City of Atlanta CDP

Current Conditions

Assessment of Economic Base

Prior to the 2000 Census  (from 1940 through 1990) the industrial classification had been based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual. The industry classification system used during Census 2000 was developed from the 1997 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) published by the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President. NAICS is an industry description system that groups establishments into industries based on the activities in which they are primarily engaged. This new classification system consists of 265 categories for employed people, classified into 14 major industry groups (see Table 6.1 ‘Employment by Major Industry Sector, City of Atlanta, 2000 (NAICS)’ and Table 6.2 ‘Employment by Major Industry Sector, City of Atlanta, 2000 (SIC)’). Because of this change, industry information from the 2000 Census cannot be compared directly to industry information from previous Censuses.

Data on the earnings generated by each sector is available over time on the county level but not for the City, thus Fulton County data is used to represent the City. Between 1990 and 2000, jobs located in Fulton County produced earnings that increased by 38 percent (see Table 6.4 ‘Earnings by Sector, Fulton County 1990-2000’).

While earnings in Fulton County increased by 38 percent between 1990 and 2000, earnings statewide increased by 36 percent.  With a slightly higher growth rate, Fulton County remains the economic center of Georgia, with over one-quarter of the earnings produced by the state economy in 2000.  The greatest increase in earnings and the fastest growth rate was produced by the service industry sector.  The FIRE sector produced the fourth fastest growth rate and the third largest dollar increase.

Data on average weekly wages is available over time on the county level but not for the City; therefore, Fulton County data is used to represent the City.  Wage rates have not been adjusted for inflation, and so the dollar increases are greater than the actual economic benefit to the wage earner.

In 1999, the highest average wages in Fulton County were paid by the wholesale trade, followed by the finance, insurance, real estate (FIRE) sector, the transportation, communications and public utilities sector, the federal government and finally durable manufacturing sectors, finance, insurance, real estate (FIRE) sector, followed by the wholesale trade and the transportation, communications and public utilities sector (TCU), and the manufacturing sector, which all had an average 1999 weekly wage over $1000 (see Table 6.5 ‘Average Weekly Wage by Sector, Fulton County, 1990-1999’).

Between 1990 and 1999, the average weekly wage paid in Fulton County increased by 58 percent; the rate of increase for the state was 48 percent.  Wages increased more rapidly in the second half of the decade when the dot-com bubble was largest.  The average dollar wages for workers in the FIRE sector and in the manufacturing and TCU sectors increased by 43 and 42 percent respectively between 1990 and 1999.  These are the sectors representing the highest percentages of wage growth in this time period.

In all sectors except mining, with a limited presence in Fulton County and even less in the City, the average weekly wage paid by Fulton County firms is 20 percent higher than the state average.  Factors contributing to higher wages in Fulton County include the typically higher wages - and cost of living - in high-density urban areas and the concentrations of higher-skill, white-collar and executive-level jobs in Atlanta.  The two sectors with the largest differential, manufacturing and FIRE, have the greatest concentration of executive jobs in Atlanta relative to the rest of the state (see Table 6.6 ‘Average Weekly Wage by Sector Comparison, Fulton County and Georgia’).

Data on the type (source) of income generated is not available for the City, and so Fulton County figures are used to represent Atlanta.  Total income for Fulton County, measured in constant dollars, rose by 40 percent from 1990 to 2000, increasing slightly faster between 1995 and 2000 than between 1990 and 1995 (see Table 6.7 ‘Income by Type, Fulton County 1990-2000’).

During the decade, there was a shift to a greater contribution from income generated by return on wealth.  Although the largest absolute increase was in wage and salary income, its rate of increase was below 40 percent.  The highest rate of increase was for proprietors’ income. The slowest increases were in other labor income and income from transfer payments, which include social security pensions and welfare (see Table 6.7 ‘Income by Type, Fulton County 1990-2000’). The growth in the residential adjustment factor shows that Fulton County employers continue to be a major source of jobs for people who commute to jobs in Fulton County from their homes elsewhere.

The 1990-2000 rate of income growth in Fulton County (66%) was above the State average of 55 percent, and so the Fulton County share of Georgia income increased slightly.  It increased in all categories, with the largest swells in proprietors’ income and other income earned by labor (see Table 6.8 ‘Income by Type, Fulton County Share of Georgia Total, 1980-2020’).

Employment by occupation data is collected by the Federal Census and shows the occupations of persons living within the City, regardless of where they work.  The total number of jobs held by Atlanta residents increased between 1990 and 2000, but the distribution of employment by occupation shifted toward more white-collar and highly skilled jobs, and more jobs related to transportation and material moving.

Administration support positions provided the largest number of jobs in 1990, while professional and technical specialty positions provided the largest number of jobs in 2000, followed by executive, administrative and managerial positions.  The largest increase was in jobs in transportation and material moving.  The largest decreases were in the number of Atlanta residents in precision craft/mechanical jobs and in administrative support jobs, while the greatest percentage decline was in farming, fishing and forestry and precision craft/mechanical jobs (see Table 6.9 ‘Employment by Occupation, Atlanta Residents, 1980-2000’).

A comparison of the state and national distributions of employment by occupation shows that, compared to the national work force, Atlanta residents are more apt to work in offices than in factories.  More Atlanta workers work as executives and professionals and in service industries; fewer work in precision craft/mechanical jobs (See Table 6.10 ‘Employment by Occupation Comparison, Atlanta, Georgia, and United States, 1990’).

The Census defines the labor force to include persons sixteen years of age and older, both employed and unemployed, who are able to work.  The percentage of Atlanta adults who were working age increased by approximately eight percent between 1990 and 2000, and the number who were in the labor force increased by 1.2 percent, both those with jobs and those seeking jobs (see Table 6.11 ‘Employment Status, Atlanta, 1980-2000’).  Despite the increase, the percentage of Atlanta adults who are in the labor force remains slightly below both state and national levels.  The percentage of Georgians aged 16 and over who were in the labor force increased from decreased from 68 percent in 1990 to 66 percent in 2000, while the national labor force participation rate decreased from 65 percent to 64 percent.  The slightly lower labor force participation rate for Atlanta occurs despite a larger than average presence of females in the work force.  The resident Atlanta labor force is almost one-half female (see Figure 6.1 ‘ Percent of Labor Force by Gender, Atlanta, Georgia, and United States, 1990’).

Labor force participation, like employment by occupation, varies widely from one part of Atlanta to another.

In addition, Atlanta has a higher unemployment rate than the surrounding suburbs.  For example, in 2000, the unemployment rate of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was 3 percent, ranging from a low of 1.5 percent in Fayette County to highs of 3.9 percent in Clayton County and 6.0 percent in Fulton County.  Within the City, the resident unemployment rate as reported in the 2000 census varies even more drastically.  In the more affluent neighborhoods, the unemployment rates are comparable to or below unemployment rates in suburban counties. 

Between 1991 and 2002, average annual unemployment rates for the City were above the state rates for every year (see Table 6.12 ‘Percent Average Annual Unemployment Rates Comparison, Atlanta, Georgia, and United States, 1991-2002’).  Since 1992, the City rates were also above the national rates.  In addition, the Atlanta unemployment rate exceeds 7 percent for each year during the period of 1991-1995 and 2002.  In 2001, the City’s unemployment rate follows both state and national trends, showing its first increase since 1992, after experiencing an eight-year steady decline.  In 2002 the unemployment rate returned to its 1994 level.   

The composition of the Atlanta economic base continues its natural evolution, with increases in headquarters functions and decreases in production functions.  Atlanta is strengthening its role as the economic center of Georgia, and indeed, the southeastern U.S., while developing links to the world economy.  Although most growth is outside the City, Atlanta still benefits.

The number of executive and managerial jobs in Atlanta is large and growing.  The data on employment by occupation show that the Atlanta labor force is making a transition to the executive and managerial jobs associated with the City's role as a regional and national headquarters and to the high-skill jobs in knowledge based industries, international business, and business services.

Employment forecasts are available for Fulton County but not for the City, therefore Fulton County data is used to represent the City.  Employment forecasts for Fulton County show an increase between 2000 and 2010 and between 2010 and 2020.  The projections presume that Atlanta's role as a distribution center will diminish significantly after 2000, as will its roll as a Federal civilian government center.  The retail trade sector and the state and local government sector are both expected to experience healthy growth.  This forecast contrasts with the less optimistic outlook for the state (see Table 6.13 ‘Projected Employment Growth by Sector, 2000-2020’). On the negative side, the Atlanta economy offers fewer jobs in production, precision craft occupations, services and clerical and administrative support.  The people who have held these jobs face a shrinking job market and its impact shows up in the consistently higher unemployment rate for Atlanta compared to its suburbs.  The low labor force participation rates and high unemployment in parts of the City indicate concentrations of people who are not succeeding in the contemporary economy.  While Atlanta is making a successful economic transition, leading the Southeast, a portion of the City's labor force is being left behind.

Although Atlanta and Fulton County are and will remain the major economic centers of Georgia, job growth is projected to be stronger elsewhere.  Employment in Georgia is expected to increase by 15.71 percent between 2000 and 2010 and then by another 14.72 percent between 2010 and 2020.  Only the retail trade sector is expected to grow faster in Fulton County.

Consistent with the above employment projections, the growth of earnings from jobs in Fulton County is projected to increase in all sectors except federal civilian government and TCU. Like employment, earnings are projected to increase, but a small decline is forecasted for the civilian portion of federal government (see Table 6.14 ‘Projected Earnings by Sector, Fulton County, 2000-2020’).

