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Redevelopment

October 28, 2014

The Redevelopment Authority continues to press forward to redevelop Fort McPherson and economically transform the surrounding community. There are several upcoming opportunities for the community to continue to engage in the process that I want to share with you. I also want to update you regarding that community engagement and other progress.

Last week our partners including the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta, the Atlanta BeltLine, the Atlanta Housing Authority met at Ft. McPherson with U.S. Department of Transportation officials. We discussed our shared needs and the infrastructure funding opportunities to catalyze redevelopment and encourage economic development. Everyone enjoyed a brief tour of the base.

Also last week more than 100 members of the community met for more than 4 hours with the Redevelopment Authority’s Community Engagement Subcommittee (CES). They were deeply engaged in the work of finalizing a presentation of community expectations to Tyler Perry Studios. The presentation includes four main areas of focus:

  1. Safety, Security and Well Being
  2. Economic Development and Entrepreneurship
  3. Real Estate and Community Need
  4. Communications and Future Dialogue

We are extremely grateful that so many members of our surrounding communities are so dedicated to making this redevelopment a success. CES expects to refine and finalize the presentation during two additional meetings on October 29th and (tentatively) November 12th. Please join us for the next meeting:

Topic: Developing the presentation to the Redevelopment Authority Board and to Tyler Perry Studios
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Place: Fort McPherson, 1794 Walker Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

I also hope you will consider joining the Redevelopment Authority in participating in the Atlanta Airport Chamber of Commerce’s fourth annual View from the Top economic development event at 11:30 a.m. on October 29. Fort McPherson lies within the envisioned Atlanta Aerotropolis – airport city. Our community’s proximity to the world’s busiest airport (like our connection to MARTA) is a huge benefit as we pursue redeveloping Ft. McPherson. Help us take full advantage of that opportunity by engaging in the discussions of redevelopment in our larger area. Our Board member, Chairman John Eaves of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, will be one of the moderators at the View from the Top event. To register please contact the Chamber Office at 404-209-0910.

Thank you for your support.

Brian Hooker
Executive Director


October 15, 2014

The Redevelopment Authority is pressing forward with our mission to redevelop Fort McPherson and economically transform the surrounding community. I want to thank you for welcoming me to your neighborhoods to learn more about what we can achieve together, invite you to an important opportunity for further dialogue, and share a couple of other updates.

Community Engagement

Achieving our mission requires a deep understanding of the community, so I am grateful to those of you who have taken time to personally escort me on community tours. In just a few short weeks on the job, I’ve toured Oakland City, Villages of East Point, and Sylvan Hills. These opportunities have afforded me a better understanding of how Ft. McPherson redevelopment can economically uplift surrounding communities. I welcome additional opportunities to engage in the community. The significant investment Tyler Perry has committed to make in redeveloping 330 acres of Ft. McPherson will lead to job creation and other economic opportunity. Investments by entrepreneurs like Tyler Perry, who recognize opportunity and are willing to take risk, act as magnets for further investment. His investment in Ft. McPherson offers the Redevelopment Authority on behalf of the community the chance to redevelop the balance of the site – 144 acres, as big as some of the metro region’s biggest urban redevelopments (indeed, among the largest in the country).

Presentation to Tyler Perry Studios

So I am pleased that the community will have the chance to engage Tyler Perry Studios. Members of the community, working under the Redevelopment Authority’s Community Engagement Subcommittee (CES) chaired by Councilmember Joyce Sheperd, are developing a presentation to be made to Tyler Perry Studios about the best ways to help uplift the community through investment. Please join us at the next CES meeting to offer your input to that presentation:

Topic: Finalizing the presentation to the Redevelopment Authority Board and to Tyler Perry Studios
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Place: Fort McPherson, 1794 Walker Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Other Progress Updates

In addition, we are pressing forward on our commitment to the community to serve the homeless. Today we posted to our website a Request for Proposals seeking homeless service providers. Please share this with your networks.

Finally, for the moment, we are actively negotiating with Army to gain control of Fort McPherson, and with Tyler Perry Studios to subsequently purchase a portion of the property. While we are getting closer to finalizing these transactions, we are not expecting to complete those deals by our original target date. We will continue to update you as we work toward new closing date.

Thank you for your interest in the redevelopment of Fort McPherson. We hope you will forward this to other interested citizens. (If you do not wish to receive these updates feel free to opt-out below.) We are committed to continually, transparently communicating with you. And we welcome your questions, concerns and ideas.

Forward!

Brian Hooker
Executive Director


October 6, 2014

Tyler Perry Studios’ commitment to develop and operate a film studio on part of the Fort McPherson property provides an historic opportunity to redevelop 330 acres in Southwest Atlanta. It also opens the door for the McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority to redevelop an additional 144 acres along Lee Street and Campbellton Road. The benefit to the community of the Tyler Perry acquisition is threefold:

  1. The deal provides funds needed to acquire the former Army base from the federal government without using local taxpayer funds. Without this funding the site would continue to languish;
  2. The film studio will create hundreds of permanent jobs, thousands of production jobs, opportunities for tourism, and it will catalyze additional investment in the surrounding community;
  3. The redevelopment of the remaining 144 acres, an area about the size of the Atlantic Station redevelopment, will remain under public control, be guided by the redevelopment plan established with significant community input in 2010, and keep consistent with our mission to better connect to the surrounding communities, generate jobs, promote economic development, and support the homeless.

We are pleased to share with the community the Memorandum of Understanding between the Redevelopment Authority and Tyler Perry Studios that summarizes the pending transaction. In particular the MOU:

  1. outlines the basics of the real estate transaction including land description, price, payments/phases, schedule, earnest money, inspection period and exclusivity;
  2. sets a tight 60-day timeline for the Redevelopment Authority, the U.S. Army, and Tyler Perry Studios to execute the transaction; and
  3. sets the stage for more specific negotiations, due diligence and planning to complete this complex transaction.

We have already publicly shared many of the details in the MOU about the transaction, including price, acreage, target dates, and overall plans for the site. We are releasing the MOU document publicly for the benefit of all constituents, answering an open records request. We are grateful to Tyler Perry Studios for further supporting transparency and openness by agreeing to release the MOU.



McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
86 Pryor Street Suite 300 Atlanta, Ga 30303
404-614-8333
info@McPhersonredevelopment.com