December 8, 2022

Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) has purchased the property at 1011 Monroe Drive, between Cooledge Ave and Kanuga Street. The site formerly hosted a furniture store and is often referred to locally as the "Cantoni Building.'' ABG applied to the city for a special administrative permit (SAP) for the site with the intention of relocating the current Public Storage facility now on Westminster Drive off Piedmont Ave to this parcel on Monroe. This would allow the ABG to expand onto the current Public Storage land.

The relocated facility on the Cantoni site is designed to house 1,300+ units. It appears to be legal and consistent with the existing zoning for the site. ABG's purchase was concluded in May; and it was not shared publicly until November. Their application for an SAP was filed on the day before Thanksgiving, which is when the public learned of it.

VHCA assembled and presented details from the SAP application and applicable zoning references for a community discussion on December 1st at the Virginia-Highland Church. (You can view the presentation here.) The meeting's lively discussion focused on a wide range of anticipated design goals, fears, and concerns. A number of consensus views and desires for improvements emerged:

• Isolate Cooledge Avenue (the project's northern boundary) from construction and subsequent traffic. We are confident that the proposed use can function without entry or exit onto Cooledge, a historic brick paver street that already has signage restricting trucks.
• Activation of the new building's ground floor is an asset. It could be retail and/or small office space; introducing even a modest number of humans into the equation has the potential to change the outcome significantly.
• The building design leaves much to be desired. The involvement of Smith Dalia Architects, a distinguished firm with some striking and distinguished structures on its resume, was mentioned, but no firm is 'credited' for the presented illustration. Smith Dalia would be a welcome improvement.
• A comprehensive rethinking of the design goals and materials is in order, preceded by public presentations and design charrettes. Limits on the number and size of external business signs were mentioned. Virginia-Highland Design Reference has inspiring design options.
• An architectural design that reflects neighborhood values is important and appropriate - one that energizes local citizens in a community of strongly involved residents. One suggestion that dovetails with some of the ABG’s historic missions is a functioning living wall or green roof that allows active urban agriculture. The Civic Association could engage nearby Virginia-Highland Elementary and/or Midtown High students to partner on its operation with local hunger-related agencies like Atlanta Community Food Bank and Concrete Jungle. Such a structure would require special design features to handle its additional loading and (likely) a separate elevator to serve the roof. Both features are more costly. The reward would be the transformation of an otherwise mundane and disappointing Beltline use to a progressive and exciting center of progressive agriculture and food provision.

VHCA intends to meet with the ABG and discuss all these outcomes. Our values as a community remain the same: 

• Livability for residential neighbors throughout Virginia-Highland
• Conservation of zoning and land use that are conducive to single-family residential uses
• Street design that inspires safe usage from all users  
• Balancing preservation of historic building stock with growth through thoughtful design

If you have comments, you may write the VHCA Board, the VHCA Planning Committee, Lynnette Reid at the Atlanta Beltline, and Councilmember Alex Wan. Public comments may be submitted to [email protected] by 10:00 am on the day of the hearing. We will message everyone again as we know more and encourage all feelings and feedback provided on Nextdoor to be channeled to these authorities. Reference Case Number and Address: SAP 22-11-21-1011 Monroe Dr & 597 Cooledge Ave (Atlanta Botanical Garden).

Watch for the hearing date on the City of Atlanta’s website for the SAP Agendas.