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Lincoln Property Company Southeast (Lincoln) has secured a new lease with Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC), a division of Toyota Financial Services (TFS), for 56,746 square feet at NorthWinds Office Park in Alpharetta, Georgia. With this lease, NorthWinds is now over 85% leased. Lincoln’s Michael Howell, Hunter Henritze and Caroline Fisher represented the landlord, The Brookdale Group. Wade Clark, Dom Wyant and Caroline McKinley of JLL represented the tenant. 

TFS is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota in the United States, offering retail auto financing and leasing through TMCC and Toyota Lease Trust. Serving customers across the globe, TMCC provides automotive finance services, including dealer finance, term loans and revolving credit services to vehicles and industrial equipment dealers. This deal at NorthWinds V is the result of a consolidation of numerous TMCC offices into a larger regional office. The new Alpharetta office will become the company’s East Dealer Service Center, bringing more than 150 new jobs to Fulton County. Employees at this location will be tasked with ensuring a smooth experience between TFS and dealer personnel.  

“As one of the fastest growing cities across the country, and often deemed as the ‘technology city of the south,’ Alpharetta offers a prime location for corporate headquarters and regional offices with access to a volume of top talent as well as some of the best schools, amenities and neighborhoods within metro Atlanta,” said Lincoln’s Howell. “NorthWinds is an ideal environment for corporate, regional and local companies alike with its numerous on-site amenities and ability to accommodate tenants both large and small”. 

NorthWinds is a preeminent office park that includes seven six-story, Class-A office buildings, totaling 1.04 million square feet, with a comprehensive on-site amenity package to include two hotels, two banks, nine restaurants, two complimentary fitness facilities, a daycare and learning facility and six free conference and training facilities.  NorthWinds is located less than 1 mile from the award winning mixed-use development Avalon and also offers immediate access to GA-400, as well as major East/West connectors, including Haynes Bridge Road and Old Milton Parkway. 

Election Day is Tuesday, June 9, for the primary and special elections with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Early voting was plagued with problems related to coronavirus pandemic precautions, including long lines and missing absentee ballots.

Many polling places have moved because facilities like senior centers cannot house polls during the pandemic. Be sure to confirm your polling place through the state voter registration website.

Fulton County released a statement from Board of Registration & Elections Chair Mary Carole Cooney and Director of Registration & Elections Richard L. Barron concerning the problems with voting:

“On behalf of the Fulton County Board of Registration and the Department of Registration & Elections, we want to thank the more than 6,000 voters who stood in the sun and rain for many hours during the last day of early voting on Friday, June 5. In total, more than 30,458 Fulton County voters cast their ballots during the Early Voting period.

This election cycle has brought an unprecedented number of challenges – from date changes, changes in locations, the availability of poll workers, restrictions related to COVID, coronavirus infections among Department of Registration and Elections employees and more.

Most troubling is the number of voters who applied for absentee ballots but never received them. That is an issue that will take time to determine but we promise you that we will review the steps involved and any mistakes made to give you an answer that will serve us all better in the next election.”

The post Election Day for primary and special election is June 9 appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

The Atlanta Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a rape suspect who assaulted a woman on June 7 in Midtown.

According to the police report, the victim was leaving her apartment on Juniper Street around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday when she was  approached by a male who forced her into a vacant apartment and raped her.

Any information on the case can be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at (404) 577-TIPS (8477), online www.crimestoppersatlanta.org or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637). Persons do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000.

The post VIDEO: Atlanta police seeks public help in finding Midtown rape suspect appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

If you’ve got a hankering to build flat-packed, Swedish-designed furniture, IKEA has reopened its Atlantic Station store after a three-month closure due to COVID-19.

Despite its sprawling size, the retailer will be following state social distancing guideline by  only allowing 25 percent customer capacity. IKEA is recommending that customers wear  facial masks and to stay home if they are not feeling well. All employees will be wearing facial masks, plexiglass barriers have been set up, and sanitation stations are located throughout the store.

