Perimeter Community Improvement Districts Award $7 Million Contract

The Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs) kicked off 2007 with the awarding of a $7.1 million construction contract to improve and upgrade streetscapes and intersections in north DeKalb County and an aggressive schedule for completion of the project.

Awarded to Baldwin Paving Co., Inc., the improvements to Perimeter Center Parkway from Hammond Drive to Perimeter Center West are designed to smooth traffic flow and enhance pedestrian access and safety.

"The redesign of these intersections and improved signal timing will move traffic more efficiently," said Kay Younglove, DeKalb Perimeter CID Board, and Vice President, Colonial Properties Trust. Younglove knows from her work in the competitive commercial real estate industry that amenities are critical to today's buyers. "We will also enhance access by making the area more pedestrian friendly through the addition of eight-foot wide sidewalks, pedestrian crossings including ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and bike lanes.

"Connecting pedestrians to Perimeter's urban center creates opportunities for shoppers, visitors, employees and residents to more easily enjoy the wide variety of quality restaurants, shops and businesses that Perimeter offers," Younglove added. "And, new landscaped medians will keep Perimeter's brand as a premier destination."

The contract is funded through Governor Sonny Perdue's Fast Forward GRTA Bond Program, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Livable Center's Initiative Grant Program, DeKalb County Government and the PCIDs self-tax for infrastructure improvements.

"The business community in the Fulton and DeKalb PCIDs voluntarily pays an additional 4 mils of property tax to provide design, engineering and seed funds to assist its funding partners in moving needed projects forward at an accelerated pace," said PCIDs President Yvonne Williams.

"Expediting construction projects is one of the PCIDs' primary goals, Williams continued. "In DeKalb County, we work through a master agreement authorized by DeKalb County Government that allows the PCIDs to award and manage contracts. Because we can stay focused on specific improvements, we are able to move them to completion very quickly," Williams noted.

"The Governor, Georgia Department of Transportation, GRTA, ARC and DeKalb's CEO and Board of Commissioners continue to be great partners," Williams said. "We expect these improvements to begin quickly and be completed within 12 months of our start date. They provide a major enhancement to this major metro-Atlanta corporate center," she said.