Plans Progressing for Paces Apartments Site

The historic Paces Apartments at 77 E. Andrews Road soon will be demolished. Rising from the dust will be a totally redesigned, high-end apartment complex with potential for retail space.

Chad Weaver, vice president of real estate development at Camden Property Trust, said demolition work will begin "in a matter of days." Phase I  construction on the interior portion of the 30-acre plot is scheduled to begin in late July and take 20 months to complete. The new complex does not have an official name yet.

Weaver said he has discussed the building plans with NPU-B members and nearby residents. “Everything’s going great so far,” Weaver said. “It’s in our best interest to make [the buildings] as attractive as possible.” Weaver said the current plan is for 376 units, but that "may be adjusted slightly."

Weaver said Camden, which specializes in apartments, sought to buy land in the heart of Buckhead because current market conditions are favorable to renters, especially in large metro areas. He called Buckhead the “best submarket in Atlanta.”

President Sam Massell sees the new development as a positive addition to the community. He said the only negative effect he can imagine is a population decrease in Midtown, because “people will move here.” Massell said the Paces was originally an affordable Buckhead home for those who could not afford to buy residential estates. “Now that day has come and gone,” he said, referring to the luxury improvements Camden will make to the property and subsequent property value increase.

Weaver said his work is inspired by Neel Reid, prominent Atlanta architect of the early 20th century, especially how Reid involved himself in the design of every part of his buildings, exterior to interior. Weaver plans for all aspects of the new Camden property to embody the character of Buckhead. The design will be understated, he said, not gaudy. He plans for the complex to look indigenous to the surrounding area. “I want it to look like it’s been there forever,” Weaver said.

Interior plans are not finalized, but will probably include granite stone countertops, wood flooring, tall ceilings and the best selections for molding, cabinets and doors, according to Weaver. Currently, workers are removing asbestos that formed inside the old Paces buildings.

Weaver said the new landscape design will preserve the stream flowing through the property and actually increase the buffer around it, putting more land between the water and the nearest building, to adhere to current city regulations, which have changed since the Paces was built. The landscape will also include walking paths and a couple of swimming pools, according to Weaver, but plans are not finalized.

Tom Senkbeil of Sealy Partners Atlanta is on the Paces Andrews Associates team that works to coordinate development in the neighborhood. Senkbeil said the new Camden property is coming at a good time and will probably attract the young adult professionals in the city.

“The 25-35 year-old age group is the fastest growing in the nation,” Senkbeil said.

But Weaver said the Paces reconstruction apartments will be too expensive for young adults and better suited for the city’s empty-nesters. He said the homes will allow adults to “retain a presence in the area where they raised their kids.” By making Camden apartments their permanent homes, empty-nesters will be able to travel and live in vacation homes for months at a time without worrying about the safety of their urban houses. “Lock and leave,” Weaver called it.

Residents of the former low-rise apartment building had to relocate this winter after Camden Property Trust bought the land for $39.3 million last year.

Phase I construction will begin directly after demolition of the Paces apartments. Phase I will build two separate apartment buildings, one more upscale than the other, as well as some townhomes, according to Weaver. The goal for the design is to increase open space by building parking lots and residences vertically. Weaver said plans so far call for one building having  “podium” style parking — two levels below-grade parking with seven residential floors on top. The other will have “wrap” style parking with four- to five-story (depending on ground level) residences wrapping around a parking garage. Townhomes will be three to four stories.

Phase II construction is not yet planned, but there is a possibility of adding retail space to the property. Weaver said he wants to maintain open, honest communication with the community throughout the process.