ATLANTA (Nov. 14, 2013) - The largest development currently under consideration in south Buckhead, aka Brookwood, has taken a dramatic turn.
Until last week, plans called for a split eight- and four-story medical office complex (initially designed as tall as 146 feet) comprising more than 208,000 square feet of medical and ground-floor retail space.
But plans for Cornersone Medical Building continue to changing significant as developer Bob Kern and his team meet with residents of Brookwood Hills and the Brookwood Hills Community Club. I attended a meeting earler this month and heard from Kern, Wesley DeFoor and other members of the development team.
Key changes include:
* The medical office complex now will be situated in a north/south configuration along Peachtree Road, instead of going deep into the property and closer to the single-family homes directly behind the property.
* Total rentable square feet in the building will drop to about 160,000, nearly 50,000 square feet less than originally planned.
* Kern's team will acquire the vacant Harrys in a Hurry site and SunTrust ATM in addition to Peachtree Cleaners and Peachtree Road Liquors.
* The team also will buy the Chick-fil-A store and make room for a better Chick-fil-A location insider its Cornerstone Medical Center development. The Harrys site, owned by the powerful Jim Cumming, has been vacant for several years and attracts homeless people who hang out around and behind the building.
* Kern's team revealed a new rendering of the development (see above). To check out the previous rendering, click here.
* The already-busy intersection of Peachtree and Collier roads would be improved, with a new, dedicated turn lane added across Peachtree from the Cornerstone development.
* The new medical office center will top out at 98 feet (similar to several adjacent properties such as 1819 Peachtree St.). Early this year, neighbors raised concerns about plans for the development to reach 146 feet.
* The development team tells Brookwood Hills neighbors it will not start on the project without a lead tenant.
That said, I bet they have one in hand, given that the group is ready to acquire proeprties along Peachtree for the development.
* Kern's team has hired superstar Carl Westmoreland as its new zoning attorney. Moreland joined Morris Manning & Martin, LLP last year.
Kern's team met again last night with Brookwood Hills neighbors. Atlanta's Zoning Review Board is expected to consider the latest plans for Cornerstone Medical next month. So, stay tuned as this plays out.
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