A Message From Buckhead Coalition Chair Eric Tanenblatt October 2024

For nearly forty years, the Buckhead Coalition has convened and contributed to transformative public-private partnerships with an eye to our future. That our families, commerce, and visitors can move safely and efficiently today is a testament to that vision.

Buckhead is the jewel in Georgia’s crown because so many partners strive towards the same goal: to be the most vibrant, welcoming, and safe in-town community in America. Some of our most essential partners in this work include the City of Atlanta, the State of Georgia, and the federal government;  civic groups like the Metro Atlanta Chamber; and community planning and improvement initiatives like Livable Buckhead and the Buckhead Community Improvement District, whose executive director Jim Durrett has been a Coalition fixture for years.

Thanks to the leadership and determination of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, we are much safer than three years ago. The city’s violent crime rate has dropped 21% from last year, far exceeding the national average. Our local economy is booming, growing at a higher rate than pre-pandemic levels. And our community is more united than ever before.

This quarter alone has delivered remarkable news for Buckhead.

We just received the news that the Buckhead CID was awarded a $10 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that will span Lenox Road and Georgia 400.

The bridge is part of HUB404, a comprehensive plan to build an elevated park to enhance the walkability in Buckhead’s commercial center and an entrance to the trail network PATH400, creating a more connected Buckhead that serves the needs of the people who live, work, and play here.

 

As the Atlanta Business Chronicle described, “The bridge will be paired with additional improvements to more than 1 mile of Lenox Road. A boardwalk is planned to run from MARTA’s Lenox station on East Paces Ferry Road to Peachtree Road, while another segment from Peachtree Road to Phipps Boulevard is set to receive larger sidewalks, ramps, staircases and additional lighting.”

It was also announced last week that the largest servicer of US loans will be moving its headquarters to Buckhead’s Two Alliance building. Trimont LLC will now service a $475 billion loan portfolio with Well Fargo & Company, pending closing. Trimont will acquire the bank’s non-agency third-party commercial servicing business.

Trimont’s move expanded the local company significantly, providing an infusion of new skilled workers and new opportunities for existing ones.

Lastly, as we improve our transit and transportation options, Buckhead’s on-demand shuttle service is generating record ridership. Two years ago, Livable Buckhead launched a new version of the Buc shuttle to move people around our commercial center. Now, up to 950 weekly trips are taken on the Buc, three times more than when the service began.

Eventually, Denise Starling, executive director of Liveable Buckhead, hopes to offer weekend service and expand the hours for nighttime entertainment.

This shuttle service is a perfect example of micro-transit bridging the first and last mile for workers and consumers in accessing public transportation.

Public-private partnerships are transforming how we work and live in Buckhead, and the Coalition will continue investing its financial resources and significant influence to support them.