As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up
As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up
As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up
Josh Green
Tue, 05/13/2025 – 13:34
As two different metro Atlanta groups work to put together inspired selling points and ironclad pitches, the National Hockey League’s top brass is acknowledging for the first time a third franchise in the Southeast’s largest market isn’t out of the question.
In a way, the metro ATL sweepstakes for pro hockey sound almost as feverish as the ongoing NHL playoffs. But regional groups seem to agree on one point—that a third time for Atlanta pro hockey could be a charm.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking at a Friday news conference before the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs playoff semifinals game, said Atlanta’s past two failures to keep NHL franchises here (the Flames and Thrashers) won’t count against the region, should an expansion move forward.
Bettman acknowledged the league has talked to “a couple of groups” striving to bring the NHL back to the metro, and he noted that Atlanta is a different market than when both previous teams fled north, in 1980 and 2011, respectively. But don’t hold your breath, ATL hockey fanatics: The NHL boss says there’s currently no timetable for any ownership group to submit applications, and the league hasn’t entered a formal expansion phase, as Atlanta News First relays.
The NHL reportedly won’t even vote on an expansion until ongoing negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement conclude.
The future location of pregame (or it is pre-match) hoopla? The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects
At least two north OTP factions are putting together plans to potentially develop NHL-grade stadiums and surround them with mixed-uses, in the vein of the Atlanta Braves’ successful The Battery formula. And both of them are making important moves as the off-season summer approaches.
Three days before the NHL commissioner’s remarks last week, the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to fund a $150,000 study that will examine the viability of turning the moribund North Point Mall and surrounding parking lots into a pro-grade arena—and one that could thrive when hockey isn’t in season.
Recent overview of North Point Mall’s layout, uses, and occupancy. Courtesy of Trademark Property Company; 2021
The contract was immediately channeled to a sports arena consulting firm that will weigh potential fan base and possible off-season uses, as WSB radio reported. The analysis is expected to take about five months to complete.
Last spring, a group called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group comprised of city officials and influential sports figures—including NHL broadcaster and former player Anson Carter, a longtime metro Atlanta resident—announced their intention to lure pro hockey to the mall site.
Time could be of the essence, however.
The commissioner’s remarks seem to have lit a fire underneath Vernon Krause, the car dealership entrepreneur and head of Krause Sports and Entertainment who’s been leading the charge to bring the NHL (and a massive, adjacent mixed-use district) to Forsyth County for the past two years.
Krause told 11Alive he’s preparing to travel to New York soon and formally pitch the NHL commissioner, who Krause feels could be edging the league closer to the point of voting on expansion to metro Atlanta.
How the 100-acre project would be positioned where Ronald Reagan Boulevard meets Union Hill Road along Ga. Highway 400.The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson
Krause’s grand vision—a 100-acre, stadium-anchored, live-work-play megaproject called The Gathering at South Forsyth, near the Fulton County line—tallied a significant win in January when the Forsyth County Commission voted to approve its required zoning.
The project is expected to cost in excess of $3 billion, with $1 billion of that funding the cornerstone arena that would also stage concerts and events.
Last year, Forsyth County leadership and citizen referendum voters OK’d plans for providing up to $225 million in future property taxes to help make The Gathering a reality—but only if the new district secures an NHL franchise.
A main street and retail corridor in the multi-billion-dollar proposal. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson
The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects
Krause told the news station his team has met key criteria—securing shovel-ready land, zoning, and county approval—for a “completed package” that could be potent when applying for an NHL expansion franchise beyond the current 32 teams. His lawyers continue to draft “definitive documents” to present to NHL brass, he told 11Alive.
Krause noted that his team’s research shows pro hockey in Forsyth County would be well-supported.
