Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s cabinet may characterize it as a fairly “innocuous” proposal, but the administration’s effort to create Atlanta’s first mandatory sustainability program for commercial buildings has sparked a fairly lively debate.
Tag: Development
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Atlanta’s leading commercial real estate players blindsided by Mayor Reed’s sustainability plan
Major real estate interests in Atlanta, including Cousins Properties, Inc. and the Atlanta Hotel Council, said Tuesday they were blindsided by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s proposed water and energy sustainability program.
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Georgia Tech awards Mike Dobbins for his students’ work with Atlanta’s blighted communities
Mike Dobbins is the first non-scientist to win Georgia Tech’s Innovation and Excellence in Laboratory Instruction Award, which recognizes his work with the CityLabs program in the School of City and Regional Planning.
Dobbins is best known these days for the reports and proposals his students have produced on sweeping urban redevelopments. Recent topics include Memorial Drive; Fort McPherson; West End; and Northside Drive (which influenced the debate over Atlanta’s provision of $200 million in bonds to build the Falcons stadium).
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Potential Atlanta mayoral candidates discuss design, development issues with AIA
For more than two hours Thursday evening, four potential candidates for Atlanta mayor in 2017 discussed the city’s design and development issues in a panel discussion hosted by Atlanta’s chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
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Mayor Reed’s legacy list grows as Wall Street approves city’s course
Following voter approval of Tuesday’s $250 million bond referendum, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed can add the improvement of Atlanta’s roads, bridges, sidewalks, and public facilities to his lengthening legacy list.
As Reed begins his sixth year as mayor, legacies of his tenure include:
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Third graders to plant trees as Atlanta’s proposed tree ordinance revision remains mired in politics
In a simple gesture of respect for the environment, third-grade pupils at Milford Elementary School in Cobb County are to plant 41 trees Friday.
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GSU’s top economist predicts Fed to raise interest rates in autumn
Georgia State University chief economist Rajeev Dhawan predicted today the Federal Reserve will wait until autumn to begin raising interest rates, and even then will do so gingerly.
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Atlantic Station deal shows need to monitor urban renewal projects
Two funding issues related to the development of Atlantic Station illustrate the ongoing oversight needed to manage the type of big urban renewal projects so popular in Atlanta.
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Homebuilders say market flat; wages forecast to rise 2-3 percent: Latest report from Federal Reserve
Two sectors of the economy of special importance in metro Atlanta present a mixed bag of indicators in the Federal Reserve’s latest “beige book.” The picture becomes even murkier once the state’s unemployment rate is counted.
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Atlanta creates $1 million tax break for new tech firms, joins tech-based health campaign
Atlanta’s efforts to promote the technology industry now include a $1 million tax exemption for new and emerging businesses and an innovation campaign sponsored by the National League of Cities.
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Dredging company wins contract for Savannah, vows to protect environment, marine habitat
After 16 years of planning and debate over the deepening of the Savannah Harbor, the federal government announced Wednesday it has hired a company to begin the first phase of dredging.
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Riverkeeper opposes proposed fuel pipeline along Savannah River basin, coast enroute to Jacksonville
The Savannah Riverkeeper is sounding the alarm over a proposed 360-mile pipeline for refined petroleum and ethanol that’s to be built from South Carolina to Savannah and across coastal Georgia to Jacksonville, Fla. The first of five public meetings is set for Wednesday in Savannah.
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Housing crisis: Attention refocuses on aiding families, neighborhoods
Nearly six years after the official end of the Great Recession, a lot of work remains to be done in metro Atlanta to help families recover what for many is their greatest source of wealth – home values.
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Fort McPherson wins ARC grant to update area master plan as Tyler Perry studio deal unfolds
As Tyler Perry prepares to purchase most of Fort McPherson, the Atlanta Regional Commission on Wednesday provided a $60,000 grant to update a 2004 master plan for the surrounding area.
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Atlanta Streetcar could expose city to liability for damage to underground utilities
The Atlanta Streetcar could make the city liable for tens of millions of dollars for repairs stemming from stray electricity used to power the system, city officials said Tuesday.
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Atlanta quiet on contract to oversee $1 billion in planned construction
A major contract to manage more than $1 billion in planned construction at Atlanta’s airport is on schedule, though an airport official won’t discuss even the schedule.
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New GDOT board member serving north metro Atlanta supports transit
Former House Speaker Mark Burkhalter took the oath of office Thursday to represent the 6th congressional district on the board that oversees the Georgia Department of Transportation.
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Atlanta’s new housing strategy renews focus on homes affordable to low- and mid-income workers
Atlanta has created a five-year housing strategy that aims to spur $100 million in new residential investments and raise the city’s population by 42,000 residents.
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Legislature: Transit funding to be protected despite issues with Georgia Constitution
The author of the proposed $1 billion statewide transportation legislation said Thursday he is committed to ensure that the bill will fund transit, despite issues with the Georgia Constitution.
“In the bill, we talk about dedicating money toward transit,” said House Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla). “We realize that you can’t dedicate [funding to transit] without a constitutional amendment…. Unfortunately, within the bill, I can’t put something in for the budget.”
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Good news on Atlanta’s water debt may raise support for bond referendum
Atlanta’s upcoming $250 million bond referendum could get a political lift from positive credit rating actions on the city’s water bonds.
Moody’s Investors Service assigned a top investment grade rating to $1.25 billion in water bonds the city intends to sell Feb. 24. Atlanta will use the money to refinance existing debt at a lower cost.
