The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has instituted restrictions on outdoor water use, effective immediately.
The new restrictions were instituted to respond to continuing extreme drought conditions in North Georgia. The Atlanta City Utilities Committee plans to review the proposed water restriction ordinance with regard to enforcement of the ban.
Metro Atlanta developer Pam Sessions was among the 180 attendees at the most recent Developer’s Day workshop who came to learn about the City’s new Greener Atlanta environmental program and ways that developers can contribute to Atlanta’s long-term health and viability.
“I’m excited to know there’s a process in place to streamline green development, and that the City is promoting green building,” said Sessions, a developer for Hedgewood Homes.
For the eighth quarterly Developer’s Day workshop, City leaders partnered with energy experts to provide the latest information on best-in-class green development. Topics included construction and demolition opportunities, greenroof and water conservation and energy efficiencies. For more information about Greener Atlanta initiatives, visit www.atlantaga.gov.
During the workshop Steve Cover, commissioner, Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), also provided updates on the City’s ongoing permitting improvement project. Due to new leadership and policies, the City has reduced the time it takes to receive permits by more than 50 percent. DPCD has also recently updated its webpage to include quick access to the Permitting Primer. For more information, visit here.
Mayor, In-Town Leaders Travel to Vegas for International Retail Conference
For the second year in a row, Mayor Shirley Franklin led a delegation of in-town economic development leaders to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) in Las Vegas to promote retail and development opportunities in Atlanta.
The ICSC convention brings more than 45,000 attendees each year, with a growing percentage of being mayors and regional economic development leaders. Representatives from the Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead Community Improvement Districts (CID) and the Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) traveled with Mayor Franklin to deliver a message to decision-makers at the conference: It is an exciting time for retail in the city of Atlanta.
“When company CEOs think of Atlanta, what comes to mind is our growth potential, especially with young, urban professionals between 25 to 34 years old,” said Mayor Franklin, who participated in an ICSC forum on mixed-use developments with other U.S. mayors and company CEOs.
Despite its reputation as a premier shopping destination, Atlanta is considered under-retailed. Ongoing development trends in the city make it prime for a retail boom. The metro area’s population surge is bringing people from all over the world into Atlanta to live and vacation. Along Peachtree Street, the city’s most popular thoroughfare, hotels and high-end condos are rapidly being developed. The redevelopment of the Peachtree Corridor and the return of the streetcar make it ideal for flagship retailers.
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Atlanta Continues to Make Home-ownership a Reality
Through innovative home ownership programs like HOME Atlanta and the Atlanta Renewal Community Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP), the City of Atlanta is making affordable workforce housing a reality.
Mayor Shirley Franklin has made affordable workforce housing a priority for Atlanta. In the Economic Development Plan (EDP), the City pledged to add 10,000 new affordable workforce housing units in Atlanta by 2009.
In November 2006, Mayor Franklin created an Affordable Workforce Housing Task Force and facilitated the creation of a $75 million Housing Opportunity Fund (HOF) for down-payment, mortgage and rental assistance. In May 2007, HOME Atlanta, the first HOF program, launched with a $35 million bond. HOME Atlanta provides a 30-year mortgage at 5.95 percent with a four percent grant. Eligible borrowers may also receive 20 percent of the purchase price of the home as an additional incentive. For more information about HOME Atlanta, visit www.atlantada.com.
The MAP program, facilitated by the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) Bureau of Housing, is a partnership with the Atlanta Renewal Community. MAP provides up to $35,000 in forgivable loans to assist first-time homebuyers with down payments, closing costs and pre-paid items associated with purchasing with a home.
MAP applicants must be first-time homebuyers, earn less than 80 percent of the Atlanta-area median income and qualify for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Administration (VA) or conventional fixed-rate mortgage loan from a preferred mortgage lender. For at least one year prior to the application, applicants must reside in the Atlanta Empowerment Zone which encompasses the six Neighborhood Planning Units of L, M, N, V, W and Y. For more information about MAP, contact Melanie Lucas at 404.330.6617 or mlucas@atlantaga.gov.
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The Atlanta Fire Rescue (AFR) Department recently joined the Fulton County Fire Rescue department to honor firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. Click here to view this video.
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Rave Reviews!
- Thousands of residents and visitors enjoyed the 30th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival this past weekend at Piedmont Park. The festival was a three-day finale to the “31 Days of Jazz” in the month of May. The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) produced the Memorial Day concert which included many international jazz artists, as well as local favorites. For and overview of all the events and upcoming cultural events, click here.
Latin jazz legend Pete Escovedo leads his Latin All Stars Orchestra on Sunday night at the Main Stage of the 30th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival.
Thousands of jazz lovers enjoy three beautiful days of music, food and weather at Piedmont Park.
Local Atlanta favorite, jazz violinist Ken Ford, smiles as he performs for the crowd from the Future of Jazz stage. |
- Congratulations to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) for ranking second nationally in overall customer satisfaction in a survey of the country’s largest airfields by J.D. Power and Associates. HJAIA tied with Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County for this distinction; Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport ranked first. This honor comes on the heels of the first anniversary of HJAIA’s Fifth Runway (10-28) opening. The new runway allows air controllers to move more aircraft in and out of the airport daily, resulting in delay reduction, better customer service and reduced operational costs for the airlines. During periods of the highest demand, the Atlanta Tower and Atlanta Terminal Radar Control Facility (TRACON) staff routinely can depart or land more aircraft per hour than any other FAA facility in the country.
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- Join Mayor Shirley Franklin and the ATL Regulators for a charity ride benefiting the Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Services (Y.E.S.) program on Saturday, June 16 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the IBEW Building, 501 Pulliam Street, Atlanta, 30312. Proceeds for this all day family event support Y.E.S., a component of the Mayor’s Youth Program that mentors youth. General admission is $5/ Charity Ride fees are $20 or $25 with a passenger. Additional events include a bike show, live radio remote, vendors and more. For more information visit here.
- The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) presents Frankie Beverly and Maze with special guest Regina Belle on Saturday, June 16 at Chastain Amphitheatre. This concert is part of the Soulful Sounds of the City Concert Series. Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 404.249.6000.
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Job Announcements
With the City of Atlanta’s online application system, you are able to create an account and select a Username and Password and then log in to your account.
After your account has been established, you can create an application by clicking on the “Build Job Application” link. Once your application is completed, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for future job openings. To get started by viewing current open positions, click here.
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Weekly Features
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