For 20 years, leaders from the Atlanta region have been visiting other North American cities to get ideas on how best to address our metro area’s toughest challenges. The group of 110 leaders just returned from Dallas – and here’s what some of them learned.
Tag: Commentary
Posted inMaria Saporta, WABE
Commentary: Ted Turner is a cornerstone of UN philanthropy
When Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner gave $1 billion in 1997 to establish the U.N. Foundation, it broke the mold of major philanthropic contributions.
Nearly 20 years later – Turner received the Global Philanthropist Award from UNICEF’s Southeast region at its Children First event on March 30.
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Commentary: Rescuing Grady Hospital a life-saving choice
Ten years ago, Atlanta’s Grady Hospital was facing insolvency. A group of business and civic leaders stepped in, raising hundreds of millions of dollars, to transform the aging hospital into providing best-in-class healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured.
Posted inMaria Saporta, WABE
Commentary: Citizens Trust moving, but continuing mission
Original Story on WABE by Maria Saporta Citizens Trust has been a fixture on Auburn Avenue for decades, but it will soon call Peachtree Street home. The bank was known for lending money to African-Americans who couldn’t borrow money from white-owned banks. And in the 1960s Auburn Avenue was called “the richest Negro street in […]
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Commentary: Amusement rides good for Downtown Atlanta
Original Story on WABE Who says the thrill is gone? If the owners of the SkyView Ferris wheel in downtown Atlanta have their way, the thrill is just beginning. The owners plan to open a few new rides by next June, pending state and local approval. The three new rides would offer people a variety of experiences. […]
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Commentary: Underground Atlanta sale is a deal city can’t miss
Developer T. Scott Smith is willing to invest up to $400 million to revitalize Underground Atlanta and its surrounding area.
And he is anxious to take ownership of the property. Right now his company is managing the Underground retail center for the city but receiving no fees for the work. That’s only one reason he wants the deal to close.
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Atlantans fight to restore Gaines Hall after fire
Gaines Hall, built in 1869 as a dorm for Atlanta University, caught fire on Aug. 20. The next day, the Atlanta Fire Department said the historic building should be torn down for safety reasons. But local preservationists immediately objected, saying Gaines Hall can and should be saved.
Atlanta has a pretty dismal record when it comes to preservation.
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Fate of Atlanta Hawks still unclear with new team ownership
Original Story on WABE By MARIA SAPORTA Play Audio The new principal owner of the Atlanta Hawks, Tony Ressler, closed the deal on the city’s professional basketball team on June 24. At his first press conference, 24 hours later, the Los Angeles businessman said the team would now speak with one voice … a marked contrast to […]
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Fortune 500 has no female CEO from Georgia – yet
By Maria Saporta Original Story on WABE Play Audio Few people have even heard of the company Veritiv. But by next year, it will become one of Atlanta’s best-known companies. That’s because it will have the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company based in Georgia. When the company eventually is included on the […]
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NCR’s virtual shareholders meeting has real-world implications
Original Story by Maria Saporta on WABE Play Audio When NCR ─ a Fortune 500 company based in Gwinnett County ─ held its annual meeting last Wednesday, the only way one could participate was online. It’s the first time in Georgia’s history a major public company held a virtual annual meeting. So NCR shareholders were […]
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Delta Air Lines gets no love from 2015 Georgia Legislature
Original Story by Maria Saporta on WABE Play Audio Delta Air Lines employs 33,000 people in Georgia ─ more than any other company in the state. But that didn’t stop state lawmakers from punishing Delta’s outspoken CEO. The legislature voted to reinstate a jet fuel tax on Delta. Why? To teach CEO Richard Anderson a […]
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Commentary: Free Atlanta Streetcar rides make economic sense
The Atlanta Streetcar. People instantly have an opinion ─ regardless of the facts.
Some call it a boondoggle. Others say it doesn’t go where they want to go. Inevitably the conversation will go to the $92 million cost to build the 2.7-mile loop that connects Centennial Olympic Park with the King Center through the heart of downtown Atlanta.
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Chick-fil-A CEO draws attention to zip code 30314
All Things Considered Host, Amy Kiley, in a conversation with Maria Saporta & Dan Cathy >> Original Story The new Atlanta Falcons stadium has a lot of people keeping an eye on the intersection of Northside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. But, a local businessman and philanthropist wants people to shift their focus […]
