Perimeter Business Archives - Reporter Newspapers

Buckhead loses self-driving shuttle bid to Peachtree Corners

by John Ruch | Oct 2, 2019 | Buckhead Reporter, Perimeter Business | 0

MARTA and a group of Buckhead leaders have lost their bid to bring a self-driving shuttle experiment to the Lenox Square mall. Instead, the “Olli” shuttle is test-driving a street in the city of Peachtree Corners. An Arizona-based startup company called Local Motors sought bids from metro Atlanta organizations to test the Olli for three months. In July, the Lenox Square bid was arranged by the Buckhead Coalition, MARTA and the mall, though they fell short of a minimum $88,000 financial pledge. The Buckhead Community Improvement District had declined to participate in the bid, questioning the point of paying...

Worth Knowing: SCORE helps small businesses for free in Sandy Springs

by Carol Niemi | Oct 1, 2019 | Commentary, Making a Difference, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart. According to the U.S. Small Business Association, 30 percent of new businesses fail during their first two years, 50 percent during their first five, and 66 percent during their first 10. Despite the risks, for many of us, owning our own business is the American Dream. According to JPMorgan Chase, 99 percent of America’s 29.7 million firms are small businesses, with 88 percent of them having 20 or fewer employees. In fact, small businesses drive our economy, providing over half of all private-sector jobs. Luckily, since 1964 the...

More retailers found charging wrong Sandy Springs sales tax; experts see no easy fix

by John Ruch | Sep 29, 2019 | Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

Two more major retailers have been found incorrectly charging Atlanta’s higher sales tax rate within Sandy Springs. And the state Department of Revenue is acknowledging that, barring an audit or formal complaint, such incorrectly calculated sales tax money likely goes into the coffers of the wrong jurisdiction. That could mean tax revenue is being misdirected not only locally, but statewide. The problem is rooted in ZIP codes, such as Sandy Springs’ 30328, that the United States Postal Service generically labels as “Atlanta” even though they are entirely outside that city. Software used by companies to automatically calculate sales tax...

Officials make Brookhaven sales pitch as part of first ‘Developer’s Day’

by Dyana Bagby | Sep 29, 2019 | Brookhaven Reporter, Perimeter Business, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

Developers and business owners were recently taken on a guided tour of Brookhaven from Perimeter Summit to the Peachtree Creek Greenway, where officials spotlighted areas ripe for redevelopment during a day-long sales pitch of the city. The tour was part of Brookhaven’s inaugural “Developer’s Day” Sept. 12, where city representatives openly courted more than 50 potential developers and business owners. The city plans to hold more events like this in the future. Economic Development Director Shirlynn Brownell touted the city’s location; modern zoning regulations; such amenities as parks, a young and diverse demographic; and a MARTA station. She also...

‘Revolutionary’ Uber-style shuttle vans coming to central Buckhead

by John Ruch | Sep 25, 2019 | Buckhead Reporter, Perimeter Business, Top Stories | 0

On-demand shuttle vans hailed through an Uber-style app will begin offering free rides in central Buckhead’s business, residential and commercial district in January, in a new Buckhead Community Improvement District program one board member calls “revolutionary.” The fleet of four, free-roaming vans will replace the existing “buc” bus, an old-school commuter shuttle service that operates on limited routes only serving MARTA stations and two office complexes. The new service can take people anywhere in the general areas of the business district, Buckhead Village and the Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls. The idea is that trips directly to and...

Fulton Schools superintendent speaks about experience as high school dropout at SSPC luncheon

by Hannah Greco | Sep 20, 2019 | Education, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

The new superintendent of the Fulton County School System, Dr. Mike Looney – a high school dropout himself – says he hopes to lower the dropout rates by partnering with local businesses. “In Fulton County schools, we have one student that drops out of school every six minutes,” Looney said at a Sept. 11 Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “That is way too many.” Previously, while working as a high school principal in Alabama, Looney partnered with a local retail business to help children struggling with math to get hands-on experience in balancing a cash register and...

Alternative commuting will be key to coping with Perimeter Center’s traffic woes, experts say

by Reporter Newspapers | Sep 17, 2019 | Brookhaven Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

“Help is coming” was the slogan of a Sept. 12 Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber of Commerce “Transportation Summit,” advertised with an image of the new I-285/Ga. 400 interchange that is now under construction. But the theme was how to help commuters help themselves, as the expert panelists said infrastructure improvements alone will not solve the area’s massive congestion woes. Ann Hanlon, executive director of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, told the audience at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in State Farm’s Park Center tower that her group’s work with companies on promoting such tactics as transit use and teleworking are...

Tons of dirt to be piled high in Perimeter Center; to be used to fill pond

by Dyana Bagby | Sep 14, 2019 | Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Top Stories | 0

A mountain of dirt expected to stand about 30 feet tall could soon be visible to travelers along Ashford-Dunwoody Road in bustling Perimeter Center. The dirt will be used to fill the detention pond that fronts the busy thoroughfare between between Ashford Parkway and Meadow Lane Road in Dunwoody, a short distance from Perimeter Mall. Branch Properties recently got the city’s approval to build the Perimeter Marketplace mixed-use project that include a grocery store, restaurant and retail space, a RaceTrac and a bank. The project requires filling the pond to build a surface parking lot. The developers are getting...

Dunwoody council sends Ravinia Parkway project back to Planning Commission

by Dyana Bagby | Sep 10, 2019 | Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Top Stories | 0

The developer of a proposed mixed-use project including a hotel and restaurants at 11 Ravinia Parkway was dealt a surprise when the Dunwoody City Council voted unanimously Sept. 9 to send their plans back to the Planning Commission for further vetting. Councilmember Jim Riticher made the motion to essentially start the rezoning process for the proposed project from square one. He said it appeared the Planning Commission and City Council were considering vastly different projects and he wanted the Planning Commission to have the same information the council did as part of its considerations. Council members did not discuss...

Sandy Springs mayor leaves state economic development board

by Hannah Greco | Sep 5, 2019 | Perimeter Business, Politics, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul’s term has expired on the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Board of Directors. Paul was appointed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal in May 2018 to fill a departing board member’s unexpired term. He represented the 6th Congressional District.. The term expired on July 1. “I was gratified to serve the state and appreciated the opportunity to move the state forward economically,” Paul said. Greg Torre, Deputy Commissioner of Marketing and Communications for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said Paul was “an active and engaged member.” The board member now representing the 6th District is...

Cox plans layoffs at Dunwoody, Sandy Springs campuses; won’t affect AJC or buildings

by John Ruch | Sep 4, 2019 | Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

Cox Media Group, owner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other major outlets, is planning roughly 87 layoffs at its campuses in the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs sections of Perimeter Center. The layoffs are reportedly management-level and will not affect the AJC newsroom, which is at the Dunwoody site. That property has a redevelopment plan in the works, but the layoffs apparently are not related to any major real estate changes. The company employs thousands, so the number of layoffs is relatively small. As reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Cox Media Group on Aug. 29 filed a notice about...

Sandy Springs announces partnership with business mentoring group

by Hannah Greco | Sep 4, 2019 | Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

The city of Sandy Springs has begun a partnership with the North Metro Atlanta chapter of SCORE. SCORE is a national nonprofit that focuses on providing free mentorship and resources to established and aspiring business owners. “Our partnership with SCORE is a natural fit for the entrepreneurial spirit of Sandy Springs businesses,” Economic Development Director Andrea Worthy said in a press release. “We look forward to working with SCORE to mentor, train and educate new and existing businesses to expand within the city of Sandy Springs.” The partnership will allow SCORE mentors to hold weekly one-on-one sessions with local...