Could Atlanta be in the running for second Amazon headquarters? (Roswell: horse, builder)

[Atlwarrior]

Home Depot just announced a major IT expansion in Atlanta. Most new jobs will be in ATL.



"Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) will add about 1,000 tech jobs as part of a $11.1 billion three-year strategic investment plan.

The expansion positions the Atlanta-based home improvement giant to better defend against a burgeoning Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN)."

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...tech-jobs.html

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by bu2

I'm reminded of the catch line of the Houston Metro rail vote, "What if we didn't build it and they came anyway?"

Metro Atlanta hasn't built much of any form of transportation since the Olympics and they keep coming. The latest proposals need to result in action if the area isn't going to strangle itself and drive business off. Economic development officials have been saying for years that traffic has discouraged companies from coming here. Similarly, Cumberland/Galleria officials have been saying lack of transit has stifled their growth. I imagine the same is true of Gwinnett Place.

I have said this time and again when the argument about building roads causing sprawl.... It sprawled anyway! That metro Atlanta is not more interconnected by freeways is one of the lasting detriments to an otherwise wonderful city and why I believe it will never catch Dallas or Houston. Sad.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I have said this time and again when the argument about building roads causing sprawl.... It sprawled anyway! That metro Atlanta is not more interconnected by freeways is one of the lasting detriments to an otherwise wonderful city and why I believe it will never catch Dallas or Houston. Sad.

If this would have been built:

We would not have a wonderful city we know and love now.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by cqholt

If this would have been built:

We would not have a wonderful city we know and love now.

Yes, this is too much. It would've destroyed Atlanta.

This is all Metro Atlanta needs...

*1. An Outer Perimeter that is further out than originally planned. It would "ring around" the exurbs. It would also serve as a connector/pathway for secondary areas of Georgia.

*2. An extension of 1-675 northward for:
A. A Spur to I-20
B. A Spur to Lakewood Freeway

3. An Atlanta-to-Rome-to-Huntsville-to Memphis interstate. It would come through Metro Atlanta from the northwest through Paulding County, southwest Cobb County, and far eastern Douglas County--it would follow 278/Thornton Road and connect with an extended Lakewood Freeway* in the Sandtown/Wolf Creek area*. We would then have a new interstate highway that starts in Stockbridge and goes all the way to Memphis (see #2 above)

4. Make 316 a limited access highway all the way to Athen just like GA 400. Rename it "GA 300."

*5. South Fulton Parkway becomes a limited access highway just like GA 400, stretching from the Airport/Hwy 14 all the way to Carrollton. Rename it "GA 100."

*6. A limited access highway just like GA 400, stretching from near where 41/Upper Riverdale Road meet I-75 all the way to Griffin. Call it "GA 200."

*7. The "Fayette Connector": An interstate spur that starts at Hwy 54 near Piedmont Fayette Hospital and then connects with I-85 near Flat Shoals Road or Red Oak Road.

8. Extend and connect the Ronald Reagan Parkway directly with I-85.



*These would be built with strict land preservation/greenspace preservation protocols. The highways would get built to be as minimally intrusive as possible. Similar to many limited access highways/parkways in affluent parts of the Northeast U.S...and GA 400 through a lot of Buckhead.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I have said this time and again when the argument about building roads causing sprawl.... It sprawled anyway! That metro Atlanta is not more interconnected by freeways is one of the lasting detriments to an otherwise wonderful city and why I believe it will never catch Dallas or Houston. Sad.

See my idea/post above.

[primaltech]

If all that had freeway network had been built out from the get go, maybe we could have avoided "freeing the freeways" and overly widening the few limited access highways that we do have, back in the 80's-90's era.

Like, same # of freeway lanes we have now, but just spread them out everywhere. Instead of these 10-20 lane monsters, I wish we had twice as many freeways, and they were all 6-lanes.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by cqholt

If this would have been built:

We would not have a wonderful city we know and love now.

This would've been horrible for Intown Atlanta. See my much more modified (and still doable) solution above.

[Otakumaster]

Originally Posted by cqholt

If this would have been built:

We would not have a wonderful city we know and love now.

We wouldn’t be the poster child for bad traffic. Quality of live would be greatly improved due to less commute times.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Otakumaster

We wouldn’t be the poster child for bad traffic. Quality of live would be greatly improved due to less commute times.

Not for residents of Grant Park, Kirkwood, Edgewood, Reynoldstown, Inman Park, Candler Park, Poncey-Highland, Virginia-Highland, Morningside, Druid Hills and Decatur it wouldn't.

[cparker73]

Originally Posted by Otakumaster

We wouldn’t be the poster child for bad traffic. Quality of live would be greatly improved due to less commute times.

I agree with CQ. This would have devastated intown, which at the time those freeways were proposed, cities everywhere were destroying their downtowns and inner neighborhoods. I knew the Freedom Parkway was an aborted attempt to connect to Stone Mountain, but I had no idea GA400 was supposed to go through Druid Hills and continue south all the way to the airport. That would have totally ruined all the eastside neighborhoods.

I travel 285 everyday, and I'm constantly thinking if only we could get these trucks off the road that are just passing through the city to get to Florida, traffic would be so much better and the cracks and potholes wouldn't be so bad. The Outer Perimeter would have been completed by now if they hadn't shot it down.