Skyline Views

C&W Broker Knows Nonviolent Crime Impacts, Too

By Tony Wilbert, Wilbert News Strategies

ATLANTA (Nov. 10, 2009) - Here's a story that might help Atlanta's police chief and mayor understand why they should be concerned about the rise in non-violent crime in the city while they tout a drop in violent crime.

On Oct. 13, Atlanta resident and Cushman & Wakefield broker Quin Ryan, shown at left in the photo with a fellow C&W broker, had her car broken into while she dropped off her niece at Suzuki School's Northside campus at Peachtree Battle and Northside Drive. The thieves stole her purse, ID and other valuables while she did one of her sisters a favor and dropped off her child. 

Six days later, a white female wearing a green shirt attempted to cash one of Ryan's check at the Publix on Ga. 155 South in Locust Grove. The woman had Quin Ryan's driver's license, and the astute Publix clerk realized the woman was not Ryan and confiscated the check and license. When the clerk contacted the bank, the woman left.

A couple minutes later, a white male with sunglasses atop his head walked into the Publix and asked for the license and check back. At this point, Publix employees called police, who then issued a BOLO (be on the look-out for) notice for the couple suspected of forgery.

While Ryan was not injured during this crime, you can imagine she's concerned that the thieving couple are out and about and have some of her personal belonging. In other words, her sense of security has been compromised because the city of Atlanta is not as safe as it should be.

Let's hope the next mayor hires a police chief who cares about non-violent crimes in addition to violent crimes. For the record, I support Kasim Reed for mayor, and Ryan is a friend.

Anyone with information about the car break-in at Suzuki or the forgery should call Det. M.E. Reid of the Henry County Police Department at 770-288-8263.

Dewberry Celebrates 20 Years with Who's Who of Atlanta Commercial Real Estate

By Tony Wilbert, Wilbert News Strategies

ATLANTA (OCT. 22, 2009) - John Dewberry is back, and he's ready to rock 'n' roll.

The Atlanta developer who was sidelined briefly at the end of last year by a battle with prostate cancer is healthy again and back in the game. His company, Dewberry Capital Corp., is well funded and is seeking new opportunities in the largest cities in the Northeast as well as in its home base of Atlanta.

But first things first. Dewberry threw a party Wednesday night to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the founding of Dewberry Capital. His party at One Peachtree Pointe in Midtown brought out a Who's Who of Atlanta Commercial Real Estate.

"This is the first real estate party I've been to in a long time," Novare Group CEO Jim Borders said. Other high-profile attendees included John Ferguson, senior vice president of tenant rep at CB Richard Ellis; Mike Elting, executive managing director and regional manager, Cushman & Wakefield; John Dryman, president, Dryman Team; Gene Kansas, owner of Gene Kansas Developments; Russ Jobson, principal, Colliers Spectrum Cauble; and Douglas Dewberry, Ridr Knowlton and Euan McGlashan of Dewberry Capital.

John Dewberry himself was in high spirits and welcomed guests with personal attention. He gladly accepted a bottle of champagne from Michael McDonald of Eastdil and spent quality time with business woman and motivational speaker Barbara Babbit Kaufman.

The party featured a band and musical appearance by part-time Rolling Stone Chuck Leavell. Credit Dan Beeson, who worked for several years as Dewberry's PR guy, with getting Leavell to join the party.

It was good to see Dewberry back in action and ready to roll. "I was at your wedding, and now you're at my 20th anniversary party," Dewberry told me. "That's pretty good."

College Football Hall Stays Mum on Atlanta Site

By Tony Wilbert, Wilbert News Strategies LLC

ATLANTA (Sept. 28, 2009) - The press conference held last week in Atlanta’s tony Buckhead district to announce the College Football Hall of Fame’s relocation to the capital of the South had everything you’d expect – except a discussion about exactly where the $50 million facility will rise.

Top executives from the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall Inc. of Fame Inc. and Chick-fil-A offered those in attendance lots of details and facts, even a clock counting down to the number of days (1,072 as of last Friday) till the new hall opens in 2012. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said the hall of fame will be “a real jewel in our crown.” Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue gave out a game ball via video message, and the Morehouse College House Funk Marching Band placed an exclamation point at the end of the show. 

In a nice touch, legendary University of Georgia Coach Vince Dooley, right, was recognized from the podium.

But still, the press conference included no public discussion of where the 50,000-square-foot hall would be built. “Where” seems to be the second-most logical question to ask after, “Why?” And some journalists did ask the question after the press conference. But, based on their reports they got a murky answer that the College Hall of Fame would be built near Centennial Olympic Park. 

As for me, I’m sticking with the site I’ve identified previously: the InterPark lot on the northeast corner of Harris and Centennial Olympic Park Drive. The hall would need about 1 acre for the building and parking. The price tag for an acre in that area could be as high as $7 million to $8 million.

I look forward to the official announcement when organizers nail down the land deal.