…
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Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up
Josh Green
Tue, 05/13/2025 – 13:34
As two different metro Atlanta groups work to put together inspired selling points and ironclad pitches, the National Hockey League’s top brass is acknowledging for the first time a third franchise in the Southeast’s largest market isn’t out of the question. In a way, the metro ATL sweepstakes for pro hockey sound almost as feverish as the ongoing NHL playoffs. But regional groups seem to agree on one point—that a third time for Atlanta pro hockey could be a charm. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking at a Friday news conference before the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs playoff semifinals game, said Atlanta’s past two failures to keep NHL franchises here (the Flames and Thrashers) won’t count against the region, should an expansion move forward. Bettman acknowledged the league has talked to “a couple of groups” striving to bring the NHL back to the metro, and he noted that Atlanta is a different market than when both previous teams fled north, in 1980 and 2011, respectively. But don’t hold your breath, ATL hockey fanatics: The NHL boss says there’s currently no timetable for any ownership group to submit applications, and the league hasn’t entered a formal expansion phase, as Atlanta News First relays. The NHL reportedly won’t even vote on an expansion until ongoing negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement conclude.
The future location of pregame (or it is pre-match) hoopla? The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects
At least two north OTP factions are putting together plans to potentially develop NHL-grade stadiums and surround them with mixed-uses, in the vein of the Atlanta Braves’ successful The Battery formula. And both of them are making important moves as the off-season summer approaches. Three days before the NHL commissioner’s remarks last week, the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to fund a $150,000 study that will examine the viability of turning the moribund North Point Mall and surrounding parking lots into a pro-grade arena—and one that could thrive when hockey isn’t in season.
Recent overview of North Point Mall’s layout, uses, and occupancy. Courtesy of Trademark Property Company; 2021
The contract was immediately channeled to a sports arena consulting firm that will weigh potential fan base and possible off-season uses, as WSB radio reported. The analysis is expected to take about five months to complete. Last spring, a group called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group comprised of city officials and influential sports figures—including NHL broadcaster and former player Anson Carter, a longtime metro Atlanta resident—announced their intention to lure pro hockey to the mall site. Time could be of the essence, however.The commissioner’s remarks seem to have lit a fire underneath Vernon Krause, the car dealership entrepreneur and head of Krause Sports and Entertainment who’s been leading the charge to bring the NHL (and a massive, adjacent mixed-use district) to Forsyth County for the past two years. Krause told 11Alive he’s preparing to travel to New York soon and formally pitch the NHL commissioner, who Krause feels could be edging the league closer to the point of voting on expansion to metro Atlanta.
How the 100-acre project would be positioned where Ronald Reagan Boulevard meets Union Hill Road along Ga. Highway 400.The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson
Krause’s grand vision—a 100-acre, stadium-anchored, live-work-play megaproject called The Gathering at South Forsyth, near the Fulton County line—tallied a significant win in January when the Forsyth County Commission voted to approve its required zoning. The project is expected to cost in excess of $3 billion, with $1 billion of that funding the cornerstone arena that would also stage concerts and events. Last year, Forsyth County leadership and citizen referendum voters OK’d plans for providing up to $225 million in future property taxes to help make The Gathering a reality—but only if the new district secures an NHL franchise.
