Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. President and CEO Paul Morris on Wednesday gave his organization a “qualified” C and D grade on affordable housing so far.
Category: Latest News
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Trump’s infrastructure budget: MARTA concerned, road funding may escape woes
The headline on a new analysis of President Trump’s infrastructure agenda, issued by Moody’s Investors Service, seems to summarize the current state of affairs: “Trump’s executive order sheds little light on course of stimulus plan.”
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MARTA saves millions by paying off a debt incurred partly to fund bus rapid transit
MARTA expects to save a total of $41.6 million in future interest costs by refinancing $250 million in bonds that were sold in 2009. Part of the money was to have helped pay for a long-envisioned bus that would travel in a dedicated lane
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New housing board chair talks affordability in Atlanta
The new chair of the board that oversees Atlanta’s housing authority says wants to work with more partners in development, business and education to improve the city’s affordable housing stock.
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State Senate leader reboots transit hub talk
After years of fizzled discussions, the chair of the state Senate Transportation Committee said that he thinks conditions are getting ripe for metro Atlanta to get its own “Union Station.”
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Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration issues response to latest Maria’s Metro column
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
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Dead zone in Gulf of Mexico largest ever, as Georgia awaits ruling on water flow to Florida
The federal climate agency on Wednesday reported the annual dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest on record – about the size of New Jersey. The report comes as Georgia awaits a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court over the amount of water that flows from Georgia into Florida. Florida says the flow is insufficient to support the oyster habitat in the Apalachicola Bay.
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Westside’s At-Promise Youth Center seeks to be a game-changer
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.
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Invest Atlanta hits pause on Eastside TAD applications
For the time being, Atlanta’s development agency has stopped taking application for grants to subsidize and spur investment in the heart of the city.
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Deadline extended for $500,000 grant program to restore historic theaters
The Fox Theatre Institute has extended the application deadline for a grant program that is offering up to $500,000 in grants to restore historic theaters across Georgia.
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Moving, storing, insuring contents of Central Library during renovation a heavy lift
Moving a household is hard enough. Moving the contents of the Central Library, in Downtown Atlanta, to storage facilities during the library’s renovation takes the concept of a move to a whole other level. The process is just getting started.
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New Friendship Baptist Church opens its doors – looking forward, not backwards
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.
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Amtrak opens doors to bows, arrows after lobbying effort that included Rep. Woodall
In one of those, “who’d have thought” political efforts, Amtrak’s recent decision to allow archery equipment is being partly attributed to U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, a Republican who serves a district that stretches from Cumming to Loganville.
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Auditors ding Atlanta parks maintenance
In the sticky months when grass and weeds threaten to overwhelm Atlanta, city parks staffing gets stepped up. But a new report by city auditors suggests a substantial number of parks could use more work.
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Transit politics: MARTA vows commitment to SW ATL; mayoral candidate retorts
Either MARTA intends to expand transit service in Southwest Atlanta, or MARTA and Atlanta are collaborating to bury Southwest Atlanta in favor of building a rail line to Emory University and its gridlocked Clifton Road corridor. At Atlanta City Hall on Wednesday, MARTA talked about its commitment to Southwest, and mayoral candidate Vincent Fort raised the Clifton corridor issue.
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Atlanta BeltLine CEO Paul Morris could be on his way out
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.
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DeKalb family in court challenge to federal marijuana ban
In a new lawsuit, a group of medical marijuana entrepreneurs and advocates, including one from DeKalb, are telling a federal court that Congress’ ban on cannabis is seriously misguided.
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium will keep its roof closed until later in the fall
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.
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Proposal to use Atlanta’s surplus property for affordable housing hits snag at City Hall
The idea sounds simple enough – provide Atlanta’s surplus property for use as construction sites for housing that’s affordable for a schoolteacher. Pending legislation to do just that uncorked a wide-reaching debate Tuesday among members of the Atlanta City Council over the city’s past and present efforts to promote a range of housing prices in the city.
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Atlanta mayoral candidate questions possible transit spend at Emory
Some six weeks before Atlanta City Council is expected to vote on Emory University’s petition to join the city, a state lawmaker who’s running for mayor is raising questions about the equity of possible spending on a light rail line in the would-be part of Atlanta.
