LISTEN: Business leaders and politicians gathered in Midtown Atlanta on Wednesday night for the annual State of the City business address. GPB’s Amanda Andrews has more from the event.
Business leaders and politicians gathered in Midtown Atlanta for the annual State of the City business address Wednesday night.
In his remarks, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens highlighted Atlanta’s investments in housing, public safety and opportunities for youth. Atlanta Public Schools saw record graduation rates with 90.5% of high school seniors receiving a degree last year.
Dickens said Atlanta’s progress can be attributed to its collaborations.
"We've supported our artists, film productions, nightlife, international delegations, major corporations, labor unions and small businesses from Cascade to downtown and beyond," Dickens said. "We've achieved a AAA bond rating, and we also raised the city's minimum wage. And because of all that, I can without a doubt report to you that the state of our city is strong."
Overall, violent crime in Atlanta has decreased 17% in the past three years. The city has built 13,000 on the road to the mayor’s goal of building or preserving 20,000 units before 2030.
Dickens also discussed the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI) he created last year to focus city resources on underserved areas.
He said resolving those inequalities is the main priority for the remainder of his term.
"We must be honest about the true scale of this challenge," he said. "Think about this: There is no hospital in Atlanta south of I-20. That's chaos, not community."
Other speakers at the event included UPS CEO Carol Tomé and Coca Cola Chief Financial Officer John Murphy.
Murphy announced the Coca-Cola Foundation would be donating $4.3 million as part of its World Cup Legacy program.
"These grants will support wonderful causes," he said. "The United Way of Greater Atlanta, Goodwill of North Georgia, the Latin America Association, City of Refuge, Hope Atlanta, and Partners for Home and Soccer in the Streets."
Dickens said the city is at a moral crossroads and completing projects in the city is becoming more difficult.
"Federal funding that support has dried up," Dickens said. "So that means we have to do more on our own. That means it's harder to get new affordable housing developments across the finish line and it's harder to upgrade our infrastructure."
Atlanta spent $118 million public and private dollars to develop the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The city invested another $20 million in early education and $150 million on parks and green spaces.
Dickens said Tax Allocation Districts are the city’s most powerful funding tool
"Extending our existing TADS to support the broader NRI strategy could generate more than $5 billion to support citywide investments," he said. "The momentum is here. The willpower is here."
Dickens ended the address by challenging residents to stay politically engaged and business owners to expand into developing neighborhoods.
