Historic Downtown

Doraville
Redevelopment Masterplan
Civic Facilities & Private Development

December 7, 2015
City Council Meeting

Introduction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

Historical Timeline
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Recommendations from Doravilles adopted plans
Adopted Form-based Zoning Districts
Challenges & Opportunities to Doravilles adopted Framework Plan
Streetscape & Urban Form
Masterplan Design Process
Current Conditions
Masterplan Design Process Concepts
Precedent Example & Architectural Examples
Next steps
Development pipeline
Conclusion
Q&A

Doraville is currently facing new development opportunities that

could transform the City in the coming years. Over its long history
key projects have impacted the Citys development
Historical Timeline:
1871:
- Doraville incorporated as a city. Started as a small agricultural community
1940s:

- DeKalb County constructs massive water plant (1942)

- General Motors (GM) new assembly plant constructed (1947)
- Plantation Pipeline Company- led to establishment of many tank farms.
- Carver Hills and Guilford Village (Tilly Mill/Flowers) residential neighborhoods

1950s-60s:

- Grown of new single-family residential neighborhoods (Northwoods, Oakcliff)

- New shopping centers
- New schools and parks

1992:

- MARTA station constructed. Demolition of most of historic Downtown

2009:
2013 & 2014:
2014:

- GM plant closes
- Doraville expands with annexation of new land into the City
- Integral Group, LLC acquires the former GM Plant

2016+

Whats in Doravilles future. ?

What is TOD?
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a higher
density mixed-use residential & commercial area
designed to maximize access to public transport, and
often incorporates features to encourage transit
ridership, typically located within a mile of public
transportation.
Some benefits of TOD include:
Walkable communities = more healthy/active
lifestyles
Increased transit ridership and fare revenue
Increased property values
Improved access to jobs and economic opportunity
Reduced household driving = lowered regional
congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas
emissions
Expanded mobility choices that reduce dependence
on the automobile, reduce transportation costs, and
free up household income for other purposes

Lindbergh,
Atlanta

MARTAs TOD program

Adopted TOD guidelines to provide a framework for designing
and constructing successful TOD projects around several
stations. The Guidelines are built around 4 major principles:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Compact and dense development around stations

Rich mix of land uses
A great public realm
A new approach to parking

Today

MARTA is pursuing redevelopment of parking lots at several

stations for new TOD developments to maximize ridership.
These include:
Nearby Chamblee & Brookhaven stations
Several stations in Atlanta area
Implementing TOD on City-owned lands will catalyze
MARTAs interest in redeveloping its land around the
Doraville MARTA Station. The Station is classified by
MARTA as a Commuter Town Center Station.

Planned
Brookhaven Station TOD

Several adopted City documents

guided the Masterplan
Policy recommendations from each were incorporated for:

Urban Design
Zoning/Land Use
Transportation
Parking
Greenspace
6

Adopted City documents guiding the Masterplan

2005-2025 Comprehensive Plan
2005 Doraville Town Center Masterplan Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)
2010 Downtown Doraville Masterplan LCI
2005-2009 Summary of Previous Planning
Efforts
2011-2016 Short Term Work Program
2012 Urban Redevelopment Plan I
2012 Active Living Initiative Plan
2015 Tax Allocation District #1 TOD
2015 Comprehensive Parks & Recreation
Master Plan (pending adoption)

Common recommendations from Doravilles adopted plans

Urban Design
Create a sense of place and unique identity for Downtown Doraville
Transform the built environment from suburban strip development to an urban
pedestrian-oriented village concept
Create gateway opportunities
Require active ground floor uses adjacent to sidewalks
Require sidewalks, street lights and street trees
Prohibit surface parking lots in front of buildings and adjacent to streets
Encourage high quality building materials
Zoning/Land Use
Promote higher density mixed-use, transit-oriented development (TOD)
Promote more multi-family residential and provide multiple housing options
Promote thriving employment sector (new office development & creative startups)
Promote ground floor storefront retail along key corridors
8

