Category: Sections

By Maria Saporta

Washington, D.C. — The nation’s capital is enjoying a burst of population growth, Mayor Vincent Gray told the metro Atlanta LINK delegation Wednesday evening.

Gray welcomed Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and about 100 other civic leaders at dinner held at the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

After losing population for several decades, Washington, D.C. added 30,000 residents between 2000 and 2010.

By Maria Saporta

Baltimore — A 100 civic leaders from Atlanta, on the 16th annual LINK trip, arrived in the largest city in Maryland Wednesday witnessing a city that has strategically sought to be an economic leader in bio-science and cyber security.

Although Baltimore can be overshadowed by the Washington, D.C. metro area, the city also recognizes that its economic strength can be attributed in great part to the ample presence of federal dollars in the community.

By Maria Saporta

Few people realized how many institutions of higher learning were clustered in metro Atlanta until Mike Gerber came to town 14 years ago.

Gerber, who has been serving as president of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE) since 1998, announced via email that he is resigning his position effective June 30.

By Maria Saporta

Proponents of transit in metro Atlanta will be kicking off the Fast Track Forward Initiative to inform voters on what is at stake when they go to the polls on July 31.

The Livable Communities Coalition of the Metro Atlanta will be holding a kick-off event on Wednesday April 25 at the restaurant, Shout, at Colony Square from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Doug Hooker, executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, will be the keynote speaker.

Several efforts are underway to publicize and promote the one percent regional transportation sales tax referendum in July.

By Maria Saporta

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is disappointed that MARTA did not get the legislative assistance it needs during the 2012 General Assembly.

But he is not giving up by any means that the situation can be resolved in 2013.

MARTA had sought to permanently remove a state restriction that requires that half of its sales tax revenues go to operations and half goes to capital investments. The state had waived the 50/50 rule for three years, but that time frame runs out on June 30, 2013.

By Maria Saporta

It’s a first for the Alliance Francaise d’Atlanta.

For the first time since the school was founded by my mother, Nora Saporta, in 1963, the Alliance now has a suburban location.

A week ago, the Alliance held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new satellite location at 735 Jones Dr. in downtown Roswell — a charming, stand-alone location where classes will begin on April 16. People will be able to take Beginner or Intermediate French classes as well as classes in Grammar or Conversation.

By Maria Saporta

The City of Atlanta now aims to be a “top tier” sustainable city rather than a “top 10” sustainable city, according to Denise Quarles, the new director of sustainability.

After three months working at the city, Quarles addressed several environmental organizations Wednesday at a luncheon at Hyatt Regency Atlanta

During her talk, Quarles said the city is “refreshing” it strategic sustainability plan. And that should be unveiled in the fall.

By Maria Saporta

Developer and urbanist Chris Leinberger delivered a “wake-up call” Monday at the Rotary Club of Atlanta — “Hot-lanta is no longer hot.”

Leinberger has been coming to Atlanta an average of once a month for the past 30 years, and he’s seen the metro area blossom during the boom times. And now he’s witnessing an Atlanta that is losing ground to such “left wing cities” as Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake City, Denver and Charlotte.

He remembers the developers of the past generation — from Blaine Kelley, Ron Terwilliger, John Williams, John Wieland and Tom Cousins.

By Maria Saporta

The MARTA board is exploring all options to meet a potential shortfall in operating dollars in 2013 as a result of the state legislature not acting to remove the 50-50 restriction in how the agency spends its sales tax revenue.

When MARTA was created, there was a stipulation that 50 percent of its budget go towards capital spending and 50 percent towards operating. Since MARTA has been unable to expand the system, it has sought the flexibility to spend more of the tax revenue on operating expenses.

By Maria Saporta

It gets so bloody depressing.

Once again, MARTA has gotten screwed. This time, it was at the hands of the State Rep. Mike Jacobs, State Rep. Steve Davis and other misguided colleagues who have lost sight of what being a legislator is all about — to act in the best interests of the state.

In the closing minutes of the 2012 legislative session, political motives and missteps failed to remove the noose around MARTA’s neck that forces the transit agency to spend 50 percent of the sales tax it collects on capital improvements and 50 percent on operations.

By Maria Saporta and David Pendered

What an amazing turnaround.

Just hours after the Atlanta Urban Design Commission unanimously voted to deny a demolition permit for the historic Atlanta Daily World newspaper building on Auburn Avenue, the developer and building owner said they are dropping their plans to demolish the building.

In a statement, Alexis Scott, publisher of the Atlanta Daily World; and Valerie Edwards, executive vice president of the Integral Group, said they would not appeal the decision of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission.