Georgia Deal Makers

City Acquires Land for BeltLine Parks from The Trust for Public Land -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are excited to report that the BeltLine project continues to move forward in tangible ways. The City of Atlanta acquired 13.41 acres of land for BeltLine park use in December, adding to the 143 acres previously purchased. The investment of our partner, The Trust for Public Land (TPL), has been instrumental in these efforts. The following press release from TPL highlights their contribution and details the transactions, which include a 9.79-acre parcel at the entrance to the Bellwood Quarry along Lois Street in northwest Atlanta; four parcels, totaling 2.02 acres, adjacent to Four Corners Park between Weyman and Haygood Avenues in southeast Atlanta; and a 1.6-acre parcel in the Boulevard Crossing area alongside Englewood Avenue in southeast Atlanta. Contact: Kim Scarborough or Robin Hubier Jackson Spalding, for The Trust for Public Land 404.724.2500 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Transactions add key property for BeltLine's largest park, expand Four Corners Park ATLANTA, January 4, 2007 - The Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced that it transferred six BeltLine park properties to the City of Atlanta in December. The City's purchase of the 13.41 acres for $6.7 million represents continued progress towards creating the parks outlined in the BeltLine Five Year Work Plan approved by the Atlanta City Council last summer. As one of the key partners in building the BeltLine, TPL acquired more than 45 acres of BeltLine parkland in 2005 and 2006. The transactions included a 9.79-acre parcel at the entrance to the Bellwood Quarry along Lois Street in northwest Atlanta; four parcels, totaling 2.02 acres, adjacent to Four Corners Park between Weyman and Haygood Avenues in southeast Atlanta; and a 1.6-acre parcel in the Boulevard Crossing area alongside Englewood Avenue in southeast Atlanta. "2006 was an exciting year for the BeltLine's connected parks system," said TPL Parks for People Program Director Angela Graham. "TPL has secured parkland property in all quadrants of the BeltLine, and we are working hard with the City and Atlanta BeltLine Inc. to transfer those properties to the City. As parks like Four Corners Park expand with the addition of BeltLine parkland, Atlantans will benefit immediately from the project's vision." At the heart of the transfer is the 9.79-acre parcel at the Bellwood Quarry entrance, which will provide access from the BeltLine to the 300-plus-acre Westside Park planned for the site. Once completed, Westside Park will be the City's largest park and will include a 50-acre drinking water reservoir, multi-use trails and recreational areas. TPL identified the parkland opportunity presented by the Bellwood Quarry in its 2004 Emerald Necklace Study, developed by renowned park planner Alexander Garvin. The transaction also marks the completion of the first planned park expansion along the BeltLine, adding 2.02 acres to Four Corners Park. With the expansion, Four Corners Park will offer the community 3.622 acres of parkland. The local community will help determine the vision for the completed park. The 1.6-acre Boulevard Crossing parcel brings that park one step closer to completion: the parcel supplements the adjacent 4.8-acre property that TPL deeded to the City in May 2006. The planned park at Boulevard Crossing will provide active recreational areas, which could include soccer fields and skating parks. The expanded Four Corners Park and the new park at Boulevard Crossing are also expected to help enhance economic development along the southeastern part of the BeltLine. "The City of Atlanta is thrilled to continue to expand its parkland offerings for Atlantans," said Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Dianne Harnell Cohen. "As we work with The Trust for Public Land to secure these particularly important pieces of BeltLine parkland, we're developing a legacy of great public spaces." The City of Atlanta purchased the 13.41 acres with Opportunity Bond funds that were approved in 2005 to improve and expand recreational facilities throughout the City. TPL held three of the parcels at Four Corners Park and the Boulevard Crossing property until the City secured sufficient funds to complete the transfer. The City purchased the parcel at the Bellwood Quarry and one of the Four Corners parcels immediately from TPL with Opportunity Bond funds. "Parks lay a crucial foundation for healthy economic development. This transaction adds to the 143 acres already acquired by the City for BeltLine parks and represents another key step in moving the project forward," said Terri Y. Montague, president and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. "TPL's support of the BeltLine's greenspace acquisition strategy continues to provide tangible success for the overall BeltLine vision." TPL has invested heavily in parkland acquisition along the BeltLine's connected parks and trails system. To date, TPL has purchased $26 million in BeltLine parkland properties and is currently in the process of transferring additional parcels to the City. TPL accomplishes its greenspace acquisitions with an Atlanta team of project managers and in-house legal staff. TPL Project Managers Angelou Ezeilo and Debra Edelson led negotiations for the six parcels transferred to the City in December, and attorney Richard Tucker and legal assistant Lucy Banks managed the legal aspects of the negotiations and closings. The BeltLine will connect 40 parks and more than 45 neighborhoods through a 33-mile linear trail and 22-mile transit system. The project will increase Atlanta's greenspace by 1,200 acres and improve 700 acres of existing parks, creating a "green infrastructure" that Atlanta can build upon for years to come. About The Trust for Public Land Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Across the nation, TPL has saved more than 1.9 million acres of land. In Georgia, TPL has helped protect land throughout the state including areas along Georgia's coast and rivers. For more information, see www.tpl.org/georgia.

Posted by yomimedia on January 07 2007 20:05:04
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Georgia Deal Makers website up and running!

The Georgia Deal Makers website is finally up and running. We will be adding articles and news related to investors in Georgia in the coming days. We have a lot of things in the pipeline. If your not registered, you might want to do so now in order to receive our updates. We will also have online web conferences were we can have dicussions about investor issues. I will keep our subscribers updated on that as well. Please check our event calender regularly for real estate seminars and events for the this month. We hope you enjoy your labor day weekend!

Posted by yomimedia on September 04 2006 20:54:09
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