The Metro Atlanta Chamber invoked a sense of history and the importance of downtown at its 165th annual meeting Thursday morning.
The location, the Georgia Freight Depot, was intentional. The depot opened in 1869, 10 years after the founding of the Atlanta Chamber.
More than 900 business and community leaders from throughout the Atlanta region attended to hear about the business organization’s three strategic priorities — economy, talent and community.
Chris Womack, CEO of the Southern Co., completed his year as chair of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, implying that he was still going to be working on initiatives that are important to having a thriving economy. One of his main interests has been to work on efforts to eliminate homelessness in the city and beyond.
“We are going to do this together,” Womack said. “We need to create a neighborhood where everybody belongs. We can do hard things. Don’t bet against us.”
Following Womack as MAC chair is Ryan Marshall, CEO of the PulteGroup, a major national homebuilder based in Buckhead. PulteGroup moved its headquarters to Atlanta over a decade ago.
“Housing is a critical component to creating jobs. For every two jobs that are created, we need one more residence,” Marshall said, adding that the amount of housing is inadequate in the Atlanta region as well as national. A pressing need is to create more affordable housing, begging the question: “Are we making it possible for all socio-economic groups to live here?”
Much of the annual meeting put the spotlight on downtown Atlanta. Earlier this year, the Metro Atlanta Chamber launched Downtown Reimagined. The initiative seeks to coordinate the transformation of downtown Atlanta into a world-class entertainment scene, a vibrant living environment and a bustling business community, according to a press release about the annual meeting.
Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the Chamber, repeatedly said downtown Atlanta is the heart of our region. But she added that “it hasn’t lived up to its full potential.”
She then listed several efforts already underway to help revitalize downtown. Georgia State University received an $80 million grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to transform its downtown campus to better connect the university with downtown neighborhoods.
There also are redevelopment plans underway for Centennial Yards, South Downtown and Underground Atlanta. The first phase of “The Stitch” — a project incubated by Central Atlanta Progress — has received federal funding. The city’s 2 Peachtree project will convert the office highrise at Five Points into a residential tower. And Georgia Pacific has announced plans to transform its signature building by incorporating 400 residential units into the tower.
“When downtown Atlanta thrives, the region thrives,” Kirkpatrick said. “Downtown Reimagined. This is long-term work — 10 to 20 to 30 years into the future.”
Kirkpatrick said there have been $1.1 billion in recent investments, and there are more than 15 new projects that will be supported by $7.3 billion in public and private funding.
“There is $8.4 billion flowing into downtown Atlanta,” Kirkpatrick said.
Much of the emphasis on downtown is aimed at creating a place that will be welcoming for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and the eight matches that will be held in Atlanta.
The Chamber also reiterated that Rich McKay, CEO of Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment and CEO of Atlanta Falcons, will serve as the 2026 chair of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, just in time for the World Cup.