Q&A on the News
Q: What is happening with the Olympia Building downtown at Five Points? They are gutting the building. Has Georgia State acquired it? GSU owns the remainder of the block. How will it be used?
—Robert McBath, Atlanta
A: Walgreens has plans to open a pharmacy in that historic downtown location this fall, a company spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email. The two-story Olympia building was designed by longtime Atlanta architects Ivey and Crook in 1935-36 and also is famous for the Coca-Cola sign on its roof.
The city sold the building at 23 Peachtree St. to Encore Real Estate for $2.2 million in November 2013. A rendering of the proposed renovation on Atlantadowntown.com, the website for Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, shows Walgreens Pharmacy signage.
Q: Can you provide a list of all the states that have increased their high school dropout age to 18 years old?
—Sam Griffith, Kennesaw
A: Twenty-three states, with the recent addition of Kentucky and Maryland, have set their dropout age at 18, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The others: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia's dropout age also is 18.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
