An Atlanta developer with a “deep history” in the Candler Park neighborhood is now looking to add a children's-focused performing arts center to its Edgewood/Candler Park MARTA Station redevelopment.

We chatted with Perkins+Will's Chris Sciarrone and EBS Property Investments' Ralph Edwards (center and right with Merrill Lynch's Ashley Gardner) during our Future of Downtown Atlanta event last month about their plans for a $9M studio for Moving in the Spirit, a nonprofit dance program that targets underprivileged children and teens. The 23k SF facility will be incorporated into a larger mixed-use development at the MARTA station being spearheaded by Columbia Ventures. Ralph, who is on the board for Moving in the Spirit, says the organization is now starting a capital campaign to raise the funds for the performing arts center.

Columbia's Dillon Baynes says the firm is at “the five-yard line” with MARTA on final approval to start the redevelopment project. That first phase will include 213 apartments atop two levels of parking with a commercial building that involves restaurant and flex office and the performing arts center.

This isn't Columbia's first venture in the area. Dillon says he's been involved in a handful of projects in the neighborhood since 2001. And Columbia is also working on the redevelopment of the Avondale MARTA station (here) just 10 minutes to the east of Edgewood/Candler, where it is looking to incorporate a $7M Decatur City Schools early childhood learning center. Dillon says Edgewood/Candler is a buffer between Avondale and Downtown Atlanta, and is within walking distance from Virginia-Highland and the Edgewood retail district. “It's that quiet location that's next to everything,” he says.