Midtown Improvement District leaders announced plans to purchase and transform the long-vacant lot at 98 14th Street, the site of the failed Opus development, into a “significant public space” at the annual Midtown Alliance meeting on March 18.
The District board is in due diligence and plans to close on the four-acre property by mid-May. From there, the Midtown Improvement District will start a public design process with community input, and the Midtown Alliance will spearhead a philanthropic capital campaign. The project has funding through tax-exempt general obligation bonds.
“This is by far the biggest and boldest and most amazing thing the Midtown Improvement District has ever done,” Midtown Alliance President Kevin Green said.
It marks the first time a Community Improvement District in Georgia has bought property and the first time MID has taken on debt. The district was established in 2000 by the non-profit organization Midtown Alliance as a self-taxing district to augment public resources and spur economic growth.
“For years, we sat and talked about the imperative of creating a space in Midtown that we can permanently protect,” Green said.
The plot is one of the last undeveloped parcels of its size in Midtown. Since 2018, one square mile has seen 55 new developments, but the district only has 1.1 acres of permanently protected public space.
98 14th Street was originally intended to be the Atlanta Symphony Center, a proposed concert hall designed by Santiago Calatrava. Set as the new home for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, designs were unveiled in 2005. But the project was cancelled due to funding issues in 2008.
In 2014, the Woodruff Arts Center sold the property to a New York development group that cooked up plans for a three-tower mega-development. In 2016, it was scaled back to a 74-story tower.
A year later, it was scaled down again to a 53-story luxury condo tower known as “No. 2 Opus Place.” Developers pre-sold about 20 percent of the available residences, priced around $1.6 million, and had a groundbreaking in 2017.
That project also fell apart. By 2023 the property was in foreclosure. It has continued to sit vacant over the years, being called the “Nope-us” by locals and seen as a frustrating eyesore. That and its proximity to several arts districts, hotels, apartments and businesses made it a target for the Midtown Alliance.
Green said it will become a “significant public space to last the city for eternity.”
There are no designs yet, but the alliance president said it can be used for anything — yoga, coffee, afternoon activities or evening performances. He hopes input through the newly launched Midtown Community Survey will determine the “wow” factor the district needs.
Yep – space for more tents rather than dense condo’s. Makes sense.