Development around the route of the proposed Beltline could dramatically redefine the face of traditionally gay Midtown, but it’s likely to be years before the impact on gay businesses and bars is seen.

The latest proposal related to the Beltline, a 22-mile loop of transit, trails and parks around Midtown and downtown, would refashion Amsterdam Walk and impact the gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses that call the current retail strip home, including the smoke-free Red Chair Restaurant & Video Lounge, the gym Fitness Factory and Miss Q’s, a neighborhood bar.

Wayne Mason, a real estate investor, and Jack Halpern, a retail developer, announced last week that they are in the early stages of planning a redevelopment of Amsterdam Walk, located off Monroe Drive.

The developers want to renovate the center and replace the current buildings with retail outlets and an estimated 1,000 condos, Halpern told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution in a story published Jan. 18.

But Halpern cautioned this week that the redevelopment project is still in its infancy.

“First, we are going to meet with the neighborhoods,” Halpern told Southern Voice in an interview. “Then, after we go through the zoning process, it will take a long lead time to get the project underway.”

Troy Koch, owner of Simply Sun Tanning, said he and other Amsterdam Walk tenants received a letter from Halpern Enterprises earlier this month.

The Jan. 17 letter noted the company is seeking to change the center’s current commercial zoning classification to mixed-use development to “enhance the value of this property.”

Koch, who said his lease runs until 2009, with a five-year option to renew, said he is not too concerned with reports of the planned redevelopment of the area.

Glenn McElroy, who co-owns Fitness Factory, said Halpern has assured the gym that current leases will be honored and businesses will not be disrupted during construction.

“Our lease goes beyond 2009,” McElroy said. “We’re not going anywhere.”

Fitness Factory is opening a second location in East Atlanta in mid-February, though McElroy said it is unrelated to development plans for Amsterdam Walk.

“We’re just looking to expand our presence in the city,” McElroy said.

Halpern said that any changes to the property are years away and would be completed in stages to minimize the disruption to current tenants. In addition to a separate construction entrance, there would be available retail space to accommodate existing tenants during construction, he said.

New development is often accompanied by higher rents, which Halpern said the company would address.

“Throughout the years, we have been able to keep rents at Amsterdam Walk significantly below the rates at other locations in Midtown and Virginia-Highland,” Halpern said. “We would expect to be able to offer a similar cost advantage to our tenants in the future—we understand that they have to make a living and affordable rent is an important factor in that equation.”

Brad Williams, the owner of Red Chair, said he expects nothing to happen for at least three years.

“Our lease expires soon,” Williams said. “They [Halpern] are renewing it—but with a kick-out clause. Still, there are other tenants with three years left on their lease, which is why I don’t think anything will happen soon.”

Williams said when it is finally time for Red Chair to close, he won’t “go crazy” looking for another space to recreate the smoke-free bar.

“I’ll definitely do something, but it will be what the space dictates,” he said.

Ansley’s allure
Ansley Mall, a long-time favorite shopping destination for gay Atlantans at the intersection of Monroe and Piedmont, is also facing the possibility of redevelopment.

Selig Enterprises, which owns Ansley Mall, does not have any specific plans for the site or its surrounding property at this time, spokesperson Hilary Shure said during an interview Jan. 20. The mall is home to a handful of gay-popular spots, including Pier 1 Imports, LA Fitness and Starbucks.

Shure said the recent proposal detailed by Halpern hasn’t impacted Selig’s future plans.

On its website, Selig Executive Vice-President David Witt is quoted as telling the American Business Journal last year that the Beltline “would accelerate development on Selig’s existing parcels.”

Witt told the newspaper that the company has tossed around several different ideas to overhaul the mall but will likely wait until some of the infrastructure to support the Beltline is in place.

Ansley Square—home to gay bars Burkharts, Felix’s and the Oscar’s, along with gay retail store Brushstrokes‑—‑has also been rumored to be in line for redevelopment. The railroad tracks that define ...

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