April 16, 2007

ADID Board Approves Expansion of Ambassador Force® and Clean Team into the Railroad District

The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) board voted to expand the District to include 20 blocks in Atlanta’s south central business district. Property owners are re-branding the area bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr, Peachtree Street, and the Norfolk-Southern Railroad tracks that border the west side of Downtown as the Railroad District to highlight the neighborhood’s rich and vibrant history as well as its potential for future redevelopment.  A majority of property owners petitioned the ADID board to expand the existing district to include their area.

 “We first expanded the Downtown Improvement District in 2000 at the request of a majority of property owners to the north of our original District boundaries,” said Paul Kelman, executive vice president of Central Atlanta Progress, the non-profit organization that administers the ADID. “We have expected for some time that property owners to our south would also want to join the District. By expanding the reach of the Ambassador Force and Clean Team, we will continue to improve Downtown Atlanta. Our momentum right now is great and this expansion will provide a boost to Downtown’s next growth area.”

In late 2006, redevelopers the Morsberger Group hosted a charette for more than twenty area stakeholders to discuss the current state of affairs, challenges, opportunities and re-naming possibilities for the Railroad District.

“My experience with other real estate developers and partners has convinced me that a team can work together to achieve a favorable outcome for the whole neighborhood more effectively that going it alone,” said Emory Morsberger, president of the Morsberger Group. “This has been an incredible team effort so far and we look forward to the next several years working together.”

In order to strengthen the movement to revitalize this neighborhood, the Railroad District team working closely with City of Atlanta, Central Atlanta Progress, and the Atlanta Development Authority set out to encourage other fellow property owners to join the efforts to unite the community.

"I am impressed and encouraged by the leadership and collaboration of multiple business owners in bringing together the City of Atlanta, Central Atlanta Progress, and the owners of properties of all sizes to produce a concrete vision and action plan for this vitally important and promising area within our central business district," said Councilman Ceasar Mitchell.

Securing the expansion of Atlanta Downtown Improvement District is only the first step toward the Railroad District’s revival. The bright future of the area also includes plans for streetscape enhancements, essential transportation improvements, potential renovation of the Nelson Street Bridge and establishing more effective neighborhood connectivity, open spaces and green space.

The different companies working together included the Morsberger Group, Central Parking, Gallman Development Group and Wood Partners. All of these companies are active in redevelopment plans for the area.  The Morsberger Group owns the former C&S Bank building, which it plans to convert into 231 condominiums, 24,000 s.f. of street level retail and 6,000 s.f. of office space. Gallman Development Group is currently working on mixed-use projects immediately west of the Railroad District, such as Castleberry Point, and also owns property near the Garnett St. MARTA station. Developers Wood Partners is currently planning a potential redevelopment of the Norfolk-Southern building into 500 residential units with street level retail. All will be heavily involved in the revitalization of the neighborhood with a combined total of nearly $200 million in investments.

These projects, when combined with the under construction Department of Justice building, City of Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters, renovations to the Richard B. Russell building and MLK Jr. Federal Building, and the pending Atlanta Multimodal Passenger Terminal and many other important locales, public and private, will all contribute to a vibrant future for the neighborhood.

The next step for the Railroad District team is to present a resolution for expansion approval to the Atlanta City Council in May 2007, co-sponsored by City Councilmember Ceasar Mitchell and also co-sponsored by City Councilmember  Kwanza Hall, whose District 2 includes the Railroad District.

“This dramatic southward expansion of the Improvement District is just the bold stroke that Downtown needs at this exciting moment in its history,” said Councilmember Hall. “Condominium and business owners can’t wait for the arrival of these new programs and services. It is my pleasure to sponsor legislation that will jumpstart the future of this historic neighborhood and connect it with the increasingly popular neighborhoods of Castleberry Hill, Fairlie Poplar, and Sweet Auburn.”

Each of these individual undertakings are significant steps to realizing the vision of revitalizing what was once the very heart of Atlanta. For the property owners and patrons of the Railroad District, the expansion of the ADID will be the catalyst for change in this community.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said, “The City of Atlanta was built on collaboration and partnership between our political leadership and our corporate and civic community. From the beginning of my term as mayor, it is safe to say that my job is made much easier through the enthusiastic efforts of our corporate partners. The Railroad District is another milestone in the rebirth of Downtown Atlanta.”

 Created by CAP in 1996, the Ambassador Force is a full-time private hospitality and public safety force that currently patrols a 200-block area from North Avenue, south to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and from the GWCC to the downtown connector. Ambassador Force’s®  60 trained public service professionals provide residents, tourists, conventioneers, employees and business owners with a variety of information and assistance. The Clean Team keeps sidewalks and public plazas clean with daily pressure washing, vacuuming and trash clean up.