The Neighborhood News & Features On Hold

Plan to finance redevelopment of The Gulch faces public opposition at city council meeting

By Collin Kelley

The future of The Gulch project hangs in the balance after it was met with impassioned opposition by the public and the Atlanta City Council took no action on the redevelopment plan.

During the Sept. 17 meeting, residents spoke for four hours urging the council to reject a $2 billion incentive plan being offered to developer CIM Group.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has endorsed using public financing via bonds to get the $3.5 billion project off the ground. The Gulch, a warren of parking lots and rail lines adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, would be transformed into a massive mixed-use development with office space, residences, hotels, retail and restaurant space. It’s also been touted as a location for Amazon’s second headquarters complex.

Bottoms issued a statement ahead of the meeting after it became obvious there would not be enough support from the council. “We recognize and respect that members of Council, and the public, need more time to understand the largest development deal in our city’s history. I have no intention of asking the authors of these proposals to request a vote on these proposals today. Members of my Administration will continue to work with members of Council and the public to better understand the substantial benefits we have negotiated and the benefits this project will bring to our entire city.”

The chorus of public dissent included elected officials and even representatives from the city’s economic development arm, Invest Atlanta.

Former Georgia senator and mayoral candidate Vincent Fort warned that “someone will go to jail” if the city council allowed the deal to go forward.

Former Invest Atlanta member Julian Benet called The Gulch deal “the worst I’ve ever seen.” He encouraged the council to walk away from the deal and find outside, objective advisors before moving forward. “It’s appalling this deal was brought to you,” he said.

Current Invest Atlanta board member Bill Bozarth said the city needed to “back off The Gulch proposal.”

“It’s a bad deal from the start, and I cannot support the project as defined if it comes before me,” Bozarth said.

Sherise Brown, a member of the Community Benefits Coalition, thanked the council for not being “bullied into making a decision” and said there needed to be more community representation before any deal was made.

Councilmembers Amir Farokhi, Michael Julian Bond, J.P. Matzigkeit, Natalyn Archibong, Jennifer Ide, Andre Dickens, Dustin Hillis and Matt Westmoreland introduced an ordinance during the meeting calling for a third-party audit of the Gulch deal.