In every sector but mining and state and local government, the percent of state earnings generated by jobs in Fulton County is projected to decline (see Table 6.15 ‘Projected Earnings by Sector, Fulton County as a Percent of Georgia Total, 1995-2010’).

The amount of income earned in Fulton County is projected to continue increasing, and income generated by wealth is projected to grow faster over the next ten years, while income generated by labor is expected to grow faster over the following ten years, from 2010 to 2020 (see Table 6.16 ‘Income by Type, Fulton County 2000, 2005-2020 Projected’).  Because wage and salary income comprises the bulk of all income, it is projected to provide the greatest dollar increase.  The residential adjustment factor also is projected to grow as a larger share of Fulton County earnings go to nonresident wage earners.

Income, as are earnings, is projected to grow more slowly in Fulton County than statewide.  Fulton County income is projected to grow by 34 percent by 2020, while Georgia income is projected to grow by 60 percent.

Trends

Socio-economic growth trends reveal important information about the strength of the local economy.  See the Demographics element for details.  The most revealing demographic is employment.  Newsweek magazine predicts that from now until 2025, the metro Atlanta area will lead the nation in employment growth with 180,000 new jobs, with the City of Atlanta sharing in this job boom.  Atlanta’s top twenty-five employers, ranked by the number of full-time employees, are listed in Table 6.17 ‘City of Atlanta Companies in the Top Twenty-Five Employers List For The Metro Area’.

The 1990s were a period of great expansion in metropolitan Atlanta.  The three major high-density employment centers in the City (Downtown, Buckhead and Midtown) in particular, benefited from this growth.  In only one year, 1995 and 1996, the City added 14,800 jobs to its economic base.  This one-year increase accounted for nearly three-fourths of the City’s employment increase in the 1990s.  Although that record growth slowed from 1996 to 1997 when only 600 new jobs were created citywide, Downtown recorded its highest number of employees at 108,716, which was an almost 3,000 job increase from 1996. In 1998 the Downtown had 110,410 employees. Total employment in Buckhead increased by 3,612 jobs since 1996, going from 91,749 jobs to 93,930 in 1997 and to 95,361 in 1998. In the past year, 1997-1998, the City rebounded strongly, with a net gain of 7,273 jobs while growth in the region held steady at 66,000 jobs.

Atlanta’s Economy is Dominated by the Communications/Technology and Service Sectors: The convergence of major fiber optic trunk lines attracts telecommunications and information technology firms, which are increasingly powering Atlanta’s economy.  Communications added 4,291 jobs from 1990 to 1997.  This dynamic and evolving industry is important beyond its numbers.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of high-tech jobs in the State has surged, growing by 54 percent from 1990 to 1997.  The vast majority of this growth is in metro Atlanta.  The “Yamacraw Mission” is the State’s response to the unexpected phenomenal growth in this economic sector.  It is a strategic economic development initiative combining the efforts of private enterprise, academia and state government to establish Georgia as a global leader in high-technology industries and create several thousand new jobs in the high-paying fields of software engineering and electronic design over the next five to seven years. The State will focus its job recruitment and attendant education preparation efforts in three key areas of the high-bandwidth industry: optical networks, high-speed access devices and content processing. Atlanta’s continued viability as the capital of the Southeast U.S. depends on the growing availability and accessibility of state-of-the art communications infrastructure.  Statewide, the services sector is projected to add the most jobs – 36,000 – and will see the fastest growth, 3.3 percent.  According to the Terry College of Business, Selig Center for Economic Growth, there will be an abundance of new positions in computer and information service companies, consulting and research firms, and firms that provide temporary staffers.  Since 1990, this sector has grown by 22 percent and today, represents 35 percent of the total jobs in the City.

Hartsfield Airport is a Major Economic Generator: Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport was the fastest growing airport in the world from 1997 to 2000, and in 2001 was designated for the third year in a row as the world’s busiest passenger airport; having serviced 75.9 million passengers at a rate of over 200,000 passengers daily.  Hartsfield accommodated over 900,000 flights and 890,000 metric tons of cargo throughout the year. 

In 2000, the airport made $254.7 million in gross revenues from land fees and rent charges to concessionaires, leaving it a net profit of $43 million.  The airport forecasts it will make $275 million in 2001 leaving an expected net of $47 million. Projections call for annual passenger traffic to grow to 121 million by 2015.  The airport itself has an annual payroll of almost $2 billion, and a regional economic impact of almost $17 billion.

Its daily nonstop and direct flight to more than 170 domestic and international destinations make Atlanta a prime location for corporate headquarters, foreign direct investment, trade shows, and conventions.  In order to capitalize on this growth, the City’s Aviation Department developed a master plan for the airport. This is the facility’s first new master plan in 30 years. The development process, entitled “Hartsfield 2000 and Beyond: Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited”, forecasts the needs and demands of the airport for the next 20 years.  It also determines how Hartsfield can position itself to meet those challenging demands.

The airport is taking a crucial first step to prepare for what it will be the biggest construction project in Georgia’s history- a 5.4 billion development over the next decade. Hartsfield’s master plan calls for the construction and development of a fifth runway, an international eastside concourse, expanded air cargo facilities, relocated car rental facility west of I-85, an expanded airport people mover system, more parking facilities and better ground transportation. The 15-year master plan actually can involve more than 7 billion in projects and could include a possible sixth runway, which both Hartsfield and its major tenant, Delta Airlines, have said is vital for the airport’s long-term growth. The airport, one of the most important assets in Georgia, generates 16.8 billion annually in regional economic impact.

MARTA Stations are Becoming Catalysts for Development: The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), is the largest heavy rail passenger transit system in the Southeast, with almost 5,000 employees and transporting approximately 3.5 billion people since 1979. MARTA rapid rail transit stations are becoming catalysts for new development, especially along the north rail line, and most dramatically around the Lindbergh station.  In 1998, MARTA tracked $92.5 million in multi-family development within walking distances of its stations.  Carter and Associates and Harold A. Dawson Company are partners with MARTA in a $500 million joint venture to develop a 47 acre site near the Lindbergh station that will include office space, a Main Street complex, more Post apartments, retail areas and condominiums over the next four years.  Construction permits in the Lindbergh station area in 1998 included, among others, Lindbergh Crossing, Mainstay Suites Hotel, and the Lindbergh Station Apartments.  This new development joins upscale, multi-family along Sidney Marcus Boulevard and older groups of apartments situated along Lindbergh, east of Piedmont and the Post and Gables apartment complexes.  The City has announced plans to improve pedestrian connections at the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Inman Park stations.  All of this development dovetails nicely with BellSouth’s plans to relocate 13,000 employees from suburban offices to $750 million in investments in three new business centers strategically located in the City near MARTA stations at Lenox, Lindbergh and North Avenue. MARTA is continuing to move forward to expand in order to meet the needs of the growing metro Atlanta.  In December 2000 two new rail stations opened on the north line at Sandy Springs and North Springs.  It is estimated that the two new rail stations will provide daily transportation to approximately 36,000 people.

Analysis of Opportunities for Real Estate Development

In addition to Hartsfield International Airport, and an extensive highway transportation system, Atlanta has a well-trained labor force at reasonable wages, industrial diversity and a pro-business environment.  These factors lay the groundwork for the City’s economic development. Commercial businesses are primarily comprised of high-density office space users that include operations, customer service, catalogue fulfillment, and data processing centers.  The City’s market conditions are summarized in Table 6.18 ‘Atlanta Office Market Conditions, Year-End 2002’.

Northside Drive/I-75

A brick warehouse building has been converted to loft offices at 870 Northside Drive. Construction was completed during the 4^th quarter 2002.There is excessive new and existing space available.

A new restaurant/caterer called Ambra has leased space at the Lumberyard on Ellsworth, and a restaurant called Pangea has taken space at 1082 Huff Road. A 5,000sf hair salon is moving into Puritan Mills. The retail/wholesale trade

Source: Dorey Research Group, 1st Quarter 2003

Airport/South Atlanta market

The Airport /South submarket is geographically the largest submarket in metro Atlanta. However the submarket contains less than 3 million square feet of office space, the majority of which is primarily Class B product. This submarket had an increase in vacancy to the 29 percent mark.

Due to the residential growth in the southern metro counties there have been an increased demand for office space south of the City

Source: Dorey Research Group, 1^st Quarter 2002

Downtown

The only new building completed in 2002 was the Crawford Long Hospital Medical building that is not part of the general office market. However there is a good supply of existing space returning to the market. This is largely as a result of Arthur Andersen giving up 300,000 square feet in Georgia Pacific and Peachtree Center and the Atlanta Exchange deciding to market 200,000 sf as office space rather than telecom hotel space.

The downtown submarket continues to be the best locational choice for companies who want to be able to attract quality employees from throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. It is obvious the most central location and enjoys the best public transportation service. With the number of residential units being built, Downtown is well on its way to being a live-work-play city.

Source: Dorey Research Group, 1^st Quarter 2003

Midtown

There is no new projects in the area, however there are projects in the development stage like Technology Square Centergy One and Atlantic Station.  Projects like Dewberry Capital’s mixed use development, Midtown Square and Weaver & Woodberry office development, Gateway at Midtown are on hold awaiting sufficient pre-lease commitments. A long-term stable economy would facilitiate new office development.

