Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has appointed Dan Halpern, a politically influential Atlanta businessman whom Reed previously placed on the board of the Atlanta Housing Authority, to represent Atlanta on the Airport West Community Improvement District.
This CID was formed earlier this year to promote a region west of the airport. The CID’s board approved in June an annual budget of $1.6 million to fund various planned improvements.
Halpern’s appointment is on track to be confirmed by the Atlanta City Council in January. ...more
Memorial Drive has the potential to become a visually interesting and vibrant corridor along its section from Oakland Cemetery to the DeKalb County line.
At least, that’s the opinion of a group of Georgia Tech students who have spent their fall semester analyzing Memorial Drive. On Wednesday, they unveiled a report they and their professor think is so well developed that parts of it are ready to be implemented.
Students crafted their report with the details typical of reports created with funding ...more
Georgia State and the CDC have teamed up on a two-year research project to evaluate how the Atlanta BeltLine is affecting the quality of life of people who live near it.
The BeltLine is the nation’s largest urban renewal project. As such, there’s a great deal of interest in the degree to which the BeltLine can improve the physical and mental well being of people who live near it or use it regularly.
The new study will address some of those issues. ...more
Atlanta will continue to allow 10-year-old taxis to operate in the city under legislation slated for adoption Monday by the Atlanta City Council.
This is to be the fourth waiver of the age limit on the city’s taxi fleet since Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration began an effort in July 2011 to clean and modernize the city’s fleet of up to 1,600 vehicles for hire.
This effort may gain new life in the council in 2015.
The pending legislation calls on the council’s Public ...more
MARTA has scheduled two meetings in early December to enable the public to learn about, and comment on, plans to advance the proposed light rail line that’s to stretch from the Lindbergh Station, through the Clifton Road corridor, to the Avondale Station.
The proposed light rail line that would serve the Emory University area has been discussed for nearly 20 years.
The meetings are scheduled for Dec. 4 and Dec. 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Details of the locations are ...more
Atlanta low-balled the event, but the city on Thursday hosted an industry forum that is an early step in the process of building a major park along the Atlanta BeltLine, at the old Bellwood rock quarry.
At the forum, Atlanta presented information to vendors who may want to help establish a water reservoir at the old quarry. While the reservoir is immensely important, the public’s attention has been more attracted to the prospect of a huge new park on the west ...more
The issue of regulating Uber-type taxi service in Georgia is to arise again today at the state Legislature.
A study committee formed by the state House is to convene its first meeting to consider the topic of “for-hire transportation services.” The House formed the committee following the controversy surrounding a proposal that would have regulated Uber, Lyft and other app-based taxi services.
The agenda for today’s 2 p.m. at states only that: “The initial meeting will be an organizational meeting to discuss ...more
Social media is enabling the Georgia Tech analysis of Memorial Drive to proceed at a startling rate of speed.
As various findings are presented on a Facebook page and other social media, interested parties are providing feedback to the Tech students in almost real time. Portions of a report presented Oct. 27 are already substantially out of date, Tech professor of practice Mike Dobbins said Tuesday.
The result is that the final report is likely to be much more comprehensive than originally ...more
The Atlanta BeltLine has a hand in two projects that could add 22-story structures next to the Historic Fourth Ward Park, and eight-story apartment buildings a half-mile north of Piedmont Park.
At Historic Fourth Ward Park, the BeltLine is seeking to rezone land to a classification that allows buildings up to 225 feet high. The site includes the Masquerade nightclub, located in a stone structure built in 1900.
The planned development is a five-story structure.
Near Piedmont Park, a developer is seeking permission ...more
Reducing the speed limit on Memorial Drive from 35 mph to 25 mph could improve safety, cut tailpipe emissions, boost the roadway’s capacity, and even reduce trip times.
Another startling discovery associated with the analysis of Memorial Drive, being conducted this autumn by Georgia Tech graduate students, is the high degree of buy-in from Atlanta city councilmembers who represent the area.
Councilmember Natalyn Archibong initiated the project and encouraged Tech to conduct the framework design studio.
Archibong provided about $13,000 from her council ...more
