Articles by Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on August 4,, 2017
Don’t tell anybody, but Junior Achievement of Georgia is changing high school education in metro Atlanta.
It’s called the JA Academy, and as of the beginning of this school year, there are three up-and-running in three different school districts – each with hundreds of students being immersed in a new curriculum designed by JA of Georgia.
Three hours after being named as the next president and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. Wednesday morning, Brian McGowan was having lunch at Ponce City Market with Ryan Gravel, the visionary who first proposed the BeltLine concept in his Georgia Tech Master’s thesis.
“I’m optimistic he will be able to take the BeltLine in a direction it needs to go,” Gravel said of his Wednesday meeting with McGowan. “I’m always excited about the opportunity to shift the leadership so the project can reach the potential we have been talking about all these years.”
Atlanta BeltLine Inc. (ABI) is replacing President and CEO Paul Morriswith a former top executive with Invest Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
Following an executive session Wednesday morning, the Beltline’s Board of Directors voted to elect Brian McGowan as the agency’s new president and CEO. Morris is stepping down from the position effective Sept. 11.
Paul Morris, president and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine Inc., is on his way out.
The board of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. met in executive session Wednesday morning for less than an hour, when it decided that there would be a change in leadership.
Morris has been under fire for the past month, largely because the BeltLine has not fulfilled its goals for affordable housing along the 22-mile corridor.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on August 4, 2017
An Atlanta developer is planning an innovative co-working space along one of Atlanta’s most historic streets — a project that’s already lured high-profile investors including top Home Depot executives.
Gene Kansas Commercial Real Estate plans to open Constellations, a $2 million project that will offer “culturally-inspired” workspace with the hope of bringing together great minds who care about making a difference in the city.
By Maria Saporta As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 28,, 2017 The Truancy Intervention Project was “hatched” by Alston & Bird attorney Terry Walsh and Juvenile Court Judge Glenda Hatchett back in the early 1990s. After being named to the bench, one of the first people Hatchett heard from was Walsh, then […]
Frank Blake, the retired chairman and CEO of the Home Depot, is not a fan of Amazon – a company that is disrupting the retailing industry.
“Amazon is a dark star,” Blake said. “I really don’t like Amazon.”
Blake was the guest speaker Monday at the Rotary Club of Atlanta, where he was asked about the impact of e-commerce on retailing.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 21, 2017
A concerted effort is underway to elevate the annual TOUR Championship as one of Atlanta’s premier sporting events.
As evidence, the TOUR Championship has hired Bob Williams, former president of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena, as its executive chairman who will work on building stronger relationships between the TOUR and Atlanta’s business and hospitality community.
Note to readers: Here is a press release issued Wednesday by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration in response to a Maria’s Metro column that appeared this week. At SaportaReport, we strongly believe in being as fair as we can be, and we are publishing Reed’s response in its entirety. Naturally, there is tension between public officials and journalists. Obviously, my relationship with Mayor Reed is no exception. Despite what the mayor says, I do my best to provide accurate information in my stories and columns. When I do offer a point of view, it is based on facts, journalistic standards and my love for Atlanta. Also, please know that as a reporter, I have never endorsed any particular candidate. It was true in 2009, and it is true today. I will continue to call things as I see them. I’ve been a reporter for 37 years, and I’ve developed a tough skin and will not be bullied or intimidated. Thanks for reading SaportaReport. Maria
The tagline says it all: “Our Youth are At-Promise, Not At-Risk.”
The At-Promise Youth Center in English Avenue officially opened after a warm ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 1 – the culmination of dozens of partners in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
The $2 million-plus facility will be a place to divert young people from having a possible experience in the criminal justice system. Instead, it will be a place that will seek to get to the root causes of juvenile-behavior issues and be a place to their lives around.
Friendship Baptist Church has its own home once more.
After three years of being in temporary quarters, the historic congregation of Friendship Baptist Church held its first service in its new home on Sunday.
At the first service, there were songs of rejoice and an uplifting spirit – following feelings of displacement, dissension and disorientation.
During a talk at the Atlanta Commerce Club, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed implied he might be making a leadership change at Atlanta BeltLine Inc., the city’s arm in charge of development along the 22-mile corridor.
In response to an attendee’s question about affordable housing along the BeltLine, Reed said there was going to be more funds available to improve equity along the corridor.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 21, 2017
The Civic Center property may soon be back in play.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is exploring “reactivating” the 18-acre Civic Center site and possibly putting it back on the market.
Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay looked up to the partially-closed roof of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium during a tour on Tuesday with board members of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
“Not one drop of water can come in,” McKay said. That is the requirement of the NCAA when a Final Four tournament is played in a facility.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 14, 2017
Mercedes-Benz USA moved its headquarters to metro Atlanta exactly two years ago (in July, 2015), and the luxury car company has been going non-stop ever since.
“It feels like we’ve been here forever,” said Dietmar Exler, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA and the regional head of North America, which includes Canada and Mexico.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 14, 2017
German real estate company Newport US RE is moving forward with ambitions to redevelop portions of eight blocks and up to 750,000 square feet of South Downtown’s historic buildings.
Newport has filed plans with the Eastside Tax Allocation District, where it will seek up to $12 million in public funding for the project — one of the largest ever proposed for downtown.
The Atlanta Public Schools enjoyed a stellar day on Thursday.
It started out with a release at 10 a.m. announcing that 57 APS schools (about two-thirds of the system) achieved academic gains based on the Georgia Milestones End of Grade and End of Course Assessments – 17 more than last year.
A prime Buckhead site has changed ownership.
The property that houses the flagship Atlanta showroom of Restoration Hardware at 3030 Peachtree Road has been sold to 3030 Grey Partners LLC.
The former owners were real estate investor Peter Blum and the late Atlanta business icon J. Mack Robinson, who had jointly owned the property since 1995.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on July 7, 2017
Citizens Trust Bank closed two of its branches on June 30 including the one at its historic Piedmont Avenue building and its branch in Lithonia.
But Cynthia Day, Citizens Trust’s CEO, said the moves represent a transition in the banking industry rather than any financial issues with the bank — which is the largest African-American owned bank in the Southeast as well as the fifth largest in the country.
MARTA and the City of Atlanta are teaming up to provide the elusive “last mile” for people seeking alternative ways to get around.
MARTA and the city’s Relay bike sharing program launched their partnership on July 14 with an actual bike relay from the Colony Square bike station to MARTA’s Arts Center Station. MARTA and city employees “competed” in an effort to “win” the relay.
