New Beltline zoning would allow mix of uses in industrial areas

By Gabriel Owens, contributor
The Atlanta BeltLine Inc. held its monthly executive meeting Wednesday morning and provided status updates on various Beltline projects.
ABI Chief Executive Officer Paul Morris went over a handful of different developments and discussed an upcoming plan for a new industrial zoning category in the city.
“The city is getting ready to adopt a new industrial mix, or as we call it, ‘Imix’ Zoning,” he said. “[This allows] for live/work options in our industrial zone, especially for entrepreneurs and small business operators to live where they work.
“This will be treated as a special zone within the Beltline planning that could be expanded to other industrial areas around the city.”
Other highlights from the meeting included:
– North American Properties (a Beltline developer) completed their site work for the Eastside Trail expansion. Part of their development will include installation of fiber optic cable which will require a rerouting around the Eastside for the installation work.
– A short list of developers have been selected for the 1016 Monroe project and will be reviewed tomorrow. The recommended developer will be sent to the Atlanta City Council for review. This area has been designated for mixed income residents.
– Bid requests for development partners for the Murphy Crossing project have been sent out and are due May 11.
– The final Beltline job creation numbers for the end of 2016 were:
- 7,200 new permanent jobs
- 26,000 construction jobs
- $3.7 billion in economic development
– The finalization of plans for the MARTA and streetcar expansion throughout the Beltline and connecting to the rest of the city is expected very soon.
– Morris stated one of the shifts of the Beltline’s priorities has elevated affordable housing and mixed income availability, as discussed in last month’s quarterly meeting.
The next monthly ABI meeting for May has not been scheduled yet.
Editor’s note: Due to a misunderstanding, Atlanta Loop and other members of the press were unable to attend Wednesday’s public meeting. ABI officials later apologized for the misunderstanding, and the apology and ABI’s explanation were accepted. This story was compiled using a recording of the meeting that was provided to Atlanta Loop.