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Editor’s Note: INtown receives dozens of press releases daily concerning COVID-19 related news and events. We’ve rounded up those of interest to our coverage area. 

The YMCA of Metro Atlanta has begun a phased approach to opening its metro Atlanta. locations. There will be temperature checks, social distancing, and masks will be required. All activities will be limited to individual workouts with trained staff positioned to monitor and enforce social distancing. Starting May 18, lap swim, group exercise and select tennis facilities will be available by online reservation. As operations normalize, the Y will pivot to phase two in mid-June, which includes re-opening additional areas within Y facilities for broader use. Already open: Carl E. Sanders YMCA and East Lake Family YMCA Opening May 25: The Villages at Carver Family YMCA and Arthur M. Blank Youth YMCA. Opening June 1: South DeKalb Family YMCA and Decatur Family YMCA. For more information, visit https://ymcaatlanta.org/.

 Hopkins and Company is providing complimentary meals to hospitality and food industry workers impacted by COVID-19 through its newly launched nonprofit arm, Good Food Works Foundation, The restaurant group will have a pop-up at Colony Square over the next two Sundays (May 17 and 24) from 4 to 6 p.m. Individuals in need can stop by The Front Loop along Peachtree Street to pick up food.

Global biopharma company UCB, with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, and local restaurant Lazy Betty, are helping to deliver healthy, gourmet meals to Grady Memorial Hospital healthcare workers throughout the month of May. In addition to supporting meals for healthcare workers, UCB has also donated to community efforts in Atlanta, as well as encouraged employees to take advantage of up to 32 hours paid-time-off to volunteer in support of COVID response.

Atlanta-based accounting firm Terminus is holding an employee fundraiser for ATLFAMILYMEAL, the nonprofit initiative to support hospitality workers in need. The company will match up to $5,000 in contributions. Since debuting in March, ATLFAMILYMEAL has delivered more than 25,000 meals to hospitality workers from over 200 metro Atlanta restaurants, breweries, and hospitality businesses.

SK Innovation has made a $400,000 donation to support Augusta University and Augusta University Health’s response and associated expenses pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the SK innovation gift will be used to support expenses associated with physicians at the Medical College of Georgia, the state’s only public medical school, and health care providers at AU Health providing free virtual telehealth COVID-19 screening visits through the AU Health ExpressCare app and testing through eleven drive-thru specimen collection locations statewide.

The East Lake Foundation has announced a $30,000 donation from the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, a joint effort from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way of Greater Atlanta. These funds will benefit the East Lake COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Drew Charter School Opportunity Fund for COVID-19 relief. This donation will provide $22,500 for immediate support for families at The Villages of East Lake Apartments experiencing economic hardship as a result of COVID-19 and $7,500 to support Drew Charter School families who are struggling during this trying time.

Nonprofit Frontline Foods Atlanta, which is paying local restaurants to make and deliver meals to healthcare workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced that the cast of Georgia-filmed Netflix series “Ozark” sponsored lunch for frontline workers on May 15 at  Grady Hospital, Emory Johns Creek and Greater Atlanta Women’s Healthcare at Emory Midtown. Their donated funds went directly to Sweet Auburn BBQ, Corporate Caterers and Supreme Burger. The cast of CBS series “All Rise” donated for lunch from Sweet Auburn BBQ and dinner from Salaryman on May 16 for the healthcare workers at University Hospital Emory Main Campus.

The post Coronavirus Briefs: YMCA reopens, feeding healthcare workers, community donations, and more appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Google Anti-Trust Case

Google Anti-Trust Charges Soon? The US department of justice is pushing forward on anti-trust investigation delayed by the Corona Virus pandemic, and would be prepared to lay charges against Google Alphabet this fall. Google’s stock price dropped about 3% on the news, but the DOJ’s determination could see bigger drops by Monday as the intent…

The coronavirus outbreak has had an unprecedented impact on real estate. With stay at home orders and quarantines in many cities, property management companies have been forced to shut down…

The Advisory Council for the Reopening of the City of Atlanta has submitted a 119-page report with final recommendations for a gradual reopening to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

The mayor will review the advisory council’s recommendations and the current state of COVID-19 cases in the city and will provide additional guidance in the coming weeks to ensure a safe and data-driven reopening of the city.

Informed by economic indicators and medical science, the report contains evidence-based short, mid, and long-range recommendations for the safe and data-driven reopening of the city.

