Construction on an adaptive-reuse project transforming old warehouse buildings in Southwest Atlanta will hopefully commence by the end of this year, Urbanize Atlantafirst reported.
The first phase of Oakland Exchange is set to feature 126 residential units and 15,000 square feet of commercial space, according to the news outlet. The mixed-use development with additional housing, retail and office space planned will eventually encompass five acres.
The property on Murphy Avenue is the site of the former Cut Rate Box warehouse buildings, near the Murphy Crossing redevelopment site and the West End and Oakland City MARTA stations.
“URP is thoughtfully building a compelling environment across five acres for a positive, productive future – strengthened by the historic buildings and new beginnings,” reads the Oakland Exchange website.
The vision for the site has transformed over time, changing from office-focused to more residential. It also used to be referred to as “The Murphy.” Talk of redeveloping the warehouse complex has been swirling since 2019.
Midtown's eye-catching new Art Walk has officially arrived Josh GreenFri, 05/03/2024 - 16:16
A promenade of curated landscaping, public art, and improved pedestrian infrastructure befitting the Southeast’s largest concentration of arts and cultural venues has officially arrived, according to project leaders.
A 137-foot-long mural has been installed as one highlight of Midtown’s most recently finished Art Walk section, a pedestrian corridor and series of public plazas that aims to engage and inspire anyone walking between 10th and 11th streets near the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
The three-sided mural—called “Electric Saturation” by Baltimore-based duo Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn, known in art circles as “Jessie and Katey”—joins vibrant new pavement markings on the 10th Street crosswalk and 11th Street intersection as finishing touches on the latest ½-mile Art Walk piece. The artists’ work marked a collaboration between Living Walls, Midtown Alliance, and MARTA Artbound.
The recently finished mural, at left, and artist Andrew Crawford’s 2003 sculpture “Lift” are Art Walk highlights. Midtown Alliance
The Art Walk also includes “color-changing custom light spheres” hung from catenary wires overhead that help with wayfinding; upgrades along the Peachtree Walk corridor include new public furniture, specialty concrete, landscaping, security bollards, and sidewalk alterations for a more shared-street vibe, per Midtown Alliance.
Eventually the Art Walk is planned to stretch five blocks between the Midtown MARTA and Arts Center MARTA stations, incorporating both private property and public space.
The “Electric Saturation” mural (in the background) and the recently spruced-up 10th Street crosswalk mark the southern entry to the newest Art Walk section. Midtown Alliance
Sections of the remaining four Art Walk phases have been completed in conjunction with private development, including the dual-branded AC/Moxy hotel (2019) and Selig’s 1105 West Peachtree mixed-use complex (2021). Phase two, between 11th and 12th streets, was moved from initial concepts toward design development and construction last year, per Midtown Alliance. And the final piece—phase five, between 14th and 15th streets—is pending future redevelopment of the failed No2 Opus Place parcel.
According to Midtown Alliance’s latest update, the fresh Art Walk section will be home to programming (yes, please) and more art installations throughout this year and next. That will include monthly community events and “ephemeral works” that periodically rotate.
The “Electric Saturation” mural (in the background) and the recently spruced-up 10th Street crosswalk mark the southern entry to the newest Art Walk section. Midtown Alliance
The recently finished mural, at left, and artist Andrew Crawford’s 2003 sculpture “Lift” are Art Walk highlights. Midtown Alliance
Midtown Alliance
Subtitle
Large mural by Baltimore duo marks finishing touch on latest section—for now
Houston to Make a Car-Free Downtown Corridor PermanentMary HammonMon, 05/06/2024 - 07:00
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Historic city clock at the intersection of Main Street and Texas Street in downtown Houston, Texas.
“Houston is finally tackling its walkability issue head-on” by transforming a seven-block portion of downtown’s Main Street into a car-free corridor, according to an article in Chron. Renee Yan reports the project, called “More Space: Mainstreet 2.0,” is in its final design and engineering phase and will likely break ground next year. In addition to lighting, stormwater, and aesthetic improvements, the street will be raised so it is level with the sidewalk. Work is expected to be completed in time for Houston to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
The project was inspired by an initiative the city undertook in 2021 to support local businesses during the pandemic. Chron previously reported that “[t]he city launched it as a pilot program to restrict car traffic and allow restaurants and bars to create gathering spaces along Main Street.” The program was very popular with residents and business owners, so after it expired in 2023, the city council voted unanimously to make it permanent.
Houston isn’t the only city to make pandemic-era car-free street projects permanent after positive reaction from the public and boosts to local restaurants. Other places in the U.S. that have done so include San Francisco’s John F. Kennedy Drive; 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens; multiple streets in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District in New York City; California Ave in Palo Alto.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is embracing the age of artificial intelligence.
Earlier this month, Georgia Tech unveiled its new AI Makerspace on campus, described as a “digital sandbox”, that aims to facilitate access to resources for students to become proficient in emerging tools and advance AI.
The makerspace is a project launched in conjunction with NVIDIA, a leader in the AI space today. Georgia Tech makerspaces are largely student-led workspaces where students’ creativity and innovation are allowed to run free. The university had five makerspaces listed on their website before the introduction of the AI Makerspace, with focuses ranging across multiple like electrical, mechanical, aerospace.
The AI Makerspace was described as a “dedicated computing cluster paired with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software” in a blog post from Georgia Tech, which also described the power of the new graphic processing units (GPUs): “To put this computational power into perspective, it would take a single NVIDIA H100 GPU one second to come up with a multiplication operation that would take Georgia Tech’s 50,000 students 22 years to achieve.”
In short, the makerspace is going to have some serious computing power and strengthen the school as a tech hub of the country.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens commented on the space after the announcement, commending Georgia Tech on their efforts.
“Partnerships with industry leaders such as NVIDIA propel our students and workforce toward tomorrow, further enhancing Atlanta’s status as an innovation hub,” Dickens said.
Matthieu Bloch, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering, said he is thrilled for the students to have access to this technology.
“I’m jealous, actually, because I wish I could be in their shoes,” Bloch said. “This kind of computing power is not something I could have dreamt of,” he added, referencing when he was a graduate student at Georgia Tech in the early 2000s.
He added that laptops were just becoming widely used and available around that time, but that nowadays the computing power needed to make strides in the AI space is not found in standard computers.
“If you want to do something that is meaningful for industry, and work on real world problems, you need the sort of computing power that goes way beyond your laptop,” Bloch said. “I think it’s awesome that Georgia Tech is offering this to the students now so that they can be trained on things that are connected to real world problems.”
Bloch said that average students had access to about 8 teraflops — a measure of computing performance — but the AI Makerspace will allow around 67 teraflops. Additionally, memory is expanded from about 12 gigabytes to 80 gigabytes due to the hardware and software upgrades.
One of the focuses on this space has been its role in “democratizing AI” — increasing access to these technologies — according to the school. What this exactly looks like, however, is still being refined. Phase one of the space was building the initial infrastructure and opening the space to classroom instruction for a pilot class around the fundamentals of machine learning.
Moving forward, the university plans to embed AI — and the AI Makerspace resource — into more curriculum. It recently created a novel AI minor, and has plans to integrate AI into their premier CREATE-X entrepreneurial program along with the addition of classes centered around AI. That same blog post said that in the fall semester, the AI Makerspace will be incorporated into all eight engineering disciplines. Moreover, that AI minor will be available to students in the college of engineering as well as the university’s school of liberal arts, to ensure an ethics and policy aspect to the minor.
Bloch said he has hopes that the AI Makerspace will capture the inclusive spirit of the other makerspaces, with student peer leaders who can guide other students, and students being able to come in and out in a collaborative environment and tinker as desired.
Still, with these technologies are in their infancy, it will be a process of defining what this looks like and then redefining it. Although there is a physical space that the hardware occupies, the hardware is what allows the innovation done on the software — in cyberspace, essentially — to be advanced.
“The challenge we have is making students understand that just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean there’s not a resource behind it,” Bloch said. “You go to the [other] physical makerspace, you don’t waste 3D printing materials — you’re careful with wood and metal and try to be conservative. Because [AI] is in the cloud you don’t see it, but there is an energy cost; you’re using computing time.”