Common recommendations from Doravilles adopted plans

Transportation
Expand street network with creation of new streets
Enhance pedestrian environment with smaller block sizes & new streetscapes
Provide new bicycle lanes as part of a citywide bicycle network
Improve pedestrian access to MARTA transit station
Improve bus facilities
Parking
Add on-street parking
Accommodate shared public/private parking opportunities
Require bicycle parking facilities
Greenspace
Upgrade existing Flowers Park and aquatic center
Create new usable greenspace for public gathering
Expand the tree canopy in streetscapes and surface parking lots
9

Conceptual site plan recommendations from Doravilles adopted plans

Plans recommended urban building form to create a village town center

2005 LCI

2010 LCI

10

Form-Based Zoning Districts

11

Implemented: Form-based zoning districts in Downtown Doraville

New Livable Communities Code
(LCC) adopted June 2014
Districts SD-1, T-5 and T-6 adopted
June 2014
Downtown Doraville Regulating
Plan (new street network) adopted
June 2014
Amended SD-1 District for
Assembly Property adopted March
2015

SD-1
(Assembly)

T-6
T-5
C-2

T-5 and T-6 zoning code allows

mixed-use development up to 6
stories (T-5) & 20 stories (T-6)
12

Implemented: Street framework plan

New street network was recommended in the
Doraville 2010 LCI Study and adopted into zoning
regulations in 2014.
Framework Plan:
Create new streets and inter-parcel connections
Require streets in new developments to connect
Support access management along Buford
Highway
Create a balanced transportation system that
does not promote one form of travel at the
expense of another
Promote on-street parking, except on state
highways
13

Challenges & Opportunities

To the adopted Framework Plan

14

Challenges to LCI street grid

implementation

Topography
Issues
Proposed streets would be too
steep for design regulations &
handicap accessibility (currently
a 40 drop from Flowers Park to
the Police Dept.)
Opportunities
Follow the natural contour of
Historic Downtown Doraville,
creating line-of-sight vistas
15

Challenges to LCI street grid

implementation

Stormwater
Issues
A floodplain runs through proposed
streets; existing detention is over
capacity, causing flooding issues
south on Chestnut

Opportunities
1. Expand stormwater detention
system to mitigate flooding
2. Daylight the system in a park
design to create accessible
greenspace
3. Create desirable waterfront
property

16

Example: Greenspace/
stormwater detention pond

Champaign, IL (downtown)
Detention pond combined
technical functional
solution with greenspace
Award-winning project
attracted new commercial
& residential development
Enlivened downtown retail
& dining
Attracted new wildlife
17

Example: Greenspace/
stormwater detention pond
Atlanta (Old Fourth Ward Park)
Detention pond built to address
flooding inside former Atlanta City
Hall East (now Ponce City
Market)
Facilitated redevelopment/sale to
Ponce City Market
Reduced infrastructure burden,
allowing new development to
connect to the stormwater system
Saved Atlanta millions in
stormwater pipe expansion costs
Created greenspace & catalyzed
new development

18

Streetscape & Urban Form

Downtown Block Pattern
Precedent Examples
Built Environment Downtown Transformation
19

Transformation of historic Downtown to an urban block pattern

Existing

Proposed

Break-up the super blocks with new streets to improve access &
connectivity and promote pedestrian mobility
20

Improved streetscape environment for

all transportation modes, focusing on
pedestrian safety

Sidewalks lined with

street trees & street lights

Lindbergh

On-street parking
Enhanced pedestrian
crosswalks
Mixed-use buildings
frame the street
Two of these examples
are adjacent to MARTA
stations.

Buckhead

Alpharetta

21

Examples of mixed-use buildings & streetlife

22

Built Environment
Downtown Transformation

23

Built environment:

Typical suburban strip development

This photo (not of Doraville) demonstrates a typical street environment resulting from zoning regulations
that promote a suburban-style built environment centered around the automobile.