Source: Dorey Research Group, 1^st Quarter 2003

Buckhead/Lenox

The Buckhead submarket has no major construction or lease announcements that are coming on-line for 4^th quarter of 2002. Buckhed remains to be one of the most prestigious submarkets in Atlanta and has a great work/play environment. According to Grubb & Ellis , compared to the other Atlanta submarkets, Buckhead has a low vacancy rate of 11.8percent.

The 13.8 million sf Buckhead/Lenox market was 14.5 percent vacant at the end of fourth quarter 2002. Absorbsion was a negative 368,990 sf. Weighted average rental rate quotes range from $26.86 to $28.11 for Class A. See Table ----

Source: Dorey Research Group, 1^st Quarter 2002

Current Policies

The following policies focus on business and industrial development for more jobs:

1. To capitalize on the City's historic strengths as a transportation and distribution hub and regional office center;
2. To strengthen Atlanta as a convention and tourism center by increasing the number and improving the quality of visitor attractions and support facilities;
3. To emphasize business retention and expansion;
4. To promote international trade by Atlanta firms and encourage foreign investment within Atlanta;
5. To market the City both nationally and internationally by promoting tourism and the fact that  "Atlanta Means Business";
6. To continue to encourage and facilitate private investment by providing improved parking, safety and pedestrian sidewalk infrastructure;
7. To ensure the continued availability of technical assistance on business skills to small businesses, using private and public resources;
8. To enhance the City's role as a competent and effective partner in economic development by streamlining procedures and requirements, updating staff skills, and improving data collection and analysis capabilities;
9. To aggressively work for local, state and federal policies that enhance the relative advantage of Atlanta, and pursue local means of making the City a more desirable and competitive environment;
10. To promote employment and job training efforts consistent with Atlanta's needs;
11. To encourage City and business leaders to work with local colleges, universities and public schools to address the growing imbalance between the education and skills possessed by residents and the education and skills required by employers;
12. To actively monitor and enforce the City's First Source Jobs policy legislation to reduce the high unemployment of City residents;
13. To pursue and encourage developments that recognizes the mutually supportive roles of the Central Area, the neighborhood commercial areas, and the retail centers;
14. To continue programs which support neighborhood commercial revitalization;
15. To emphasize the preservation, maintenance, rehabilitation and reuse of existing facilities that are in sound condition;
16. To encourage the growth of minority business enterprises;
17. To use federal funds to support programs and projects that provide decent housing and suitable living environments and expand economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income;
18. Support policies to retain young professionals in the City;
19. Retain, grow and attract middle-income residents by promoting the development of middle-income housing within the context of mixed-income neighborhoods and the creation of jobs for City residents; and
20. Enable lower-income residents to attain middle-income status by emphasizing job creation, job training and job placement for unemployed and under-employed City residents. 

Current Programs and Projects

The City's role in economic development is coordinated by the Department of Planning and Community Development and is implemented by the Atlanta Development Authority (ADA). 

Atlanta Development Authority

The Atlanta Development Authority forges partnerships with private and nonprofit interests (including financial institutions, retailers, corporations, foundations, and universities) to plan and implement redevelopment and economic development projects and programs.  This agency also promotes job training and markets Atlanta to potential investors and employers.  The Atlanta Development Authority enters into a contractual agreement with the City to create and implement redevelopment plans and carry out other redevelopment or economic development tasks.  The Authority shall perform the functions and duties set forth herein in accordance with all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, regulations, and requirements of the City, County, State and Federal governments.  The Authority will complete all activities in conformance with City of Atlanta’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP).  The Authority will provide for community input and involvement in the development and redevelopment planning and implementations as set forth in properly approved redevelopment plans.  This process is to include but not to be limited to the following:

The Authority shall obtain community input and involvement in economic and community development policymaking, planning and implementation by coordinating its work with the appropriate NPU, CDC, or other duly constituted representative body, organized in any manner deemed appropriate by the NPU.  With respect to the Authority’s consideration of any economic or redevelopment project, the Authority shall be required to promptly inform the NPU of the anticipated projects, arrange to have at least one informational meeting with the affected community, and seek final approval of the NPU or appropriately approved organization priori to implementation of any project.

The City Council, with the assistance of the Department of Planning and Community Development, APAB and AHAND through their representatives, shall establish criteria and will determine the selection process by which impacted neighborhoods and their respective NPU’s will contract through City Council for the services of the Atlanta Development Authority.

Industrial Parks

The City has developed two industrial parks, Atlanta Industrial Park (AIP) and Southside Industrial Park (SIP).  The industrial parks offer development sites, underground utilities, protective covenants and tax incentives through enterprise zone designation.  Industrial revenue bonds are also available to AIP and SIP tenants through the Fulton County Development Authority (FCDA).

Planned Development Activities

The City has also identified neighborhoods where economic development is lagging behind the rest of the City.  Economic development efforts are directed toward those neighborhoods to promote more balanced economic growth.  Planned development activities are included in the following reports:

East Atlanta Study

This study plans for growth, while preserving the uniqueness, diversity and history of this rapidly changing southeast Atlanta neighborhood.  The primary focus of the study is transportation and parking management, with additional emphasis placed on urban design and marketing considerations.

Cheshire Bridge Road Study

This study guides the transformation of the corridor from an automobile-oriented commercial strip into a pedestrian-scale, neighborhood-oriented commercial and residential area.  By addressing transportation, marketing, urban design, environment and land-use concerns, it also reconnects the corridor to surrounding neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for businesses, customers and residents.

North Highland Avenue Study

This study involves residents and businesses along North Highland Avenue to address parking and transportation issues on the street.  The study focuses on solving parking and transportation problems in order to preserve and enhance the unique pedestrian characteristics in the Virginia-Highland area.

Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan

The purpose of this study is to provide a planning framework for revitalizing the major street corridors in the study area.  The study will also create and or enhance new development in neighborhoods adjacent to the corridors.  The framework plan will include extensive citizen participation in determining a vision for the corridors and the final product will include an Action Plan for implementation.  During the course of the study, one or more revitalization projects will be identified for detailed analysis that will include an urban design concept, costing and implementation schedule. (NPUs: C, D, G, J, H, I)

Southside Neighborhood (Empowerment Zone) Master Plans

In June 1997, the Atlanta Empowerment Zone Corporation provided funding for empowerment zone communities to prepare neighborhood master plans.  The initiatives in NPU-Y to date indicate a natural division of the neighborhood planning to two sub areas, a plan for the communities associated with Pryor Road and a plan for the communities in proximity to Jonesboro Road.  The master plans and or redevelopment plans provide a context for the implementation of 15 projects for which the communities have received $12.4 million in Atlanta Empowerment Zone Corporation funding.  Projects include commercial center development and guidelines (Joyland Commercial Center North/South, Lakewood Heights Towncenter), Housing Design and Development, Human Services projects and Infrastructure Design & Development.

Memorial Drive Corridor Study

The project’s purpose is to develop an urban design concept to improve the public realm.  This will include creating cohesion in the physical character of the study area through the development of the streetscapes (planting, lighting, sidewalks), nodes, gateways and other open space, and providing pedestrian linkages to amenities.  The anticipated results will create a positive image for the study area so that it reads as a unified attractive arterial street rather than as an area of highway or strip commercial development.

Midtown Blueprint

In 1997, a comprehensive community plan that will shape Midtown’s future was rolled out.  The plan focuses on the area between I-75/85 on the west to Piedmont Avenue on the east and from Brookwood train station on the north to Ralph McGill on the south.  The planning phase is complete and the Midtown Alliance now faces the challenge of turning vision into reality by meeting objectives for design and implementation.

The goal is to create a successful, dynamic urban center with a unique sense of place and balance of commercial, residential and cultural attraction.  Blueprint Midtown promises a number of improvements to the community including:

A safer, cleaner environment – maintenance program to help keep the area clean and augmentation of public safety efforts to address street crime.

Streetscapes where pedestrians and motorists comfortably coexist – broad sidewalks, decorative lights and a canopy of street trees.

Ample open space and greenways – public plazas and pocket parks.

Better and more efficient transportation – improved traffic flow and reduced vehicular travel speeds, additional on-street parking, enhanced pedestrian access to MARTA stations and additional bike lanes.

New development designed in keeping with the community’s vision – providing urban design standards and land use recommendations.

A range of retail, cultural and other entertainment offerings – fulfilling community needs for shopping and leisure activities by providing information on market opportunities.

Centennial Olympic Park

The Centennial Olympic Park Area (COPA) is also being developed for economic revitalization. The long-range plans include mixed-income housing, commercial, retail, and entertainment uses.  In 1998, the Centennial Olympic Park Special Public Interest zoning district was adopted to permit mixed-use development to occur around the park.