Bloch added he and other project leaders will keep this in mind and work to ensure students understand the carbon footprint of consumed energy it takes to use the resource.
Machine learning and AI, albeit in earlier forms, are not exactly new. Researchers have been advancing these tools, alongside hardware advancements for more powerful computing, for decades. Although it may seem like AI is a new concept to many of the general public, it has been a steady progress, and Bloch is excited to see how more attention and investments into AI tools will allow for further advancements.
“The big future of AI is not just generating videos or ChatGPT,” said Bloch, acknowledging those are some of the most popular components of AI today for the public. “Imagine when you take that and you start putting it in the physical world, where you’re using these sorts of interfaces to interact with robots, to interact with all sorts of systems that our students are designing.”
This is the driver for the focus on AI emerging tools, said Blanch: the recognized potential that machine learning could have to enhance the work of nearly every discipline.
“We’re really trying not to be prescriptive, but encouraging, because AI is here. It’s going to define the future, and we want all of our students to understand the tools in the context that matters,” Bloch said.
Author’s note: Mark Lannaman is a Georgia Tech alumni of three graduate programs.
An initiative that’s delivered actual standalone houses as a means of pushing back against Atlanta’s affordable housing crisis has officially wrapped two miles due west of downtown.
Nonprofit organization City of Refuge and GROWTH Homes have cut the proverbial ribbon on five new-construction, single-family homes in Hunter Hills that officials say will help boost more vulnerable populations in a quickly growing area.
After breaking ground in May last year, the batch of houses was recently finished adjacent to City of Refuge’s campus at 1300 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard. The goal, according to project leaders, was to provide pathways to homeownership for legacy residents with low to moderate incomes in the community.
Project reps tell Urbanize Atlanta each of the five homes has three bedrooms and square footages ranging from 1,310 to 1,388. They’ll sell for between $279,000 and $289,000. (For comparison’s sake, two renovated older homes of comparable size are currently on the market in the neighborhood, with prices of $350,000 and $400,000.)
Courtesy of City of Refuge
Courtesy of City of Refuge
One home is under contract with a City of Refuge staff member, and the other four are expected to be sold to buyers coming out of the organization’s pipeline, according to officials.
With the five new houses “we’re building a bridge to independence, stability, and equity for our city’s most vulnerable,” Bruce Deel, City of Refuge founder and CEO, said in a project announcement. “Some of these future homeowners will be residents currently living on City of Refuge’s campus, so to see them take that step is a true display of our mission at work.”
Courtesy of City of Refuge
Location of City of Refuge offices and the new Joseph E. Boone Boulevard houses on Atlanta's Westside. Google Maps
The Westside homes mark City of Refuge’s third completed project.
The first, a rental community called The 1300, finished in summer 2020. And in March last year, a formerly vacant hotel property was unveiled as The 345, a 31-unit conversion project that caters to men on Atlanta’s Westside.
Ed Gorman, GROWTH Homes managing director, said the Hunter Hills project is part of the company’s broader effort to build 1,000 homes in partnership with the City of Atlanta. The work is made possible through collaborations with banking partners, often through Community Reinvestment Act investments, Gorman noted.
“We’re honored to contribute to City of Refuge’s impactful mission through the construction of these five homes,” Gorman said in a prepared statement, “knowing they will put affordable homeownership within reach of historically underserved homebuyers."
Find more context and a closer look at the recently built housing options in the gallery above.
It’s no secret that Georgia’s population is growing older and it’s doing so quickly. In fact, by 2030, more than 20 percent of Georgians will be 60 or older. The Atlanta Regional Commission and its partner organizations are committed to ensuring these older adults have the right support systems and services to age well. The Georgia Council on Aging (GCOA) is one of those partners that exists to advance the needs of older adults.
The State of Georgia’s Legislature created GCOA in 1977 to be the leading statewide advocacy group working to improve the quality of life for older Georgians through public policy. GCOA consists of 20 council members appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Department of Human Services Commissioner, supported by a three-member staff.