In order to keep a safe environment, high touch-point areas like Smaland and the IKEA restaurant will be temporarily closed. IKEA will also remove shopping tools from the store floor (which include, yellow shopping bags, pencils, maps etc) and encourage customers to use the IKEA app to help them shop. Contactless payment is available and encouraged.

IKEA Atlanta has been operating with Click & Collect curbside for the past few weeks and they will continue to do so

Customers will be able to return items using a new appointment only system in the store. IKEA has also extended the return period for customers who had an expiration date during the closing period.

While it was closed for browsing, IKEA has been donating different home furnishings and food to local organizations and food pantries with a focus on homelessness, hunger and children’s education.

The post IKEA reopens after three-month closure due to COVID-19 appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

District 2 City Councilmember Amir Farokhi has announced the final results of his “Downtown Decides!” participatory budgeting pilot program – an initiative through which the public proposes ideas and then votes on how to spend public dollars.

Farokhi launched Downtown Decides! in December 2019 in collaboration with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. Residents were invited to submit their thoughts on how to best spend $1 million in available unspent Transportation Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax (or T-SPLOST) dollars earmarked for transportation projects Downtown.

More than 100 proposals were submitted and they were vetted for feasibility by city officials before being placed on a final ballot of 33 ideas. After a month of online voting, 3,479 people voted with 17 projects chosen as winners.

“Given all that’s going on in the world, it speaks volumes that nearly 3,500 people took the time to vote. This was a small initiative in the grand scheme of things. But the lessons are clear. People want the chance to be more civically engaged. They want the opportunity for their great ideas to come to life. They want a direct say in the future of our city. I believe it’s incumbent on us as elected officials to provide opportunities like this. It makes for a stronger, more representative democracy in our city.”

He went on to express his excitement at the diversity of ideas represented.

“We are thrilled with the list of winners,” Farokhi continued. “There’s something for everyone – for pedestrians and cyclists, business owners, persons with disabilities, drivers looking to get where they’re going safely, and those who simply wanted to beautify our streets and improve the quality of life downtown. Everyone is a winner.”

Farokhi’s office will now work with the Atlanta Department of Transportation to develop a timeline for execution of the 17 winning projects. To see vote tallies and more details, visit www.district2atlanta.com/downtown-decides.

The winning projects:

1. More “pedestrian only” zones in Fairlie-Poplar ($15,000) Install removable bollards in the Fairlie-Poplar district to create “pedestrian only” zones on Broad St. between Poplar St. and Walton St.

2. Handicap access ramp at Williams St. and Peachtree St. ($6,000)

3. Handicap access ramp at Ted Turner and Williams St. ($9,000)

4. Paint dangerous island ($3,400) Paint median islands and/or install reflective delineators along Harris St at Peachtree Ctr Ave.

5. Add 20 32-gallon trash and recycling cans along Auburn Ave. ($20,000)

6. Extend Jackson St. Bike Lane ($45,000) Remove two?way left?turn lane along Jackson St. and convert to a single lane in each direction. Install 5?ft bike lane in each direction between Auburn Avenue and Irwin Street. This will include removing existing striping and adding new striping for two? lane roadway, bike lane striping, and parking striping.

7. “Don’t Block the Box” ($20,000) Install “Don’t Block The Box” striping at 20 intersections in the heaviest travelled areas of the downtown grid: Peachtree St from Dekalb Ave to North Ave; Ted Turner Dr from Andrew Young Int’l Blvd to Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd; Baker Str from Piedmont Ave to Williams St.

8. Marietta St. Cycle Track ($130,000) Install bicycle lanes along Marietta St between Edgewood Ave and Centennial Olympic Park Dr.

9. “Complete Streets Peachtree” ($225,000) Complete Street striping along Peachtree St. from McGill Blvd to Ellis St. Includes basic infrastructure supports for scooters, cyclists, etc.

10. Peachtree Center Ave. Cycle Track ($50,000) Install delineators for cycle track (e.g. striping, signs, reflectors) along Peachtree Center Ave from Int’l Blvd to Peachtree St

11. “The Smooth Roads Act of 2019”  ($140,000) Repave Ivan Allen Jr Blvd between Peachtree St and West Peachtree St to address pothole and sidewalk issues.

