As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on December 13, 2019
One of the most influential business groups in town – the Atlanta Committee for Progress – reflects the changing face of leadership in town.
Tag: Central Atlanta Progress
Posted inThought Leadership
View from Downtown: The Polls are Open!
By Amir Farokhi, Atlanta City Council, District 2 In the months to come, the view from Peachtree, Marietta, Edgewood, and many other Downtown streets will change. Exactly how it will change is up to you. That’s because this Monday we opened voting for the City’s first-ever participatory budgeting process: “Downtown Decides!” Over a year ago, […]
Posted inThought Leadership
View from Peachtree: Doubling down on the crises our community faces
By A.J. Robinson, CAP/ADID President In the wake of this unprecedented pandemic, Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District have been focusing on four major courses of action: 1) disseminating information, 2) sharing advice, 3) assisting safety net organizations, and 4) connecting people. Each day we are fielding questions, bridging the gaps between […]
Posted inThought Leadership
Atlanta Hawks Uniform Honors Iconic Peachtree Street
By Steve Koonin, CEO of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena Almost three years ago, the NBA announced a league-wide apparel deal with Nike, giving the brand the right to supply each team with official uniforms and gear emblazoned with the Swoosh. While so much of the initial press was focused on the impact […]
Posted inThought Leader
Woodruff Park Enhances Peachtree Street’s Vibrancy
By A.J. Robinson, President, Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Amidst bustling office towers, hotels, and retail establishments, public parks and greenspaces along Peachtree Street offer welcomed opportunities for respite and recreation. In Downtown, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) has focused on enhancing Woodruff Park, located at the intersection of Peachtree […]
Posted inColumns
‘The Stitch’ seeks to bridge the divide created by the Downtown Connector
Ever since the Atlanta region began carving the city apart with highways in the 1950s and 1960s, civic leaders have explored ways to reconnect the disjointed areas by bridging over our interstates.In 1981, the late Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson was about to end his second term in office. President Jimmy Carter, who had just lost re-election, was looking for the right place to build his presidential library.
Posted inATL Business Chronicle
Column: Georgia Bio names ‘ambassador for life sciences’ its new CEO
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Feb. 8, 2019
As Georgia Bio celebrates its 30th anniversary at its gala on Feb. 8, the organization also now has a new CEO – Maria Thacker-Goethe.
Posted inUncategorized
The Urban Land Institute to Advise Central Atlanta Progress on Planning and Development of the “Stitch,” a Proposal for Vibrant Park Space Along I-75 and I-85 Connector
Nationally Renowned Panel of Land Use and Urban Planning Experts to Visit Atlanta February 24 – March 1 A group of nationally renowned land use, urban design and real estate experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI) will be visiting Atlanta February 24-March 1 to provide strategic advice on the funding, planning and development of […]
Posted inHistoric Westside, http://leadership.saportareport.com/historic-westside/, Thought Leader, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized
When communities like Downtown and the Westside thrive, Atlanta thrives.
Intro by John Ahmann Thanks to AJ Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP), for this week’s column. Founded in 1941, CAP is a member-based not-for-profit advocating on behalf of a vibrant Downtown Atlanta. As the leader of CAP, AJ has been a long-time advocate of greater connectivity between Downtown economic vibrancy and the historic […]
Posted inSouthface, Sustainable Communities, Thought Leader, Uncategorized
Building a Sustainable City
by Pamela Henman, Southface Bright lights and soaring towers make up Atlanta’s iconic skyline, but also represent an opportunity to tackle one of the planet’s most pressing issues: energy and water consumption. According to the Department of Energy, about 20 percent of the energy used in the U.S. goes to power commercial buildings, and the […]
Posted inSonam Vashi
Task force lays out affordability proposal at housing forum
HouseATL presents its affordable housing proposal to the public—including creating or preserving 20,000 units over the next decade.
Posted inUncategorized
How HouseATL Aims to Help Shape Atlanta’s Housing Future
From the diminishing supply of affordable units, to funding mechanisms for development and preservation, to issues of gentrification and displacement – housing affordability continues to be a central issue to achieving equity in metro Atlanta. At our last housing forum, we learned about taskforce efforts throughout the region – with a specific focus on Brookhaven, […]
Posted inLatest News
Margaritaville, hotel development slated to demolish two historic buildings
Two historic buildings will be demolished if the proposed development of a 21-story hotel and Margaritaville resort and restaurant overlooking Centennial Olympic Park is approved.
The Downtown Development Review Committee met Thursday morning at the offices of Central Atlanta Progress where architects described why the developer is seeking six zoning variances for the proposed design.
Posted inDavid Pendered
Atlanta Streetcar route on track to receive new wayfinding signs
Historic sites along a portion of the Atlanta Streetcar’s route will be better marked if the plan to install wayfinding signs wins expected approval from Atlanta’s Urban Design Commission.
The UDC is slated to consider the application to install the signs at its Sept. 24 meeting. The proposal calls for new signs to be installed at a series of addresses along Auburn Avenue.
The start date for the streetcar’s operation has not been finalized. Mayor Kasim Reed has said he expects the system to begin before Dec. 31. The system still is being tested and evaluated by the appropriate governmental entities.
Posted inDavid Pendered
Beautification of Peachtree Street bridges the first step in vision for adorning Downtown Connector
A long-awaited effort to create iconic bridges across Atlanta’s Downtown Connector is culminating this summer and a final design is due before the year’s end.
The first two projects involve Peachtree Street, Atlanta’s signature boulevard. The working draft for the enhancements is evocative of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a world famous bridge that’s located in the host city of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games that came right after the Atlanta games.
If all goes as planned, the Peachtree Street bridges will be completed in March 2015. About that time, planning is to begin for three other bridge projects. The $5.35 million in construction funding for the Peachtree Street bridges is coming from a combination of business, state, and philanthropic sources, according to a recent presentation to the board of the state Department of Transportation.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 2
Alicia Philipp’s Moment demonstrated how a mentor helps many others stand up – literally
By Chris Schroder
Alicia Philipp, president of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, had her Moment 16 years ago when she spontaneously asked a question to a crowd of people and was surprised when nearly all of them stood up. That Moment taught her a lot about the value of mentorship and the special nature of her own mentor, Dan Sweat.
“I asked everybody in the audience who had been mentored by Dan to stand – not really knowing what the response would be,” she said.
Posted inDavid Pendered
Auburn Avenue gets state incentive to spur businesses along streetcar route
The effort to spur businesses that could be served by the future Atlanta Streetcar along Auburn Avenue got a lift Tuesday in the form of a state program that provides tax credits for new jobs.
A section of Auburn Avenue now is an Opportunity Zone. The designation will provide a tax credit of $3,500 for one new job to companies that create two net jobs. The tax credit lasts five years, according to the state Department of Community Affairs, which approved the new zone.
The designation is particularly important, coming as it does amidst a whirlwind of activity – both planned and halted – along the street that once was the center of black commerce in the south.
Posted inLatest News
Atlanta attorney Bill Moseley to become chief of staff of Jacksonville Transportation Authority
By Maria Saporta
A former Atlanta transit duo is now in Jacksonville, Fla.
Nat Ford, a former general manager of MARTA, was named CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority last year.
On Tuesday, Ford named Atlanta attorney Bill Moseley as JTA’s chief of staff. Moseley served chairman of the MARTA board for several years. As attorney, Moseley’s practice has focused on areas of litigation, governmental affairs, and corporate and business law.
