Atlanta Mayor Rallying Support For Massive Gulch Redevelopment

ATLANTA, GA -- Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held a public meeting Wednesday night in an attempt to build support for her redevelopment of The Gulch, a major piece of downtown property. The mayor is arguing the proposed agreement with CIM represents "an historic and unprecedented opportunity to bring much needed investment and redevelopment to the heart of downtown Atlanta. The project would not only increase the city’s tax base and create thousands of permanent jobs, it would also reserve up to 30-percent of the units for affordable housing," her office said.

"It would also allocate tens of millions of dollars from the developer for affordability and other initiatives citywide."

Last week, Bottoms tabled her administration's plans for developing the Gulch so the city council can further study her plans. Bottoms announced the city had reached a proposed agreement with CIM Spring St. for the Gulch's development, which would have required approval from the city council. The agreement includes both the exchange of real property and numerous public purpose initiatives that support the city's goals with regard to affordable housing, public safety and economic development.

"For the past several months, members of my Administration have been working to finalize a deal to redevelop the Gulch area in downtown Atlanta," Bottoms said last week. "We have negotiated an unprecedented deal that will transform a 40-acre hole in the ground and make tens of millions in significant investments in other parts of our city related to affordability, equity, and opportunity. We recognize and respect that members of Council, and the public, need more time to understand the largest development deal in our city's history. I have no intention of asking the authors of these proposals to request a vote on these proposals today. Members of my Administration will continue to work with members of Council and the public to better understand the substantial benefits we have negotiated and the benefits this project will bring to our entire city."

More Patch coverage

Atlanta Mayor Delays Redevelopment Of The Gulch

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