Central Atlanta Action Plan (CA²P)

The Central Atlanta Action Plan is the third in a series of landmark planning processes for Downtown Atlanta conducted by Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. in partnership with the City of Atlanta. CAP goals are to build upon the Downtown revitalization legacies of previous Central Area studies and the Centennial Olympic Games, and to capitalize on current favorable demographic trends -infill development, smart growth, increased interest in urban living and sustainable building practices- to create and realize the vision of a vibrant, diversified Downtown economy supported by high-tech “Industries of the Mind,” competitive public schools, world-class universities, a varied housing market, art and culture, a strong marketing initiative, and a safe and hospitable environment in which to live, visit, and conduct business.  This plan represents a consensus of stakeholders to secure lasting partnerships, among the city’s private and public leadership, city planners, and developers to address Downtown challenges and implement solutions. This report offers a compilation of research and planning developed by business, government, and leaders who pledge a year of their time to address this area’s needs in its physical, economic and social environment. This plan consist of an implementation program of ten challenges, 32 action steps, and more than 80 strategies to improve Atlanta’s environment within the next decade. The economic environment identifies 4 challenges, 13 action steps and 25 strategies (see CA²P report for strategies).  The economic environment challenges include:

1. Improve Downtown marketing and hospitability
   Action Steps
      Support the downtown marketing entity
      Develop a retail and entertainment master plan for Downtown
      Develop a marketing plan to promote Downtown to metro area
      Improve Downtown’s cultural amenities
      Improve Atlanta’s taxicab system
   

2. Improve coordination of citywide economic development initiatives
   Action Steps
      Create a citywide economic development capability
      Create a downtown Resource Center for economic development information and advocacy
      Implement the City’s improved development permitting procedures
   

3. Improve the quality of Atlanta Public Schools
   Action Steps
      Support Atlanta Public Schools initiatives to improve the quality of education
      Support the development of a charter school downtown
   

4. Address high land costs and rents that inhibit balanced, mixed-income investment and development
   Action Steps
      Review use of zoning to encourage mixed-income and mixed-use development
      Increase the affordability of land and rents for commercial and retail development
      Increase market rate residential development in and around Downtown

Major Economic Development Incentives

The Business Improvement Loan Fund

The Business Improvement Loan Fund (BILF) program provides financing to businesses in target areas for additions and improvements to commercial, industrial, and mixed-use property and/or the purchase of equipment and fixtures which are part of the real estate (see Map 6-1?).  BILF can be used as direct loans to commercial business project located throughout the CDIA (outside of the fourteen targeted areas).  However, the loans cannot exceed 25 percent of the available funds during any fiscal year.

The Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority (LBA)

The Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority (LBA) enables the City to put tax-delinquent properties back into productive use.  The LBA has concentrated on thirteen neighborhoods surrounding the central business district.  If a nonprofit, community-based organization is interested in redeveloping a property that is tax-delinquent, the LBA has the power to forgive taxes and waive City and county liens against the property.  It can then sell the property to the organization to be redeveloped with low to moderate-income housing or to use the property to create employment opportunities.

The City offers seven major economic incentives: (1) the Atlanta Empowerment Zone grants and tax incentives, (2) Development Impact Fee Exemptions, (3) Urban Enterprise Zone tax incentives, (4) Tax Increment Financing, (5) Retail Incentive Tax Zones (RITZ)  (6) Community Improvement Districts, and (7) the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program.

Atlanta Renewal Community

Recently designated as a Renewal Community by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (January 2002), Atlanta is eligible to share in an estimated $17 billion in tax incentives to stimulate job growth, promote economic development and create affordable housing in areas suffering from disinvestment and decline. In accepting the designation, the Renewal Community will replace the City of Atlanta’s Empowerment Zone (EZ).

At present, the City is in the process of drafting a resolution that will dissolve the AEZC.  This resolution will likely be submitted to the Executive Board members within the next week.  Assuming the Executive Board members vote in favor to dissolve the AEZC Executive Board, then all of its responsibilities will be transferred to the Atlanta Coordinating Responsible Authority Board (A-CoRA).

The City is currently in contract negotiations with the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Authority (ANDP) to form the CoRA Board as a non-profit corporation and enter into a management agreement with this organization to serve as the CoRA manager of the remaining Title XX Empowerment Zone Funds, which will be reprogrammed.

The procedure for reprogramming of Empowerment Zone funds will start with the original EZ Strategic Plan and the Amended EZ Programs.  The process will include looking at the RC Strategic Plan (the RC application and the Tax Incentive Utilization Plan), the City’s 5-Year Comprehensive Plan, and other economic development plans and human services need assessment plans to form an “Inegrated Strategic Plan” for the region.

The reprogramming process will begin as soon as the CoRA Board is in place.  It is anticipated that the Atlanta City Council will approve the task of incorporating the CoRA Board to the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, Inc. (ANDP) on May 5, 2003.  The goal of the CoRA Board will be to reorganize the remaining Title XX Funds with the current human services needs of the residents of the RC and EZ and the economic development needs of these two geographic areas.

Established by the 2000 Community Renewal Tax Relief Act, the Renewal Community Initiative encourages public-private collaboration to generate economic development in 40 distressed communities around the country.  Atlanta will receive regulatory relief and tax breaks to help local businesses provide more jobs and promote community revitalization.  The City of Atlanta will utilize tax credits, tax deductions, capital gains exclusions and bond financing. 

Tax Credits

Wage credits: Businesses who hire and retain Renewal Community residents are able to apply credits against their federal tax liability. Businesses operating in the new Renewal Community (RC) will receive up to a $1,500 credit for every newly hired or existing employee who lives and works in the RC.

Work Opportunity Credits: These credits provide businesses in Renewal Communities with up to $2,400 against their Federal tax liability for each employee hired from groups with historically high unemployment rates or other special employment needs, including youth who live in the RC.

Welfare to Work Credits: Businesses are offered a credit of up to $3,500 (in the first year of employment) and $5,000 (in the second year) for each newly hired long-term welfare recipient.

Tax Deductions

Commercial Revitalization Deductions: States with one or more RCs are permitted to deduct $12 million per RC per year, up to $10 million per project for commercial or industrial buildings developed in the RCs. A business can deduct up to $5 million in the year the building is placed in service or deduct the full amount of eligible expenditures pro rata over 10 years.

Section 179 Deductions: A qualified Renewal Community business is allowed under the tax code to expense up to $35,000 of additional qualified property such as equipment and machinery acquired each year during the period of the RC designation, 2002 through 2009.

Environmental Cleanup Cost Deductions: Businesses are allowed to deduct qualified cleanup costs accrued in brownfields.

Capital Gains Exclusions

Zero Percent Capital Gains Rate: This rate applies to an interest in, or property of, certain businesses operating in a Renewal Community, if the asset is acquired during the period of the RC designation and held for at least 5 years.

Bond Financing

Qualified Zone Academy Bonds: These bonds allow state and local governments to match no-interest loans with private funding sources to finance public school renovations and programs. Areas that are included in the designation are to become “renewal clusters” and receive priority in their planning and economic development. Listed below are three identified clusters.

Westside Renewal Cluster

Combines six communities linked by Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, Joseph E. Lowery Blvd, Northside Dr. and Simpson Rd. Communities in this cluster include West End Historic District, Vine City/ Ashby St., Simpson Rd. Corridor, Greater Atlanta University Center Community, Northwest Atlanta, and English Avenue.  Includes the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, the Butler/ Auburn community, and Reynoldstown

Eastside Renewal Cluster

Includes the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, the Butler/ Auburn community, and Reynoldstown.

Southside Renewal Cluster

Memorial Dr., Pryor Rd., Jonesboro Rd. and Metropolitan Pkwy are major commercial corridors connecting the neighborhoods in this Cluster. It includes Mechanicsville, Pittsburgh, Jonesboro Road Corridor, Capitol Homes/ Memorial Drive, Thomas Heights, and greater Southside.

Development Impact Fee Exemptions

A development impact fee is the payment of money imposed upon and paid by new development as a condition of development approval as its proportionate share of the cost of system improvements needed to serve such development.  Development impact fees are collected in attempt to balance the City’s fiscal goal to generate revenue to pay for growth and its social goal to stimulate redevelopment.  The fees are collected at the time of issuance of building permits and are intended to transfer part of the burden of providing expanded public facilities to service new development from the City to the developer.  Separate fees are collected for transportation, parks, police and fire protection.  Transportation and public safety have citywide service areas.  For parks, the City is divided into three separate areas, each with its own impact fee rate.

Affordable housing units and economic development projects are exempt from the payment of development impact fees.  Economic development projects may receive 100 percent exemption from the payment of development impact fees.  Eligible economic development projects include any project located within a designated housing, commercial or industrial enterprise zone; projects located within certain empowerment zone or linkage community census tracts; the rehabilitation or conversion of any historic building; or any private not-for-profit recreational facility.  To be eligible for an exemption, a developer must file an application for exemption with the Director of the Bureau of Buildings in connection with the building permit application.  A certified copy of the ordinance of City Council creating the housing, commercial, industrial enterprise zone shall accompany each application to the Director for exemption for economic development projects; or designating said historic building.  In either case, certification is required from the Chief Financial Officer that funds are available, or anticipated during the current fiscal year, to cover the cost of said exemption.  Refer to  Map 6.2 ‘Impact Fee Exemptions’ for areas in which development impact fee exemptions are automatic or discretionary.

Urban Enterprise Zones

An urban enterprise zone (UEZ) designation is given to projects located in depressed areas wherein the City of Atlanta and Fulton County may abate ad valorem taxes on new development, rehabilitation and certain inventories in order to encourage private investment and to expand the tax base.  The City may also waive development impact fees associated with development within enterprise zones. 

There are six types of UEZs: housing, commercial, industrial, mixed-use residential/commercial, mixed-use commercial/industrial and business.  The UEZ program does not have pre-existing designated urban enterprise zones.  Rather, anyone who is interested in obtaining UEZ designation for a particular property must have a specific development proposal for that property, and must submit a detailed UEZ application to the City’s Bureau of Planning to request that a UEZ be created for that property. 

