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By David Pendered

The state’s tollway authority is negotiating the planned relocation of Amtrak’s train station from Buckhead to Atlantic Station, the mini city on the western edge of Midtown.

The station’s proposed relocation was to be the first item discussed at a meeting convened today by Emory McClinton, a member of the state transportation board. The matter never came up.

“Gena [Evans] is negotiating it. That ‘s all I can say,” McClinton said after the meeting.

Evans is executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority. The agency is best known for collecting tollsa long Ga. 400.

By David Pendered

The state’s tollway authority is negotiating the planned relocation of Amtrak’s train station from Buckhead to Atlantic Station, the mini city on the western edge of Midtown.

The station’s proposed relocation was to be the first item discussed at a meeting convened today by state Transportation Commissioner Emory McClinton. The matter never came up.

“Gena [Evans] is negotiating it. That’s all I can say,” McClinton said after the meeting.

Evans is executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority. The agency is best known for collecting tolls along Ga 400.

Anyone who wanted to discuss Atlanta’s proposed comprehensive development plan at a meeting in a church Tuesday evening in Southwest Atlanta left gravely disappointed.

The crowd of more than 60 who crowded into a meeting hall at St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church wanted to talk about issues that nag them over the kitchen table every day.

Where’s the city’s plan to attract industrial jobs? Why does Atlanta plan to use property taxes to induce development when existing building have such high vacancy rates? Who’s looking after folks at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure?

Don’t even talk about redeveloping Fort McPherson once the military vacates Sept. 15. Some of its neighbors think the city’s already cut a secret deal with developers

By David Pendered

Metro Atlanta’s business recruiters intend to make a strong pitch to the international biotech community at a conference that begins today in Washington, D.C.

When the recruiters open shop, they will be swimming in the deep end of the biotech pool.

More than 1,700 companies are expected to be represented at the BIO International Convention, which runs through June 30. The event bills itself as “the world’s largest gathering of thought leaders and decision makers in biotechnology.”

By David Pendered

Four metro Atlanta politicians who are to lead the process of deciding which transportation projects to fund with a proposed penny sales tax have passed the first part of the task to regional planners.

The four elected officials voted Thursday to have the Atlanta Regional Commission cull their $23 billion wish list. The vote came soon after the top Transportation Department official working on the project admonished the elected officials to get to work.

“I recommend you pull your sleeves up and get working,” said Todd Long, GDOT’s planning director. “It’s coming quick. You’ve got to cull that list down.”

In short order, the Executive Committee of the Atlanta Regional Roundtable voted 4-0 to have the ARC take a first pass at the wish list. The ARC is charged with cutting the wish list of transportation projects in half – from $23 billion to $11.5 billion – by July 7.

By David Pendered

Four metro Atlanta politicians who are to lead the process of deciding which transportation projects to fund with a proposed penny sales tax today passed the first part of the task to regional planners.

The Atlanta Regional Commission was charged with cutting the wish list of transportation projects in half – from $23 billion to $11.5 billion.

The Executive Committee of the Atlanta Regional Roundtable voted 4-0 to have the ARC take a first pass at the wish list.

By David Pendered

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed welcomed the city’s new chief of economic development on Wednesday and suggested that the Atlanta Development Authority move to the building that once housed The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

ADA President and CEO Brian McGowan attended his first ADA meeting since taking office about two weeks ago.

McGowan, who is fresh from service with President Obama’s administration, outlined his vision for furthering the city’s growth. He spoke after Reed’s comments about relocating the ADA.

Reed, who chairs the ADA board, said the ADA should consider moving to the former AJC building. The AJC donated the site to the city and it now is being converted for reuse by various city entities. About 150 city workers are now assigned there, Reed said.

By David Pendered

The state authority overseeing the conversion of Fort McPherson to civilian use doesn’t have enough money to pay its bills.

The authority expects to end its fiscal year this month owing a total of $145,207. The authority expects to end the year with a cash reserve of just under $25,000.

The shortfall represents about 9 percent of the authority’s $1.3 million budget. The figures are outlined in a budget report released Tuesday at a meeting of the Fort McPherson Local Implementing Redevelopment Authority.

“Everybody’s supportive, but money is scarce,” said Jack Sprott, the authority’s executive director.