A $1 million grant from the National Park Service to renovate two historic homes in Vine City is a sign that finally Atlanta is grasping the value of preserving our unique Black history on the Westside.
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 inLatest News
NPS grant of $1 million to help restore two historic homes in Vine City
Two historic, but dilapidated homes in Atlanta’s Vine City, will be preserved thanks to a $1 million grant from the National Park Service.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Atlanta’s transit decisions today will impact our future
Transit decisions being made in Atlanta today will impact our city for generations.
Posted inLatest News
Beloved Benefit raises $6.3 million for local nonprofits
By Maria Saporta After a two-year hiatus, the 2022 Beloved Benefit filled the field of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with more than 2,000 attendees representing all sides of Atlanta. The July 7 dinner, hosted and presented by Atlanta philanthropists Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and Dan Cathy, chairman of Chick-fil-A, has raised a total of […]
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Beloved Benefit shines light on one of metro Atlanta’s top challenges
We must galvanize to improve economic mobility in our region It’s a common theme. Atlanta has the worst income inequality in the country, and it has one of the lowest economic mobility numbers in the country. At the Beloved Benefit dinner on July 7, there was a newspaper journal at everyone’s seat that shared the […]
Posted inLatest News
Atlanta-based CodeHouse working to diversify tech industry
There’s no denying a diversity gap exists in the technology industry. But in recent years tech companies have focused efforts to increase diversity within their ranks.
Posted inLatest News
Auburn Avenue’s Front Porch project to offer affordable housing and retail spaces
With a focus on equity and the revitalization of Auburn Avenue, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held Wednesday for Front Porch, a $30 million project spearheaded by the nonprofit Historic District Development Corp.
Posted inLatest News
True Colors and Ballethnic receiving major grants as part of South Arts initiative
Two Atlanta arts organizations each will receive a $300,000 over three years through a partnership between the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and South Arts as well as other partners.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Georgia leaders going all in to attract new federal health agency
Georgia leaders have unified behind a quest to land the headquarters of a new federal health-related agency – an effort that would solidify the state’s role as the epicenter for global health.
Posted inLatest News
Mark Banta to retire as CEO of the Piedmont Park Conservancy in 2023
The board of the Piedmont Park Conservancy announced that its president and CEO, Mark Banta, will retire in 2023 upon the selection of his successor and after a period of transition.
Posted inLatest News
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff: Building high-speed rail in Georgia can be ‘transformative’
During his talk to the Rotary Club of Atlanta on June 27, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff made a plea for Georgia to revisit the development of high-speed rail to connect Atlanta with cities across the Southeast.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
South River Forest civic engagement work can help bridge divide
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and the Nature Conservancy publicly kicked off its South River Forest Community Engagement process at a meeting Saturday morning at DeKalb County’s impressive Sugar Creek Golf & Tennis Center off Bouldercrest Road.
Posted inLatest News
IOC awards Pierre de Coubertin medal to George Hirthler
Atlantan George Hirthler, who wrote the bid book that brought the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to Atlanta, today received one of the highest honors given by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – the Pierre de Coubertin Medal – in a ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Posted inLatest News
2022 Beloved Benefit on July 7 to bring the community together
The Beloved Benefit is back. On July 7, the second Beloved Benefit will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The event is one of the most ambitious fund-raisers in Atlanta, and it will feature two headliner performers – Usher and Maroon 5 – as well as other entertainment.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
2026 World Cup an opportunity for Atlanta to shine
There are defining moments in the life of every city. Hosting the Summer Olympic Games was one of them for Atlanta. Hosting the World Cup in 2026 will be another.
Posted inLatest News
UPS to invest nearly $8.75 million in Atlanta nonprofits
During its first-ever UPS Impact Summit on June 20, the UPS Foundation announced three major initiatives to positively impact communities around the world.
Posted inLatest News
Mayor Andre Dickens working with Atlanta Committee for Progress on key issues
In his second “in person” meeting with the Atlanta Committee for Progress as mayor, Andre Dickens thanked the business and civic leaders for their support of the “Moving Atlanta Forward” campaign.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Newell’s Ravi Saligram: Atlanta can be a national role model
By Maria Saporta Sometimes it takes a newcomer’s perspective to see Atlanta’s potential. That’s the case with Ravi Saligram, the CEO of Newell Brands, a Fortune 500 company that brought back its headquarters to Atlanta in 2019 after moving to New Jersey for three years. “If we can’t make Atlanta work in terms of a […]
Posted inLatest News
Two statewide run-off debates feature empty podiums for no-show candidates
The Atlanta Press Club’s Loudermilk-Young Debate Series hosted seven run-off debates June 6 – but two candidates didn’t even bother to show up.
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
Olympic athlete Edwin Moses on new Morehouse track: ‘Doesn’t it look beautiful?’
A newly restored track at Morehouse College will continue the legacy of legendary Edwin Moses and spotlight the track-and-field program at the historically black college.
