A relieved Mayor Andre Dickens met with the highly influential Atlanta Committee for Progress Friday morning following the Thursday vote in the Georgia Senate that defeated efforts for Buckhead to split off from the City of Atlanta.
Author Archives: Maria Saporta
Maria Saporta, executive editor, is a longtime Atlanta business, civic and urban affairs journalist with a deep knowledge of our city, our region and state. From 2008 to 2020, she wrote weekly columns and news stories for the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Prior to that, she spent 27 years with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, becoming its business columnist in 1991. Maria received her Master’s degree in urban studies from Georgia State and her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University. Maria was born in Atlanta to European parents and has two young adult children. She launched SaportaReport in February 2009.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
BGCMA ‘Rising Together’ campaign gets $10 million boost from Whitehead Foundation
By Maria Saporta Thousands of children in our region will benefit from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s $27.5 million capital campaign – which has received a $10 million grant from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation – part of the Robert W. Woodruff family of foundations. The thrust of the “Rising Together: More […]
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Plaza Theatre’s Chris Escobar reopening Tara cinema
Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theatre, announced Tuesday evening at the closing night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, that he will be reopening the beloved Tara in the near future.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Fires at Gaines Hall and Furber Cottage ‘a wake-up call’ for Atlanta
By Maria Saporta Enough already. Two of Atlanta’s most historic buildings – Gaines Hall and Furber Cottage – were victims of two separate fires this past week. Yet again. Gaines Hall, built in 1869 as part of Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), was the victim of a major fire in 2015. And Furber Cottage, […]
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Saying farewell to Bunnie Jackson-Ransom
An outpouring of friends, family and civic leaders came to honor the life of Bunnie Jackson-Ransom on Monday.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Georgia Research Alliance is an unsung economic treasure
The Georgia Research Alliance, now more than 30 years old, has been an integral force in developing Georgia’s knowledge-based economy by partnering with the state’s research universities and investing in promising technology ventures coming out of those institutions.
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Mayor Dickens reveals his governing strategies to Atlanta Press Club
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens hopes the state will help the city fulfill its top priorities, and he is working hard to have good relations with Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, House Speaker Jon Burns and other elected leaders.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Seeking peaceful green solutions for training center in South River Forest
The controversy over building a public safety training center on the site of the old Atlanta Prison Farm continues to fester.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Small church with ‘big vision’ bringing vibrancy to downtown College Park
Tears were flowing freely on Jan. 28 at a ground-breaking ceremony for Tapestry Development’s 60 affordable housing units in downtown College Park next to the MARTA station.
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Public safety a prominent theme at Buckhead Coalition lunch
Although the name “Buckhead City” was barely mentioned during the annual meeting of the Buckhead Coalition on Thursday, Jan. 26, the issue was definitely present in the room.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Westside Future Fund offers lessons on building communities from the ground up
The Westside Future Fund has a delicate balancing act. How can one revitalize a community without displacing legacy residents because neighborhoods have become unaffordable?
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Tyler Perry willing to buy FORSCOM building at Fort Mac
Media mogul Tyler Perry is interested in acquiring the prominent Forces Command (FORSCOM) building at Fort Mac upon learning that the laboratories for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would emit fumes into the atmosphere.
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Rodney Bullard: Beloved Benefit will now be part of new entity – The Same House
The Beloved Benefit, championed by Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy, is shifting to a new entity called: “The Same House.”
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Gov. Brian Kemp at Georgia Chamber breakfast says housing is economic development issue
At Wednesday’s Eggs & Issues breakfast hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, newly reelected Gov. Brian Kemp opened the door for the state to start tackling the issue of housing affordability as an economic development issue.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Southern Co. leadership moves continue smooth transition with several ‘firsts’
Southern Co. continued its tradition of smooth leadership transitions when it announced that Chris Womack, CEO of Georgia Power, will succeed Tom Fanning as CEO of the regional utility on May 24.
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Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment makes executive changes
Leadership changes are afoot within the Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE) organization as a way to ensure a growing executive team.
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Central Atlanta Progress to honor key downtown leaders
Few people have done more to strengthen downtown Atlanta than Arthur Blank. As a way to acknowledge Blank’s contributions, Central Atlanta Progress will present him with the legendary Dan & Tally Sweat Award at its annual meeting on Feb. 14 at the Georgia Aquarium at 11:45 a.m..
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
New Year’s traditions weave past and present with hope for the future
By Maria Saporta Growing up, New Year’s was always the pinnacle for our family during the holidays. We didn’t celebrate Christmas because of our proud Jewish heritage, but we also didn’t celebrate Hanukkah because we were not practicing or observant Jews. So, from an early age, the holiday we really celebrated was New Year’s. My […]
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Historic Oakland Cemetery receives major city grant to complete campaign
Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery has successfully completed its $12.5 million capital campaign thanks to a $1.5 million grant from Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
2022 HOPE Global Forum – Atlanta can be a model city for economic inclusion
The ninth annual HOPE Global Forum in Atlanta did not disappoint.
Once again, top business, civic and government leaders convened in Atlanta to share best practices of how to reduce poverty in lower-income communities and how to stimulate new economic wealth among those who need it most.
