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Amsterdam Walk scales back plans amid concerns
For weeks now, FOX 5 has been reporting about the fight by some neighbors to limit the large-scale redevelopment of a prime piece of real estate next to Piedmont Park. While many residents want Amsterdam Walk upgraded, some are concerned about how grand the plans are, so now the developer has scaled it back.
ATLANTA - An Atlanta developer is giving in to some of the demands made by neighbors who have been fighting the large-scale redevelopment of Amsterdam Walk, a prime piece of real estate next to Piedmont Park.
To try to appease some of the neighbors, Portman Holdings, the developer behind Amsterdam Walk, says that they are reducing the project's size by almost 20%, a change they claim will reduce traffic.
Portman Holdings’ initial plan called for a significant amount of office space, 900 apartments, shops and restaurants. Neighbors protested the initial plan because of its size and traffic concerns.
Amsterdam Walk reduces redevelopment plans
Mike Greene of Portman Holdings says they revised the plan and slashed the amount of office space, got rid of 60 apartments and reduced the tallest building to 15 stories.
"We knocked the new trips per day down by 42%, so the original projection was that it would add about 3,900 cars to Monroe. The new program drops that down to about 2,300 cars," Greene said.
Greene says the changes come after about a year-long process working with local neighborhood groups.
Dr. Donald Campbell is the President of the Morningside Lenox Park Association.
"I think that we have gotten to a place that is substantially better than was originally planned," he said. "That reduction in heights of some of the buildings have been significant."
Campbell says he voted to approve the project, but he would still like to see fewer apartment units.
"We tried to cover all of the areas that were of concern," Campbell said. "Anybody that has the idea that because we didn't do what they wanted, they were not heard is not correct."
Residents to vote on Amsterdam Walk redevelopment
Both sides say they did not win when it comes to this redevelopment.
People living in the area will vote on the project during the Neighborhood Planning Unit - F meeting set for 7 p.m. on May 15. Residents wishing to vote must pre-register.
This is far from a done deal. There are still several more votes needed for the project to be built.