Mayor Kasim Reed discussed a variety of topics at a news conference held this morning at city hall, including a potential move by the Atlanta Hawks to a new venue in the city.
Reed said the Hawks are looking at three potential arena sites in the city, including the Civic Center property on Piedmont Avenue. The team is also exploring a revamp of its current home, Philips Arena, according to a report from the AJC.
The mayor also said that since MGM Grand announced its interest earlier this month month about building a casino in Downtown, that three other casino companies are also eyeing similar plans with Turner Field a site possibility after the Braves depart for their new stadium in 2017. However, Reed said he’s not convinced a casino is good for the city, but would hear the proposals from each company. The Georgia Legislature would have to make casino gambling legal before any buildings went up and Gov. Nathan Deal and the Republican controlled state have shown very little interest in hearing the spin of slot machines. Read more at the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Reed and Invest Atlanta, the city’s development arm, announced in their mid-year economic and community development update that the agency surpassed its job creation goals for 2015. From January to June, the city and Invest Atlanta worked to win 28 business relocations and expansions which contributed to the creation of 6,320 jobs, exceeding the 6,100 job creation goal for the year.
“Atlanta’s business climate is in the best shape it has been in since the Great Recession,” Reed said. “The year 2014 was a banner year for our city, and 2015 looks to be an even stronger year for job creation and our economy. By recruiting new business headquarters and corporate expansions, we will ensure that Atlanta remains the dominant economy of the Southeast.”
Major business wins that have promoted job creation in Atlanta this year include Kaiser Permanente, NCR, Sage and Worldpay. As of June 2015, the total economic impact generated exceeds $2.275 billion.
Atlanta has also been selected as one of nine finalists for the 2014-2015 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant. As part of the grant, the city and the Atlanta Housing Authority would work with private and public sector partners to revitalize portions of west Atlanta, including Vine City, Ashview Heights and the Atlanta University Center neighborhood. If selected, Atlanta will receive up to $30 million for revitalization efforts and to address local challenges identified during the planning process. A final award announcement is expected in September.
