Central Atlanta Progress Marks 73 Years at Annual Meeting
March 19,2014
At its 73rd Annual Meeting, Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) celebrated Downtown’s big year and launched their 2014 fundraising campaign to attract new support for the organization.With the theme -- BE Downtown -- the campaign is built upon the city’s top executives, elected officials and community partners, CAP’s leadership showcased the myriad of exciting accomplishments that will come to fruition in 2014.
The lively event featured a “movie trailer” promoting Downtown’s Big Year, which highlighted some of the exciting openings, events and projects happening in 2014. The Atlanta Streetcar, the Downtown Pop Up Retail program, the Downtown Daffodil Project, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Center for Civil and Human Rights were just a few of the “stars” featured in the video. The full printed list of more than 80 happenings was presented to attendees as a take-away item. The “living” list is available on the CAP/ADID website: www.atlantadowntown.com
“There’s a new Downtown narrative unfolding and gaining real momentum,” said A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress.Adding, “Today’s Downtown is a dynamic, youthful and diverse intown neighborhood that is the most visible part of the city and the region.”
Egbert Perry, CAP Board Chairman for the past three years, began the meeting by welcoming guests and installing CAP’s new leadership. Perry introduced incoming Chairman Dave Stockert, President and CEO of Post Properties, Inc. and led CAP members in approval of the 2014 slate of Board and Executive Committee members.
The full agenda also included remarks from Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and the presentation of two prestigious awards. AJ Robinson and Tally Sweat presented the Dan Sweat Award to Phil Kent, CEO of Turner Broadcasting for the past 10 years. Dr. Charles Gardner, Senior Pastor of the Atlanta First United Methodist Church, received the Turner Downtown Community Leadership Award from John Kampfe, Turner Broadcasting’s Chief Financial Officer.
Other event highlights include never- before- seen footage and reveals from five of Downtown’s newest and coming attractions, including footage inside Coca-Cola Technology Plaza at SunTrust Gardens Plaza. John Stephenson, President and CEO of the College Football Hall of Fame announced that there would be a football field for private events inside the attraction. Doug Shipman, Executive Director of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, revealed the center’s new logo and its official name.
ADID Board Chairman, Craig Jones, announced Downtown’s inaugural Pop Up retail program, launching this summer, and provided an impressive Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge update, including the release of the Atlanta BBC’s 2013 Annual Report.
Perhaps the biggest news of the day came from CAP/ADID President A.J. Robinson. Robinson announced that after 26 years in the Hurt Building, CAP is moving its offices to 84 Walton in the historic Fairlie-Poplar neighborhood.
Additional details follow:
Central Atlanta Progress Office Move
After 26 years in the Hurt Building on Edgewood Ave., CAP is moving its offices to the 5th floor of 84 Walton Street, occupying 9,793 square feet. As the anchor tenant, CAP will work with Selig Enterprises to restore the building of historical importance. The building will be managed by commercial real estate services company CBRE Group, Inc.
Most recently occupied by the Fulton County Division of Family and Children Services, 84 Walton/75 Marietta Street was originally built in the early 1900s as the office and home of the Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad. The building was also used as a substation to power the historic streetcar system. CAP is hoping to lead by example, driving revitalization in one of Atlanta’s more historic neighborhoods, Fairlie-Poplar.
Pop Up Retail Program
This summer, CAP will fill vacant retail spaces along the Streetcar route with temporary retail stores known as Pop-Up Shops. CAP posted a request for proposals in January and received more than 100 applications for roughly 20 available spaces. With the assistance of a selection committee, CAP has selected 17 merchants to date. The merchants chosen will receive three months free rent and a $500 grant to kick start their operation.
CAP will host a Pop-Up Party on March 29th at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market featuring many of the retailers selected for the program to give the general public a sneak peek of what’s in store for the summer. The retailers will be set up to showcase and sell a sampling of the inventory that will be housed in their Pop-Up retail space. The Indie Craft Experience will also curate a market of local vendors.
The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge
Mayor Kasim Reed launched the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge (BBC) in 2011 as part of a national sustainability program under the United States Department of Energy. The program initially began in the Downtown community and has since expanded to include more than 200 buildings (representing 70 million square feet) throughout the city.
The initiative has gained recognition from national partners and peers and is well on its ways to meeting and winning the nation-wide challenge of reducing water and energy use by twenty percent in commercial and industrial buildings by 2020.
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