As of December 31, 2002 53 UEZs comprising a total of 1,174 acres have been approved and are active. These projects have spurred approximately $700.9 million in private investment and have created over 3100 jobs. (See Map 6.3 ‘City of Atlanta Approved Mixed-Use Commercial/Industrial Enterprise Zones’ through Map 6.6 ‘City of Atlanta Approved Business Enterprise Zones’ for Enterprise Zone locations.)

Applications for UEZs are processed twice a year.  Deadlines for receiving applications are January 30 and June 30 of every year.  The application process begins with a meeting between the applicant and the City’s planning staff prior to submission of an application.  There is a joint review of the application by the City of Atlanta and Fulton County.  All UEZ applications must be prepared according to the format that is specified within the “UEZ Application Submittal Requirements for 2003” document.

Tax Increment Financing/ Tax Allocation District

State authorized tax increment financing (TIF), or tax allocation financing, is a method of paying for public improvements within a designated redevelopment district through the increases in tax revenue resulting from the revitalization of that district.  Tax allocation bonds are used to finance redevelopment costs within a tax allocation district and are issued on the basis of pledging the projected increase in ad valorem tax revenues resulting from the proposed redevelopment of property within a tax allocation district for the repayment of such bonds.

The tax allocation increment is the amount obtained by multiplying the total ad valorem property taxes levied on all taxable property within a tax allocation district in any year by a fraction having a numerator equal to that year’s taxable value of all taxable property within the tax allocation district minus the tax allocation increment base, and a denominator equal to that year’s taxable value of all taxable property within the tax allocation district.  The increment is positive if the tax allocation increment base is less than that year’s taxable value of all taxable property, and negative if such base exceeds such taxable value. 

The process of tax increment financing begins when the City designates a blighted area as a redevelopment district.  In order to create the district, under Georgia’s Redevelopment Powers Law (OCGA s 36-44-1 et. seq.), proposed redevelopment activities must be described in a redevelopment plan that meets various requirements.  There must be findings that the redevelopment area on the whole has not been subject to growth and development through private enterprise and would not reasonably be anticipated to be developed without the approval of the redevelopment plan.  The redevelopment plan must be adopted by the Mayor and City Council, with the formal consent of the Atlanta Board of Education and the Fulton County or DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.

 To date, the City has created four TAD’s districts: Westside, Atlantic Steel, Princeton Lakes, and Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation districts. See Map 6.5 ‘City of Atlanta Approved Industrial Enterprise Zones’ for Westside TAD boundaries,  Map 6.6 ‘City of Atlanta Approved Business Enterprise Zones’ for Atlantic Steel TAD boundaries,  Map 6.7 ‘Westside Tax Allocation District’ for Princeton Lakes TAD boundaries, and  ‘Urban Enterprise Zones’ for Perry/Bolton TAD boundaries.

Westside Redevelopment Plan and Tax Allocation District was established to provide financing source for redevelopment activities within the Westside downtown area. This district includes the area between North Avenue, Northside Drive, Fair Street, Forsyth Street and portions of Peachtree Street, William Street, and Spring Street in the Downtown area and the neighborhoods of English Avenue and Vine City. An  approximately $31 M Tax Allocation Bond will be issued to fund public improvements, as well as attracting private commercial and residential development within the district. The proposed redevelopment plan includes 1000-1500 new residential units around Centennial Olympic Park, 500-1000 new and/or renovated residential units in the Empowerment Zone community, a revived Simpson Road Corridor, etc.  It also recognizes other existing redeveloping efforts in the district, such as English Avenue and Simpson Redevelopment Plans. It is estimated by Ernst & Young that at the conclusion of the redevelopment process the development around park alone will have an economic impact the city and state of more than 1.4 billion annually, create over 13,000 jobs and result in excess of $35 million in new local and state revenues annually (see Map 6.7 ‘Westside Tax Allocation District’).

Atlantic Steel Brownfield Tax Allocation District was established to redevelop the 138-acre under-utilized Atlantic Steel Mill. The boundaries of this TAD encompass: the Atlantic Steel Mill site and redevelopment area and key transportation corridors as follows: 16^th Street, 14^th Street, Mecaslin Street, State Street, Techwood Drive, Northside Drive, Marietta Street, and Howell Mill Road Corridors. The development on the office, hotel, residential, and retail spaces in Atlantic Steel site will be paid by private sector, Jacoby, which will transform the Atlantic Steel property into mixed use development featuring 2,000 to 3,000 residential units, 4 to 6 million square feet of commercial office space, 1,000 to 2,000 hotel rooms, and 1 to 2 million square feet of retail. The public sector through issuing the tax allocation bonds will pay the cost of environment clean up and infrastructure. The total TAD will provide $170 M to the Atlantic Steel Brownfield Redevelopment Plan, which will have many benefits besides cleaning up the major brownfield site. For example, it can create approximately 20,000 new jobs; the proposed 17^th Street Bridge can help make maximum use of alternative transportation modes to minimize congestion and improve air quality (see Map 6.8 ‘Atlantic Steel Brownfield – Tax Allocation District’).

Princeton Lakes Redevelopment Plan and Tax Allocation District was created to support the development of more than 400 acres of difficult-to-develop real estate in Southwest Atlanta, south of the Greenbriar Mall area, north of Camp Creek Parkway and west of I-285. It is estimated that approximately $5M-40 M tax allocation bonds will be issued to fund construction of public infrastructure. Thus, as much as $366M in private sector investment led by Bentley Group can be generated in this underdeveloped area. As the major elements of Princeton Lakes Redevelopment Plan, 1019 new residential unit could fill with more than 2,500 people; 800,000 square feet of new office space could attract nearly 2,200 new, quality jobs; nearly 550,000 square feet or retail plus hotels and other business could produce another 800 new jobs (see Map 6.9 ‘Princeton Lakes Redevelopment Area and Tax Allocation District’).

The Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District is a major component of the Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan. This TAD was created to provide for the development of West Highlands at Perry that would transform over 500-acres of vacant land / underutilized properties/ old apartments into a vibrant, mixed-use, mixed-income community. Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District would issue $22.3 million TAD bonds for construction and improvement of the necessary public infrastructure for the West Highlands project. Development will be funded by private investment, approximately $277 million by Perry Homes Redevelopment, and HOPE VI grants. The proposed development plan will add over 1200 new homes, a library, a YMCA recreational facility, a school and more than 90 acres of green space, including trails, parks, and an 18-hole PGA-caliber championship golf course. The Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District will also provide funding for implementation of the Bolton/ Marietta Livable Center Initiative (LCI), the Hollywood Road vision and concept plan, and for funding improvements in the Carver Hills and Almond Park neighborhoods (see Map 6.10 ‘Perry Bolton Redevelopment Area and Tax Allocation District’). 

Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Grant Program

The Brownfields Pilot Assessment grant program provides a crucial link between the City’s Urban Enterprise Zone and Empowerment Zone activities.  The program will allow the City to integrate brownfield redevelopment with existing economic development activities, including the complex web of responsibility for hazardous waste sites and coordinating remediation efforts more directly and effectively.  An enhanced environmental program will spur redevelopment more quickly, allowing the City to meet the timing and capital needs of private enterprise.

The Brownfields Pilot Assessment initiative will be used to assist with the implementation of development projects in the Atlanta Empowerment Zone Corporation (AEZC) and in those communities that have completed redevelopment and/or master plans.  One project is to undertake environmental studies on specific sites to allow existing businesses to expand and recruit new businesses to the Empowerment Zone.  Steps are being taken to develop a marketing plan to target businesses that want to relocate within the Zone.  This is part of an implementation strategy to create 1,100 permanent jobs, one of the major benefits to be derived from Empowerment Zone Corporation efforts in addition to AEZC communities. All communities within the City should provide input on the priorities and future uses of brownfields.  Through a series of workshops and community meetings, community members will help determine sites offering the greatest potential for new business development, housing, greenspace, and recreation.

Renaissance Atlanta Mission

The Renaissance Atlanta Mission seeks to create a comprehensive economic revitalization focus, direction, and mobilization plan for our city that includes economic development and neighborhood revitalization.  The economic development component focuses on business development, job creation, work development, and infrastructure enhancement.  The complimentary neighborhood revitalization component entails housing, neighborhood, commercial revitalization, and infrastructure enhancement.

Retail Incentives Tax Zones

A survey by the Bureau of Planning in 1997 found that available commercial space in certain areas of the City was not being utilized to the full potential.  The lack of significant levels of retail activity in these areas contributed to overall economic decline.  While many of the commercial enterprise zone programs have stimulated new development, the benefits of this incentive are not usually passed along to the retail tenant.  R.I.T.Z.s are designed to provide business and occupation tax exemption for street-level tenant retailers who are located within designated commercial areas experiencing marginal retail activity.  This incentive is administered through the City’s Business Tax Division of the Department of Finance.  Eligible R.I.T.Z areas are:

Retail Incentives Tax Zones:

Bolton Road – Marietta Road to Hooper Street
Marietta Boulevard
Centennial Olympic Park Area (COPA)
Fairlie-Poplar
Auburn Avenue
Underground Atlanta
Chappell Road – Simpson Road to Bankhead Avenue
Martin Luther King, Jr. / Ashby Area
Metropolitan Parkway – Fair Drive to Cleveland Avenue

Source: City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning

Community Improvements Districts

A community improvement district (CID) is the most powerful public-private partnership today and has been used successfully around the country to revitalize center cities. It is an effective tool for financing improvements that directly enhance property values by allowing property owners to determine how funds are expend in their area. CID funds can augment existing services such as public safety and they can also be used to leverage additional public and private funds. CID funds can be used to leverage such funds at a ratio of 4 to 1. The Georgia Constitution specifies that funds collected through a CID may be used for the following: water, public transportation, street and road construction and maintenance, parks and recreational areas and facilities, storm water and sewage, parking, terminal and dock facilities, and others.