In turn, GCOA created the Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly (CO-AGE) as a grassroots organization where members drive the focus and activities of the organization. CO-AGE advocates with, and on behalf of, aging Georgians and their families to improve their quality of life through educating, advising, informing, and making recommendations concerning programs for the elderly in Georgia.
Over the years, CO-AGE has influenced several areas of legislation such as: funding for senior services, caregiver support, elder abuse, and dementia support.
Each year, members who join the organization can submit issues to be considered as top legislative and budget priorities. Members then vote on submitted issues to determine the top priorities and advocate for support of those priorities by state legislators.
During the 2024 Legislative Session, CO-AGE lobbied for a $10 million increase in funding for non-Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). When the Session ended Thursday, March 28, legislators had allocated $550,000 in new funding for these vital services. The funding will help provide support for some of the more than 6,500 people who are currently on the non-Medicaid HCBS wait list which grew to more than twice its previous levels during peak COVID years.
People waiting for services are looking for much needed care such as homemaker services, personal support services, and home-delivered meals. Receiving these services at home can help delay premature nursing home care by more than four years and appeals to older adults who, in general, state a preference in remaining in their familiar homes.
There is also a benefit to Georgia taxpayers. In 2023, the average annual cost of HCBS per person was $1,516 versus an annual cost of $79,896 for nursing home care paid for by state Medicaid funding.
Read on to learn more about Senior Day at the Capitol from participants’ perspectives.
An Exciting Year at the Capitol for Those Advocating for Senior Services
Each year, the Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly (CO-AGE) hosts Senior Week, which includes various events, such as Senior Day at the Capitol. This event allows older adults to talk to their legislators about issues important to them. It’s a great way to speak their minds and be directly involved in making change.
ARC Communications staffer, Jhazzmyn Joiner, spoke with Sharise Byrd, Strategic Planning and Quality Section Manager, who helped coordinate Senior Week. She served as the chairperson for Senior Day at the Capitol. Here’s what Sharise had to say:
Q: What is Senior Week and why was it created?
A: Senior Week was created for a couple of reasons. First, the event helps our older adults connect with their legislators and provides an opportunity to advocate for priorities that impact this cohort. It also helps to remind legislators of the power of older adults and makes sure they are not forgotten. We want to ensure that their priorities, needs, and focus areas are emphasized. Another important activity during the week is the recognition of the 2024 Distinguished Older Georgian who has made indelible impacts in their community and operates in leadership and servanthood.
Q: Who participates and why?
A: Senior week is a statewide activity, so there are constituents from intrastate. You have individuals from senior centers, various counties, and adult day health centers. Many are savvy and advocate in their local areas and want to come see legislators at the capitol. Essentially, senior week is open to any older adult who wants to advocate for legislative initiatives.
Q: What was special about this year?
A: We registered over 400 participants and that’s the largest in-person group we have had post-COVID. Again, it’s not just metro-Atlanta. It’s regional and statewide, with seniors who are willing to commute and deal with challenges of standing for long periods of time, just to be sure their legislative voice is heard.
Q: What was thebig ask this year and how was it determined?
A: Overall, the coalition’s job is to educate and advocate for older adults with the governor, legislative governor, various state commissioners (Department of Health and Human Services, Behavioral Health, etc.). Each year, Georgia’s CO-AGE advocates for an annual budget and legislative priorities. Year-round, citizens are encouraged to become members of CO-AGE so they can vote on priorities in July. Organizations and individuals can join.
This year CO-AGE members chose to advocate for updating the Georgia code for multidisciplinary teams for adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation. We asked for a bill to address medical aid in dying, which has been recommended to a study committee to conduct more research and oversight. The budget ask was additional funding for Home and Community-Based Services, to help move clients from our waitlist to actual services.
Q: What was one exciting moment from the event this year?
A: An exciting moment was seeing so many seniors at the capitol who are truly engaged in our democratic and legislative processes. I love seeing older adults who are still actively engaged in what is occurring within our state.
Photo of Victoria Huynh, Sharise Thurman Byrd, and other aging advocates at the Capitol. Photo credits: Victoria Huynh.