The report reflects the insights and guidance of the advisory council, which was established by Bottoms through an administrative order on April 20 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 60-person council is comprised of experts from across Atlanta’s business, nonprofit, healthcare, and government sectors.

The report outlined three core focus areas for Atlanta’s reopening strategy, recommending:

• The city establish and track clear metrics to signal to residents and businesses when they can more safely reopen, what safety measures they should take, and how their operations or routines may need to be adjusted. Metrics will also enable the city, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health and other agencies, to quickly identify resurgences of COVID-19, and provide an early warning system to the public in the event safety measures and restrictions need to be re-imposed.
• The city supplement the state’s reopening criteria with additional, voluntary guidelines. The council outlined five sequential phases for reopening, providing specific metrics that should be achieved to advance to each next phase, and voluntary guidance for individuals, businesses/non-profits, and the city for each phase.
• The city continue to work with public and private partners to address cross-cutting and sector-specific considerations for reopening, many of which cannot be addressed by a single actor or sector alone.

“After extensive research and review of global best practices, we believe the findings and recommendations in this report will help provide the city with safe and practical guidelines to help Atlanta residents and businesses through the COVID-19 crisis,” said Advisory Council Co-chair Ingrid Saunders Jones.

In addition to the insights from members of the advisory council and other leading health experts, the report also drew from the findings of a resident survey asking Atlantans how they were approaching and interacting with various businesses and venues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted between April 28 and May 4 with over 15,700 respondents, the survey showed:

• An overwhelming majority of survey respondents indicated that, at the time of the survey, they felt unwilling to go to most businesses and venue types.
• Approximately 97% of survey respondents indicated they will not feel safe going out to various venues after reopening without taking their own protective measures, such as wearing a face mask, hand washing, avoiding crowds, and wearing their own personal protective equipment (“PPE”).
• Respondents overwhelmingly indicated that, if required to wear a mask by a workplace or business establishment, they would be willing to do so.

“The advisory council’s recommendations are based on the current available science on the virus, which we know is rapidly evolving,” said Advisory Council Co-chair Robert Ashe, III. “The council stressed that as the city establishes metrics and guidelines for reopening, the guidance should be reevaluated and amended as the science and facts are updated and made available to the public.”

The advisory council also recognized that there are federal guidelines, as well as state executive orders, that have been issued pertaining to reopening. The advisory council’s voluntary recommendations are put forth as benchmarks for proceeding in a safe and deliberative manner within the context of the state’s reopening orders.

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Georgia continue to rise. As of the release of the Advisory Council’s report today, the Georgia Department of Public Health has reported 36,544 COVID-19 cases in the state of Georgia and 1,548 deaths. Fulton County is reported to have 3,632 COVID-19 cases and 159 of deaths.

View the entire Advisory Council Report for Reopening Atlanta and the results of the resident survey here.

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After Gov. Brian Kemp further eased restrictions on the number of people who can be inside a restaurant dining room, more Intown eateries have announced plans to reopen.

All restaurants must follow state-mandated guidelines, including staff wearing masks, more sanitation, disposable menus, contactless payments, and social distancing. The state will now allow 10 people per table, but restaurants still must maintain 6 feet space between parties.

California Pizza Kitchen at Atlantic Station will reopen for dinner service starting today, May 15, at 5 p.m. inside the restaurants and on the patio. Takeout, curbside and delivery are still available.

Tamarind Restaurant Group, which includes Nan Thai Fine Dining, Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft, Tamarind Seed and Chai Yo Modern Thai, will begin to offer “limited outdoor patio dining and minimal dine-in services” starting today. The restaurant group continues to recommend and emphasize its contactless curbside pickup and delivery services.

Park Tavern in Midtown has reopened its patio Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 9 p.m. with a special menu – wings, tacos, shrimp – along with beer, wine and cocktails.

Cafe Posh in Buckhead will have limited seating in its dining room this weekend and is still offering curbside and takeaway.

U Restaurants has reopened dining rooms and patios at Sotto Sotto and Fritti in Inman Park, Escorpion in Midtown and Novo in Dunwoody. Tables will be limited due to social distancing rules, so make a reservation.

Wood’s Chapel BBQ has reopen its doors (and walk-up window) for takeout in Summerhill after being closed for six weeks. May 16 is National Barbecue Day, so good timing.

