Thursday, January 31, 2013
News New downtown plan to look at existing projects - and ways to fund 'em
Posted by David Schick @reportschick on Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 10:03 AM
- Joeff Davis/CL File
- Advisory group would review numerous plans for downtown, include reps from Georgia State and MARTA
The resolution creating the Downtown Development Technical Advisory Group, which was unanimously passed by the full City Council last Tuesday, calls for allocating $500,000 to a study to create a master plan for revamping the downtown area.
When CL first reported about the proposal, some Atlantans - including commenters - questioned whether spending more money on another plan will actually produce a different result.
But Willis, who initiated the proposal with his colleague Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms, says he doesn't want anyone to think that the group is "starting from scratch." The group aims to "maximize" results by taking a look at past projects and plans and deciding which parts have merit.
The group will also try to identify the resources to "figure out how to do these things that will catalyze downtown development." Willis says that he hopes citizens will recognize that this is one of the "most massive efforts" to revitalize the downtown area.
"We've never really sat back and looked at how we could bring all the financial resources to bear collectively," says Willis. His goal is to create a "cleaner, more prosperous downtown" and to establish it as "the heart of the city again."
Councilmembers amended the legislation during the meeting to increase the group's membership from 15 to 25. Willis says that this resolution was "specifically legislated" for community leaders to serve. Georgia State University President Mark Becker, MARTA CEO Keith Parker, and Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson have all signed on to participate in the project.
Wilma Southern, CAP's vice president of marketing, says the downtown booster organization and force behind 2007's Green Line Plan for the area, is "excited to be a part of" the group and "looks forward to participating."
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