The Atlanta Zoning Review Board will take up Thursday a rezoning request of a small piece of property located on Ponce de Leon Avenue that includes the Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar.
According to the agenda of the city’s Zoning Review Board, a request is being made to rezone from C-2 (commercial service) district to MRC-2 (mixed residential commercial) district the property located at 300 and 306 Ponce de Leon Ave. These properties include the old Kodak building at the corner or Argonne Avenue and Ponce de Leon Avenue as well as the Atlanta Eagle.
Robert Cain, the applicant for the rezoning request on behalf of the property owner, listed as The Bootery Inc. Profit Sharing Et. Al., said the rezoning request is being made as part of a quality of life initiative along the Ponce de Leon corridor. Cain is a local architect.
He said there were no plans to close the Atlanta Eagle and there were no plans to redevelop the property at this time.
“This is not adversarial. There is no ulterior motive here,” Cain said today.
If the rezoning request is approved by the Zoning Review Board, it then goes to the City Council for approval. Public comment can be made during the Zoning Review Board.
According to the city of Atlanta’s Mixed Residential Commercial Ordinance:
The MRC district establishes the following minimum requirements to protect and revitalize existing commercial districts:
• Establishment of a compatible mix of commercial and residential uses.
• Maximum block face lengths.
• Requirements for sidewalks and street trees.
• Permit shared parking arrangements.
Cain said that the new zoning, if approved, would allow, for example, apartments or a small restaurant to be built on the property.
“This is part of an intown quality of life initiative,” Cain said.
The Zoning Review Board meets at 6 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall, 150 Garnett St. S.W, Atlanta, GA 30303, in the council chambers on the second floor.