A main street and retail corridor in the multi-billion-dollar proposal. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson
The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects
Krause told the news station his team has met key criteria—securing shovel-ready land, zoning, and county approval—for a “completed package” that could be potent when applying for an NHL expansion franchise beyond the current 32 teams. His lawyers continue to draft “definitive documents” to present to NHL brass, he told 11Alive.Krause noted that his team’s research shows pro hockey in Forsyth County would be well-supported. …Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram • OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
Union Hill Road at Ronald Reagan Boulevard
The Gathering at South Forsyth
NHL
Hockey
Professional Hockey
Cumming
South Forsyth
Forsyth County
Stafford Sports
Vernon Krause
Carl Hirsch
The Battery Atlanta
Nelson Architects
Kimley-Horn
Kimley-Horn & Associates
SCI Architects
Stone Planning
Dovin Ficken
Greenberg Traurig
Arizona State University
Sun Devil Athletics
JLL
Novus Innovation Corridor
Atlanta Regional Commission
Alexander Babbage
Atlanta Surveys
Surveys
Cumming City Center
NOFO Brewing
Referendum
Forsyth County Referendum
Bobby Orr
National Hockey League
North Point Mall
OTP
Suburbs
Subtitle
NHL commissioner hints at expansion prospects; Alpharetta and Forsyth ready possible pitches
Neighborhood
OTP
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Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
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As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up
Josh Green
Tue, 05/13/2025 – 13:34
As two different metro Atlanta groups work to put together inspired selling points and ironclad pitches, the National Hockey League’s top brass is acknowledging for the first time a third franchise in the Southeast’s largest market isn’t out of the question. In a way, the metro ATL sweepstakes for pro hockey sound almost as feverish as the ongoing NHL playoffs. But regional groups seem to agree on one point—that a third time for Atlanta pro hockey could be a charm. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking at a Friday news conference before the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs playoff semifinals game, said Atlanta’s past two failures to keep NHL franchises here (the Flames and Thrashers) won’t count against the region, should an expansion move forward. Bettman acknowledged the league has talked to “a couple of groups” striving to bring the NHL back to the metro, and he noted that Atlanta is a different market than when both previous teams fled north, in 1980 and 2011, respectively. But don’t hold your breath, ATL hockey fanatics: The NHL boss says there’s currently no timetable for any ownership group to submit applications, and the league hasn’t entered a formal expansion phase, as Atlanta News First relays. The NHL reportedly won’t even vote on an expansion until ongoing negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement conclude.
The future location of pregame (or it is pre-match) hoopla? The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects
At least two north OTP factions are putting together plans to potentially develop NHL-grade stadiums and surround them with mixed-uses, in the vein of the Atlanta Braves’ successful The Battery formula. And both of them are making important moves as the off-season summer approaches. Three days before the NHL commissioner’s remarks last week, the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to fund a $150,000 study that will examine the viability of turning the moribund North Point Mall and surrounding parking lots into a pro-grade arena—and one that could thrive when hockey isn’t in season.
Recent overview of North Point Mall’s layout, uses, and occupancy. Courtesy of Trademark Property Company; 2021
The contract was immediately channeled to a sports arena consulting firm that will weigh potential fan base and possible off-season uses, as WSB radio reported. The analysis is expected to take about five months to complete. Last spring, a group called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group comprised of city officials and influential sports figures—including NHL broadcaster and former player Anson Carter, a longtime metro Atlanta resident—announced their intention to lure pro hockey to the mall site. Time could be of the essence, however.The commissioner’s remarks seem to have lit a fire underneath Vernon Krause, the car dealership entrepreneur and head of Krause Sports and Entertainment who’s been leading the charge to bring the NHL (and a massive, adjacent mixed-use district) to Forsyth County for the past two years. Krause told 11Alive he’s preparing to travel to New York soon and formally pitch the NHL commissioner, who Krause feels could be edging the league closer to the point of voting on expansion to metro Atlanta.
How the 100-acre project would be positioned where Ronald Reagan Boulevard meets Union Hill Road along Ga. Highway 400.The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson
Krause’s grand vision—a 100-acre, stadium-anchored, live-work-play megaproject called The Gathering at South Forsyth, near the Fulton County line—tallied a significant win in January when the Forsyth County Commission voted to approve its required zoning. The project is expected to cost in excess of $3 billion, with $1 billion of that funding the cornerstone arena that would also stage concerts and events. Last year, Forsyth County leadership and citizen referendum voters OK’d plans for providing up to $225 million in future property taxes to help make The Gathering a reality—but only if the new district secures an NHL franchise.
