Coffee Shop, Restaurant at Glenwood Park

I received the following press release about the first commercial tenants at  Glenwood Park.  I'm particularly happy that  the owners of Joe's are opening a new coffee shop there.  I'm a firm believer in the rule of thumb that one criterion for an urban area is that residents can leave their home on foot and be served a good cup of coffee within five minutes of their door.

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Glenwood Park signs first retail tenants;

Babalu, Perk add to mix of uses at landmark new urbanism project

ATLANTA (March 29, 2005) – Glenwood Park, the new urbanism development rising two miles east of downtown Atlanta, has signed a Latin restaurant and a coffeehouse as its first retail tenants.

The restaurant, Babalu, and coffeehouse, Perk, are scheduled to open June 1 in buildings overlooking Glenwood Park’s Brasfield Square, the community’s town center. Perk is owned by the same people who operate Joe’s East Atlanta Coffee Shop, and Babalu is owned by Atlanta restaurateur Hilton Joseph.

Babalu, a new restaurant that will feature Latin food, an international bar and tapas, and Perk will be the first of many unique neighborhood retailers and restaurants in Glenwood Park’s town center. Green Street Properties, the primary developer of Glenwood Park, is working to ensure that the environmentally friendly project maintains a human scale with a quality mix of residences, offices and retail shops that will not only serve the needs of the residents, but also those of visitors and the surrounding communities.

Glenwood Park is a 28-acre mixed-use project just off I-20 at Glenwood Avenue and Bill Kennedy Way (formerly the Glenwood-Memorial Connector) in Atlanta. Construction began on the first single-family homes, townhouses and retail at Glenwood Park in 2004. When completed, Glenwood Park will comprise 325-360 residences, 20,000 square feet of office condominiums and 50,000 square feet of retail, as well as parks and green spaces.

“The addition of the restaurant and coffeehouse enhances the wonderful mix of uses at Glenwood Park,” said Katharine Kelley, president of Green Street Properties. “Our retail development partner is The Meddin Co., which brings incredible strength to the project.” The Meddin Co. is known for its role in developing the retail mix in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood.

“We have been very particular in making sure we bring the right mix of retailers and restaurants into the neighborhood, and Babalu and Perk fit perfectly,” said Ann Mijanovich, a broker at The Meddin Co. She and fellow Meddin broker John Graham are marketing the retail space at Glenwood Park.

Glenwood Park is emerging as a walkable, lovable, tree-lined community where different uses are being intertwined to enable people to stroll from one end of the project to the other, enjoying the shops, parks and scenery along the way.

The first residents moved into Glenwood Park in October. More residents will move in when the first phase of condominiums and townhouses are completed this spring. To date, nearly 70 percent of the Glenwood Park condominiums released in phase I have been sold.

Prices for the remaining condos range from the $170,000s to the high $200,000s. The one- and two-bedroom units feature bamboo floors, 9- and 10-foot ceilings, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and large windows. All are being built using the EarthCraft House program, which will ensure that the homes are energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

“The condominiums provide the opportunity to live in an exciting Main Street environment that overlooks retail stores and shops and a beautiful park reminiscent of the squares in Savannah,” Kelley said.

Glenwood Park’s town center ultimately will contain 50 condominiums in four buildings around Brasfield Square. The buildings will include 50,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants, including Babalu and Perk.

 

Green Street Properties is the primary developer of Glenwood Park, a lively new city neighborhood being created two miles from the center of downtown. Green Street was formed in the summer of 2001 when Charles Brewer, Katharine Kelley and Walter Brown joined forces to help create walkable, interesting, and environmentally friendly neighborhoods.

Comments

[Steve]

Having moved across the street into Glenwood Green just a few months ago, I'm real excited. One of the big selling points was the idea of having a park, coffee houses, restaurants and little retail stores across the street and now it's already starting to come true. I'd really like to know if there are going to be shops right on Glenwood Avenue or if that's going to be retail space. The only downside may be the increased traffic and parking problems. I dont know what kind of arrangements they've made or how long until the whole thing will be finished but I close my eyes and fast forward to a year or two from now and I Think I'll be very glad to have made my investment. I will get the Glenwood Park benefits without the Glenwood Park prices.

Curious who you got the release from - I thought I was on the mailing list but I haven't gotten anything

[JIM BUZBEE]

lARRY, ENJOY YOUR COMMENTS AS ALWAYS. UNLIKE THE EDGEWOOD DEVELOPMENT, THE GLENWOOD PARK DEVELOPERS MET SEVERAL TIMES WITH SEVERAL OF WE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE VILLAGE AND WE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THEY COULD INCLUDE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT HURTING THE EAST ATLANTA VILLAGE. THEY APPEAR TO BE ON THAT TRACK.

[Chris]

Do you know what will happen to the acreage east of Greenwood Park? I see there are defunct warehouses located there and southeast is train line and a factory/warehouse.

[Chris]

I actually meant the land to the west and southwest of Glenwood Park.