NS is apparently in stiff negoitations as to NS’ move to ATL.
https://pilotonline.com/business/ports-rail/article_77a192b6-dd58-11e8-a5b6-c792dd65c226.html
Permit me an observation. Having lived in the Atlanta area, and moved away, and just back for the occasional visit.
The folks who will move to Atlanta area from Tidewater Virginia,will need to brace themselves for living in Atlanta areas, and commuting in Atlanta traffic. Particularly, those that will have to drive themselves to work; not necessarily, the one’s that rate company cars and drivers. [:-^]
And then, this pops up! [#offtopic] Interesting,maybe, but not unrelated?
Might just be some ‘give and take’ for Virginia.[oops] From a CNBC site:
"Amazon is reportedly in the advanced stages of naming Crystal City, Virginia as its 2nd headquarters: Washington Post"
An Amazon ‘fulfillment center’ in the Holabird area of Baltimore had the roof collapse and kill two employees last night (11/2/18) when a severe storm went through the
So, one of the biggest “plums” (Amazon supposedly building their second headquarters in the Gulch redevelopment) might now go elsewhere? And, most of the “new” jobs Norfolk Southern would bring to Atlanta would just be employees transplanted from Vikrginia?
That doesn’t sound like a lot of new jobs being created for Atlantans, considering how much they are being expected to throw in to the bargain.
More nof a boon to those collecting taxes than those paying them.
I found this article outlining the posture of Atlanta’s mayor quite interesting.
Especially where she says: “This proposed agreement with CIM represents a once in a lifetime chance to bring much needed investment and redevelopment to the heart of downtown Atlanta.”
She sounds as though she thinks Atlanta redevelopment has been moribund for decades. Perhaps she means this is a “once in her lifetime” opportunity, for r
Might be more cost effective to just use the taxpayer’s money to buy “the gulch” from Norfolk Southern, giving the railroad the incentive it claims will greenlight their plans, and then work out a seperate deal later to sell the land to CIM, with absent the deadline pressure?
Ah yes, the ethics of the low bid in play?
Weather guessers are calling it a EF-1 Tornado, that was on the ground for a 2 mile swath and damaged a apartment complex a short distance away. The Tornado fatalities area claimed to be the first in MD in 16 years. The storm system also damaged a TJ Maxx/ Home Goods store in Mt.Airy as well as disrupting CSX’s Old Main Line with a number of trees down across the track.
If the Atlanta Gulch is built over without any provision for a future rail station then commuter rail and more Amtrak service may be forever impossible. The Gulch was once home to 2 stations Union station - GARR, NC&SL, L&N, ACL and Terminal station SOU RR, SAL, A&WP, C of GA. The ACL had to opperate north of Union Station on NC&SL tracks to Tilford yard and turn west under SOU RR to west end of Atlanta then south. That access is now mitigated by a connection on the A&WP near the Fairburn intermodal yard.
I always thought it was a mistake not to have a MARTA train station at Brookwood.
But, with the Dome and 5 points stations already so near “the gulch”, and Garnett not all that far away, do you really think they would build in another stop so closely spaced?
Was not talking about MARTA trains. Was referring to the not very likely commuter rail from suburbs on freight RRs
My bad,…I suppose.
But do you think NS would go along with the idea even if CIM could be persuaded to include a terminal in the Gulch development? What quick reading I’ve done since reading your reply suggests that CIM has no plans for such a facility.
Well it got approved $1.9B … only thing left is to figure out what politician to name it after…
Maybe they could (also) rename a surface street " Chuck Mooreman Pike"? Nobody’s got Northside Drive yet do they? That ought to please him.
Well the deal appears to have been made. However the location is not well defined as Ponce DeLeon and 3rd street run parallel to each other so unable to acurately determine cross street. The ATT building helps and that may put the site at West Peachtree and Spring street ? However there was a church on that block last time there. Also very close to the Varsity .
NS if there will be one block from the North Avenue MARTA train station on the N - S line.
blue streak 1:
Their first trip in to The Varsity, for the ‘Brass’ from tidewater;[dinner]
ought to be worth the price of admission ! [:-,]
I have found what looks to be a vacant lot at the northwest corner of Peachtree and 3rd Street NE. Of course, I may have not found the right place.
https://www.bing.com/maps?cp=33.773008|-84.378135&style=h&lvl=18&v=1
That is it !! good location close to AT&T communications, MARTA station, Varsity fast food open many hours of day and night, Ga Tech just to west across I-75, 85 many possible interns and future hires…
3rd and West Peachtree St. is a good location. It’s where the surface lot is just downhill (west) on Ponce from the Fox Theater. Lots of folk use it when they go to shows at the Fox. Being on West Peach is also good as the Express buses from the suburbs to Midtown run right up West Peachtree.
It’s two Marta stops down from the current location on Peachtree (near Arts Center stop). Funny thing is, NS just spent a huge bunch of money on their current Atlanta offices. Renovated every floor, update HVAC, updated elevators, new dispatching center… And all those folks will be moving to new office when it’s done.
My favorite was the heritage logos in every elevator floor.
It’s real easy to spend other peoples money
That’s not what happened here. Nobody spent any tax money on anything. There ARE tax incentives for all of this - but that is standard operating procedure for cities and states these days when they compete for economic development.
Is it good or bad? Depends. If the net economic benefit exceeds the value of the tax incentive, then good. If it’s just a giant game of whack-a-mole, then bad.
But, this stuff is rarely a zero sum game.