Salata Salad Kitchen has begun opening up its dining rooms, including locations at Madison Yards and Midtown Place.

Ford Fry’s Marcel steakhouse on the Westside and Inman Park seafood restaurant  BeetleCat reopen for dine-in service on May 18.

Check out a much longer list of restaurants reopening for dine-in service at Eater Atlanta.

The post Restaurant dining rooms reopen as state further eases restrictions appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Since the Covid-19 crisis began, tens of millions of Americans have filed for unemployment. Consumer confidence has fallen dramatically. Small businesses, which operate on thin margins even in the best of times, are hanging by a thread. This should be a glaring wake-up call: we must continue taking critical steps to reopen the economy. 

Many states have already started to reopen as their case numbers fall. Yet many people are wondering how we can go back to work without causing a spike in new Covid-19 cases.

Thankfully, we don’t have to choose between saving our economy from collapse and protecting public health. There is a balanced approach we can take to ensure neither of these horrific outcomes happen.

President Trump recently laid out a three-phased plan to reopen our economy safely and responsibly. He also created the Taskforce on Economic Recovery, on which I proudly serve, to advise the President and his team on the best strategies for implementing this plan.

First, we have to ensure our healthcare system has the testing capabilities and resources necessary to identify and contain the virus. To this end, Congress has appropriated $55.4 billion for vaccines, testing, and personal protective equipment (PPE). President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to quickly manufacture PPE and directed FEMA to accelerate the transportation and distribution of supplies around the country. 

Once robust testing and healthcare resources are in place, we need to determine which sectors of our economy and which regions of our country can begin to fully reopen. For those that do, we need to follow proper protocols to keep people safe. 

I recently toured Fort Benning and learned how the Army is using creative screening, hygiene, and distancing protocols to safely continue their critical operations. Businesses all across the country could follow suit.

In addition to the military, there are thousands of “essential” businesses, like health care, food supply, and energy supply chain companies around the country that have been coping with this new reality. We should learn from them and help other businesses adopt their strategies.

Through all of this, we must continue protecting the most vulnerable in our communities, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. We must ramp up testing and development of new treatments and vaccines.

We don’t have to guess whether this approach will work. Other countries who are ahead of us in this process, such as New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan, have been planning policies like these well before their case numbers peaked.

Critics may insinuate that we’re prioritizing capital over human lives. That’s nonsense. We are simply attempting to prevent a long-term economic crisis from replacing this current public health crisis.

Right now, “elective” medical procedures, like cancer treatments and heart check-ups, are still stalled even in some hospitals with no Covid-19 cases. Supply chains for pharmaceuticals and other life-giving goods are being disrupted. Thousands of small business owners are unsure if they can ever rehire those they have laid off.

If we were to extend this shutdown, the economic toll for every American, not to mention the psychological toll of continued isolation and joblessness, would be severe and long-lasting. 

What has made our economy the greatest in human history is our unrivaled ability to innovate, form capital, and create the goods and services that keep society afloat. No relief package can replace the power of the American entrepreneur.

In President Trump’s economic turnaround, before this crisis began, over 7 million new jobs had been created. Unemployment was at record lows. 2.5 million people had lifted themselves out of poverty.

Here’s the good news: if we continue to gradually reopen the economy at our current pace and keep our citizens healthy and safe, we could see a return to the historic economic turnaround we were previously experiencing. Our goal is to make sure 33 million Americans who have since lost their jobs will be earning a paycheck again.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced four grant recipients in Georgia have been selected to receive awards totaling $1,950,000 to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the agency’s Brownfields program. Recipients include the Albany Museum of Art ($350,000), the City of Albany ($800,00), the City of Atlanta ($300,000) and Invest Atlanta ($500,000).

“These grants will provide the selected communities in Georgia with resources to clean up contaminated lands and return them to productive use,” said Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “Overall, Brownfields funding provides communities with an opportunity to convert contaminated sites into community assets that will attract jobs, encourage partnerships and achieve broader economic development outcomes.”

“Cleaning up these contaminated sites will open the door for economic development in Atlanta and Albany, while improving public health and the environment,” said Senator David Perdue. “This investment will have a tangible impact in Georgia, and I appreciate the Administration’s commitment to helping our communities succeed.”

