I'm really excited that the DIA has been pushing this one forward. It's a fantastic use of the spot, especially after Related moved their restaurant to the back end of their proposed development on the water.
Concept B is the only one that I don't really care for. It doesn't make sense to make compromises to the restaurant (ceiling height, park views) in order to add a second floor if it's just going to be a passive public lookout that no one wants to maintain. Would rather see the lookout added to the top of the pump house instead as has been discussed in the past. Would actually be a fun, unique feature of the park.
I actually don't mind Concept A at all. It's the least spectacular of the three, but it might be the most functional in terms of being a restaurant. Higher ceilings. More natural light. Unobstructed park views. Kind of gives me a Collins Quarter vibe from Savannah, if you're familiar with the Forsyth location on the park.
If we're willing to spend the money, I really like Concept C. Would love to see both the restaurant and the second floor bar open even more to the park and fountain, and I think the addition of the active f&b space on the second floor really pushes this over the edge in terms of a being a marquee restaurant that could be leverage for weddings, fundraisers, etc. Feels like a more complete 24/7 attraction vs. Concept A, which seems a little more brunch/lunchy.
Been a long-time coming, but you can kind of see the "nodes" concept that Lori Boyer has been pushing for a long time starting to come together with the clusters of park space, dining, and art alongside the river. Hoping to see the trend continue, and curious to see how adding more vibrancy on the riverwalk spills over into the street grid.