With the clock ticking, Mayor Kasim Reed said Monday he was confident he and a South Carolina company looking to take Underground Atlanta off the city’s hands could strike a deal.

Reed earlier this month told officials with WRS Real Estate Investments they had until the end of January to agree to a deal to buy the struggling downtown attraction or he would seek a different buyer.

In Monday’s exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Reed said the ultimatum worked.

“That was effective,” he said. “Everybody is working real hard. Everybody is in the final stages of the process. I’m trying to remain forceful without being unreasonable.”

For more on the story, go to myAJC.com.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez