Articles by Maria Saporta
For years, the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Public Schools have been at an impasse over how much money the city owes the school system in payments over the Atlanta BeltLine.
But leaders on both sides are encouraged by recent negotiations, and they believe they could finalize an agreement in the near future.
Three words dominated Thursday’s annual meeting of the Metro Atlanta Chamber – inclusive, innovation and transit.
Those words were repeated by outgoing Chairman Larry Gellerstedt III, CEO of Cousins Properties; incoming Chairman Jenner Woods, corporate executive vice president of SunTrust Bank; and MAC President Hala Moddelmog.
Two of Atlanta’s signature design firms are joining forces.
The Cooper Carry architectural firm is forming a partnership with the Johnson Studio, a leader in restaurant design, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
The integrated practice will enhance both firm’s ability to serve the design needs of the hospitality industry.
Although the City of Atlanta has an agreement to sell the 19-acre Civic Center property to Houston-based Weingarten Realty Investors, the plans for the project are subject to change.
In a brief interview, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed made it clear he still hopes the project will evolve beyond the current plans.
“That story is not over yet,” Reed said.
Another major corporate partner has joined the effort to help revitalize Atlanta’s westside neighborhoods.
Dentons, the world’s largest law firm that acquired Atlanta-based McKenna Long Aldridge, has announced that it will provide up to $375,000 in legal and public policy council over the next three years.
The Sixth Annual Turkey Giveaway on Wednesday was a family affair for Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
Reed was joined by his wife – Sarah-Elizabeth Reed, and their daughter – Maria Kristan Reed, who is now 17 months old.
But the real star of the day was rapper and actor – T.I., who has been participating in a City of Atlanta Turkey Giveaway for many years.
Olga Casteleiro de Goizueta – one of the grandest ladies in Atlanta – passed away Nov. 16.
Fortunately for Atlanta, the legacy of Mrs. Goizueta and her late husband – former Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Co. Roberto Goizueta – will live on through their family foundation and their children.
Mrs. Goizueta relished her privacy, but once in awhile she would open up with me – show her intelligence, grace and humor.
The president of the Human Rights Campaign – Chad Griffin – came to Atlanta Wednesday to highlight U.S. companies with the best records of inclusion for the LGBT community.
In Georgia, 13 companies reached a perfect score of 100 in the 2016 Corporate Equality Index assessing inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. There were only 11 Georgia companies with a perfect score a year ago.
It appears that General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) will not be moving its corporate headquarters to Georgia.
The company, which ranks No. 8 on the Fortune 500 list, apparently will stay in the Northeast – either in its current home of Fairfield, Conn., or two other Northeast contenders – the greater New York City area or Boston.
Atlanta United Football Club – our soon-to-be professional Major League Soccer team – sent out an email Wednesday evening declaring that it will build its training complex in Marietta.
Just last Friday, Atlanta United announced that it had reached a mutual agreement with DeKalb County to not build on property near I-285 and Memorial Drive.
Jackie Parker, who used to lead Newell Rubbermaid’s philanthropic and diversity programs, has been named director of Global Philanthropy and Corporate Giving for General Motors.
Parker, 51, worked for Newell Rubbermaid from 2006 to 2013, and in her latest post, she served as president of the now defunct Newell Rubbermaid Foundation and as vice president of corporate philanthropy.
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Wednesday morning released its 2016 list of the state’s “Ten Places in Peril” – hoping they will be saved like the Hancock County Courthouse in Sparta rather than be demolished like Glenridge Hall in Sandy Springs.
Mobility Live! recently held its third annual conference in Atlanta.
And our city has another claim to fame. It’s a hub of mobile communications, one of the fastest growing technology sectors.
The Atlanta United soccer team will not be building its training complex and headquarters in DeKalb County after all.
Rich McKay, president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons, said Friday afternoon that now the team is turning its focus on a 32-acre site in Marietta along Franklin Road.
Readers: Buckhead CID executive director Jim Durrett just sent me an email which he titled:
“Peachtree Road – The Facts, and Nothing But the Facts”
I thought the points he made were so important that I needed to post it right away.
Thank you for reading and for being engaged in our community.
Maria Saporta
By Maria Saporta In an attempt to improve our city’s urban design, AIA Atlanta sponsored a national design competition for a new pavilion that could be built along the Westside BeltLine Trail at Adair Park. The winning design was from Tim Bragan, Sylvan Miles and Harry Ross of Washington, D.C. – receiving $10,000 for their […]
As Atlanta and Georgia leaders seek to convince General Electric to move its corporate headquarters here, they can learn a lesson from Texas.
One issue near and dear to GE’s heart these days is the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank – a government entity that finances and insures foreign purchases of U.S. goods for customers unable or unwilling to accept credit risk.
John Stephenson Jr., the founding CEO of the College Football Hall of Fame, is leaving his post to become director of strategic partnerships and special projects for Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Stephensen has been involved with the College Football Hall of Fame since its inception, first serving as its legal counsel and then as its president and CEO.
When introducing her boss at Monday’s Rotary Club of Atlanta, the Home Depot’s Kelly Barrett admitted that she was a little worried when Craig Menear became CEO following Frank Blake in November 2014.
“Craig had tremendous shoes to fill as our beloved CEO retired,” said Barrett, who is vice president of internal audit and corporate compliance for the company. “The stock was trading at an all-time high.”
But Barrett went on to say that Menear has not missed a beat. “Our stock is trading at an all-time high,” she said.
The historic Big Bethel AME Church on Auburn Avenue is launching a $120 million redevelopment project in partnership with the Benoit Group and Russell New Urban – two Atlanta-based firms.
The project – to be built in four phases over four years – will include the rehabilitation of Bethel Towers, the building of a parking deck with up to 850 spaces, the development of a mixed-use 1,000-bed student housing complex with 30,000 square feet of retail, and the refurbishment of the church’s administrative offices along Auburn Avenue.
