Atlanta’s housing authority board has chosen New York-based Tishman Speyer and Atlanta’s H.J. Russell & Co. to transform the 14-acre Atlanta Civic Center property into a housing development. According to Atlanta Civic Circle, details are scant about the project other than 1,300 housing units are planned, including 430 marked as affordable affordable, for the property on Piedmont Avenue in Old Fourth Ward. Tishman Speyer is also planning to redevelop the Compound and Republic Social night club properties in West Midtown into a huge mixed-use development.
Hundreds of kindergarten students in Atlanta Public Schools will begin saving for college and learning about the importance of financial literacy, thanks to a collaborative initiative between the district, Operation HOPE, and the City of Atlanta. The HOPE Child Savings Accounts Program will provide all kindergarten students in APS Title I schools with a free savings account starting with a one-time deposit of $50. Operation HOPE has partnered with Citi, which provides banking, data management and consulting services for the program. Savings will held in custodial bank accounts until students graduate from an APS high school. Family deposits and program incentives will help the money grow, according to APS. More information on the HOPE Child Savings Accounts Program can be found here.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Georgia has provided nonprofit Everyone Eats with a $150,000 grant to help the organization secure a facility on the Westside. This space will include a food pantry, a community garden, and a restaurant/soup kitchen. Over the past five years, Everyone Eats has helped more than 32,000 families in need through a blend of events, mobile delivery, and pop-up markets to bring food and other services to residents throughout Atlanta. They have also conducted toy and book bag drives. Find out more at www.everyoneeatsfoundation.org.