The Marietta City Council Wednesday will consider Bridger Properties’ proposal to construct an 84-foot-tall residential building downtown.
The 1.25-acre site of the proposed building, 25 Polk Street, is just west of the pedestrian bridge which spans the railroad tracks, and north of the Marietta Square Market food hall.
Bridger, an Atlanta-based developer which owns more than four acres of downtown real estate, does not need a rezoning to move forward with the project. But it does need a certificate of approval from the council for new construction, due to the property being within the downtown historic district.
The mayor and council are tasked with considering the building’s appearance, not its use as apartments or condominiums.
“You have to look at this and say, ‘Does that match the historic nature of downtown, yes or no,’” City Attorney Doug Haynie told the council at a Monday night work session.
The Historic Board of Review, which advises the council on applications for building changes within Marietta’s downtown historic district, voted 6-3 last week to recommend denial of the design.
Bridger’s plans call for a seven-story building — five stories of residences above two stories of parking. The building would have 135 units and replace a surface parking lot.
Before the council met Monday, Bridger asked the city to delay the public hearing on the matter until July. Councilman Joseph Goldstein, whose family is one of the largest property owners in downtown Marietta, sought to accommodate that request. But his motion to table failed 3-4, so the council will hear the proposal Wednesday.
At last week’s historic board meeting, residents weighed in on the design, with mixed reactions.
Criticism was directed at the proposed building’s height and size and its proximity to the historic Root House. In recent months, residents and…
Read the full article here