be
essential.
TOD orientation will prove to be a
major selling point to new
businesses and residents.
Brownfield sites, infill space and less
economically viable businesses on
New Peachtree Road offer
redevelopment opportunities.
Key Principles
Implementing a successful redevelopment program will pivot on the study
area’s ability to offer businesses, residents and customers an environment
different from and more inspiring than what they can find elsewhere. The
following guiding principles should be considered throughout the
redevelopment process:
•
Brand Yourself. The study area must perceive itself as a product and
market itself to compete with other nearby business districts. Developing a
brand theme upon which all other initiatives are based – e.g., logo, urban
design, signage, advertising, marketing collateral, website, etc. – is a key
step in the marketing process. Business districts and communities that win in
the long run are those that create brand personalities that connect with
people, that share values and that build long term relationships.
•
Embrace Cultural Differences. The study area’s ethnic diversity is one of its
greatest assets; it is, however, also one of its greatest challenges. Marketing
efforts will need to be sensitive not only to the message but also to the
language.
For Instance, “Hispanic” residents include a range of
nationalities (South American, Central American, Mexican, etc.), each with
variations in language and culture that could result in differences in
interpretation. Consider working with small marketing groups that specialize
in minority marketing to ensure that the message and language are on
target. Also look for commonalities among various ethnic groups as well as
core values. Finally, gaining the trust of the ethnic community will be key.
A “bottom up” process that includes the Involvement of ethnic leaders
throughout the redevelopment process will better instill community buy in
and long term success.
•
Looks Count. The study area must recreate itself as a vibrant, clean and
safe business district in the eyes of prospective businesses and target
markets. Implementing consistent design standards/signage, promoting
dense development and eliminating unattractive/obsolete structures are
just a few remedies.
•
Cluster and Focus. A critical component of retail development is the
creation of a compact, unified district with complementary businesses that
benefit from each other’s sales, customers and markets. The primary
vehicle for developing unified groups of stores and businesses is clustering –
creating mutual advantages in terms of pedestrian flow and shared
markets between businesses. Successful clustering is dependent upon
having the appropriate mix of businesses that will create market synergies
and an uninterrupted grouping of businesses that draw customers to and
through the entire business district. The Buford Highway corridor continues
to establish a cluster of ethnic businesses. Educating business owners,
property owners and real estate professionals about the importance of
using this business development tool is critical.
•
Strive to be Different. While national retailers will appeal to a wide market
and demonstrate that the area is economically viable, they also mimic
what can be found in shopping districts throughout the nation. The study
area’s international character combined with immediate transit access
sets it apart from nearby malls and shopping districts.
One-of-a-kind
restaurants and smaller, unique stores should be the focus of business
recruitment efforts.
•
Know What You Have to Offer. One of the best strategies for recruiting
developers is to be able to provide an inventory of available real estate,
and better yet, be in the position to bring key properties to the table. Sites
and buildings should be ranked according to their potential for
redevelopment or locational importance, categorized as a short-term or
long-term potential initiative and marketed via collateral specification
sheets.
•
Walk, Walk, Walk. To overcome existing negative perceptions of the study
area, creating a safe, pleasant and convenient atmosphere for
pedestrians should be a priority redevelopment initiative. Although
customers will more often than not use their cars to reach the study area,
using design and land use planning to encourage pedestrian activity will
enliven the overall area, reduce traffic and invoke a sense of community.
•
Low Impact. As the study area works to build a residential base, attracting
“low impact” businesses will be key. While attracting entertainment
businesses should be a cornerstone of recruitment efforts, these businesses
should enhance rather than detract from the livability of the study area..
•
Safety First. Customers and residents of new housing will need to feel safe.
Security features such as alarm systems, controlled access to parking and
interior areas, exterior lighting, intercoms, illumination of all areas where
residents circulate and design features that discourage crime will be a
requirement of new housing located in the study area. Housing units that
are elevated above retail and parking foster a sense of security. While
security features are a prime marketing asset, it is vitally important that they
are not so overwhelming that they create a feeling of fortification between
the development and the surrounding community.
•
Get the Word Out. Working with the local media to highlight success stories
and monitor construction throughout the study area will help convince
target markets that the study area is an attractive and unique place to
live/work/play.
Other effective forms of communication include
newsletters, websites that keep potential residents up-to-date on special
events and organizing a speaker’s bureau. Maintaining strong lines of
communication with ethnic residents/area businesses (door to door flyers,
ethnic radio/newspaper) will also be important.