The City of Atlanta has three Community Improvement Districts charging extra taxes to businesses to fund millions of dollar’s worth of localized projects and services.  These include:

Downtown Improvement District (DID):

The DID comprises a 200-block area of Downtown. Founded in 1995 by Central Atlanta Progress and Downtown property owners, the DID is a public-private partnership that strives to create a livable environment for Downtown Atlanta and is governed by a Board of Directors of nine private and public sector leaders. DID supports the operation of the Ambassador Force^®, a 63-person group dedicated to making Downtown safer and more hospitable, and the 13-member Clean Team, which cleans the District’s sidewalks and removes graffiti. In 2003, the DIDs mission was expanded to include the development of capital projects to improve Downtown’s transportation infrastructure.

Midtown Community Improvement District (MID):

This district was created to offer enhanced safety, maintenance and capital improvement projects in Midtown.  The MID extends from Brookwood Station on the north to Pine Street on the south, and from I-75/85 on the west to Piedmont Avenue on the east.

Buckhead Community Improvement District (BCID):

This district is more oriented toward physical improvements. The BCID, which was approved in 1999, will use the $1.9 million it has collected to obtain federal matching funds for intersection improvements, operate a shuttle system, and create safer crosswalks and sidewalks for pedestrians.

HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program

The HUBZone act of 1997, Title VI of Public Law 105-135, enacted on December 2, 1997 (111 Stat. 2592), created the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program.

The HUBZone is a small disadvantaged business program designed to create an equitable contracting environment.  It’s purpose is to provide contracting assistance for qualified small business concerns located in historically underutilized business zones to: increase employment opportunities, stimulate capital investment in those areas, and empower communities through economic leveraging and the “multiplier effect”.

A "HUBZone" is an area that is located in one or more of the following:

A qualified census tract (as defined in section 42(d)(5)(C)(i)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986);

A qualified "non-metropolitan county" that is: not located in a metropolitan statistical area (as defined in section 143(k)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), and

In which the median household income is less than 80% of the non-metropolitan State median household income, or

That based on the most recent data available from the Secretary of Labor, has an unemployment rate that is not less than 40% of the statewide average unemployment rate for the State in which the county is located;

Lands within the external boundaries of an Indian reservation.

There are four requirements to be a qualified HUBZone SBC:  must be a small business, concern must be owned and controlled only by US citizens, the principal office of the concern must be located in a HUBZone, and at least 35% of the concern’s employees must reside in a HUBZone.

More information on this program can be obtained at www.sba.gov/hubzone.

Major Economic Development Activities

The City of Atlanta is experiencing resurgence in development of its central area that is unparalleled in the City’s history.  In 1999, a record $1.4 billion in new construction was permitted.  This sudden surge in development will literally change the face of Atlanta.  Several dozen projects in Downtown, Midtown and the West End have been built or will be completed by the year 2002.  All of this new construction promotes the City’s economic goals of establishing a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly City where people live, work, meet and play. 

Downtown

The commercial sector, while experiencing a slight slow down is still holding its own despite a national downturn.  Twenty- four projects pushed the commercial investment in downtown to $1.7 billion according to Central Atlanta Progress. The latest announcement is the 200 million Georgia Aquarium that will be located just north of Centennial Olympic Park.

Georgia State University (GSU) growth is changing the fabric of downtown Atlanta. GSU recently opened Helen   D. Aderhold Learning Center, which channels approximately 10,000 students per day to the Fairly Poplar Historic District.

Grady Health System’s partnership with the Georgia Cancer Coalition is bringing a $31.6 million research and treatment center that will be housed within Grady Hospital. The spin-off of supportive bio-enterprises will help grow a new economic base in downtown

The US General service Administration (GSA) will invest approximately $55 million in the renovation of the Martin Luther King Jr. and Richard B. Russell Federal buildings and public plazas.

The project having the most potential for impact is the Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal.  This 180 million project will have a multiplier effect on downtown’s east-west corridor.

Downtown’s most important growth element is residential. Downtown residential growth sector includes 25 newly announced or under construction projects that represent developer investments of $340 million. The transformation of Downtown public housing projects continue. The Atlanta Housing Authority announced the revitalization of Capitol and Grady Homes . Capitol

The Georgia World Congress Center has complete $200 million phase IV expansion, adding 420,000 square feet of exhibit space, 29 more meeting rooms, and the 25,700-square-foot Georgia Ballroom. Now the GWCC will be able to host many shows simultaneously by bringing in more small and mid-sized conventions while accommodating larger shows with more space at the same time.

The Marcus Foundation has pledged up to $200 million to build the Georgia Aquarium, which is planned to be located nine acres of a 20-acre parcel just north of the Olympic Park. Plans for the aquarium call for 250,000 square feet of space with more than 5 million gallons of water, and provide a home to fish and other aquatic life.

Educational institutions are also experiencing great development. The Emory Crawford Long Hospital finished its $270 million expansion in 2002. The new hospital is a 980,000-square-foot project including a 5-story diagnostic and treatment center with a 374,000-square-foot medical office tower built atop and an adjacent 2-story education and oncology center. The facility allows significant expansion to the emergency department, diagnostic imaging area, operating rooms, heart center, maternity center, cancer services, and educational/conference space. It further enhances Crawford Long Hospital as a leading teaching institution, community hospital, and health provider. Several development projects are taking place or have been done in Georgia State University.

Georgia State University

• Andrew Young School of Policy Studies: the new $13 million facility includes 120,000 SF office/laboratory space.
• University Loft: the new finished $40 million residential loft of 245,000 SF and 231 apartments.
• GSU Helen M. Aderhold Learning Center: a new Fairlie Poplar Classroom Building with 127,760 SF available for classrooms usage, staff and student support, and other related functions, 12,000 for retail.
• GSU Science Teaching Laboratory: This $71.35 million project involves acquisition of land and construction of a 202,000 gross square foot building that will address the laboratory needs and will serve primarily the ever-increasing demand for the undergraduate science classes.

Downtown will also benefit from Coca Cola’s, CNN’s and the Georgia World Congress Center’s planned expansion.   A $140 million Turner tower has been planned to provide 25-story, 600,000 SF office space to downton. McCormick & Schmick’s seafood restaurant, Ted Turner’s Montana grill and Lv13 nightclub will open in CNN Center in 2003 The undergoing $100 million Omni Hotel expansion spearheads the renovation of the existing hotel, creates the design of the new 27-story tower, which will add over 600 guestrooms to the property.

The Cornerstore Building (holds Hard Rock Café was purchased with plans to fill its ground-floor retail space. A new nightclub will open in the former Planet Hollywood space on Peachtree Street.

Level 3 Communications announced they will be moving their internet operations facility in Woburn, Mass, to the former downtown Macy’s store, while across the street, national retailer Office depot will be opening an office supplies store

The 80 million planned Northyards Business Park is 275,000 square feet of buildings on 17 acres of land. A successful conversion has transformed the industrial buildings into functional, but very unusual office space 

Several dozen projects in Downtown, Midtown and the West End have been built or will be completed by the year 2004.  These include:

Downtown

One Georgia Center – thirty-story, 400,000 square-foot office tower overlooking the site of the 1996 Olympic Games.

AtlantaXchange – $100 million 663,517 SF telecom space.

260 Peachtree – $40 million 305,000 SF office space.

Atlanta Public Schools Central Office Complex – $45 million 8-story office building with 3,143 SF retail, 475-space parking deck, and 250-seat auditorium.

SoMar Lofts – $2.8 million 20,000 SF loft space (16 condominiums) and 4,800 retail space.

Downtown Pedestrian Corridor Improvements – $6.9 million construction of new sidewalks, streetlights, trees, planters, and bike lanes.

Multimodal Passenger Terminal – terminal for Amtrak, commuter rail, regional buses, with direct link to MARTA.

Castleberry Inn – A 41,537 SF hotel/retail space with 170 rooms.

Centennial Market – 30,000 SF grocery 12,000 SF retail space at northeast corner of Centennial Olympic Park Drive.

HistoricEbenezer Baptist Church– $4 million restoration of church space.

H. J. Russell & Company Super Block – $100 million 8 acres mixed use, residential and commercial complex.

Midtown

Atlantic Steel Site – a new mixed-use development of up to 5,000 residences, 6 million sq. ft. of office space, and 1.5 million sq.-ft., $200 million retail and entertainment center.

AtlanticCenter Plaza – Office/ retail development, including 500,000 SF of office (24 floors) and 8,000 SF of retail at West Peachtree at 14th Street.

The Proscenium – Multi-tenant office with 527,000 SF office (23 floors) and 13,000 retail at Peachtree Street at 14th Street.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens – Fuqua Orchid Center and Center for Conservation and Education at 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE.