A main street and retail corridor in the multi-billion-dollar proposal. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson
The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects
Krause told the news station his team has met key criteria—securing shovel-ready land, zoning, and county approval—for a “completed package” that could be potent when applying for an NHL expansion franchise beyond the current 32 teams. His lawyers continue to draft “definitive documents” to present to NHL brass, he told 11Alive.Krause noted that his team’s research shows pro hockey in Forsyth County would be well-supported. …Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram • OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
Union Hill Road at Ronald Reagan Boulevard
The Gathering at South Forsyth
NHL
Hockey
Professional Hockey
Cumming
South Forsyth
Forsyth County
Stafford Sports
Vernon Krause
Carl Hirsch
The Battery Atlanta
Nelson Architects
Kimley-Horn
Kimley-Horn & Associates
SCI Architects
Stone Planning
Dovin Ficken
Greenberg Traurig
Arizona State University
Sun Devil Athletics
JLL
Novus Innovation Corridor
Atlanta Regional Commission
Alexander Babbage
Atlanta Surveys
Surveys
Cumming City Center
NOFO Brewing
Referendum
Forsyth County Referendum
Bobby Orr
National Hockey League
North Point Mall
OTP
Suburbs
Subtitle
NHL commissioner hints at expansion prospects; Alpharetta and Forsyth ready possible pitches
Neighborhood
OTP
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Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
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40 Under 40: Meet Chris Shin, Eastern Glass and Aluminum
40 Under 40: Meet Chris Shin, Eastern Glass and Aluminum
Chris Shin is in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders.
Chris Shin is in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2019-09-06 17:16:48)
Chris Shin is in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders.
40 Under 40: Meet Chris Shin, Eastern Glass and Aluminum
40 Under 40: Meet Chris Shin, Eastern Glass and Aluminum
Chris Shin is in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders.
Chris Shin is in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2022-04-02 21:43:57)
Chris Shin is in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders.
Live Nation to lease concert venue at Downtown’s Centennial Yards: report
Live Nation to lease concert venue at Downtown’s Centennial Yards: report
The concert venue will be part of an 8-acre entertainment district now under construction in Downtown Atlanta.
The concert venue will be part of an 8-acre entertainment district now under construction in Downtown Atlanta. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2022-04-02 21:43:57)
The concert venue will be part of an 8-acre entertainment district now under construction in Downtown Atlanta.
Live Nation to lease concert venue at Downtown’s Centennial Yards: report
Live Nation to lease concert venue at Downtown’s Centennial Yards: report
The concert venue will be part of an 8-acre entertainment district now under construction in Downtown Atlanta.
The concert venue will be part of an 8-acre entertainment district now under construction in Downtown Atlanta. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2019-09-06 17:16:48)
The concert venue will be part of an 8-acre entertainment district now under construction in Downtown Atlanta.
How One Developer Is Reckoning With Bringing 750 Units Into Atlanta’s Apartment Glut
How One Developer Is Reckoning With Bringing 750 Units Into Atlanta’s Apartment Glut
Middle Street Partners is trying to stand out amid a deluge of developers of new apartments fighting for renters in Atlanta.
Middle Street Partners is trying to stand out amid a deluge of developers of new apartments fighting for renters in Atlanta. Read MoreBisnow News Feed
Middle Street Partners is trying to stand out amid a deluge of developers of new apartments fighting for renters in Atlanta.
Boosters say Fulton Industrial Boulevard is certifiably safe again
Boosters say Fulton Industrial Boulevard is certifiably safe again
Boosters say Fulton Industrial Boulevard is certifiably safe again
Josh Green
Tue, 05/13/2025 – 08:19
When Googling the phrase “Fulton Industrial Boulevard,” the word “shooting” might still try to auto-populate (and for tragically good reasons), but the important commercial thoroughfare is no longer synonymous with the drug trade, prostitution, and worse, according to officials leading an extensive, years-long cleanup effort.
