Perimeter Business - Reporter Newspapers

State Farm Arena manager talks reopening for basketball, concerts and more

by Kevin C. Madigan | Jan 25, 2021 | Arts & Entertainment, Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

On the eve of State Farm Arena easing into a reopening event — an Atlanta Hawks basketball game — the venue’s general manager discussed safety protocols and the post-COVID future at a Jan. 25 virtual meeting of the Buckhead Rotary Club. For the past four years, sports industry veteran Brett Stefansson has been the executive vice-president and general manager of the arena, home of the Hawks and a venue for concerts and other shows. He spoke to the Rotary Club via Zoom the same day the Hawks announced they would play their first game at the arena since the...

Lidl grocery store to open in Sandy Springs Jan. 20

by Bob Pepalis | Jan 19, 2021 | Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

Lidl will open its Sandy Springs grocery store at 6337 Roswell Road on Jan. 20 at 8 a.m., immediately after a ribbon-cutting. The store hours will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. This is the company’s 13th metro Atlanta store. “It is a sign of promise that we begin 2021 with the announcement of a grand opening, and we are delighted to welcome Lidl to the Sandy Springs community,” said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul in a press release. As part of the grand opening, the first 100 customers will receive a gift card ranging from $5...

General Muir restaurant opens Sandy Springs location

by Kevin C. Madigan | Jan 17, 2021 | Food & Drink, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The General Muir restaurant has made its awaited debut at City Springs. The modern American restaurant inspired by classic New York delis opened Jan. 13 in the Sandy Springs civic center. It rounds out a slate of restaurants planned for City Springs since its 2018 opening. The City Springs location is the second outpost for the General Muir. The original location operates in Emory Point, a shopping center off Clifton Road near Emory University. “The menus are the same, but I think we’re going to be selling a lot more bagels, pastrami and corned beef than at the other...

Dunwoody considers tax and fee incentives to attract big businesses

by Reporter Newspapers | Jan 17, 2021 | Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Top Stories | 0

The city of Dunwoody is considering a system of tax and fee waivers and other incentives for businesses to come to town. The plan would be a first for the city, hoping to draw in large-office users. Michael Starling, the city’s economic development director, presented the incentive plan at a Jan. 11 City Council meeting. The system would be separate from the Dunwoody Development Authority, which offers tax abatements for developments through a different mechanism of tax-free bonds. And it would be a change in long-standing policy. “Since Dunwoody was created, we made a conscious decision not to offer...

How big corporations can tell us what’s next for pandemic lifestyle changes

by John Ruch | Jan 5, 2021 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

Back in early March of 2020, local residents and organizations were trying to figure out how seriously to take this “novel coronavirus” that had come to Georgia. Meanwhile, major multinational corporations in the area were ahead of the game, already setting up policies of sheltering in place and social distancing that would soon become everyone’s reality. A public hint came March 9, when the Georgia Chamber of Commerce quietly canceled a major Perimeter Center conference partly because many companies were barring employees from gathering and traveling. (That conference was to feature U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who went on to...

Permit data shows how local construction is weathering the pandemic storm

by John Ruch | Jan 4, 2021 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

The commercial and residential construction industry is weathering the pandemic storm in local cities, though with fewer of the gigantic projects filed in 2019, according to a Reporter review of building permit filings. Building permit categories and filing methods vary among local cities, but officials agree that the number of filings is a general indicator of developers’ and homeowners’ confidence in growth and investment. And those numbers were broadly similar in 2020 compared to 2019, despite the apocalyptic pandemic and its economic fallout. Officials say that the lack of severe plunge in permit filings illustrates some of the industry...

Dunwoody’s 2020 Year in Review

by Holly R. Price | Dec 30, 2020 | Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Education, Perimeter Business, Politics, Public Safety, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

Beyond the history-making pandemic and racial justice protests in 2020, Dunwoody faced overcrowded schools, finding a new DeKalb Schools superintendent, police lawsuits and I-285 toll lanes that could take some residents’ homes. There was even controversy with the city’s unofficial motto “Everything Will Be OK.” 2020 had some silver linings, as plans for a new park got underway and several development projects came to fruition. Pandemic shutdowns and openings Dunwoody faced similar shutdowns and mask-mandate debates as the rest of the metro area. It was one of the first cities to start significant reopening activities, both official and cautious,...

Brookhaven’s 2020 Year in Review

by Holly R. Price | Dec 30, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Coronavirus, Education, Perimeter Business, Politics, Public Safety, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

The city of Brookhaven grew by annexing more land and started a plan for a downtown “City Centre.” It pushed through the pandemic, requiring masks and closing City Hall at the first positive test of COVID-19. Following the racial justice protests across the country, the City Council formed a commission to take a closer look at the issues closer to home. Controversial annexation ends with Brookhaven win The city annexed approximately 28 acres at Briarcliff and North Druid Hills roads after an arbitration panel ended a challenge from DeKalb County. An arbitration panel rejected all the county’s arguments and...

Sandy Springs’ 2020 Year in Review

by Bob Pepalis | Dec 30, 2020 | Coronavirus, Education, Perimeter Business, Politics, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

In a monumental year, Sandy Springs dealt with the pandemic and was the scene of several racial justice protests. The city government embarked on processes that will continue into the new year, including racial dialogues and proposals for North End redevelopment. The pandemic strikes Tents at Medical Center hospitals were an early sign that the pandemic was becoming serious. The many shutdowns included the Performing Arts Center at City Springs, and the city manager and city attorney were among those who contracted and recovered from COVID-19. Sandy Springs joined 12 other Fulton County cities in a dispute over CARES...

Buckhead’s 2020 Year in Review

by John Ruch | Dec 30, 2020 | Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Education, Perimeter Business, Politics, Public Safety, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

A global pandemic. Protests. Rioting. Any recap of a historic year in Buckhead reads like a dystopian sci-fi novel. But the intertwined stories of racial justice protests, public safety policy and a revived cityhood movement are very real and may well influence 2021’s big story: a mayoral election. Also all too real in the still-raging pandemic are the lives lost and the livelihoods ruined. Racial justice protests and rioting When largely peaceful protests against the police killing of George Floyd came to Downtown in May, the first night spun off widespread rioting and looting in Buckhead for still-debated motives....

Pandemic economy turns Dunwoody hotel project into senior apartments

by Holly R. Price | Dec 28, 2020 | Coronavirus, Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Top Stories | 0

It was touted as a sleek, gray, 12-story boutique hotel across from Perimeter Mall when it was approved by the Dunwoody City Council in 2019. But now, due to the economic destruction to the hotel industry following the pandemic, the plan for 84 Perimeter Center East has been scrapped in favor of an age-restricted apartment complex. That type of project is something the city has been seeking for years, said Michael Starling, director of economic development for Dunwoody. “Hotels are great from an economic development standpoint. They are great for many reasons,” Starling said. But the senior living “is...

Atlanta Hawks executive to speak about diversity and inclusion in virtual luncheon

by John Ruch | Dec 26, 2020 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Politics, Sandy Springs Reporter | 0

An executive with the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and State Farm Arena will speak about diversity, equity and inclusion at a Jan. 13 virtual luncheon organized by the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Camye Mackey is the “chief people, diversity and inclusion officer” at the sports team and facility. She will speak on the theme, “The Time is Now: Responding to the Current Moment and Taking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to the Next Level.” “During this session, we will explore intentional actions that can drive sustainable change and make you a part of the solution,” a press release...