In the race to acquire land for greenspace before the land is otherwise developed, Atlanta and Sandy Springs are pursuing projects with plans to pay for them with impact fees that are more than 10 times higher in Sandy Springs than in Atlanta.
Tag: Development
Posted inLatest News
DeKalb County studies effects of dollar stores; extends moratorium on new shops
DeKalb County is taking steps to join Atlanta in restricting the location of small-box discount stores, such as Dollar Tree, that sell everyday items and food – except for fresh fruit and vegetables.
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Sandy Springs’ feud over billboards illustrates challenges of urban redevelopment
Sandy Springs’ efforts to build a fire station, add sidewalks and relieve traffic congestion in a high-traffic area near the City Springs municipal complex illustrate the challenges of retooling urban spaces when private owners object to the plan.
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Peachtree Creek: ‘A gift waiting to be rediscovered again’
A new bridge across Peachtree Creek in Buckhead is the latest fruit of relations being woven by the South Fork Conservancy as it establishes an urban nature trail and park system that spans 25 acres.
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House where ‘Gone with the Wind’ was written to help develop a 47-story building
The house where Margaret Mitchell wrote most of Gone with the Wind is to enable a 47-story apartment building to be developed a few blocks north of the historic site in Midtown. Terms were not disclosed
Posted inColumns
Tax subsidies for development: An imprecise science tilted toward developer
By Guest Columnist DAVID L. SJOQUIST, professor of economics at Georgia State University
In 1936, Mississippi adopted what is claimed to be the first modern industrial tax incentive program, the objective being to lure northern manufacturing firms to Mississippi. Since then, tax incentive programs have mushroomed across the U.S. as local and state governments compete for development investment. This focus has expanded to include almost every larger development project.
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ARC’s mobility plan offers ‘glimmer of hope’ as residents struggle to move about
A glimmer of hope is one key component of the 30-year plan for spending $174 billion to improve mobility in metro Atlanta.
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Atlanta’s ‘Superstar’ status as high tech center brings spiraling housing costs, traffic: Brookings Institute
Atlanta has made the list of “Superstar Metro Areas” for the number of jobs in the innovation sector. Long commutes and sky-high housing costs come with that badge of honor, according to a report released Monday by the Brookings Institute that recommends a set of national policy solutions.
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Legal business hasn’t recovered: Hiring rates down, firms seek shorter office leases
The lawyering business isn’t hiring at the same rate it was before the Great Recession, and a pair of mixed reports released this week on metro Atlanta show that even though some local firms are hiring, the sector is taking a conservative position with office space.
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Atlanta issued $4.6 billion in building permits in 2017, uses 1993 rates to collect impact fees
Atlanta issued building permits for $4.6 billion of new construction investments in fiscal 2017 and charged the same rate for impact fees as in 1993 – money that’s used to improve mobility, parks and public safety. The mayor’s office says any potential revisions in fees won’t be ready until June 2021, not the February 2020 date sought by some on the Atlanta City Council.
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Park to park: Connecting Atlanta communities with a future-proof streetcar
By Guest Columnist HOWARD S. WERTHEIMER, executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Piedmont Park Conservancy.
A number of years ago, when I was leading the Office of Capital Planning and Space Management at Georgia Tech, at a time when the City of Atlanta was deep into the throngs about building a new streetcar system, many people questioned the merits of making such a significant financial investment into a transit modality with limited flexibility. … It was more than obvious to many thought leaders that we should not invest in 19th century technologies….
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South Fulton voters make bid to attract development by approving tax incentive
The lure of economic development prompted voters in the City of South Fulton to authorize the creation of special tax districts that could spur growth along corridors that once were vital industrial areas, such as Fulton Industrial Boulevard and Old National Highway – and possibly even along the Chattahoochee River.
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MARTA’s North Avenue Station project delayed so developers can mull complex site constraints
The competition for development rights at MARTA’s North Avenue Station is delayed by eight weeks to give companies time to digest additional technical information. Major companies have assembled at the table to review a premier live-work-play site in Midtown.
Posted inColumns
Georgia’s family farms: Preservation efforts recognized by governor’s award
There are those who preserve Georgia’s past in photo archives before it falls to decay or development. Then there’s Madison-Morgan Conservancy, which aims to protect the past by giving it an economic foundation for the present and future.
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Westside Park, surrounding communities at a critical juncture, deserve ‘complete’ leadership
By Guest Columnist NICK STEPHENS, an Atlanta writer and parks advocate
Earlier this year, over 15 years after it was first proposed, construction on the Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry finally began. The promise of the huge greenspace has been spurring private development nearby. As the area prepares to undergo dramatic rapid change, community activists have been raising concerns, with one major project recently arousing controversy.
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Next stop for Atlanta transit: Jobs
By Guest Columnist BETTY WILLIS, president of the Clifton Corridor Transportation Management Association
As far back as 1961, transportation planners at the predecessor of the Atlanta Regional Commission had the foresight to anticipate where MARTA rail lines would best serve the metro region’s transit needs, years before construction began in 1975 on the heavy rail system.
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No quick fix for affordable housing shortage, as evidenced by project in Oakland City
Atlanta isn’t likely to swiftly build its way out of the shortage of affordable housing. Case in point: The clock’s been ticking more than a year on one project near the Atlanta BeltLine that’s to be built by a non-profit developer on land that was donated. The first shovel could hit the ground late this year or in early 2020.
Posted inColumns
‘Suffocated’ by traffic: Buckhead residents seek solutions from ATL, ARC, GDOT, etc.
Just one number speaks to the reason traffic is again a major topic in Buckhead: The number of vehicles that every day drives along just one street lined with homes compares to almost the entire population of Decatur.
Posted inColumns
BeltLine Rail: Bait-and-Switch?
By Guest Columnist PATTY DURAND, co-chair of BeltLine Rail Now
You’d think if Atlanta leaders had a way to extend reliable rapid transit to dozens of neighborhoods, connecting them to existing MARTA rail at multiple points – and do it relatively cheaply – they’d jump at the chance.
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Topics
‘Good’ Gentrification
By King Williams I often get asked if there’s a scenario where gentrification can be good. I fully understand why someone would ask this question, but the answer is a resounding no. After a lengthy and ongoing conversation on both my Instagram and Twitter accounts, I was notified about a particular clip making rounds on […]