12. Edgewood Sidewalk Widening Phase I ($130,000) Design phase for plan to remove two?way left?turn lane and install 10?ft sidewalk along Edgewood Ave (both sides) between Jackson St and Boulevard. Project includes removal of existing two?way left?turn lane, installation of new centerline striping, bike lanes, on?street parking, new granite header curb, concrete driveways, concrete sidewalk, stormwater culverts and inlet structures, and utility relocation.

13. Edgewood Avenue Loading Zone Revamp ($10,000) The removal of six parking spaces to accommodate lane shifts and a curbside loading? only zone at the corner of Boulevard and Edgewood. Also, bike lane protection will be installed at either end of the block to protect against right?turning vehicles.

14. Sweet Auburn Wayfinding ($15,000) Creative wayfinding signs along Auburn Ave. to connect multiple historic sites

15. Beg Button Removal ($40,000) Remove 60 (approx.) signal crossing buttons at the following intersections: Peachtree/Wall; Peachtree/Walton; Peachtree/Forsyth/Carnegie; W. Peachtree/Allen; Allen/Turner; Allen/Williams; Turner/International; COP/International; COP/Luckie; COP/Walton; COP/Marietta; Turner/Marietta; Forsyth/Marietta; Forsyth/Luckie.

16. Stoplight Removal ($125,000) Study approximately 20 traffic signals Downtown to assess whether they get so little traffic that they can be removed.

17. Sidewalk Furniture ($22,000) Decorative furniture and benches at the corner of Auburn Ave. and Hilliard St. by the Remerge building

The post Downtown Decides! Results revealed in public vote of how to spend $1 million in transportation dollars appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Since the COVID-19 crisis struck, U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) has hosted regular constituent conference calls to provide real-time updates on relief packages and answer questions directly from Georgians. Senator Perdue has reached out to 840,000 constituents across all of Georgia’s 159 counties, garnering over 75,000 active participants, and answered diverse questions from live callers seeking help and information in this crisis.

This outreach effort follows a practice that the Senator instituted to connect with Georgians when he was first elected in 2014. During these hour-long calls, Senator Perdue discussed public health protocols, where to find local testing sites, how to apply for small business loans and check on the status of relief payments, and Georgia’s plans to safely reopen the economy. 

“My team and I are focused on helping all Georgians get through this crisis. Even though we’ve had to adhere to strict social distancing during this unprecedented time, it’s been our top priority to connect with as many people in the state as possible.” said Senator Perdue. “Through our weekly constituent conference calls, we have reached out to thousands of Georgians to provide updates, share resources, and answer questions. My goal is to provide open communication, cut through any bureaucracy, and get relief to Georgians as quickly as possible. We have been fortunate to receive feedback from folks in every corner of the state, from Hahira to Hiawassee, which is critical as we continue to implement a phased approach to get Georgia and America back to work.” “Thank you for your support and making sure we all know we’re important to you. We’re all working together to get through this crisis, as we have with others in the past. I really want to thank you, Senator, for your service and for the open dialogue on this call,” said David from Henry County.“Senator, I appreciate you providing this opportunity for citizens in the state of Georgia to directly engage with you and inquire about the COVID-19 response,” said Adam from Jonesboro. “Let me thank you for having us on the line tonight and being able to answer our questions. Your staff have been an awesome asset for us in Carroll County,” said Betty from Carrollton.During the COVID-19 crisis, Senator Perdue has helped Georgians in many ways: 

• Repatriated nearly 70 Georgians from around the world

• Located personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and hospitals

• Helped small businesses access Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans

• Secured H-2A workers for farmers during planting season

• Expanded telehealth and broadband funding for rural communities

• Ensured seniors, individuals, and families received relief checks

• Increased resources to expand state COVID-19 testing

• Pushed a bipartisan solution to address the shortage of doctors and nurses

• Observed safety protocols at Fort Benning and Martin Army Community Hospital

• Advocated for gradual, phased reopening of the economy

Click here to view Senator Perdue’s COVID-19 resource page.