“Cleaning up our downtown areas and neighborhoods is a good way to show that Georgia is open for business,” said Senator Kelly Loeffler. “These federal grants will help make the Peach State an even better place to call home by funding efforts in Atlanta and Albany to clean up contaminated, vacant areas for future developments. This is great news that will spur job creation by encouraging new businesses to move in and existing organizations to expand.”

“I am excited for the prospects the generous Brownfields grants give to the city of Albany and the Albany Museum of Art,” said Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA-02). “These grants will allow the Museum of Art to have a new home after storms severely damaged their current building and will enable the city of Albany to have flexibility in attracting other businesses and nonprofits to repurpose and revitalize the downtown area. The residents of Albany have been through so much recently, but now have an opportunity to enhance the community and stimulate the overall economy.”

“EPA’s grant funding has helped make it possible for communities across Georgia to clean up contaminated properties and benefit from the resulting economic growth,” said Richard Dunn, Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. “Since the Georgia Brownfields Program began 17 years ago, 598 properties have been cleaned up at minimal expense to taxpayers and we are excited to add these new projects in Atlanta and Albany to that list.”

The Georgia grantees are among 155 grants that will be awarded for communities and tribes totaling over $65.6 million in EPA brownfields funding through the agency’s Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Programs. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged

communities, including neighborhoods located in Opportunity Zones, in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investment, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Of the communities selected this year, 118 can potentially assess or clean up brownfield sites in census tracts designated in these zones. In addition, nearly 30% of the communities selected today will receive brownfields funding for the first time.

The grant recipients in Georgia include:

Albany Museum of Art will receive a $350,000 Brownsfield Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the former Belk Building located at 128 and 146 West Broad Avenue in the City of Albany. The 1.3-acre site is composed of two parcels that contain a paved lot and two unoccupied commercial brick buildings. Historic uses of the site include automotive sales and repair, a filling station and a department store. The site is contaminated with heavy metals and inorganic contaminants co-mingled with petroleum products. The site is located within a Qualified Opportunity Zone. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities.

The City of Albany will receive a $800,000 Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the City of Albany will provide loans and subgrants to non-profits interested in cleaning up and repurposing properties in underserved areas of the city with declining commercial business and industry. Grant funds also will be used to market the revolving loan fund, oversee cleanup activities and conduct community engagement activities. Revolving loan fund activities will focus on the mostly abandoned Broad Avenue Corridor, an area with more than 20 industrial blighted structures that also serves as the main gateway into Albany’s downtown and is located within a Qualified Opportunity Zone.

“The City of Albany is excited about being awarded funding from the EPA’s Brownfield Revolving Loan Program,” said Bo Dorough, Mayor of Albany. “The RLF will assist our community redevelopment efforts by providing low-to-no interest cleanup loans to development projects that will help transform areas of commercial and industrial blight to attractive and safe new uses.”

The City of Atlanta will receive a $300,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant. The Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments and develop three cleanup plans. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities, including updating a community involvement plan, hosting public meetings and developing and updating outreach materials. Assessment activities will target the Groundwork Atlanta/Chattahoochee River area, Proctor Creek Watershed, Atlanta Area-Wide Plan area, and Jonesboro Road Rail Corridor. The four target areas contain 14 Qualified Opportunity Zones. Priority sites include a 75-acre former brick manufacturing property and the recently abandoned 1.3-acre Kudzu Line parcel in the CSX rail corridor.

“The grant will aid us in reinvigorating previously industrialized sites and ultimately lead to increased businesses, services, jobs and community improvements through their rehabilitation and rebuild,” said Tim Keane, Commissioner, Department of City Planning. “As Atlanta grows, it is important that we help create new opportunities by addressing environmental issues and thereby making our city more equitable and vibrant.”

Invest Atlanta will receive a $500,000 Brownfield Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up Segment 2 of the Southside Corridor of the Atlanta Beltline, which is located from the southern projection of Windsor Avenue SW to Milton Avenue SE. The site is 0.85 miles of an abandoned railroad corridor that was an active freight route between 1899 and 1914 and is currently being used as an unpaved interim trail. It is contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It also is located within a Qualified Opportunity Zone. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities.

“The City of Atlanta has many examples, like Atlantic Station, of brownfield remediation playing a critical role in revitalizing underdeveloped areas,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “These latest grant funds will not only further development of the Atlanta Beltline’s Southside trail, but also pave the way for equity-driven investment in low-income census tracts, including the three Federal Opportunity Zones in the remediation area. We thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Division for their continued support of these strategic development efforts in our city.”

