A new round of economic reports indicate Atlanta and the rest of the southeast continue on a trajectory of “modest” growth.
Two new reports from Atlanta Federal Reserve portray the region’s economy in relatively good terms. These reports join the muddled mix that shows the foreclosure rate has fallen, while the number of workers in metro Atlanta has decreased and the number of unemployed has increased since the spring.
In particular, the Atlanta Fed observed that apartment construction remains “robust,” and commercial ...more
One of the more photogenic parks planned for the Atlanta BeltLine is also the largest, and plans for moving it forward may be starting to shape.
The old Bellwood Quarry is soon to be the sole subject of a redevelopment review committee to be formed by the Atlanta City Council, according to legislation led by Councilmember Michael Julian Bond. The council is slated to approve the proposal as part of the consent agenda on Oct. 20.
Of political note, Bond omitted council ...more
Atlanta’s workforce training program should help residents learn the skills needed to get jobs in Atlanta’s film industry, an Atlanta councilmember with a unique perspective said Tuesday.
“The movie industry is hot in the city of Atlanta,” Atlanta Councilmember Joyce Sheperd said in a meeting of the council’s Community Development and Human Resources Committee.
Sheperd made her remarks following a presentation by Michael Sterling, who described the administrative changes he has made since taking the helm of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency. ...more
Georgia’s Board of Regents have expanded an aggressive, two-pronged plan to create an additional 250,000 college graduates by 2025.
For starters, regents agreed in September to extend to 11 additional campuses the system’s distance education program. Regents also adopted a construction budget request that’s almost 11 percent higher than the previous request to the state Legislature.
The goal is to propel Georgia toward the type of educated population necessary to attract quality employers, as well as to manage civic and cultural responsibilities.
Chancellor ...more
The city of Atlanta is “showing signs” that it is rebounding from the recession, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service.
Among the signs Moody’s identifies: The tax base is inching up; foreclosures are down to pre-recession levels; the unemployment rate is still stuck above 10 percent, but is attributed to people moving here to look for work rather than to locals unable to find a job.
The report could be a guide in gauging the economy in other parts ...more
At some point in the battle with the alligator, the hunters probably stopped thinking about the record book.
Which may be just as well. Because the alligator they killed last week after a four-hour fight was nearly a foot shorter than the state record lizard taken last year.
But the alligator that hunters took Oct. 2 from Lake Blackshear did measure 13 feet and weigh in at 660 pounds, according to media reports. The beast took six bullets to kill before it ...more
Atlanta is about to embark on another assessment of brownfields that are located in strategic locations the city seeks to prime for redevelopment.
The first site on the list is the Proctor Creek watershed area. The new Falcons stadium is in the Proctor Creek basin, which also encompasses a portion of a planned $30 million urban renewal project to be funded by Atlanta and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
The city has allocated $392,000 for the project. Proposals are due Nov. ...more
Georgia’s ambition for the Port of Savannah to smother its competitors is evident in the latest initiative – calling on the private sector to nearly double the amount of warehouse space near Savannah.
This additional warehouse space is part of a double-barreled approach to grow cargo capacity. The other aspect is a planned network of inland ports that would rival in size the Louisiana Purchase.
These expansion plans are founded on the deepening of the Savannah shipping channel to accommodate huge vessels. ...more
The Army that still owns Fort McPherson and a state authority that wants to buy the fort, and flip most of it to filmmaker Tyler Perry, disagreed Friday in federal court over a critical point: When will the deal close?
The judge seemed to think the date important. A lawyer for the Army said: “No deal is currently imminent.”
The comments in U.S. District Court in Atlanta were the latest contortion in the proposed reuse of a military base whose decommissioning happened ...more
A star-studded team of lawyers is set to appear Friday in federal court in Atlanta to begin the debate over whether Tyler Perry got a sweetheart deal to buy most of Fort McPherson to build a film studio.
Positioned against Perry as the plaintiff’s lawyer is Tony Axam, a noted death penalty attorney who once was called to serve on the defense team of convicted serial killer Wayne Williams – until Williams fired him without explanation at the outset. Axam specializes ...more