There is little pedestrian infrastructure and no sense of place

24

Built environment transformation: New streetscape

City streetscape projects and/or private development installs sidewalks & street trees
(as mandated by the LCC zoning design requirements)
25

Built environment transformation: Building infill

New buildings are required to front the street and a

pedestrian-oriented urban environment begins to take form...

26

Built environment transformation: Pedestrian-oriented building form

T-5 district calls for 6-story building height

Buildings frame the street and create a sense of place

A mix of land uses (multi-family, office, retail, restaurants, etc.) lead to a vibrant & sustainable Downtown
27

Masterplan
Design Process
Design Team
Study of Current Conditions
Meeting the Needs of Doraville
28

Masterplan design team

Clark Patterson Lee (CPL) was contracted to assist with the creation of the
masterplan concept for the redevelopment of currently outdated and over-capacity
Doraville city facilities.
CPL interviewed department heads to determine existing conditions & constraints,
identify current needs and plan for projected future growth.
The resulting Masterplan proposals are concept only and offer a palette of
possibilities for City facilities and new development opportunities in Downtown
Doraville. Further refinement will occur through a Request for Proposals (RFP)
process.
(Quick Introduction of CPL project team)
29

Current Conditions
Suburban Downtown
Obsolete Buildings
Shortage of Office Space
30

Downtown today:
Suburban layout
No identity/sense of place
Inefficient land use
Low density

31

Doraville city facilities today

Obsolete /outdated buildings

Some buildings are dilapidated and uninhabitable without extensive renovations
Scattered facilities. No efficiency in land use and office space design
Contribute to no sense of place

City Hall
(built 1966)

Pan-Asian Building
(built 1953; dilapidated)

Annex Building
(dilapidated)

32

Court

Old Extension Bldg.

(dilapidated)

Civic Center

Police & Jail

Library (built 1970)

33

Inside Doraville city facilities today

Just last week:

Police Department
Conference Room:
water damage
22
34

Inside Doraville city facilities today

Shortage of office space
Shortage of archive space
Staff & records will grow as city
continues to grow

22
35

Masterplan
Design Concepts
Historic Downtown Doraville

36

Concept
drawing #2

Establish:
Street Grid
Streetscape

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

37

Concept
drawing #2
Block A:
Civic Campus:
1. City Hall &
Civic Center
13-20K
2. Police/Court
17-25K
3. Library
5-10K
Street layout, block
size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

38

Concept
drawing #2

Greenspace:
Flowers Park
(<1 acre
today)

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

39

Concept
drawing #2

Greenspace:
Flowers Park
(improved to
~3 acres)

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

40

Concept
drawing #2

Greenspace:
Flowers Park
Expansion
(7+ acres &
new vistas)

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

41

Concept
drawing #2

Block B:
Mixed-use
6 stories
+/- 300,000sf
+/- 590
parking spots

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

42

Concept
drawing #2

Block C:
Mixed-use
6 stories
+/- 230,000sf
+/- 565
parking spots

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

43

Concept
drawing #2

Block D:
Mixed-use
6 stories
+/- 290,000sf
+/- 570
parking spots

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

44

Concept
drawing #2

Block E:
Mixed-use
6 stories
+/- 235,000sf
+/- 580
parking spots

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

45

Concept
drawing #2

Block F:
Mixed-use
6 stories
340,000sf
600 parking
spots

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

46

Concept
drawing #2
Land
Redevelopment:
City property
Private land
(between New
Peachtree &
Buford Hwy)
Street layout, block
size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

47

Concept
drawing #1

Land
Redevelopment:
City-owned
property

Street layout, block

size, building form &
architecture, and
greenspace design
are all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to
change. This plan is
for illustrative
purposes only.

