County’s community improvement districts
put Cobb in the development fast lane
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BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEV.
Staff reports
Cobb is more than just six cities and other unincorporated areas
of the county — it’s also home to three community improvement
districts, or CIDs.
A CID is a self-taxing district established by property owners to
improve local infrastructure and public safety. There are more than
two dozen CIDs in Georgia, according to the Georgia Municipal
Association.
A statewide constitutional amendment to allow CIDs in Georgia
passed in 1984, with the formation of the state’s first CID, then
called the Cobb County Community Improvement District, beginning
the next year. It was officially established May 1, 1988.
Nearly a decade later, it changed its name to the Cumberland CID
following the formation of the Town Center CID in the mid-1990s.
Cobb’s newest CID is the Gateway Marietta CID, which was established
in 2014.
CUMBERLAND CID
Just 6.5 square miles of the county comprises a key economic driver
for both Cobb and the state, as the Cumberland CID’s latest annual
report shows it is responsible for more than 5% of Georgia’s economy.
“The Cumberland CID had a vision in 1988 ... that vision has become
a reality, and the area is a booming economic engine in Cobb County,”
said Kim Menefee, the CID’s executive director, adding that more than
$5 billion in investment has been realized in Cumberland, of which
approximately $3 billion has gone toward enhancements in public
infrastructure.
“These investments have made the district one of the most desirable
urban centers to live, work and play,” Menefee added.
While the Cumberland CID has seen significant growth within its
boundaries in past years, the years to come are expected to see development
stretching upward. German industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp
is building its new North American headquarters as part of
an estimated $240 million facility — and 420-foot tower — inside the
Atlanta Braves’ mixed-use development known as The Battery Atlanta
and its home field at SunTrust Park. The elevator qualification and test
tower is expected to become the tallest structure in Cobb.
The Atlanta Braves’ properties opened in 2017 and are expected to
be a catalyst for more development in the years to come, with Menefee
noting that since the Braves initially announced their plans to build in
Cobb, more than 42 new private investment projects have been built,
along with six Class A office buildings either built or in progress.
The Cumberland CID’s major infrastructure focus in recent years
has been securing $44 million in funding for construction of a ramp at
Akers Mill Road onto the Georgia Department of Transportation’s $834
million managed lanes, which opened in September 2018. In July 2019,
the CID learned that the federal government would kick in the final
$5 million to complete funding via an Infrastructure For Rebuilding
America or INFRA grant, adding to funding previously provided or
pledged by the CID, Cobb County and state agencies.
Construction of the ramp is expected to begin in 2021 and be
completed in 2023, which Menefee said will aid the district that serves
as one of the top job centers in the state with more than 100,000 daily
commuters.
TOWN CENTER CID
The Town Center CID is located in the central/northwest region
of Cobb just southeast of the city of Kennesaw and north of the city
of Marietta.
“The Town Center CID uses a wide lens when planning for the
future and implementing our vision,” said Tracy Rathbone Styf, executive
director of the CID. “When we think about Town Center,
we consider it from not only a district focus, but from a regional
aspect as well.”
Since its establishment in 1997, the CID has been dedicated to
improving property values in the Town Center area through infrastructure
and quality of life projects, and working with its partners has
invested millions of commercial tax dollars each year to improve and
enhance the community, Rathbone Styf said.
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