Next up on the real estate front, the National Football Foundation and Chick-fil-A Bowl will hire a developer and/or project manager. It’s interesting that Cousins Properties had a representative on hand at the press conference.

The Atlanta-based REIT already has won the assignment to manage design and construction of the Center for Civil & Human Rights Museum that will be built at Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Ivan Allen Boulevard. Now, Cousins appears to be a favorite to win the College Football Hall of Fame job, too. When I asked Cousins Senior Vice President Claude “Chuck” Winstead about whether Cousins would be the project manager, he said, “I hope so.”

At that point, Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson quickly interjected: “No contracts are signed yet with this project.” Robinson appears in the middle of the photo above. Winstead is on the right, and Doug Shipman, executive director of the Center for Civil * Human Rights Partnership.

Future Home of College Football Hall of Fame?

By Tony Wilbert

ATLANTA (Sept. 23, 2009) - Atlanta is abuzz about the expected announcement Thursday that the College Football Hall of Fame will move to Atlanta from South Bend, Ind.

Here are two photos of the site that InterPark, a GE Capital Real Estate subsidiary, appears to be ready to sell to a nonprofit group involving the family of Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy. The site is at Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Harris Street, directly across the street from the Olympic park and next to the former Inforum, now known as American Cancer Society Center.

Check out Jim Galloway's Political Insider column for more information on the site.

Photos by Wilbert News Strategies.

Perpetual Atlanta Downpours Penetrate Picturesque Peachtree Tower

By Tony Wilbert, Wilbert News Strategies LLC

ATLANTA (Sept. 22, 2009) - Add One Ninety One Peachtree Tower, the picturesque skyscraper in downtown Atlanta, to the list of properties damaged by the torrential downpours that have swamped this Southern city.

The ceiling of the tower's renowned atrium lobby leaked during the latest round of storms, forcing owner Cousins Properties to shut down part of the common area and break out high-powered fans to soak up the dampness.

"We're just pulling the humidity out of the building," Cousins President and CEO Larry Gellerstedt said as he briefly surveyed the damage Tuesday morning. "Makes me glad I'm not in the construction business anymore."

Gellerstedt, who joined Cousins Properties in 2005 when the REIT acquired his Gellerstedt Group, replaced Tom Bell as Cousins' CEO in July. Previously, he worked several years at Beers Construction, now part of the giant contractor Skanska.

Cousins' acquisition of the 1.2 million-square-foot trophy tower at 191 Peachtree St. for a mere $153 million might have been Tom Bell's greatest accomplishment during his tenure. Even with the building more than half-empty at the time, the price of $126 per square foot was a steal.

Eola Capital to Gain Control of Atlanta landmarks

By Tony Wilbert, Real Estate Rooster

ATLANTA (Sept. 10, 2009) - By next week at this time, Eola Capital could catapult from a minor player in Atlanta to a dominant landlord.

Eola Capital is negotiating to gain control of America’s Capital Partners’ holdings in the city and elsewhere.

If a deal is struck, Orlando-based Eola Capital would gain control of several high-profile office buidings in Atlanta, including the six-pack at Peachtree Center, 10 Tenth Street (formerly known as Millennium in Midtown) and Piedmont 14 in Buckhead. Read the full report in today's Real Estate Rooster.

Atlanta Developer in Running to Reel in Neptune

ATLANTA (Sept. 3, 2009) - A large industrial building developed by Solution Property Group of Atlanta is a finalist in the race to land TBC Corp., which is searching the Southeast for a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center.

Solution Property Group's building at 595 Northport Parkway in the Northport development is on the short list but is facing competition from sites near the Port of Charleston and port in Norfolk, Va.

Charleston, S.C., has jumped from dark horse to the leading candidate to win the deal with TBC, parent company of National Tire & Battery and Tire Kingdom. However, Georgia economic development officials have been given the chance to sweeten the state's incentive package to win the deal.

Read today's e-Blast from Real Estate Rooster for the full story.

Johnson: Break Up Mega-Site for Mitsubishi

ATLANTA (Aug. 18, 2009) - Georgia gubernatorial candidate Eric Johnson says he supports breaking up the 1,500-acre Chatham County mega-site that former Gov. Roy Barnes once touted as the future home of a Daimler-Chrysler plant.

The time is right to break up the mega-site at Interstates 95 and 16 in Pooler, especially with a company prepared to build a plant that would create a lot of high-paying jobs, Johnson said this week. Johnson is a state senator whose district includes Chatham County.

"Mitsubishi - if that is in fact the prospect - is just the type of company to break up the site for," Johnson said during a Q-and-A at Atlanta commercial real estate firm Carter (a Wilbert News Strategies client). "It's sitting empty. We've had some good companies look at that site, a lot of people don't know that."