•
Value Added Recruitment. Ideally, recruitment efforts should concentrate
on attracting businesses that do more than just provide service sector jobs,
which are typically low paying, low skilled positions. Attracting businesses
that serve the needs of nearby residents (e.g., day care, laundry/dry
cleaning, bank, etc.), that hire and train neighborhood residents or are
owned by nearby residents will help to strengthen the surrounding
community. With a significant ethnic population, new businesses should be
prepared to address cultural differences in terms of employee/community
relations and merchandising. Business development outreach will also
need to accommodate cultural diversity.
•
Real Communities Work. While redevelopment activity in Chamblee has
taken off in recent years, the types of housing options (relatively higher
priced for-sale) and retail establishments (e.g., Antique Row) do not
encourage diversity in age, income or ethnicity. Offering a variety of
housing options that meet the needs of varying income and age groups
help make the study area an authentic, vibrant and sustainable
community.
Encouraging smaller unit size, denser development, inlaw/accessory units in single family development are just some examples of
ways to keep housing prices down. Also, taking steps to ensure that long
time residents can remain in the community – particularly seniors – as
redevelopment progresses through such measures as equitable property
taxes, home repair grants and debt counseling will help maintain a variety
of income groups in the study area. Establishing a housing revolving loan
fund to offset down payments, closing costs and renovations is one
potential strategy to attract and maintain a variety of income groups.
Market Position
In today’s competitive environment, being the most accessible, the most
affordable or even the best designed does not guarantee a community’s
success. Since redevelopment potential in the study area is strong, success will
largely be measured by how a specific vision for the community is realized. For
instance, the study area’s emerging ethnic niche, its relation to transit and the
diversity of its residents (age, income, race/ethnic origin) are all qualities that
should be preserved and promoted throughout the redevelopment process. It
is important that the study area differentiate itself and not seek to replicate
what has already been done in nearby neighborhoods and businesses districts.
•
Retail Market
Transit oriented shopping and entertainment district influenced by and
appealing to multiple cultures
Despite high occupancies at strip centers located along Buford Highway,
retail uses within the study area have limited appeal beyond nearby
residents, many of whom are ethnic. The growing success of Antique Row
and the highly anticipated International Village in Chamblee will,
hopefully, demonstrate the economically viability of retail in the area as
well as build upon the area’s growing identity as the center of ethnic
shopping in the region. It will be important, however, that retail goods and
services maintain some level of “crossover” appeal, serving both multiple
ethnic and non-ethnic consumers.
•
Residential Market
A community brought to life by the diversity of its residents and accessible
by transit, car and foot.
Chamblee’s recent surge in residential development has been primarily
supported by strong transportation access, uniquely/well designed product
and prices below that found in nearby mixed-use intown neighborhoods.
Potentially having many of the same attributes, the study area can
capitalize on the success of residential development in Chamblee and yet
take it a step further by incorporating a wider range of residents in terms of
age, income, lifestyle, etc. New housing in Chamblee is primarily geared
toward the upwardly mobile/affluent professional and empty nester
market. By offering a greater variety of housing options, the study area has
the opportunity to establish a community rich in diversity that will stand the
test of time.
•
Office-Industrial Market.
Highly accessible inner-perimeter location for a variety of smaller/boutique
office-industrial users
Located close to three major office-industrial centers, an emphasis on
attracting larger-scale office-industrial users to the study area would not
only conflict with the vision set forth by community residents but would also
have limited market depth. Smaller office space – perhaps office
condominiums – located close to MARTA as well as office-warehouse
condominiums would be more appropriate for the study area. Immediate
Interstate access as well as the study area’s proximity to the DeKalbPeachtree Airport will be a selling point for several types of office-industrial
development, particularly those that might tie-into the study area’s ethnic
niche (e.g., import/export, etc.).
Another consideration is to consider
providing incubator space that assists area residents in setting up
businesses, potentially building stronger ties with ethnic residents.
Next Steps
General “next steps” in successfully promoting and capitalizing on the market
opportunities identified in the market analysis are outlined below.
•
Next Steps
Create a brand identity for the study area to be incorporated in all
marketing and development initiatives (logos, brochures, website,
building design, etc.).
•
Investigate possible tax incentives to help “home-grown” businesses
locate and stay in the area.
•
Work to help ensure that existing residents are able to remain in the
community as redevelopment progresses (e.g., home repair programs,
education regarding property tax breaks for senior citizens, fair tax
assessments, etc.).
