Category: Sections

By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 11, 2011

United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta will announce March 11 that it has met its annual campaign goal for the first time since the 2007 campaign — albeit by a slim margin.

The 2010 goal had been set at $80.2 million, and United Way leaders will announce that it raised $24,500 over their goal.

The campaign was led by John Somerhalder, CEO of AGL Resources Inc., who had agreed to lead the campaign two years in a row.

“It took me two years to get it basically right,” Somerhalder said. “Every step along

By Douglas Sams and Maria Spaorta
Monday, March 14, 2011

Cousins Properties Inc. has won the right to bid on a project that would turn a downtown Atlanta collection of parking lots and rail-lines known as the “Gulch” into a transit hub.

Cousins (NYSE: CUZ) beat out other local developers including Jacoby Development Inc. and H.J. Russell & Co.

The Georgia Department of Transportation, which has been looking for a master developer to build the terminal, selected Cousins on Monday afternoon.

By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 11, 2011

It was Jan. 3, 2007. Frank Blake, a relatively unknown executive at The Home Depot Inc., had just been named CEO following the sudden departure of the controversial Bob Nardelli.

Blake’s appointment caught many by surprise. Although he had been promoted to Home Depot’s vice chairman several months before, Blake had little retail experience and had never run a major public company.

Even Blake was caught off guard. When board members told him he had the job

By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 4, 2011

The National Center for Civil & Human Rights is closer to being realized.
On March 7, the center will hold three different events where it will provide an update to community stakeholders about the project’s funding, programming and the current status.

Most significantly, center officials are expected to announce they plan to break ground on the center this fall, which means that the new attraction would open in 2013.

Center leaders have said they would not break ground until they had raised at least 80 percent of the project’s construction costs. As of October, the center had raised $71 million out of the $85 million needed. It had just received a $1 million gift from Delta Air Lines Inc.

By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 4, 2011

Two of Atlanta’s most veteran technology investors, John Imlay and Sig Mosley, are passing the torch.

Melanie Bialko Leeth, who has been working with Imlay and Mosley for nearly 20 years, will be taking on greater responsibility in managing both Imlay Investments and the endowment of the Imlay Foundation.

Imlay will turn 75 in August, and Mosley will turn 65 in September. A year ago, the duo announced they would stop investing in new technology startups. But the investors are as busy as ever. Imlay Investments still has a portfolio of 37 companies, which it continues to nurture.

In a March 1 interview, Imlay described Leeth as “the heir apparent” to overseeing the investments for Imlay’s business and foundation interests.

By Maria Saporta
Monday, March 7, 2011

The National Center for Civil & Human Rights on Monday got a $1 million boost from The Arthur Blank Family Foundation and unveiled revised plans for a more affordable and efficient building.

The center now has raised $73 million to date. It still needs $12 million before breaking ground, which is set for October.

Center leaders have said they would not break ground until they had raised at least 80 percent of the project’s construction costs. Opening is planned for 2013.

By Maria Saporta
Friday, February 25, 2011

With several metro Atlanta public school systems seeking new superintendents, community leaders sought answers from national education experts during a panel discussion hosted by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation on Feb. 21.

Several questions were asked. Should a board be elected or appointed? Should a superintendent be an education professional or a nontraditional executive? Should a local school system be under the mayor’s control, should it be under the governor’s control or should it be independent?

By Maria Saporta
Friday, February 25, 2011

Waste Management Inc. is increasing its presence in metro Atlanta.

After considering several locations in the Carolinas and Georgia, the Houston-based company (NYSE: WM) selected Cobb County’s One Parkway Center to house its South Atlantic Area’s newly consolidated area office and call center.

The 20,000-square-foot facility is being called the Grand Central Station for Waste Management’s customer service and operations business in the three-state South Atlantic area.

By Maria Saporta
Friday, February 18, 2011

A public-private partnership wants metro companies to put Atlantans back to work.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced the new metrowide initiative — Hire One Atlanta — aimed at challenging employers to hire at least one new employee this year.

In return, Atlanta Business Chronicle will spotlight all companies that have hired a new employee in a special ad that will run every week in its publication throughout the year.

“Hire One Atlanta is a campaign

By Maria Saporta
Friday, February 18, 2011

The fate of the historic Crum & Forster building at 771 Spring St. in Midtown is looking a bit brighter.

The Georgia Tech Foundation, which has been unsuccessful in getting a demolition permit for the 1928 building, has just gained ownership of the SunTrust Banks Inc. branch on the same block.

“Now that we have obtained the SunTrust property, we are in the process of pursuing a mutually agreeable resolution to the future of the Crum & Forster building,” said John Carter, president of the Georgia Tech Foundation.

By Maria Saporta
Friday, February 18, 2011

Building a new open-air stadium for the Atlanta Falcons on Georgia World Congress Center land is a feasible solution, according to a consultant’s report to be released Feb. 22.

The study by Kansas City, Mo.-based Populous will focus on the GWCC’s truck marshalling yard along Northside Drive and Simpson Street, just north of the convention center, according to several people familiar with the report.

GWCC officials said they could not discuss details of the report until it is presented to its board at its Feb. 22 meeting. “It is not appropriate for me to comment until the report has been presented to the board,”