Fresh Loaf

Here at CL we LOVE receiving letters. (So tangible!) But sometimes they make us sad. And Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts wins most depressing mailer of the day.

This morning, CL’s A&E assistant Wyatt Williams handed me a letter from the pro-gambling politico. Then he handed me a stack of about 20 more. I was delighted to discover a folded piece of paper that read “Casino Gaming Can Help!” accompanied by a bunch of headlines about foreclosures, unemployment and the current tidal wave of economic pain.

I don’t know which is more depressing — the collection of headlines or imagining Pitts’ staffers cutting every one of them out. Either way, thanks, sir! We received the memo!

More photos of Pitts’ letter after the jump.

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Architecture society DOCOMOMO’s Georgia chapter and the Young Architects Forum of AIA Atlanta will host a presentation and self-guided tour of downtown Atlanta’s central library on March 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Atlanta's central library

The library is the final work of famed Modernist architect Marcel Breuer and has been at the center of a heated preservation effort after Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts said he wanted to sell the building or move the library’s collection to a new facility near Centennial Olympic Park.

For more information about the event, part of the Atlanta Preservation Center’s Phoenix Files series which showcases the city’s “living landmarks,” visit the site. (The series, which includes tours of The Wren’s Nest and the Olmstead Liner Parks, is worth a look.)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Architecture magazine Metropolis this month profiles the effort by Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts to raze — or is it renovate? — the historic Atlanta-Fulton County public library located downtown.

The library, completed in 1980, is the final work of famed Modernist architect Marcel Breuer and considered a masterpiece. The architecture community, enraged by the idea, wants to preserve the building.

From the magazine:

Having secured $85 million last November through a bond referendum, Pitts hopes to incorporate retail, dining, and performance space into a high-visibility property. An early choice was a site facing Centennial Olympic Park, a tourist destination bordered by such attractions as CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola. But opening a new main branch would mean abandoning the existing one—a design that many argue is already a world-class piece of architecture.

It’s an excellent article and worth your time. Read it in full at Metropolis’ site.

To read more about or to join the preservation effort, visit local artist Max Eternity’s website.

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

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Underground Atlanta executives announced last week that a gaming company has offered to spend $450 million to turn the downtown retail complex into a casino with video slot machines and a 29-story hotel.

“Casino gambling in neighboring states would take away from Georgia’s convention and tourism business. Let’s roll the dice. Georgia can’t afford not to.”

— Fulton Commissioner Robb Pitts, from a 1994 presentation titled “Gambling: On Georgia’s Mind”

“Statistics show that thousands of people from the Atlanta area travel weekly to venues that feature casinos and other games of chance.”

— Councilman Jim Maddox, from a 2003 resolution urging state lawmakers to allow gambling

“Let’s be courageous and allow the citizens of Georgia to vote the issue of legalizing casino gambling up or down!”

— Robb Pitts, from a Dec. 4 open letter to state lawmakers

“There’s a general sense that we’ll see gaming within the city limits and I concur.”

— Mayor Shirley Franklin, speaking to state lawmakers in November

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Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts — who’s got dreams of building new libraries and putting casinos downtown — says he wants to give county police officers “free” homes. He says it’s an appropriate step at a time when the county is swimming in abandoned and foreclosed homes and police are having a hard time paying and retaining officers.

There’s a catch, of course — the officers just have to promise they’ll stick around for 15 years.

From Pitts release:

Pitts said, “Since most jurisdictions cannot pay police officers what they deserve, providing free homes to them would be a substantial supplement to their salaries and a good tool for recruitment and retention.”

Under the program, police officers would have to pay a down payment of $2,500 and commit to 15 years of service with the department in order to receive a free home, and it would have to be their primary residence. At the end of 15 years they would be given the deed to the home. During the interim, they would be responsible for all taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance.

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According to an e-mail from the man himself, Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts last week sent a letter to the state lawmakers urging them to allow Georgians the right to vote whether they want gambling casinos in their communities. Pitts is a leading proponent of bringing them to downtown.

Pasted below you’ll find his plea. The all caps and bold type are a nice touch. That always helps me get my point across in AOL chatrooms.

December 4, 2008

Dear Legislator:

The financial condition of the national economy is severely impacting our local economy in ways we never dreamed possible even a year ago.

The unemployment rate in Georgia is at an all time high (7%), and our constituents should be able to depend on us to think of ways to create jobs and boost the economy. It is clear to me, in 2009, seeking new sources of revenue and creating jobs are key to moving our economy forward.

We, as elected officials, cannot just sit back and wait for things to get better. We must lead with foresight instead of hindsight. You, as a member of the Georgia General Assembly, can make a difference. Let’s be courageous and allow the citizens of Georgia to vote the issue of legalizing CASINO GAMBLING up or down!

Once again, please, LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE!

Sincerely,

Robb Pitts

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Could Fulton County have chosen a worse time to propose $275 million in new spending?

On the plus side, it’s for a worthy cause: the $275 million, in the form of bonds, would pay for eight new library branches, expand two existing branches and spruce up 24 others. As for minuses, there’s the lousy economy that’s already put the squeeze on local homeowners and the fact that at least $85 million of the bond money would go toward replacing the Central Library.

The Central Library part of the plan was a last-minute add-on and is accordingly half-baked, calling vaguely for the library system to find a new downtown site, sell the old building and build a spectacular new edifice. Bond funds would cover only half the estimated cost of the new facility; the difference would somehow be made up with private donations, according to County Commissioner Robb Pitts, the idea’s main proponent. Given the current state of the economy and the large number of competing civic projects — civil rights museum, symphony hall, Beltline, etc. — tapping into huge amounts of private money seems a pipe dream.

Atlanta taxpayers should also be aware that six of the proposed new branches would be located in the far north and south ends of the county. Fulton hasn’t had a library bond for more than 20 years, so it’s especially regrettable that mission creep was allowed to bloat this referendum to more than a quarter of a billion dollars. If the referendum’s rejected, perhaps next time the county will come back with a more reasonable proposal.

Check out CL’s 2008 Voter’s Guide and add your comments to races you care about. It continues to be updated. On Oct. 21, come back to find a handy cheat-sheet to your voting both.

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The departure of Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders from the Atlanta mayor’s race earlier this week has, by political strategists’ calculation, left behind a large window of opportunity for the right candidate.

Specifically, we mean someone backed by the Atlanta business community – anointed by the Chamber of Commerce, as it were. Borders, a protege of mega-developer Tom Cousins, had been that person, but now she’s out.

Therefore, the buzz of the moment has concentrated on a well-known and universally respected chief executive, a man of unique achievement who’s arguably done more than anyone since Ted Turner to restore the vibrancy of Atlanta’s downtown business district.

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