Stretching for roughly 12 miles along the far western reaches of Fulton County, from west of Buckhead to west of Atlanta’s airport, the Fulton Industrial Boulevard area has been a major economic driver for metro Atlanta since the 1960s.
In fact, today it’s considered the largest industrial district in the eastern United States, counting 52 million square feet of industrial space, 1,000 businesses, some 26,000 jobs, and $2.4 billion in payroll—plus strategic interstate and intermodal rail connections to make it all go.
But a decline in FIB’s reputation and safety record that began in the 1990s had reached a boiling point by 2010, when the area became notorious for one of the metro’s highest crime rates.
Overview of the massive, 12-mile industrial corridor as seen last decade. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Desperate for change, commercial property owners that year founded (and agreed to fund) the self-taxing Fulton Industrial Community Improvement District in a public-private partnership. The results, according to CID leadership, have been drastic.
Public-safety initiatives geared toward cleaning up the FIB area have resulted in historically low crime rates—an 81 percent drop in overall crime since 2016, following steady declines each year, CID officials recently said.
“Today, property in the area is in demand and businesses are able to offer a safe environment for their employees,” Gil Prado, the CID’s executive director, said in an announcement.
So what’s working? A mix of high-tech crackdown efforts and more traditional ones, CID leaders say.
The tide began to change when a full-time public safety manager was hired in 2013, and CID heads began building partnerships with officials in Atlanta and the City of South Fulton, along with county and state leaders, to tamp down on illegal activity. Over the past decade, numerous problematic businesses—dilapidated and non-compliant hotels in particular—have been purged out of the corridor, according to CID officials.
FIB’s blighted Executive Inn (left) and its demolition in August. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
As outlined in an FIB master plan, a proposed government center and technical school and new industrial facilities represent one redevelopment vision for the corridor’s I-20 Gateway. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
More techie methods began in 2017 when public-safety surveillance cameras were installed in the corridor, along with 34 license plate readers (22 of them introduced in 2023 alone), according to CID public safety manager Frank Mazzilli.
Last year, extra police patrols funded by the CID throughout the district amounted to 6,300 patrol hours. Other tools include a trespassing crackdown for private properties via an affidavit program.
Beautification efforts—from litter pickup and landscaping to the removal of encampments near interstate ramps—have further discouraged criminal activity, in the mode of the broken-windows theory, according to CID leadership.
“The public-safety efforts are part of a larger effort to improve the district and maintain commercial vitality and economic competitiveness,” said Prado. “The CID will continue to make public safety a priority to ensure the district is a desirable place to conduct business.”
One section of the wending FIB corridor from above. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
…
Follow us on social media:
Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram
• OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
As outlined in an FIB master plan, a proposed government center and technical school and new industrial facilities represent one redevelopment vision for the corridor’s I-20 Gateway. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
FIB’s blighted Executive Inn (left) and its demolition in August. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Overview of the massive, 12-mile industrial corridor as seen last decade. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
One section of the wending FIB corridor from above. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Boosters say Fulton Industrial Boulevard is certifiably safe again
Josh Green
Tue, 05/13/2025 – 08:19
When Googling the phrase “Fulton Industrial Boulevard,” the word “shooting” might still try to auto-populate (and for tragically good reasons), but the important commercial thoroughfare is no longer synonymous with the drug trade, prostitution, and worse, according to officials leading an extensive, years-long cleanup effort. Stretching for roughly 12 miles along the far western reaches of Fulton County, from west of Buckhead to west of Atlanta’s airport, the Fulton Industrial Boulevard area has been a major economic driver for metro Atlanta since the 1960s. In fact, today it’s considered the largest industrial district in the eastern United States, counting 52 million square feet of industrial space, 1,000 businesses, some 26,000 jobs, and $2.4 billion in payroll—plus strategic interstate and intermodal rail connections to make it all go. But a decline in FIB’s reputation and safety record that began in the 1990s had reached a boiling point by 2010, when the area became notorious for one of the metro’s highest crime rates.