•
Develop collaborative marketing initiatives with Chamblee and the
larger Buford Highway corridor.
•
Investigate small firms that specialize in ethnic marketing to ensure that
message and language are appropriate and consistent.
•
Prepare an inventory of existing sites/buildings within the core
redevelopment area that includes ownership, condition, use, value of
land, lease rates/terms, etc.
•
Develop collateral marketing materials (i.e., CD-ROMs, market
opportunity fact sheets, prospect packages, etc.) specifying potential
redevelopment opportunities in the study area.
•
Create and maintain referral networks with area brokers, economic
development agencies, developers, etc. and educate them regarding
the types of businesses, housing and activities most appropriate for the
study area.
•
Invest in developing a website specific to the study area that
communicates its identity to existing and prospective businesses,
residents and customers.
•
Enable developers and prospective businesses to access downloadable
recruitment material and applications.
•
Institute a community wide “clean-up” program, with emphasis on high
traffic areas, that also includes uniform design/signage standards.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix F 25 - Year Population,
Employment and Household Projections
Summary of Population and Employment Projections
Doraville LCI Area
EDAW
Population
Housing Units
Single Family
Townhomes
Multifamily
Employment
Commercial Square Feet
Jobs
2005
1,252
284
0
0
284
2010
2,952
995
0
77
918
2015
4,653
1,706
0
154
1,553
2020
6,353
2,418
0
230
2,187
2025
8,053
3,129
0
307
2,822
2030
9,754
3,840
0
384
3,456
1,920,000 2,259,600 2,599,200 2,938,800 3,278,400 3,618,000
4,738
5,262
5,786
6,310
6,834
7,358
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Population and Employment Projections
This study provides 25 year projections for growth in population, households, and
employment in the study area in 5 year increments. These projections are based on
market research of the potential absorption of the study area and the build-out capacity of
the study area from the LCI land use plan.
The maximum market absorption over 20 years is estimated at over 12,000 new housing
units and 3.5 million square feet of new retail space. This projection assumes the addition
of 2.4 million square feet of new retail space and 3,600 new housing units over 25 years,
as well as 1.2 million square feet of office commercial. The build-out capacity of the study
area is estimated at about 5,000 housing units and 5.4 million square feet of commercial.
In short, it was assumed that the study area would reach 80% build out for residential units
and retail over the next 25 years, and 50% build out for office commercial over the next 25
years.
The level of development projected is not guaranteed to happen. This is the level of
development that can reasonably be expected in the study area if the City of Doraville
aggressively implements the LCI plan. Much less development could occur without
catalytic action on behalf of the city. Potentially more development could happen
depending upon market forces in the region, such as region-wide population and job
growth.
Projections provide a reasonable basis for future planning in the City of Doraville. These
projections should be updated every 5 years based on the latest development trends and
the status of plan implementation.
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
Appendix G Cost Estimate Methodology
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative
City of Doraville Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
Sponsored by: the City of Doraville and Atlanta Regional Commission
Cost Estimate Methodology
Introduction
Project costs estimates were generated to help the City of Doraville understand the likely
costs of plan implementation. Project costs are estimates, based on the recent cost of
similar projects in the Atlanta region. Variability in the costs of materials, labor, and land
could cause specific projects to vary significantly from the cost estimates.
Transportation Improvements
Land Costs
Land costs for right-of-way acquisition and for new public facilities were estimated at
$700,000 per acre in general for the study area and $1,000,000 per acre along Buford
Highway.
Streetscape Costs
Streetscapes are divided into primary streetscapes, secondary streetscapes, and
sidewalks. Primary streetscapes include landscaping, trees, lighting, street furniture, curb,
and gutter and are estimated at $1,100 per linear foot for construction on both sides of
the street. Secondary streetscapes include landscaping, trees, curb, and gutter and are
estimated at $600 per linear foot for construction on both sides of the street. Sidewalks are
estimated at $150 per linear foot for construction on both sides of the street.
Pedestrian crossings have three possible components: bulbouts, signalization, and special
materials. Bulbouts are estimated at $20,000; Signalization is estimated at $100,000
dollars; and special materials are estimated at $30,000. All pedestrian crossings that do
not include special materials use standard paint designs instead.
Park Costs
Park development costs are estimated at $125,000 per acre for predominantly softscape
parks and $250,000 per acre for predominantly hardscape parks.
Engineering Costs
Engineering costs include design costs, contingency costs, and contractor costs. These
costs are estimated at 10-20% depending upon the complexity of the project involved.