The Midtown Alliance is seeking a design team to craft a creative vision for one of the neighborhood’s largest eyesores, aiming to develop it into a vibrant and varied public park.
But the high-rise neighborhood’s civic association is making clear this will be no cookie-cutter park. Good proposals have to go beyond ball fields and picnic tables and must be unique to Atlanta.
“If this public space feels like it could be equally at home in Boston, Chicago or Los Angeles, it likely misses the mark,” Midtown Alliance said in its posting seeking design teams.
The organization Wednesday issued a request for qualifications to find a multidisciplinary design team to tackle the 4-acre undeveloped lot at 98 14th St. The property, which was previously envisioned as a symphony hall and a luxury condo tower, was acquired in May by the Midtown Improvement District for about $46 million.
Credit: Mirtha Donastorg
Credit: Mirtha Donastorg
Operated by the Midtown Alliance, the Midtown Improvement District is a self-taxing district of commercial property owners that uses proceeds for infrastructure, security and other purposes. Midtown Alliance announced the property was under contract during its annual meeting in March and confirmed its intention to turn it into a rare swath of green space in one of the city’s busiest districts.
“This is a rare and transformative civic opportunity to shape a landmark destination in one of the city’s most dynamic districts,” the request for qualifications said.
Submitting groups must have expertise in design, public art, activation, programming and fiscal feasibility, the notice said. Midtown Alliance said it wants the park to offer versatility at its core — from interactive art and technology integration to a civic stage and public restrooms.
Midtown Alliance laid out multiple possibilities, such as a 500-person outdoor performance space or a 10,000-square-foot indoor event venue. The organization said there’s no intent to build structured parking as part of the design because there are about 5,200 public parking spaces in adjacent decks.
In addition, the plan should include food and beverage concepts and flexible spaces for retail and pop-up vendors. The site design must also mitigate sound and light emanating from the bustling 14th Street corridor.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“The concept must reflect a compelling blend of art, technology, nature and public life, positioning this space as both a front porch for Atlanta and an open-air community center for Midtown,” the posting said.
Midtown Alliance said it will lead community engagement for the project. A survey in the spring garnered about 4,800 responses, about 90% of which said Midtown needs more public open space.
Submissions are due Aug. 22 at 5 p.m. The selected team will be tasked with producing 10 renderings, an illustrative site plan, a narrative design brief and preliminary cost estimate by January.
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