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Westside Resurgence
Architect Jerry Spangler talks about renaissance of community
By Julie Herron Carson
Witnessing the robust redevelopment
underway throughout Atlanta’s Westside, it
would seem business owners and residents
have taken to heart author Horace Greeley’s
famous quote, “Go west, young man.”
The area, just west of the city along the
Norfolk-Southern rail lines, once served as
the center of the community’s livestock and
meat processing industries, and for decades
remained a somewhat gritty industrial
district characterized by warehouses,
processing plants, industrial buildings
and food storage facilities. But now,
Atlanta’s Westside “is quickly becoming a
pedestrian-friendly community featuring
a diverse and eclectic blend of exclusive
dining establishments, specialty shops,
professional firms and unique, cutting-
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edge residences,”
according to the
West Midtown
Business Alliance.
What
distinguishes
this community’s
redevelopment from
that of neighboring
areas is the creative
adaptive redesign of
many of the existing
structures. Business owners, developers and
architects are preserving the characteristics
of this once working-class neighborhood by
repurposing industrial buildings into shops,
restaurants, residences and even churches.
Some business leaders have compared
Westside’s resurgence to that of New York
City’s meatpacking district.
Jerry Spangler, director of architecture
at TSW, a Midtown-based architecture,
planning and landscape architecture
firm, is one of the visionaries helping to
transform Atlanta’s Westside. As a Westside
resident, he understands the balance
required to maintain the community’s
historical context, while creating a hip,
urban destination where people want to
live, work, shop, dine and play. He and his
firm have been involved in a number of
Westside design projects recently, including
a brewery, cidery, gun shop and firing
range, and a church.
“It’s exciting to work with the
entrepreneurs who believe Westside’s
energy and vibe make it the perfect location
for their businesses,” said Spangler. “In
almost every case, these are creative, driven
business owners who are passionate about
what they do, and have strong ideas about
how they want their buildings to look and
function. Our Westside design projects
have all been collaborative processes with
the owners, where we have shared ideas
and worked as a team to repurpose and
bring new life back into several unique
industrial buildings.”
TSW has worked or is working with a
number of businesses and property owners
to find and adapt space, including Monday
Night Brewing, Stoddard’s Range and Guns,
Trinity Anglican Mission Church and
Urban Tree Cidery.
Repurposing old buildings is an
environmentally friendly, sustainable
endeavor that preserves the architectural
character and historical context of a
community, but there are a number of
factors to consider before undertaking a
project of this nature, advises Spangler.
First, he would strongly advise any
entrepreneur to work with his or her
architect or engineering group to conduct
a thorough examination of all building
structures and systems to determine their
viability prior to purchase or lease. It’s
crucial to know in advance what works and
what doesn’t, from electrical and plumbing
to floors, walls and roofs. Is the building
sound? What utilities serve this building?
Because most industrial buildings
are located within municipalities,
redevelopment and usage are subject
to zoning codes, parking requirements
and other regulations. Spangler says
the redevelopment team must carefully
research all of the applicable codes
and restrictions before undertaking a
repurposing project.
His advice to other architects is to
recognize that many business owners
who take on a repurposing project are
passionate about their vision and want to
be hands-on throughout the process. They
expect to be listened to and included in the
design process.
“Part of the inherent value of these
old buildings is the character of the
space,” Spangler said. “It’s this very quality
and richness that probably attracted the
entrepreneur in the first place.” ESI
40 February 2016 | INtOWIl
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