“Atlanta Beltline, Inc. is thrilled to continue our decades-long partnership with the EPA to remediate a segment of the Southside corridor and create new pathways for economic inclusion, such as the development of Pittsburgh Yards,” said Clyde Higgs, CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “Initiatives such as these strengthen workforce development efforts and incentivize nearby housing development, including new affordable units.”

Lincoln Property Company Southeast (Lincoln) has arranged the sale of 2975 Northwoods Parkway located within Northwoods Business Park in Norcross, Ga. Lincoln’s Chip Sipple and Jeff Henson represented the seller in the transaction.
 
Located in Peachtree Corners, just off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, 2975 Northwoods Parkway features 86,000 square feet of renovated office and flex space, situated within a 15-acre setting.
 
“The Norcross market continues to experience rapid growth, presenting a prime investment opportunity for buyers,” said Lincoln’s Sipple. “With long-term tenancy and a strategic location, 2975 Northwoods Parkway will continue to be an attractive asset in the future.”
 
The building is currently occupied by Diversified for a new seven-year lease term, with option for renewal. The company is an industry leading technology solutions provider delivering innovative digital media, collaborative broadcasting, electronic security and OTT solutions to global clientele across a wide array of markets.

Decks and More, a metro Atlanta-based remodeling company, has won two national Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards from NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.  Decks and More received the honors in the Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Under $100 category for a home in Johns Creek/North Fulton and in the Green Residential Exteriors category for a home in Buckhead.

The National CotY awards are NARI’s premier awards for the remodeling industry.  The annual accolades recognize excellence in remodeling across 48 categories.  NARI members throughout the nation submit their best work for consideration by a panel of expert judges.  Over the years, Decks and More has been honored for outstanding work at the local, regional and national level by NARI, the North American Deck and Railing Association and other professional organizations. 

“It’s always rewarding to win a CotY Award, since the entries are judged by a panel of remodeling peers,” said Frank Pologruto, president of Decks and More.  “As always, the competition was extremely tough, since remodelers from across the country submitted their best work.  Decks and More is truly honored and grateful to receive these awards.  I’d like to thank our clients, design team, creative carpenters, Southeastern Underdeck team, painters and our amazing electricians.  These projects were total team efforts and I am honored and blessed to work with these professionals every day.”

National CotY Winner for Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Under $100,000, Johns Creek, Ga.

“For this busy family who loves to entertain, we replaced an outdated and non-descript deck with a beautiful two-level outdoor entertainment area,” said Pologruto.  The home features a professionally landscaped backyard with a pool, outdoor kitchen and flagstone patio, but the dated, existing deck hampered the flow from the house to the yard and detracted from the lovely landscape.  The homeowners wanted two levels of attractive and functional outdoor living spaces, but they wanted their view preserved.  We worked with partner Southeastern Underdeck on the project.  It took a strong team effort, creativity and innovation to design and install the components in a way that did not block the view.  First, a pressure-treated engineered beam was installed to support the new wooden deck with its Chippendale handrails, custom corbels and diagonal decking.  Below, Southeastern Underdeck installed an under-deck system made of custom aluminum panels to protect the homeowners from weather on the ground level.  To complete the project, we added stacked stonework at the steps, LED lighting and a two-color paint scheme for the deck and rails.  The lower level features a clear span design with only four columns supporting the upper deck.  This creative engineering maintained the clear view of the landscape.”

National CotY Winner for Green Residential Exteriors, Atlanta, GA (Buckhead neighborhood)

“The couple who lives in this Buckhead home had the house custom-built and the grounds professionally landscaped, but for some reason, the back deck was too small and didn’t span the home.  It almost looked like it was added as an afterthought,” said Pologruto.  “The homeowners asked my team and me to design a low-maintenance deck to provide easy access to the backyard with a wide, sweeping view.  To avoid installing railings across the entire back of the deck, we designed a grand, 28-foot-wide staircase that gently descends to a landing before reaching the ground.  The deck features gray birch composite decking placed at a diagonal with a picture frame border and open, fortress iron handrails.  Additional green solutions include LED lighting and PVC white trim at the perimeter of the deck.  Where the old deck made you feel cramped and confined, this new outdoor deck and grand staircase are gracious and open.  They are a perfect match for the beautiful home and meticulous landscape.”