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Last updated by Thom Abbott at July 9, 2018.

Citizens For Progressive Transit – July 2018 Newsletter

July 9, 2018 by Thom Abbott Leave a Comment

Somewhere, somehow, I stumbled upon this organization and their monthly newsletter.

Citizens For Progressive Transit

…their website seems to be a tad behind…I’m sharing the July, 2018 newsletter with you here, and the website has April, 2018…so the best way to keep up with them would be to subscribe to receive the newsletter. But the highlights of July are:

Marta Takes Over Atlanta Street Car –$1 Fare Continues

The Atlanta Streetcar was turned over to MARTA on July 1. But they opted to keep the $1 fare, which has been blamed for the dramatic drop in ridership. It should probably be included in your regular MARTA fare, and you could transfer to the Streetcar.

I’ll give Atlanta credit for trying, in getting the Streetcar started. (You remember the plans called for it to run from Downtown to Buckhead on Peachtree Street, but the funding was not there, along with some lack of interest, challenges with it being on Peachtree, etc, etc.) But, to go from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Center….not much service there.

ARC Grants to Expand Suburban Bus Service

Douglas County (that’s way out West for us In-Town folks) will get its first fixed-route bus service, and Cobb and Gwinnett will get to expand, due to new federal funding by the ARC.

Bond Money to Go For GA 400 Bus Service

Gov. Deal announced that recently approved bonds to raise $100M will be used in North Fulton County to facilitate MARTA bus service along GA400.

A Faster Path to Regional Rail (THIS one caught my eye big time!)

We’ve talked about regional passenger rail. And talked. And studied. And talked and studied…..but nothing. Yet North Carolina has launched a fourth daily round-trip on its state-funded Amtrak line, running from Charlotte to Raleigh. The three round trips carried 427,000 people last year. HELLO GEORGIA? It’s the 21st Century…and we can’t keep widening roads or adding cars.

This is why I love reading the Citizens For Progressive Transit newsletter….it keeps me informed.

You can read the entire newsletter here.

You can JOIN CFPT, and subscribe to the newsletter HERE.

Thom Abbott

I'm a real estate broker living and selling the City lifestyle of Intown Atlanta Communities. From the high rise condominiums of Midtown and Buckhead to the bungalows and traditional homes of Chamblee, Brookhaven and Doraville, I enjoy introducing people to parts of Atlanta and everything they have to offer. I'll help you find the right home in any of these or other exciting Intown Atlanta communities that border Midtown Atlanta and The Gold Line!!

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Brookhaven’s New Zoning Code to Get Public Input

July 7, 2018 by Thom Abbott Leave a Comment

Brookhaven has been working off Dekalb County rules…and have decided it’s time to have their one rules and plans. And there are some interesting new options including Mixed-use districts, backyard cottages and a new Buford Highway Overlay District.

If all goes well with two more public meetings for residents on July 19th at 9am and 6pm, this new zoning rewrite could go before the council in September as the City of Brookhaven looks to set the course for the city’s look and feel for years and years!

Two more public meetings for residents to hear more about the zoning rewrite are set for the July 19. The Planning Commission will also dedicate its July 11 work session solely to going over the draft, according to Chair Stan Segal.

You can read more about the new zoning code in an article in the Brookhaven issue of Reporter Newspapers.

Additional information about the Zoning changes can be found at brookhavenzoning.com

Thom Abbott

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New Hotel Proposed for Beltline in O4W

May 25, 2018 by Thom Abbott Leave a Comment

There is never a lack of interest, or desire to live, work or build on the Beltline! That is evidenced by the recent announcement by Portman Holdings, LLC who has just purchased a prime little corner at Irwin Street and the Beltline!

New Hotel Proposed for Beltline in O4W

The company purchased the site, a little more than 1 acre for a mere $5.5 MILLION! It closed May 9th, according to a story in the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Portman, known for their major hotel construction will seek to build a “cool lifestyle boutique hotel” on the site. While still to early in the planning stages, 145-170 keys are being proposed. The company is talking to hotel brands not found in the Atlanta area, and the article also mentions a food an beverage and event space.