ARC Partner, Mildred Schmelz, Recognized as the 2024 Distinguished Older Georgian
In addition to advancing policy issues during Senior Week, legislators recognized an older adult for her contributions to advancing the needs of the senior population. This year’s Distinguished Older Georgian is Mildred Schmelz, a 70-year-old native of Albany, Georgia. She currently resides in Henry County and has been an advocate for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities in the metro Atlanta area since 1975.
Schmelz attended Albany Junior College, Emory School of Law (Audit), the National Center for Paralegal Training, and Strayer University. She worked 14 years for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc., 12 years in the In-house–Counsel Division of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, and 10 years with Fulton County Government.
Schmelz began her advocacy as a family law paralegal and administrative law paralegal representing battered women and persons with disabilities. She continued her advocacy on the Henry County Planning and Zoning Commission, discouraging gentrification. As Chair of the Henry Council on Aging, Inc., she organized the first visit by Henry County seniors to the Georgia State Capitol to engage with their state legislators.
Schmelz enjoys being a part of Georgia Council on Aging, Inc. because the organization has given her an opportunity to engage with other seasoned adults and our Georgia state legislators on a more personal level. She loves the fact the Georgia Council on Aging is a collaborative organization combining many organizations working for the betterment of older adults who live in the State of Georgia.
She has a passion for serving people and as a three-time breast cancer survivor she became a founding member and board member of the Harbor of Hope, Inc., a cancer support group. Schmelz and other advocates were successful in creating the first cancer wellness center at Piedmont Henry Hospital and the first boutique providing hats, scarves, wigs, bras, prosthesis, etc. for cancer patients and survivors free of charge.
Following is a conversation ARC staff Jhazzmyn Joiner had with Ms. Schmelz after receiving her award.
Q: Was this your first time attending Senior Day at the Capital? If not, how long have you been attending?
A: This is not my first time. I have been involved with Georgia Council on Aging and Co-Age for several years pre-COVID. I served previously as a guide for older adults attending Senior Day to help them maneuver at the Capitol. I attended CO-AGE meetings for many years in Macon. I served as a member and Chair of the Henry County Council on Aging, and on the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Advisory Committee on Aging. As a member of these organizations, I have been involved in senior issues for many years.
Q: What made you attend Senior Day at the Capitol?
A: I feel the biggest impact comes from talking to legislators and asking for monies needed for older adults. I love talking to and engaging with legislators and making them understand the needs of older adults.
Q: What did you hope to accomplish this year?
A: Advocates for older adults and CO-AGE asked state legislators for $10 million in funding for non-Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services and a statewide adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation elder coalition. We asked for this money because it is much needed. We try to make sure legislators understand what these needs are.
Q: How did things go?
A: I think our visit to the state legislators went very well. I did not spend a lot of time with the legislators because of my awards ceremony, however, I’ve spoken to my state legislators, and I have all of them on speed dial, so I can pick up the phone and call them.
Q: What was your favorite part of Senior Week this year?
A: Every year, the sheer number of older adults who show up at the Capitol, advocating for themselves and other older adults – that’s always my favorite part. I probably should say that my favorite part this year was being awarded the Distinguished Older Georgian Awards, but I am always amazed at how many older adults show up.
Q: What does it mean to you to be the Distinguished Older Georgian this year?
A: First, it was a shock. Distinguished means respected and admired for excellence, both as a person and the work that one does. I don’t consider myself to be distinguished, but it’s an honor that others think of me as such. I’ve always tried to be an advocate, not just for older adults but because I am aging, it’s very important for me to advocate for myself and other older adults. It’s just engrained in me.
Q: What happens next with the issues you brought to the capitol?
A: The House and Senate approved a $550,000 increase. It is not nearly the amount we asked for, but it still makes a significant difference.
Q: How do you feel knowing the bill got passed and that you were instrumental in that process?
A: It is always good to know that one is instrumental in GOOD change, and I am no exception.
Q: What would you say to anyone hoping to get involved or attend next year?
A: I would say, that as older adults we should be the change that we want to see happen in this state. I would encourage younger people to support the issues that we have presented because one day, they are going to be old. Also, lots of younger people, if blessed and fortunate, have parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who are older. I’d say to these young people – advocate for them.
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