Dunwoody Economic Development Director Michael Starling told the Dunwoody Rotary Club that the city’s top economic development priority is to make sure that existing businesses want to stay.
“We want to keep our biggest employers,” Starling said. “The city of Dunwoody believes that a growing economy, a vibrant private sector, is the key to a vibrant city.”
Starling, who spoke to the Rotary Club Oct. 21, said Dunwoody’s three economic development goals are to retain existing businesses, recruit new businesses and to revitalize the city’s commercial districts.
He said everything, from housing to traffic to schools, impact the city’s efforts to attract businesses.
Starling said when national companies look at Dunwoody as a potential site, one of their top concerns is traffic.
“Obviously traffic in metro Atlanta in general is a problem,” Starling said. “Specifically, in the Perimeter Center market, there is a perception that traffic is worse.”
He said investments have been made over the last decade to help reduce the traffic in the area.
He said companies are very interested in the proposed transportation sales tax. A list of regional transportation projects was recently finalized by a panel representing a 10 county region in the metro Atlanta area. The list will go before voters next year, and if approved, residents will pay a one-cent sales tax to fund the improvements.
“Those projects would significantly improve the ability to get in and out of the office market,” Starling said. “They are very interested in is it going to pass, what is it going to mean. National firms that are looking to move are very interested in how that would play out.”