Sterlingat the Park – New332,000 (188 Units) apartment at 14th near Piedmont Avenue.

Millennium at Midtown – Mixed-Use development with 409,000 SF (14 floors) office and 33,710 SF retail at W Peachtree at 10th Street.

Midtown Square – Mixed-use, multi-tenant development with 750,000 SF office, 280 units residential units, and 175,000 SF retail, Peachtree at 10th Street.

712 West Peachtree Street – Office/retail development with 300,000 SF (21 floors) office and 6,456 SF Retail, West Peachtree at 3rd Street.

Savannahon Piedmont – New 370 apartment units at 215 North Avenue.

Piedmont Fountains – 18,000 (12 units) residential condo, Piedmont at 3rd Street.

BellSouthMidtown Center– Office/retail development with 542,000 SF office and 54,400 SF retail, Peachtree at 5th Street.

Juniper Row –24,000 SF retail (historic renovation and conversion), Juniper @ 6th Street.

MidCity Lofts – New212,000 (133 Units) loft condominiums, W. Peachtree at 6th Street.

Cotting Court– New85,000 SF (62 Units) condominiums, Peachtree Place at Cypress Street.

Georgia State University Main Street Master Plan

Georgia State University owns 45 buildings, valued at $257 million.  In total, 4.8 million gross square feet, and approximately 2.2 million assignable square feet, are owned and cared for by the Georgia State staff.

In 1997, Georgia State began preparing a blueprint for growth over the next ten years, based on planning principles established in 1994.  With the help of Sizemore Floyd Architects, the university conducted interviews with faculty, staff, students and downtown neighbors to develop a campus master plan that supports the university’s aspiration to be the nation’s leading urban research university.  To accomplish that, Georgia State wants to transform the campus into an academic “Main Street” that’s connected with the city and offers the best in higher learning. 

Highlights of the Master Plan are:

Develop the “Main Street” concept: The Main Street Master Plan’s cornerstone rests on transforming Decatur Street into the “Main Street” of Campus.  This pedestrian corridor would be distinctly Georgia State, giving the university a campus environment that’s a part of the city – not apart from it.  The Plan calls for redesigning the street, traffic patterns, sidewalks, and providing street-front buildings and gathering spots – all to create a pedestrian corridor that’s easily identified as Georgia State.

Address critical space needs:  the university has a serious shortage of classrooms and labs, faculty office spaces and student studying and meeting areas.  With student enrollment projected to increase by almost 4,000 students by Fall 2007, space restrictions could become even more critical.  Under the Plan, Georgia State will look for opportunities to increase the density of building sites on campus, and evaluate real estate options in the Downtown market for potential acquisitions of new buildings that suit the university’s academic mission.

Strengthen connection to the City: Georgia State is an urban university that’s connected to the city and its people.  The university believes students can learn valuable lessons in a metropolitan environment rich with career opportunities.  At the same time, Georgia State wants to provide students with a traditional university experience.  To accomplish that, Georgia State must create an environment that truly feels like a campus connected to the city.

Georgia Institute of Technology Campus Master Plan

The 22-acre campus expansion will include the addition of new academic and institutional support facilities; closing interior campus streets to automobiles; adding new parking decks, new recreational and open spaces, and campus safety improvements. .  Campus improvements also include expansion into Technology Square along 5^th Street in Midtown.  The expansion will include a new a hotel and conference center, as well as additional classroom and office space for the DuPree College of Management, the Economic Development Institute, the Advanced Technology Development Center, the Executive Education Center, and the Global Learning Center, as well as the Georgia Tech Bookstore.  The expansion at 5^th Street will establish a gateway entrance to the campus and help to mend the City’s urban fabric torn by the construction of the I-75/85 highway.

Georgia World Congress Center

This center will go through Phase IV expansion that includes: adding 450,000 square feet, 25 meeting rooms, two lecture halls, 45,000 square foot ballroom, and a new entrance on the west side. Completion is expected by July 2002. Once completed this project will attract an additional 500,000 out-of-state visitors annually and will provide $1 billion in economic impact and $53 million in new tax revenues.

Georgia Museum of Transportation and Industry

Originally housing transportation and manufacturing operations, the Pratt Engineering and Machine Company, and the Pullman Company site provides an ideal location for an educational and recreational museum complex.  The primary purpose is the exhibition of manufacturing and transportation equipment and related artifacts used during the last part of the 19^th and the first part 20^th century.  The existing buildings are of a suitable size and readily adaptable to phase-in renovations over the next several years to accommodate controlled environments for displays and storage.  The physical properties and location are well suited for the creation of an interactive facility.

The potential economic impact of the Georgia Museum of Transportation and Industry is great and has been recognized by the Atlanta Regional Commission as being consistent with the economic development policies of the 1997 Regional Agenda.  The museum will have a substantial impact on surrounding residential and commercial properties.  It will act as a catalyst for attracting positive economic development to one of the area’s older neighborhoods – Kirkwood.  The museum will also add to the cultural offerings of the region, along with the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and the Michael C. Carlos Museum assisting in the making of a museum corridor.  In turn, this will give the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County an important tool in marketing the area as a good place to visit, live, and work.

Buckhead Village Vision

The Buckhead Village is an eclectic mix of scale and activity.  The area was never planned for as an urban area, and it has grown haphazardly around service-oriented establishments that cater to the automobile more than the pedestrian.  Nevertheless, the Buckhead Village has taken on a mystique as a premier destination in the region for dining, entertainment and shopping.

The commercially zoned land in Buckhead is quite valuable real estate and future development is imminent.  However, current zoning entitlement for the Village allows for a density and scale that could have a negative impact on existing businesses and Village residents, as well as surrounding neighborhoods. 

In developing the vision for the Buckhead Village, the following issues should be addressed:

Land Use Improvements: in order to protect and enhance the commercial viability of the village, a better model for land use must be developed.  New developments must work within the context and scale of the Village and have an appropriate fit with a mix of uses.  This can be achieved by:

• Managing density and the impact of developments better
• Promoting better land uses
• Updating the current zoning

Transportation Improvements: transportation in and around the Village is key to maintaining a livable environment for residents, visitors and shoppers.  Six key points will assist in attaining this goal:

• “Interceptor” parking decks
• Parking permits
• Shuttle bus routes
• Pharr Road improvements
• Limit traffic on Bolling Way, and
• Realignment of Peachtree, Paces Ferry and Roswell Road intersections.

Pedestrian Improvements: minimizing conflicts between pedestrians and automobiles is important.  It is possible to reach this goal by:

• Improving the definition of the Village boundary and improving accessibility, specifically at Peachtree, Piedmont and Pharr Roads
• Improving bike and pedestrian connections to the neighborhoods
• Improve the sidewalk network
• Improve dangerous intersections
• Improve access management
• Add traffic calming devices
• Develop MARTA shuttles, and
• Add embedded flashing lights for pedestrian crossings on East Paces Ferry.

Streetscape Improvements: Sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, street lighting and signage are needed to create a vibrant pedestrian environment.  The Buckhead Village should be consistent in character with a pattern of streetscape elements that flow together.  This can be reached by the following: sidewalks, signage, street furniture, building facades, lighting, open space, landscape, utilities, public art, trash cans, parking, and a visitor’s center.

Northyards Business Park

A concept created by COPA, Inc, in 1997, continued to moved forward toward final land acquisition with the assistance of grant funding of more than 2.2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

When completed, the 40-acre Northyards Business Park will provide 750 to 1000 jobs, and an on-site childcare center. This project will provide jobs and also help set up a community trust fund to further development of the Westside neighborhood.

Additional Development Activities

In addition, the following recent, active and planned development activities contribute to the ever-expanding and projected economic base of the City:

Corporate Headquarters: “Atlanta Means Business.”  The region is home to 23 Fortune 1,000 companies and another 1,000+ major headquartered firms.  The significant presence of these national and international corporations plays a critical role in the region’s development.  These companies not only offer high paying managerial jobs, they also produce national and international recognition and are willing to invest in the future of the region.  The continued marketing of Atlanta as a desirable location for corporate headquarters will reinforce the region’s national and international.

Convention and Meetings: The City has a superior infrastructure to accommodate the meetings and convention industry.  World-class meeting facilities include the Georgia World Congress Center, the Inforum, Atlanta Market Center, and Georgia International Convention Center.  Each of these facilities has over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space.  The Georgia World Congress Center has 950,000 square feet of space and a 700,000 square foot expansion is being contemplated.

Sports and Special Events: The City offers a wide variety of leisure and recreational opportunities including professional sports, parks, nature preserves, and golf courses.  Atlanta is home of the Braves, Hawks, Falcons and Thrashers and Rockets professional teams.  The City has been host to the 1996 Olympic Games, Super Bowl, NCAA Basketball, Peach Bowl, AT&T Challenge, Peachtree Road Race, Heritage Bowl, Georgia Games, Gridiron Classic and other major sporting events.  State of the art sports facilities include the Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Center, Omni Coliseum, Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, and Turner Stadium.  Philips Arena, the new home of the Hawks and Thrashers arena was recently completed.

Government:  The largest Federal concentration outside of Washington, DC is located in Atlanta with the Sixth District Federal Reserve Bank, Fourth District Federal Home Loan Bank, and the regional offices of every major department of the executive branch.  The City is home of the new Atlanta Federal Center which ensures a strong presence of federal government operations in the City for the foreseeable future.

