Local News

Old GM plant redevelopment helped along by tax breaks

By Mark Niesse
Aug 17, 2016

The redevelopment of the old General Motors plant in Doraville is moving forward with the help of tens of millions of dollars in property tax breaks.

The tax breaks would help pay for a $60 million tunnel and street connecting the walled-off site to the Doraville MARTA station. Developers say the concourse to MARTA is critical to attracting businesses to the area.

The use of tax money for the site was approved by the Doraville Downtown Development Authority on Tuesday night even though the DeKalb school board hasn't agreed to financially support the project. Development authorities in Georgia have the power to divert tax money to promote business growth.

Developers want to turn the 165-acre site into a mixture of offices, housing, film studios and retail.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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