Marietta OKs developer's public plaza, Church Street facelift

Apr. 4—MARIETTA — In its first public meeting before a city board, developer Bridger Properties received approval to convert a small parking lot at the Marietta Station office complex to a public plaza, and give a facelift to its stores along Church Street.

The city's Historic Board of Review voted unanimously to approve the design at its Monday night meeting, with board member Chris Brown absent.

Bridger can now proceed with its plans to replace a 22-spot parking lot along the Mountain to River Trail into a park, and spruce up its Church Street properties with new paint, doors, awnings and other features.

The developer has more dramatic plans to change downtown, however. Bridger, which owns more than four acres of downtown real estate, is looking to build a 135-unit, 84-foot-tall apartment building off Marietta Square. The historic board is scheduled to hear that proposal and vote on the apartment building's appearance at its May 1 meeting.

Unlike the plans approved Monday, new construction must be approved by both the historic board and the City Council.

Bridger's Monday presentation to the board was well-received. It came 24 hours before the firm planned to hold a community meeting with Marietta residents about its plans for downtown.

"I'd just like to say when I came in here I was very skeptical about this, but I like it," board member Jim Trimble said.

Merritt Lancaster, the firm's principal and co-founder, presented Bridger's plans to the board. He said the changes approved Monday would be an investment of roughly $3-4 million.

"I'm a little bit concerned with the way the economy is going that you ... (have) one foot on the dock, and one foot on the boat here," said board member Martin Kendall.

Responded Lancaster, "This is going to be all equity, so, there is no financing."

Bridger hopes work will begin in about six months. It will likely be another year after that before it is completed.

Lancaster doesn't expect construction to cause lane closures, but said sidewalks on Church Street may be affected.

'Improve the environment'

Before founding Bridger, Lancaster worked on historic redevelopment projects in Atlanta, including Krog Street Market in Inman Park and Atlanta Dairies in Reynoldstown.

"I think it's important to understand that what we're trying to do on Church Street is similar in this regard ... We intend to better them, while keeping the inherent qualities of the historic properties. It's designed to improve the environment, not destroy the environment," Lancaster said.

The parking lot Bridger plans to convert to green space is roughly a quarter-acre in size. Lancaster said the parking, used by tenants, is underutilized and uninviting.

"It's just really not a very attractive area," he said.

The lot is just east of the railroad tracks and the Mountain to River Trail. Bridger plans to add tables, trees, string lights and wood deck seating.

"I think it looks nice," said Councilman Johnny Walker, who serves on the board. "I think y'all have done a good job ... I still have a little problem taking away 20 parking spaces from an already crowded square."

Other board members made similar statements, but Rusty Roth, the city's director of development services, reminded them that "parking is not under their purview," and their only job is to ensure the plans retain downtown's historic character.

"We don't think it's a material number of parking spaces," Lancaster said. "We think that the trade here is you create a very enjoyable environment. ... That experience there outweighs having to walk an extra block to your parking space."

Walker also asked if the plaza could attract homeless people who might look to sleep there.

"I think we'll have to have cameras out there," Lancaster said. "My hope is that this doesn't become a place where people are sleeping. ... If it is, then we'll have to figure out a security situation to basically run people off."

Paint jobs and new tenants

In addition to the public plaza, Bridger received approval for exterior cosmetic changes at about a dozen stores it owns on the west side of Church Street.

Bridger will repaint brick walls, install new awnings and wood doors, build new wood storefronts, add lighting fixtures, sconces and new tenant signage.

"My big issue, if you look through our guidelines, it specifically says unpainted surfaces should remain unpainted," board Chair David Freedman said.

Lancaster said that rule, as he understood it, only applied to historic brick. The walls Bridger plans to paint are newer, he said.

The developer is looking to attract a mix of new, locally owned restaurants and "pure play" retail to its properties, some of which are vacant.

"We spend a lot of time actually on merchandising, and what we mean by that is we think about the tenants that we're putting in, and how they work together," Lancaster said.

A north-south alley along the rear of the stores will also be "activated," in Bridger's parlance, to enhance the space for new tenants. Restaurants and coffee shops, for instance, can use the alley for outdoor seating.

Worried about homogenization, board members questioned Lancaster about what sort of variation there would be among the stores.

Lancaster said the paint and awnings would differentiate the businesses, but some features, such as the doors, would be the same.

Board member Rebecca Nash Paden didn't like the wall sconces — Lancaster said Bridger could revisit them.

Kendall said the proposal looked a bit "clickety clack."

"It has a lot of pluses and minuses ... I'm fearful that it would just look too manufactured," he said.

Lancaster said the intent is to provide cohesiveness, with a certain amount of independence between the businesses.

"I would just like for you to assure us that every effort will be made to keep the historical fixtures and doorknobs and all that kind of stuff," Trimble said.

"Of course," Lancaster said.

To that end, the board's motion to approve the plans included stipulations that Bridger must return to the board later for approval of certain details, such as exterior lighting and hardware.

"With the intent that you would provide distinguishing historical features," Freedman said.