Non-Profit:  Many national non-profit foundations and philanthropic organizations have made the City of Atlanta home.  These national organizations include the American Cancer Society, CARE, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Club of America.  Local foundations and non-profits such as the Woodruff Foundation, Joseph P. Whitehead Foundation, UPS Foundation, Metropolitan Atlanta Community Foundation, and Hands on Atlanta are thriving.  The United Way has recently launched a strategic plan to improve its human services and community development activities.

International:  At last count, metro Atlanta was home to 1,300 international-based companies employing 81,000 local residents, or about 80 percent of total such facilities in Georgia and two-thirds of the state’s total employment by these firms.  The international presence continues to grow.  Thirty-nine foreign-based businesses comprised nearly a fifth of the total new businesses that relocated or expanded into metro Atlanta market in 1997.  Total real estate investment by these new companies, $299.8 million, represents 45 percent of the total estimated real estate investment by the area’s new businesses in 1997.

Research and High Technology: The City’s research infrastructure is comparable with any international competition, and through innovative public/private partnerships it will continue to thrive while creating a superior foundation for future economic development.  The City’s research universities are Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Morehouse Medical College and Clark Atlanta University.  The City is especially interested in research and development in the areas of transportation, trade, tourism and telecommunications.

The Atlanta Renaissance Program: The City of Atlanta is prepared to assist its communities in fulfilling the unified vision of livable, well-designed, economically viable neighborhoods.  Under the Mayor’s Renaissance Atlanta Program, public officials, neighborhood leaders, business professionals, and the university community are working together to set Atlanta’s immediate and long-term agenda for economic development by sustaining the momentum of the 1996 Olympic Games.  The program focuses on developing a comprehensive funding strategy to leverage public and private funds to support community priorities.

Economic Development Initiatives

Growth Management

Metro Atlanta’s economic engine pumps out more jobs than any region in the nation.  With this success come by-products such as urban sprawl, traffic congestion and air pollution.  The federal government has placed a moratorium on highway grants within 13 metro counties due to smog infestation.  The challenge is to reduce/eliminate the by-products through balanced growth management.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce response to this issue is to place priority on promoting economic development inside of Interstate 285, with emphasis placed on attracting middle-class residents and overcoming specific challenges to locating a business inside Interstate 285.

Georgia Governor Roy Barnes has created the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority  (GRTA) to manage transportation projects and combat urban sprawl.  Now, local elected officials in the region must produce a long-term Regional Transportation Plan that computer models show would reduce pollution and comply with the federal Clean Air Act. GRTA will be responsible for financing and contracting for transportation road projects in counties that are out of compliance with the federal Clean Air Act.  It could combat sprawl by disallowing spending on roads to serve certain developments.

Private Sector initiatives such as BellSouth Corporation’s announcement of its plans to relocate 13,000 suburban employees to three new business centers located adjacent to MARTA transit stations in the City of Atlanta, will go a long way to reducing sprawl, traffic congestion and air pollution.

Lag in number of High-Tech degree graduates

Metro Atlanta has been ranked in the nation’s top 10 metro areas in the number of high-tech jobs, but lags in the number of students it produces with high-tech degrees.  High-tech jobs in Georgia grew 54 percent from 1990 through 1997, to 132,524 jobs according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.   Yet, Georgia is one of only two states in the top 10 in high-tech employment that was not in the top 10 in producing high-tech graduates.

The 1999 Georgia General Assembly passed legislation (the Yamacraw Mission) that will add faculty at state universities with the aim of delivering more graduates specializing in design of microchips for the telecommunications industry.  The Yamacraw Education Cluster, under the leadership of the Georgia Board of Regents, will adapt curricula for at least eight institutions in the state to graduate a sufficient number of highly trained electrical engineers and computer scientists to fill new jobs.  It will also augment research into high-bandwidth communications.  Universities in Atlanta selected to participate in this effort are Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology.  The 2000 Georgia General Assembly passed legislation that will provide incentives to promote economic development.

Livable Centers Initiative (LCI)

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Board adopted policies in the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) proposal in May 1999 to provide funding for investment studies and transportation projects located in activity and town centers in the region. This program of studies and projects has become known as the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI). The primary focus of the program is to encourage pedestrian-oriented, mixed-income residential development, as well as mixed-use developments, and improve the connectivity at the activity and town center level.  Funding includes $5 million dollars for studies throughout the region over the next 5 years.  ARC awarded six studies located in the City of Atlanta, they include (see Map 6.11 ‘Livable Centers Initiatives’):

1. West End LCI

The West End study area is 0.6 square miles, which includes the commercial corridor along Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, between Ashby and Lee Streets.  Study area boundaries are:  North – West Avenue, West – Ashby Street, East – Metropolitan Parkway, South – White Street.  The two major hubs functioning as activity centers include the West End MARTA Station and the Mall West End

2. Greenbriar Mall LCI

The Greenbriar study area is 1.6 square miles, located at the Intersection of I-285 and Lakewood Freeway with Greenbriar Mall serving as the focal point.  Study area boundaries are: North – Mt. Gilead and Panther Road, West – Barge Road, East – Hogan Road, and South – City limits and the Tri-Cities area (East Point, College Park, and Hapeville). The focus of this LCI is the Greenbriar town center  to be created around the existing mall

3. Buckhead LCI

The Buckhead study will seek to bring consensus among various community groups and business organizations in the Buckhead area by assembling previous study information and utilizing a visual preference survey.  In addition to focusing on LCI goals, issues of connectivity and housing availability in the study area will receive emphasis.

4. Midtown LCI          

This area got the designation after Midtown Alliance conducted an study with  same objectives as the  LCI program .

5. City Center Partners LCI (Downtown and Old Fourth Ward)

An alliance forged between the Atlanta Housing Authority, the City of Atlanta, Central Atlanta Progress, Georgia State University and the Historic District Development Corporation completed this LCI planning study. This study area includes the corridors along Decatur and Marietta Streets, Auburn Avenue and Edgewood Avenue, as well as three MARTA rail stations (King Memorial, Georgia State and Five Points).  This activity center study focused its strategies and actions for implementation on the four big ideas developed to guide the many activities and developments planned: 1. Strengthen Neighborhoods;  2. Park Once or not al all…Ride MARTA;  3. Fill in the Gaps; and  4. Support the Downtown Experience.

6. Bolton Rd./Moores Mill Rd./ Marietta Blvd. LCI

This study area is located at the intersection of Marietta Boulevard and Bolton Road It also includes a larger area to ensure that the connectivity between major users and activities within the area is considered. This activity center includes a variety of industrial, commercial and residential developments. The focus of the study is to encourage the expansion and redevelopment of this area into a mixed-use development node. The major components of this proposed activity center include the Moores Mill shopping center and immediate areas as focal point.

7. Hamilton E. Homes MARTA Station Area LCI

Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA Station is located in southwest Atlanta.  The activity center proper is located along Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, between Linwood Street and HE Holmes Drive.  The plan will be to create a mixed-use nodal development around the station. The station is to become a gateway to the neighborhood and business district.

8. JSA-McGill LCI (Downtown)

Central AtlantaProgress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District will conduct this study to focus on the east-west corridor in north Downtown Atlanta that includes the planned improvements to the Jones Avenue, Simpson Street and Alexander Street corridor and the Ralph McGill Boulevard corridor. This vital corridor will experience great change with the planned construction of the Georgia Aquarium and adjacent World of Coca-Cola project. The LCI study will recommend best-practice solutions for integrating existing, proposed and future development into the corridor’s physical and social infrastructure. The study will propose creative solutions for linking this growth with the rest of Downtown Atlanta and the area’s roadway and transit facilities. This study will maximize the potential of the Civic Center MARTA station and transform the surrounding community into a true Transit-Oriented Development. East-west circulation, connectivity and compatibility will also be considered from the I-75/85 Downtown Connector west to the proposed Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola sites.

Other LCI Initiatives

Peachtree Corridor Workforce Housing Study

An Atlanta Regional Commission LCI Implementation Study was completed by a partnership formed by the Midtown Alliance, the Buckhead Action Committee and Central Atlanta Progress to address the need for affordable “workforce housing” along the Peachtree corridor from Downtown, through Midtown to Buckhead.  The key elements of the study were the design of an economic model that tests the factors necessary for financing housing within the corridor and policy recommendations that will contribute to an increase in the amount of workforce housing that is provided within the corridor.The study was funded with ARC LCI implementation funds match by the three listed organizations.

The Greenbriar community along with Norcross and the City of Marietta has been chosen as a pilot community of the Regional Affordable Homeownership Task Force.

SMARTAQ (Strategies for Metropolitan Atlanta’s Regional Transportation and Air Quality) also focuses on LCI’s to find out how LCI plans have furthered the land use and transportation planning in the study area and how LCI funded transportation investments might be evaluated. West End LCI along with Perimeter Center and the City of Marietta LCI’s are the study areas recommended to perform a detailed review of expected transportation choices and other impacts.

TIP/LCI

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) published its recommendations for the 2004 LCI implementation projects. These recommendations are included in the 2003-2005 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Greenbriar LCI is recommended to received $ $2.89 Million and West End LCI is recommended to received $1.60 Million to implement its transportation projects

2004 Current Programs and Projects

Project List 6-1: 2004 CDP Economic Development Current Programs and Projects

2004 Completed, or deleted Programs and Projects

Project List 6-2: 2004 CDP Economic Development Completed or Deleted Programs and Projects

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