Atlantic Station a joke in more ways than one

By KEVIN DUFFY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/29/08

The water problems at Atlantic Station are more complicated than just a failure of expansion joints in concrete, the buildings' general contractor said Tuesday.

The property owner, Atlantic Town Center, said last week that improperly installed joints caused leaks in three buildings in the heart of the development, affecting several businesses. The joints are gaps that allow concrete to expand and contract with temperature changes so cracks don't occur.

After investigating, Atlantic Town Center decided 10 buildings should be repaired, a process that will continue into next year and cost millions of dollars.

But Jeff Johnson of Vratsinas Construction Co., the general contractor, said the problems go beyond expansion joints.

"It's much more complicated and complex than the joints in the walls," Johnson said.

In an earlier e-mail he said: "While VCC has worked closely with Atlantic Town Center on this issue, there has been no agreement on either the cause or the most appropriate solution to resolve the owner's concerns."

Johnson would not elaborate on what the additional issues are but said consultants produced a detailed technical report that shows broader problems.

"In working with Atlantic Town Center, VCC has shared its observations about existing design issues and we agreed with the majority of the owner's consultants' findings," Johnson's e-mail said.

Responding to Johnson's comments, Brian Leary, vice president with AIG Global Real Estate Investment, an Atlantic Town Center partner, said in an e-mail: "While we've identified some isolated issues related to a few buildings, we've identified no structural or other significant issues that will keep us from expeditiously repairing and upgrading the buildings. We've brought in some of the best consultants in the industry to help us identify the issues and best-practice solutions, which we are now implementing."

He also said: "This situation is not uncommon in developments of this size, and identifying its existence, source and solution takes time. We are working to fix the situation in the buildings in question while proactively inspecting and upgrading adjacent buildings to prevent future issues."

Atlantic Station is a nationally renowned mixed-use development on what used to be a steel plant site in Midtown at the I-75/I-85 junction. It opened in October 2005 and was celebrated for turning unsightly industrial land into a popular place to live, work and shop.

Balconies and building facades have to be repaired and work on each building will take about four months.

The buildings represent a small percentage of the total structures on the 138-acre site, Atlantic Town Center says.

Scaffolding already is up in the entertainment and residential area known as the District. Six of the buildings are a mix of retail and residential that include ATLofts and 17 Street Lofts. The other buildings are businesses.

Doc Green's Salads and Grill, one of Atlantic Station's original restaurants, sits under a concrete balcony that leaks. After a rain, part of the restaurant has to be closed off because of drips, said John Griffin, director of operations and business partner in Doc Green's.

Al Corry, an ATLofts resident and real estate agent, said balconies on his building collect water under the concrete and will have to be fixed. Atlantic Town Center told homeowners at a meeting last week repair costs already have topped $1 million, Corry said. Atlantic Town Center has not publicly disclosed a price.

Johnson was asked if the problems could involve more than 10 buildings. "We are not aware of other buildings within the project that will require repairs," his e-mail said.

Neither Atlantic Town Center nor Johnson would assign blame for the leaks.

"Most of the attention has been focused on fixing the problem as opposed to fixing the blame," Johnson said. "VCC expects that this will be resolved through continued discussions between all of the parties involved."