Overview of the massive, 12-mile industrial corridor as seen last decade. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Desperate for change, commercial property owners that year founded (and agreed to fund) the self-taxing Fulton Industrial Community Improvement District in a public-private partnership. The results, according to CID leadership, have been drastic. Public-safety initiatives geared toward cleaning up the FIB area have resulted in historically low crime rates—an 81 percent drop in overall crime since 2016, following steady declines each year, CID officials recently said. “Today, property in the area is in demand and businesses are able to offer a safe environment for their employees,” Gil Prado, the CID’s executive director, said in an announcement. So what’s working? A mix of high-tech crackdown efforts and more traditional ones, CID leaders say. The tide began to change when a full-time public safety manager was hired in 2013, and CID heads began building partnerships with officials in Atlanta and the City of South Fulton, along with county and state leaders, to tamp down on illegal activity. Over the past decade, numerous problematic businesses—dilapidated and non-compliant hotels in particular—have been purged out of the corridor, according to CID officials.
FIB’s blighted Executive Inn (left) and its demolition in August. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
As outlined in an FIB master plan, a proposed government center and technical school and new industrial facilities represent one redevelopment vision for the corridor’s I-20 Gateway. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
More techie methods began in 2017 when public-safety surveillance cameras were installed in the corridor, along with 34 license plate readers (22 of them introduced in 2023 alone), according to CID public safety manager Frank Mazzilli. Last year, extra police patrols funded by the CID throughout the district amounted to 6,300 patrol hours. Other tools include a trespassing crackdown for private properties via an affidavit program. Beautification efforts—from litter pickup and landscaping to the removal of encampments near interstate ramps—have further discouraged criminal activity, in the mode of the broken-windows theory, according to CID leadership. “The public-safety efforts are part of a larger effort to improve the district and maintain commercial vitality and economic competitiveness,” said Prado. “The CID will continue to make public safety a priority to ensure the district is a desirable place to conduct business.”
One section of the wending FIB corridor from above. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
…Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram • OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
Fulton Industrial Boulevard
Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
CIDs
Community Improvement Districts
Atlanta Crime
FIB
OTP
Atlanta Airport
Atlanta Industrial Market
Industrial Development
Industrial
Images
As outlined in an FIB master plan, a proposed government center and technical school and new industrial facilities represent one redevelopment vision for the corridor’s I-20 Gateway. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
FIB’s blighted Executive Inn (left) and its demolition in August. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Overview of the massive, 12-mile industrial corridor as seen last decade. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
One section of the wending FIB corridor from above. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Subtitle
Crime rates in eastern U.S.’s largest industrial district hit record low; more fixes planned, officials say
Neighborhood
OTP
Background Image
Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off Read More
Boosters say Fulton Industrial Boulevard is certifiably safe again
Josh Green
Tue, 05/13/2025 – 08:19
When Googling the phrase “Fulton Industrial Boulevard,” the word “shooting” might still try to auto-populate (and for tragically good reasons), but the important commercial thoroughfare is no longer synonymous with the drug trade, prostitution, and worse, according to officials leading an extensive, years-long cleanup effort. Stretching for roughly 12 miles along the far western reaches of Fulton County, from west of Buckhead to west of Atlanta’s airport, the Fulton Industrial Boulevard area has been a major economic driver for metro Atlanta since the 1960s. In fact, today it’s considered the largest industrial district in the eastern United States, counting 52 million square feet of industrial space, 1,000 businesses, some 26,000 jobs, and $2.4 billion in payroll—plus strategic interstate and intermodal rail connections to make it all go. But a decline in FIB’s reputation and safety record that began in the 1990s had reached a boiling point by 2010, when the area became notorious for one of the metro’s highest crime rates.