48

Projected development proposal

Block A Civic Campus

Block Redevelopment
Block

Building
Height

Block A
Block B
6 stories
Block C
6 stories
Block D
6 stories
Block E
6 stories
Block F
6 stories
On-street Parking
TOTALS

Approximate Approximate
Square
Parking
Footage
Spaces
See next table
300,000 sf
230,000 sf
290,000 sf
235,000 sf
340,000 sf
1,395,000 sf

590
565
570
580
600
400
2,305 + 400
= 2,705

Existing
Building/Use

Approximate
Square Footage

City Hall
Civic Center
Police
Court

5,900
8,700
12,000
5,200

Library

6,200

Parking

Public: 177
Employee/Police: 58
Total: 235

Proposed
Facilities
Approximate
Square Footage
13,000 - 20,000 sf
3 stories
17,000 25,000 sf
2 stories
5,000 10,000 sf
1 story
Public: 111
Employee/Police: 85
Total: 196 (not
including on-street)

Greenspace
Green Space
Flowers Park
Civic Lawn

Existing
Acres
<1
0

Approximate
Proposed Acres
7+ (with Expansion)
1.5

Square footages, acreage, building heights,

and parking spaces area all CONCEPTUAL
and are subject to change. These numbers
are for illustrative purposes only.

49

Section drawings

Square footages, acreage, building heights, and parking spaces area

all CONCEPTUAL and are subject to change. These numbers are for
illustrative purposes only.
B

Section A

Section B

50

Precedent Example
Suwanee Town Center

47
51

Precedent example: Suwanee Town Center

52

Suwanee Placemaking a town center

City
Hall

Splash fountain

Amphitheatre

53

Suwanee Town Center community park & event space

Splash fountain

Terracing lawn

Amphitheatre

54

Civic Architecture
Examples:
Traditional
Modern
Contemporary
55

Examples of city halls: Traditional architecture

Roswell

Buford

Schenectady,
NY

Schenectady,
NY

56

Examples of
city halls:
Modern
architecture

London

Las Vegas

Durham, Oshawa, ON

57

Examples of city halls: Contemporary architecture

Suwanee

58

Next Steps
December 2015:

Concept presentation at Council meeting

December 2015:

Council tour of successful TOD & City Halls

January 2016:

Council approves concept plan to proceed

1st Quarter 2016:

Prepare Request for Proposals (RFP)

2nd Quarter 2016:

Send out RFP

3rd Quarter 2016:

Review RFP / Council selection

4th Quarter 2016:

Establish funding mechanisms

59

60
Doraville Projects Underway
City-wide annexation (completed 2014)
Doraville gateway signage
Flowers Park upgrades & expansion
New Peachtree Road Streetscape
City Comprehensive Plan Update

Private Development Projects Underway

North DeKalb Multi-Use Trail
Buford Highway Corridor LCI application
Assembly (former GM Plant)
Chestnut Rd. alignment
Metro City Bank; Headquarters
Chestnut Rd. traffic/stormwater improvements
Peachtree Walk Townhomes
Shallowford Rd. & Park Ave. connections
Nexus (Kmart Redevelopment) Plan
Parks and Trails Masterplan

Demand for developable

TOD property inside I-285
Gwinnett,
Lawrenceville

A new wave of development is being

driven by proximity to transit.
A once run-down industrial zone is
being peppered with hip new
apartments and retailers

61

Conclusion
The redevelopment of the Civic Campus presents a unique opportunity for Doraville.
Sense of Place
Establish a town center & a strong City identity
New network of streets at a pedestrian scale to enhance mobility & safety for
pedestrians, bicyclists and automobiles
New streetscape environment with elegant tree-lined streets & on-street parking
Buildings that engage the street and provide ground-floor retail & restaurants
New greenspace for gathering
Civic buildings with great architecture
Capitalize on proximity to Doraville MARTA station to attract new development and
better position MARTA for TOD development at the station
Real estate opportunities to sell off land for new urban development to offset the costs
of our new facilities & expand the Citys tax revenue

62

The time is now to be bold and embrace

change
Is the City of Doraville ready to spark
Downtowns metamorphosis for our next
generation?
63

Q&A

64