Transit Oriented Development On The Rise In Atlanta

"By now, most of MARTA's 38 stations were supposed to have matured into pedestrian-friendly hubs of activity, with dense pockets of housing, offices and retail. Nearly three decades after the rail system opened, however, only a handful of stations, mostly downtown and in Midtown, even come close to providing a big-city transit experience.

"But urban living is hot again. Dilapidated areas have been reclaimed for high-end shops and housing. The city skyline is being redrawn with new condo towers. And MARTA stations, long regarded as eyesores, are now being seen as opportunities."

"MARTA parking lots at the Avondale, Chamblee and Lakewood-Fort McPherson stations are set to be replaced by apartments, condos and retail. A cluster of high-rise office buildings and hotels are rising on private property next to the Civic Center station on the north end of downtown."

"In the coming months, MARTA plans to sell land for projects at the Brookhaven, East Lake, Kensington and North Springs stations...Last year, the agency's leases and sales brought in $3.1 million," a figure expected to more than double by 2011."