Gulch Project Removed from Special City Council Meeting Agenda

Atlanta City Council will no longer consider any legislation concerning The Gulch development at its special called meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 24, following Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ administration request for the removal of all Gulch development-related legislation from consideration. The only item that will be considered at the special meeting is related refunding bonds for the city’s Department of Watershed Management.

The meeting was to have been held Wednesday. However, a memo to council members from Marva Lewis, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ chief of staff, indicated the need for more time to review and deliberate.

“It is the desire of Mayor Bottoms that the members of council have adequate time to review and consider the newly negotiated terms of this development deal,” Lewis wrote. “Therefore, it is requested that all of the legislative items related to the Gulch development be removed from the agenda of the special called meeting to allow time for the council to review the information that will be provided.”

City Council President Felicia Moore had issued a memo stating her concerns about potential action on the Gulch at the meeting since council members had yet to see an updated version of the deal. She also expressed concerns over transparency issues concerning the public.

Developer CIM Group and Mayor Bottoms’ administration have been working to iron out a new deal on funding for the Gulch – a massive mixed-use development adjacent to Mercedes Benz-Stadium in Downtown – after outcry from the public and there not being enough council votes to pass the original deal. CIM Group is hoping to tap into public funding of potentially $1.75 billion for the estimated $5 billion project.