$5.2 BILLION Payoff for “Gulch” Transit Hub

By Jeremiah McWilliams

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s annual economic output will increase by more than $5.2 billion by 2040 — thanks to reduced commute times, jobs brought downtown and additional development — if a multimodal passenger terminal and green space stretching from the Georgia Dome to the Capitol are built in downtown Atlanta, according to a new study.

A major caveat: The master plan for the site is only in the early stages.  And as with any long-term economic forecast, the study, commissioned by the downtown development group Central Atlanta Progress, contains educated guesswork.

“There are so many external shocks that can affect things,” said Bruce Seaman, associate professor of economics at Georgia State University, a forecasting expert who was not involved in the study.  “Of course it’s going to be a challenge to go out 30 years.”

The city and state have struggled for years to gain traction on a transit hub envisioned for the area residents know as the “Gulch.”  The sunken tract of downtown, spread for acres around CNN Center, is crisscrossed with railroad tracks and parking lots.  Late last year, the Georgia Department of Transportation signed a $12.2 million contract for a new master plan with a team of contractors experienced in large-scale developments.

“While it is still very early in the process, we’re proud of the work we’re starting and how it will benefit our hometown,” said Larry Gellerstedt, president and chief executive officer of Cousins Properties.

The study released Friday is the latest salvo in more than 17 years of brainstorming about how to get a multipurpose transit center — a central hub linking MARTA, intercity buses and rail — built downtown.

The study by Bleakly Advisory Group, Economic Development Research Group and Kimley-Horn and Associates made some eye-popping financial predictions about the effects of the passenger terminal. Among them:

● Over the next 30 years, nearly $3.1 billion in net additional investment and building in the Gulch area.

● $2.2 billion saved in travel costs for the region’s residents and businesses.

Image by k1ng via Flickr

● Nearly 15,700 more jobs brought to downtown Atlanta and up to 8.6 million square feet of additional development attracted to the Gulch and surrounding area.

“This economic impact study highlights the importance of moving forward with the multimodal passenger terminal as well as its direct impact on economic development in downtown Atlanta and the larger Atlanta region,” said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress. “The redevelopment effects indicated in this study underscore the importance of the [terminal], not only for downtown but the Atlanta region at large.”

More Growth on South Side: Caterpillar supplier eyes Griffin plant

Dematic Group, a supplier to Caterpillar Inc., is considering developing at least a 300,000-square-foot plant in Griffin that could create hundreds of manufacturing jobs.

Dematic

Caterpillar has maintained a big presence in Georgia, with facilities in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Fairburn, Jefferson and LaGrange, among other cities.

Dematic Group is the automation arm for the manufacturing processes of Caterpillar.  Dematic’s interest in the Griffin project reflects the rebound in Georgia’s manufacturing activity, which has been expanding as the economy improves.

Rajeev Dhawan

Rajeev Dhawan, Economist, Georgia State University, has been one of the most sobering — and most accurate — guides to the Georgia economy in recent years.  In his quarterly Forecast of the Nation Dhawan predicts Georgia’s employment growth will remain weak in calendar year 2011 with the addition of 33,200 jobs (9,200 premium jobs). However, the recovery will be significant for 2012, when Georgia’s economy will add 76,600 jobs (17,900 premium jobs). In 2013, it will add 85,200 jobs (17,800 premium jobs).

A Special Addition: The Fat Boy Chronicles – Saturday, February 26

“Inspired by a true story, The Fat Boy Chronicles reveals the emotionally painful world obese teens experience in the face of a thin-obsessed society. At age fourteen, 5’5 Jimmy weighs 187 pounds. Outside the comfort of his family and church, life for Jimmy is a constant struggle. The cruel taunts of his classmates make going to school or playing sports a humiliating experience. Yet, he still manages to focus on his goals – to lose weight and win over the girl of his dreams.” (http://thefatboychronicles.com).

The book, a novel by Lang Buchanan,  The Fat Boy Chronicles tells the story of this obese 9th grader in first-person journal entrities.  It was adapted into a screenplay by the team in 2009, the movie began screening in 2010.

About the Filmmaker
Lang Buchanan (Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan) began writing together during the University of Iowa’s Writer Workshops in the summer of 2000. Their first novel, Micah’s Child, published in 2006, received a nomination as Georgia Novel of the Year. Their screenplay, Treasure of the Four Lions, the story of three kids who are helped by Civil War ghosts to find the lost Confederate gold, is in pre-production with Riverwood Studios and Tin Roof Films. Cry of the Quetzal, an epic tale set in the deep South, examines the saga of Anna and Jacob, two people caught between the Korean War and their religious convictions.

Both former teachers, Diane and Mike were honored as Teachers of the Year and recognized nationally for their creative interaction with students.  Mike Buchanan, who graduated from Georgia State University and from 1978-1981 taught at Hapeville High School, lives in Alpharetta. Lang and Buchanan are creative development executives for Tin Roof Films, a family entertainment movie company located in Atlanta.

For more information on the book and film, go to The Fat Boy Chronicles website. There is a trailer on that site as well as reviews and other information on the film and the filmmakers.

Please Note: The screening of “The Fat Boy Chronicles” is a local addition to the Hapeville “Reel to Real” Arts & Film series, and is not funded by, nor part of, the South Arts/Southern Arts Federation Film Series.

“Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp”

“Hapeville Reel to Real” Film & Arts Series: made possible by the Southern Arts Federation, with “meet the filmmaker” opportunities, will come to downtown Hapeville!

The next film to be presented is “Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp” on Saturday, March 5th.

"Some of the most raucous group vocals...recorded." -Pitchforkmedia.com

“Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp” is the first feature documentary about Sacred Harp singing, a form of a cappella, shape note hymn singing. Shape note singing has survived over 200 years. Singers break open “The Sacred Harp,” a 160-year-old shape note hymnal which has preserved these fiercely beautiful songs which are some of the oldest in America. The film offers a glimpse into the lives of this “Lost Tonal Tribe” whose history is a story of both rebellion and tradition.   More about this film, view the trailer!

About the Filmmaker

Matt Hinton and his wife, Erica, are Sacred Harp singers who met while they attended Georgia State University. It was in Erica’s documentary film class at Georgia State that the seed for Awake, My Soul was sown. Seven years later, the couple completed the project and in the process got married and had a baby. Matt holds a Master’s degree in Theology from Emory University and teaches religion at Morehouse College. Erica operates Sir Chalk and Bunn, a print shop devoted to the art of letterpress printing. Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp is the Hinton’s first feature-length documentary.