Amazon HQ2, the data center boom and mixed-use development will remain trending topics in the Atlanta region throughout 2018. As location is priority for developers around the country, industry leaders have taken on additional responsibility ...
Amazon HQ2, the data center boom and mixed-use development will remain trending topics in the Atlanta region throughout 2018. As location is priority for developers around the country, industry leaders have taken on additional responsibility around timing of projects and community engagement. After adding 2.1 million square feet of office space in 2017 – Atlanta’s largest wave of deliveries on record – regional developers are far from done.
Chaired by JLL Atlanta Region President Mike Sivewright and led by the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s (MAC) Charlie Moseley, MAC’s Economic Development Leadership Council kicked off with 2017 economic development announcements in the metro Atlanta region:
Project Numbers:
77 Companies Landed
43 New to metro Atlanta
34 Expansion & Retention Projects
48 percent Foreign Direct Investments
Most Notable:
ASOS – 1,600 jobs – Union City
OneTrust – 500 jobs – City of Atlanta
Switch – $2.5B investment – Douglas County
Sysnet Global Solutions – 500 jobs – Dekalb County
Following discussion around 2017’s notable projects, a leadership panel featuring North American Properties Managing Partner Mark Toro, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Vice President of Facilities Planning & Real Estate Christopher Chelette and Urban Creek Partners’ Mark Teixeira discussed three groundbreaking regional developments: Revel at Infinite Energy Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Brookhaven campus and Quarry Yards at Westside Reservoir Park adjacent to the Bankhead MARTA station. Key takeaways included analysis of a shifting customer preference, tapping into neighborhood roots, meeting LEED standards and providing sustainable greenspace.
While developers are seeing tremendous opportunity in high-density projects, organizations around the world are taking note of the Atlanta region as a growth opportunity. Transit-centric projects must be designed to meet workforce demands and Georgia legislatures must lay the groundwork for regional transit. In closing, MAC Chief Policy Officer Katie Kirkpatrick discussed the 2018 legislative landscape and acumen to bills most impactful to Georgia’s business climate.
In the collective effort to grow the region, the Metro Atlanta Chamber will continue to bring business leaders together – facilitating conversations around industry expansion opportunities and job creation efforts. The next Economic Development Leadership Council will meet May 30 at State Farm’s central perimeter campus. If you have any questions on how your organization can engage with MAC, please reach out to Jack Murphy.