Overview of the massive, 12-mile industrial corridor as seen last decade. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Desperate for change, commercial property owners that year founded (and agreed to fund) the self-taxing Fulton Industrial Community Improvement District in a public-private partnership. The results, according to CID leadership, have been drastic. Public-safety initiatives geared toward cleaning up the FIB area have resulted in historically low crime rates—an 81 percent drop in overall crime since 2016, following steady declines each year, CID officials recently said. “Today, property in the area is in demand and businesses are able to offer a safe environment for their employees,” Gil Prado, the CID’s executive director, said in an announcement. So what’s working? A mix of high-tech crackdown efforts and more traditional ones, CID leaders say. The tide began to change when a full-time public safety manager was hired in 2013, and CID heads began building partnerships with officials in Atlanta and the City of South Fulton, along with county and state leaders, to tamp down on illegal activity. Over the past decade, numerous problematic businesses—dilapidated and non-compliant hotels in particular—have been purged out of the corridor, according to CID officials.
FIB’s blighted Executive Inn (left) and its demolition in August. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
As outlined in an FIB master plan, a proposed government center and technical school and new industrial facilities represent one redevelopment vision for the corridor’s I-20 Gateway. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
More techie methods began in 2017 when public-safety surveillance cameras were installed in the corridor, along with 34 license plate readers (22 of them introduced in 2023 alone), according to CID public safety manager Frank Mazzilli. Last year, extra police patrols funded by the CID throughout the district amounted to 6,300 patrol hours. Other tools include a trespassing crackdown for private properties via an affidavit program. Beautification efforts—from litter pickup and landscaping to the removal of encampments near interstate ramps—have further discouraged criminal activity, in the mode of the broken-windows theory, according to CID leadership. “The public-safety efforts are part of a larger effort to improve the district and maintain commercial vitality and economic competitiveness,” said Prado. “The CID will continue to make public safety a priority to ensure the district is a desirable place to conduct business.”
One section of the wending FIB corridor from above. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
…Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram • OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
Tags
Fulton Industrial Boulevard
Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
CIDs
Community Improvement Districts
Atlanta Crime
FIB
OTP
Atlanta Airport
Atlanta Industrial Market
Industrial Development
Industrial
Images
As outlined in an FIB master plan, a proposed government center and technical school and new industrial facilities represent one redevelopment vision for the corridor’s I-20 Gateway. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
FIB’s blighted Executive Inn (left) and its demolition in August. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Overview of the massive, 12-mile industrial corridor as seen last decade. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
One section of the wending FIB corridor from above. Courtesy of Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District
Subtitle
Crime rates in eastern U.S.’s largest industrial district hit record low; more fixes planned, officials say
Neighborhood
OTP
Background Image
Image
Before/After Images
Sponsored Post
Off
Atlanta Firm Teams Up With Goldman Sachs, Ares, Koch To Buy $1.1B Retail Portfolio
Atlanta Firm Teams Up With Goldman Sachs, Ares, Koch To Buy $1.1B Retail Portfolio
Argonne Capital Group is teaming up with a group of investment titans to buy a $1.1B portfolio of retail assets.
Argonne Capital Group is teaming up with a group of investment titans to buy a $1.1B portfolio of retail assets. Read MoreBisnow News Feed
Argonne Capital Group is teaming up with a group of investment titans to buy a $1.1B portfolio of retail assets.
Parkside Partners launches new development services venture
Parkside Partners launches new development services venture
Project management veteran Mark Wilde has come onboard as its managing partner.
Project management veteran Mark Wilde has come onboard as its managing partner. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2022-04-02 21:43:57)
Project management veteran Mark Wilde has come onboard as its managing partner.
Parkside Partners launches new development services venture
Parkside Partners launches new development services venture
Project management veteran Mark Wilde has come onboard as its managing partner.
Project management veteran Mark Wilde has come onboard as its managing partner. Read MoreBizjournals.com Feed (2019-09-06 17:16:48)
Project management veteran Mark Wilde has come onboard as its managing partner.