Barnes announced that Daimler-Chrysler would build a $750 million plant on the site weeks before he lost his re-election bid to Sonny Perdue in November 2002. In 2003, Daimler canceled plans for the plan, and today the mega-site's prime property lay fallow. That could change soon, though, if Georgia agrees to bust up the site to attract Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric. Mitsubishi and the Georgia Department of Economic Development are "in final negotiations" that would result in a new Mitsubishi manufacturing plant on part of the mega-site, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The state has been reluctant to break up the site, in hopes of attracting another auto company to it. But automakers such as Volkswagen, which selected a site near Chattanooga, picked other places to set up shot instead.

Enter Mitsubishi, which initially eyed another site in Pooler, for a plant to build power generators. Mitsubishi apparently now would like a slice of the mega-site for the $350 million plant, where the average worker will be paid more than $60,000 a year.

If the state agrees to subdivide the mega-site, Mitsubishi builds a plant and Barnes wins back the governor's mansion in 2010, we will have come full circle - sort of.

AJC to Move to Central Perimeter

This news just broke. The AJC will leave the city for the Central Perimeter submarket. Here's the memo.

August 17, 2009 
  
TO:               All AJC Employees 
FROM:         Michael Joseph, Publisher 
SUBJECT:   Update from the Publisher 
  
In my last memo to you I told you we were exploring the possibility of relocating to a new, smaller site in the greater Atlanta area. 
  
After looking at several locations including our current facility, we have determined we can save considerable money by moving to a new location. We have decided to relocate to 223 Perimeter Center Parkway in the Perimeter area of metro Atlanta. We are targeting the move to be complete by the end of the second quarter in 2010. We will maintain our bureaus in the State Capital and in Gwinnett, and have an in-town bureau for use by our reporters and photographers who need to be close to downtown. 
  
This move will not impact our customers – either our readers or our advertisers and offers many benefits. A few facts about the new location: 
  
Ø  The site provides ample free parking to employees and visitors 
Ø  The new location is close to interstate exchanges at GA 400 and I-285 
Ø  The new facility is conveniently located across from the Dunwoody Marta station and discounted Marta passes will continue         to be offered to employees 
Ø  Perimeter Mall and a wide variety of other retail, service and dining options are within walking distance 
Ø  The site is close to our parent company Cox Enterprises, Inc. and other Cox companies. That means we will be able to more         effectively collaborate and leverage the resources and amenities available to us. 
Ø  The new facility has large windows, provides more natural light and is better suited to meet our needs 
Ø  The new location will incorporate green initiatives and will allow us to design the space based on our current and future                 needs 
  
A significant factor in the decision to relocate is our customers and how we continue meeting their needs today and in the future. We must rebuild and emerge as a financially sound company. Paramount to our future is rebuilding a sustainable and profitable business model. This move will make us a financially stronger company. 
  
Since 1972, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been in the 72 Marietta St. building. We reach and serve all of metro Atlanta through various print and digital platforms so our headquarters location does not affect our coverage. The AJC’s journalistic history and powerful brand means we remain the leader in the marketplace. Our commitment to our readers, advertisers and to the metro Atlanta community is unchanged. 
  
As we make this journey to our new facility, let’s remember to stay focused on our customers and uphold our commitment to be the best news source for metro Atlanta. 
  
I will keep you informed on our progress as we begin to make plans and throughout the transition to our new home. I invite you to share your questions and comments with me athttp://www.surveymonkey.com/ajcrelocation. I will share your feedback with the project team once they are assembled. 
  
Thank you again for your continued hard work and dedication to the AJC. 
  
 
Michael Joseph 
Publisher 
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 
  
  
Julia Wallace
Editor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ajc.com

ABC Report: AJC Considers Leaving Downtown

ATLANTA (Aug. 12, 2009) - Maria Saporta, the long-time business columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution who took a buyout, has to be smiling today. She just broke the story that her former employer is considering a move from its venerable headquarters at 72 Marietta St. in downtown Atlanta.

The AJC is looking to cut all costs, and vacating the building is an option, according to Saporta. Her story appears today in Atlanta Business Chronicle's online edition. Several people on Twitter have re-Tweeted ABC Executive Editor Mark Meltzer's Tweet about the breaking new. The ABC currently leads it home page with a big breaking news banner headline about the news.

Saporta, who has said her decision to leave the AJC wasn't easy, quotes a memo from new AJC Publisher Michael Joseph that was e-mailed to staff, one or several sent it to Saporta. 

“The cost of operating the downtown building is very high. Since moving production out to Gwinnett, we occupy less than 30 percent of the facility. As a result, the expense to operate the building is exorbitant," Joseph writes in the memo. "No decision has been made at this time, but we are looking at options including maintaining our current downtown location or relocating to a new, smaller site in the greater Atlanta area. I will keep you informed and share any updates on this issue.”

Word that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was considering leaving its Marietta Street building has been out in commercial real estate circles for weeks. In a July 22 e-mail to WNS, CB Richard Ellis Vice Chairman John Shlesinger said CBRE was not marketing 72 Marietta for sale and referred calls to Cox Enterprises. CBRE represents Cox.

Vacating the building for a smaller alternative would make sense because the paper has shed about one-third of its editorial staff positions in several other departments was well.