One might recall that a hotel was proposed for the site back in 2015, but that deal, with Beltway Investment International, Smart Hotels, LLC, and Hospitality Ventures Management Group never moved forward.

A second hotel ( or maybe it was first?) is also proposed as part of the New City LLC project that is next to the Historic Fourth Ward Park. That project could break ground later this year.

We’ll update this article with some on-site photos, but the photo BELOW shows the location of the new hotel.

Thom Abbott

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Will Atlanta See A Regional Transit System

March 7, 2018 by Thom Abbott Leave a Comment

That’s the billion-plus dollar question for sure….

Will Atlanta See A Regional Transit System

If you are fortunate enough to live in Midtown, you may get more use out of the current MARTA system than others due. If you think about it…if you live in John’s Creek for example, by the time you would drive your car to the Doraville (Or Chamblee) MARTA station, park, and then continue your commute to work via transit, you probably would get there in the same amount of time if you just stayed in your car.

And…what if you live in Duluth, and work in the Cumberland area? Well, you’re just plain out of luck.

I came across this article in the Saporta Report. It talks about the challenges I’ve known for a long, long time. There are to many people (in this case jurisdictions) involved to get anything done on a regional basis. The need for a TRUE regional transit authority and system is really a key to the future of Atlanta. It’s future being you don’t spend 3 hours in your car each way to work if you have to live in the suburbs.

As Brian says in the article, ” Currently a transit line from the Cumberland Business District to Duluth would require crossing four different counties and three different transit systems. First, state funds should be prioritized for regionally-important projects that serve multiple jurisdictions. Even with these bills, the majority of transit funding will continue to come from local sales taxes, and individual counties are unlikely to prioritize projects that span multiple jurisdictions. A transit line from Cobb County to Gwinnett County is incredibly important to the region, but none of the four counties involved can build the project on their own. The ATL should ensure that sufficient funding is available for regionally-significant projects.”

And I’m not forgetting the way-out areas either. Imagine high speed rail from places like Columbus or Macon where people would have a option (and a quick one) to get to Metro Atlanta for work, without having to pay the cost of living in this city. Ah….one can dream right?

Will Atlanta see a Regional Transit System?

The article from Brian Gist, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center can be found HERE.

Thom Abbott

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Coworking Spaces in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta

February 21, 2018 by Thom Abbott 1 Comment

You’ve probably noticed the rise in Atlanta of co-working spaces. The names We Work and Industrious might most ring a bell, but there are many other options in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta….even I was surprised!

Coworking Spaces in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta

As the article link below mentions, coworking has become very popular all over the country, but most recently we have seen quite the boom of these kinds of spaces all over Atlanta. While the article focuses on the Midtown and Downtown Atlanta areas, I know that We Work is opening at the Perimeter and Industrious has a Buckhead location.

Whether you are a single person looking to have an “office space” outside of your condo, to a startup company, these flexible work spaces can offer you much of what a normal office might offer, but for far less money because of the sharing of resources.

If you are considering a coworking space, be sure to check them out in person, and see what they are like. If you may need to meet clients, how accessible is the space for your guests? I know I looked at space in the Industrious offices at Ponce City Market before we opened our Midtown Atlanta office on Juniper Street. There were a few to many layers of security (at least at that location) that would have not made it user friendly for a real estate office. (And now we have a storefront anyways…so much better!)

But if you are considering living in Midtown or Downtown, and need office space not provided by your company, or your start-up NEEDS office space, check out the list in this article!

Coworking Spaces in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta

Thom Abbott

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Citizens For Progressive Transit – July 2018 Newsletter

Citizens For Progressive Transit

Thom Abbott

Brookhaven’s New Zoning Code to Get Public Input

Thom Abbott

New Hotel Proposed for Beltline in O4W

New Hotel Proposed for Beltline in O4W

Thom Abbott

Will Atlanta See A Regional Transit System

Will Atlanta See A Regional Transit System

Thom Abbott

Coworking Spaces in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta

Coworking Spaces in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta

Coworking Spaces in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta

Thom Abbott

Monthly Debt and Obligations Should Include:

Thom Abbott

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