Legislation calls for creation of downtown Atlanta advisory group

Atlanta City Councilman H. Lamar Willis introduced legislation during the Jan. 7 council meeting to create a downtown development technical advisory group. The purpose of the group would be to create a master plan that incorporates a series of large projects already in the works for downtown: the National Civil and Human Rights Museum, College Hall of Fame, Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal, a proposed new Falcons Stadium and possible redevelopment of the area around Turner Field. The group would also be responsible for identifying future development opportunities for downtown Atlanta.

The legislation calls for the city to earmark up to $500,000 to develop the master plan. If the legislation is approved, the advisory group would consist of representatives from the City Council, Georgia State University, MARTA, Invest Atlanta — the city’s economic development agency — and several businesses and community groups.

“The difference between this advisory group and others is that we are asking for resources to develop a tangible action plan that will not only maximize the impact of the major projects we have planned for downtown, but also to make downtown attractive for future investment,” Willis said in a statement.