Inman Park Village: A Model of Cooperation Between Developers and a Neighborhood

    ATLANTA, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta-based Wood Partners, Inc. looked
 at the 21-acre former Mead Paper Company site in Inman Park and had a vision
 for a potential new live, work, play community within one of Atlanta's oldest
 in-town neighborhoods.
     But, before purchasing the property, bordered by Lake Avenue, Elizabeth
 Street and North Highland Avenue, Wood Partners, a developer of luxury
 apartment homes, decided to work closely with the Inman Park Neighborhood
 Association.  They assembled a team of expert developers, engineers,
 architects and builders to develop the blueprint for a project that would be
 embraced by the neighborhood and community at large-a mixed-use development of
 residences (luxury-apartments, detached homes, condominiums, row houses and
 town houses), office condominiums, retail shops and a restaurant.
     Now called Inman Park Village, the project represents the most significant
 real estate investment in Inman Park to date.
     The residential component of Inman Park Village will include 253 luxury-
 apartment homes developed by Wood Partners, 68 urban loft-style condominiums
 developed by Ultima Holdings and 16 spacious single-family detached homes to
 be built by Brunning & Stang in a joint venture with the Columns Group.  That
 venture will also develop 22 luxury row homes and 19 town homes on the site.
     Residential homes will be architecturally consistent with those that have
 graced Inman Park for over a century, but will offer all the conveniences of
 modern technology. "While a lot of people wouldn't dream of parting with the
 charm of their older homes, they'd leave their leaky roofs, drafty windows and
 creaky floors in a heartbeat," stated Mark Randall of Wood Partners. "Inman
 Park Village will have a lot of appeal for those people." Inman Park Village
 offers a wide variety of homes and price points-with rentals starting as low
 as $800 a month to luxury homes selling in the high $700,000s.
     The commercial components of the development include the historic Blue
 Horse Building, which, when owned by the Montag family was used to produce the
 Blue Horse notebooks used by generations of students to learn their three Rs.
 Parkside Partners was able to save the historic landmark which is being
 thoroughly renovated into 29,000 square feet of office space.  Rick Bent of
 Parkside Partners says, "Restoring such a significant piece of Atlanta history
 has been hugely rewarding for our company and important to the Inman Park
 community." Office space will be sold as condominiums and will be available in
 sizes ranging from 1,500 to 15,000 square feet.
     In addition, Ultima Holdings LLC, is developing 20,000 square feet of
 retail space for small shops with frontage on North Highland Avenue and
 Village Parkway. Ultima also will have a free-standing 4,500 square foot
 restaurant inside the village and within walking distance of the core of the
 Inman Park neighborhood.
     "We wanted our project to be welcomed by the neighborhood," said Randall.
 While working with the neighborhood on the blueprint for Inman Park Village,
 Wood Partners chose its development team. "We chose companies who specialize
 and excel at the type of buildings we wanted in Inman Park," Randall said. "We
 also selected builders based in Atlanta who understand the importance of an
 in-town neighborhood like Inman Park to our city, and want to strengthen that
 neighborhood with their efforts."
     For over 25 years, Geoff Brunning and Ray Stang have specialized in
 building residential homes and redevelopment projects in established Atlanta
 neighborhoods. They, along with the Columns Group, will build the Bill
 Harrison designed single-family homes in Inman Park Village.
     Ultima Holdings, LLC also has been involved in enhancing Atlanta in-town
 neighborhoods for over a quarter century. Ultima will construct the
 residential condominiums, retail shops and a freestanding restaurant.
     Parkside Partners, Inc. acquired the Mead Products office building from
 Wood Partners. They specialize in "niche" office properties, and with Hailey
 Realty Company, will renovate the Mead building into office condominiums.
     "Inman Park Village serves as a model of cooperation between developers,
 builders, a neighborhood and city government," explained Robert Ullmann of
 Ultima Holdings. "Many constructive suggestions from the Atlanta Urban Design
 Commission were incorporated into the design. The result captures the charm of
 a small town set in a park-like atmosphere established by Inman Park in the
 19th century."
     The developers have designed Inman Park Village to remain true to the
 style of the historic Inman Park neighborhood. "Building homes in a historic
 district like this, creates an additional opportunity for the builder...the
 challenge of authenticity," said builder Geoff Brunning of Brunning & Stang.
 "Our goal is to create a development that blends into the respected and
 valuable fabric of Inman Park. In five years, you won't be able to tell that
 Inman Park Village wasn't built during the same era as the rest of Inman
 Park."
     Unlike many in-town developments, Inman Park Village is being welcomed by
 its neighbors, who have wondered what would replace the decaying, graffiti-
 covered, empty buildings of the former Mead Paper Company site.  They have
 accepted the new development as adding new and exciting elements to the Inman
 Park sense of community and look forward to welcoming their new neighbors in
 Inman Park Village.  Al Caproni, President of Inman Park Neighborhood
 Association, said: "We in Inman Park have worked diligently with Wood Partners
 and their team to come up with an outstanding plan for the redevelopment of
 this parcel that will incorporate the new development into our community.  The
 resulting plan is one that Inman Park actively supports.  We look forward to
 welcoming our new neighbors into the Inman Park community and participating
 with them in activities such as monthly porch parties, book clubs and the
 nationally known Inman Park Festival."
     Inman Park Village is convenient to Virginia Highlands with its variety of
 interesting shops, restaurants and entertainment.  It is also within walking
 distance of Little Five Points and Freedom Park with its miles of bike paths
 and walking trails. Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
 are an easy car or train ride from the Inman Park MARTA station.
     Press materials available at www.inmanparkvillage.com .
 
             Synopsis of Development Projects At Inman Park Village
 
     Alta Inman Park: Luxury Apartment Homes
     253 homes are being developed by Woods Partners. They range in size from
 studio to three bedrooms, and have gourmet kitchens, Whirlpool appliances,
 washer/dryer and loft-style floor plans offering skyline views. Most units
 will have a private patio/balcony. All will offer access to a swimming pool,
 clubhouse, fitness facility and business center.
 
     The Lofts: Residential Condominiums
     Ultima Holdings is developing 68 urban loft style condominiums. The one
 and two bedroom units feature stainless steel appliances, granite counter
 tops, top-of-the line finishes and fixtures, Italian cabinetry and large
 balconies with skyline views. Robert Ullmann of Ultima is excited about the
 project saying, "We've been involved with in-town mixed use developments
 before, but not one as charming and steeped in history as Inman Park Village."
 
     The Detached Homes
     16 free-standing spacious houses feature hardwood floors, 10 ft. ceilings,
 granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, high-tech wiring, front
 porches and private backyards. "As authentic as we wanted to make the houses,
 we did not intend them to be replicas," states Geoff Brunning of Brunning &
 Stang, "they need larger kitchens, laundry rooms, more bathrooms, larger
 closets, air conditioning and garages."
 
     The Row Houses and Town Houses
     Brunning & Stang are building 22 luxurious row houses and 19 town homes in
 the softer Southern adaptation of the Italianate style. Ray Stang, the Inman
 Park Neighborhood Association and the Atlanta Urban Design Commission agreed
 that the houses should look as though they'd been built between 1880 and 1900
 in a popular style of that time. High ceilings, hardwood floors and fireplaces
 are standard - many have roof top decks with optional hot tubs.
 
     The Blue Horse: Office Condominiums
     The historic Blue Horse Building, who's Blue Horse notebooks helped
 generations of students learn their three R's, is being thoroughly renovated
 by Parkside Partners, to offer 29,000 square feet of office space in sizes
 ranging from 1,500 to 15,000 square feet. "Saving a great old structure like
 the Blue Horse Building has been a very rewarding experience," says Rick Bent
 of Parkside Partners.
 
     Retail Shops and Restaurant
     Ultima Holdings 20,000 square feet of space for small shops with space
 starting at 1,500 square feet, and frontage on North Highland Avenue and
 Village Parkway. The free standing 4,500 square foot restaurant is in Inman
 Park Village, and within walking distance of the rest of Inman Park.
 
      Contact:
      Alan Solon
      Solon Advertising & Marketing
      1141 Sheridan Rd. NE
      Atlanta, GA 30324
      404-636-9000
      alan@solon.biz
 
 

SOURCE  Inman Park Village