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.
By Doug Sams and Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Aug. 19, 2016
Parrot Heads now have a reason to flock downtown.
Jimmy Buffett’s rapidly expanding Margaritaville Holdings plans to bring its restaurant concept to the emerging tourism district around Centennial Olympic Park.
History was celebrated – and made – Thursday in the ground floor gathering space of Vinings Bank.
At one end of the room, former Gov. Roy Barnes (a Democrat) was sitting next the man who forced him into political retirement – former Gov. Sonny Perdue (a Republican), and they were all smiles, happily agreeing to get their picture taken together. Perdue jokingly mentioned how time can change former political foes.
Following an outpouring of support for Henri Jova’s round bank building on Monroe Drive, the Atlanta BeltLine Design Review Committee Wednesday afternoon failed to support the building of a multi-story, self-storage facility on the site.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Aug. 12, 2016
Helen Smith Price could not have been more prepared when she was tapped in April to become the new president of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Price has served as executive director of the foundation since 2001, joining the company in 1993. As the protégé of her predecessor, Ingrid Saunders Jones, she also has seen how the Foundation has evolved over the years.
Twenty years ago Aug 15, the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games left a lasting impression as Mark Wellman, a paraplegic, pulled himself up 40 feet up a rope, using only his hands, while a flaming Olympic torch was tucked between his legs before he dramatically lit the Olympic caldron.
The Paralympic Games in Atlanta were a turning point for both the Olympic movement and for Georgia becoming a leading center for people with disabilities.
The best hope to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement will be during the lame duck session of Congress, top business and government leaders said at a lunch program organized by the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.
One of the most popular trees in Piedmont Park – a stately magnolia near the bridge between the two lakes – toppled over in late July when its root plate cracked. The city quickly cut it down because it posed a danger to the public.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Aug. 5, 2016
Two of the nation’s top 25 chief financial officers are based in Atlanta — and both of them are women, according to a new report from ExecRank.
Carol Tomé, CFO of The Home Depot Inc., was ranked No. 9; and Kathy Waller, CFO of The Coca-Cola Co., was ranked No. 23.
A game of musical chairs is underway in downtown Atlanta as United Way of Greater Atlanta is getting closer to selling its office tower.
United Way said it is “extremely likely” that it will move its offices next door to the Loudermilk Center in the space that will be vacated by the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is awarding its 2016 Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $2 million to the Atlanta-based Task Force for Global Health.
The Task Force was selected by a jury for its contributions to improving the health of people living in extreme poverty.
The Task Force for Global Health is the largest nonprofit organization in Georgia.
It’s been 25 years since the “compromise” that created Atlanta’s Freedom Parkway.
To mark the moment, dozens of Atlanta’s veteran protesters and citizen activists attended a 25th anniversary reunion on Sunday afternoon at Dellwood Park – part of the Olmsted Linear Park.
One of the most fanciful buildings in Atlanta is facing possible demolition.
Back in 1963. Atlanta-based Trust Company Bank had property to build a branch along the expressway on land sandwiched by Monroe Drive.
It hired renowned Atlanta architect Henri Jova to design a bank branch for that location.
Manuel’s Tavern officially reopened Aug. 6 on its 60th anniversary.
Hundreds of people flocked to the gathering spot and watering hole that has been closed since late 2015 for renovations.
Although the space configuration of the Tavern has slightly changed, the spirit was still the same.
For the people who want to save the building that housed the Engineer’s Bookstore, they can celebrate a short-term victory.
The new purchaser of the building has announced plans to tear it down and turn it into a EZ Mart gas station with a food and liquor store.
One of the most popular trees in Piedmont Park – a hundred-year-old magnolia tree – toppled over last Friday with its root plate cracked.
The magnolia stood majestically near the bridge between the park’s two lakes. Its low-hanging branching were at a perfect height for climbing, something I loved to do when I was growing up.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 29, 2016
For the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the 2015-2016 campaign was a strong year with several encouraging signs. For starters, the campaign exceeded its $77.7 million goal by $100,000 — raising $77.8 million, according to David Mangum, president and COO of Atlanta’s Global Payments Inc. and chairman of the 2015-2016 campaign.
The Atlanta Regional Commission is planning to move its offices to Peachtree Center from its current home at the Loudermilk Center.
“We are moving to the heart of downtown,” said Kerry Armstrong, chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission who is also an executive with Pope & Land.
Move over MacMansions.
Tiny Houses are gaining popularity as people look for innovative ways to balance their budgets while living in a more environmentally-sustainable way.
Over the weekend, Tiny House Atlanta held its first-ever Decatur Tiny House Festival – selling out on both Saturday and Sunday – attracting a total of more than 5,300 people.
One could measure the impact of Dennis Hoffarth by the dozens of people who showed up at a memorial service for him on Saturday at Atlanta’s Southface.
It had been at least a decade since Hoffarth had lived in Atlanta.
But a resounding theme of people who spoke was how Hoffarth had changed their lives.
The city of Atlanta and MARTA are planning major transportation investments in two separate sales tax referendums that will go before voters in November.
If approved, both taxes would generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year for a myriad of improvements including expanded streetcar or light rail lines, improved bus services, new multi-use trails and road upgrades into complete streets.
