A recent article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle is a treasure trove of inside info on the potential for new apartments around Decatur.  The full story is behind a firewall, but Michael was good enough to give us the gist of the full article.  Of particular note…

• The Bank of America project at Commerce and Clairemont has “all but fallen apart” according to the Chronicle.
• Another smaller 150 unit mixed-use apartment development behind the Fidelity Bank building (on the Commerce curve) is much closer to coming to fruition.  In fact, according to the ABC, the site is already under contract.
• 315 West Ponce (aka Decatur Court) is also still being looked at by developers, but they are aware of potential parking issues with developing the site.
• Trinity Triange is also again “drawing interest” from developers.

With so many potentials, it seems likely that sooner or later, apartments will soon be popping up SOMEWHERE in Decatur.

From the Atlanta Business Chronicle…

The Georgia House of Representatives Wednesday defeated a constitutional amendment aimed at allowing the state to create charter schools.

While 110 lawmakers supported the proposal and 62 voted against it, the measure failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to approve constitutional amendments.

As many of you are aware, CSD adamantly opposed the amendment, which would have overridden a State Supreme Court decision last year which ruled the State Charter School commission was unconstitutional.  Many metro Atlanta school systems opposed the commission because it was granted the authority to single-handedly create local charter schools – and thus divert per-student funding – without any consent from local populations.

Thanks to Steve for forwarding!

Fisher writes in…

Not sure if you saw this in last week’s Atlanta Business Chronicle but there was a front page article about the “Philanthropy 400″ (I guess the nonprofit version of the Fortune 500). Thought is was awesome that the highest ranking nonprofit in the state, Task Force for Global Health, is headquartered in downtown Decatur (note that it beat out the American Cancer Society). Even more impressively, it is the 4th highest ranking nonprofit in the entire country. They bought the building at 325 Swanton Way a few years ago (corner of Swanton & W. Trinity) and they are currently under construction with an expansion project – I guess we now know why. Very cool to have an organization with such a worldwide reach and meaningful mission located right here in Decatur. Here is the link to the full article.

You can learn more about the Task Force for Global Health on their website.  We covered their recent expansion plans HERE back in May.  The picture above is pre-construction.

Atlanta’s 21-member regional transportatoin roundtable, made up of politicos from around the 12-county region, finalized the Transportation Investment Act project list today that will go before voters next year.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the biggest last minute funding “hits” were taken by…

….a planned extension of MARTA’s North rail line to Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, which got only $37 million, and a proposed commuter rail line linking Atlanta and Griffin, Ga., which got only $20 million. A planned extension of MARTA rail service along the Interstate 85 corridor in Gwinnett County was cut to $95 million.

Though there was talk of cutting back funding for the Clifton Corridor transit line to help fund a rail extension along I-20, the effort never materialized and the project retained it’s $700 million funding level from the draft list.  However, the sole project to receive more money previously – the Midtown to Cobb rail line – was cut to $695 million.  That makes the Clifton Corridor line the single largest project on the list.

Royal Gazette reporter Robyn Skinner recently wrote an article for the Bermudian paper titled, “Atlanta: an exciting city worth visiting“.  With the bad press Atlanta’s been receiving lately from the travel mags, I figured this was probably some good medicine.  Here we go…

Without a doubt the second reason for visiting Atlanta is the generosity of the people. Honestly, how many places have you visited where a stranger on the train offers to call your hotel for you? And where else can you go where the person selling you tickets for an exhibit gives you hints on how to save your money in their city? Or where the servers are so friendly in restaurants they offer to walk you to the pharmacy you need to find? That never happened in New York City (sorry NYC, I love you, but …..)

The article glows (yes, glows) on from there.  Of course, not all ATL tourist destinations are what they’re cracked up to be.  Even for this southern-struck writer.

Here I will have to interject with one NOT to do in Atlanta: Do not visit the Atlantic Underground. The guides exclaimed: “the best nightlife”, “great shops” and on and on. Well, I tried it at night and I tried it during the day and I would say……SKIP IT. There was no nightlife to speak of and the shops were…..well if you want to shop in Atlanta you can find a better place.

I guess it sorta makes sense.  If you live near some of the greatest beaches in the world, you’re not looking for a beach vacation.  Sure you can go to any number of other interesting U.S. cities, but if you want to avoid the ocean for a week, where better to lose yourself than amongst the trees of Atlanta?

h/t: Atlanta Business Chronicle