The Metro Atlanta Chamber has prioritized revitalizing downtown, improving public safety, and addressing homelessness as its top 2025 agenda items. This initiative comes as Atlanta prepares to host the college football national championship in January, FIFA World Cup matches in 2026, and several other major events over the next five years.
At the chamber's 165th annual meeting held Thursday at the Georgia Freight Depot, regional business leaders discussed key priorities including the city's unsheltered population and housing supply expansion. Southern Co. Chairman Chris Womack, the outgoing chamber chair, emphasized the magnitude of the undertaking, stating the effort will require substantial assistance and resilience because achieving these goals “is going to be hard.”
Downtown Atlanta is experiencing over $8 billion in combined public and private investment. Major projects underway include Centennial Yards, a $5 billion entertainment district development spanning 50 acres, and South Downtown, which aims to renovate century-old buildings for entrepreneurs. Additional initiatives involve Georgia State University’s 3.7-mile walking path connecting campus facilities, Georgia-Pacific’s mixed-use headquarters renovation, a city plan converting a 44-story office building into mixed-income housing, and MARTA’s Five Points station renovation.
Infrastructure improvements totaling $120 million were approved last month to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, including street resurfacing, sidewalk repairs, and intersection restriping. Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick noted that while the World Cup provides a near-term deadline, broader downtown transformation will likely require decades of effort, comparable to Midtown’s development from the 1990s onward.
Kirkpatrick emphasized that downtown vitality directly affects regional perception, stating the area must transform into a vibrant 24-hour community. The chamber committed to combating homelessness by convening stakeholders including government agencies and social service organizations to develop both temporary and permanent shelter solutions addressing underlying mental health issues. Incoming Chair Ryan Marshall, president and CEO of PulteGroup, highlighted housing supply shortages in Atlanta and stressed the necessity for large-scale development projects and increased density.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution