Gov. Perdue Says New Hammond Interchange at GA 400 Will Create More Quality Development and Jobs

Perimeter Community Improvement Districts Celebrate 10 Years of Success

With the nearly $18 million half-diamond interchange at Hammond Drive and GA 400, Perimeter has a new gateway to combat future transportation challenges and a new opportunity for quality development and jobs at this major corridor, Gov. Sonny Perdue told a host of elected and appointed city and state officials and members of the Perimeter business community Tuesday (Sept. 29) at a construction kickoff for the interchange and new bridge at GA 400.

Construction is expected to start during October to build entrance and exit ramps from Hammond Drive to GA 400 and replace the four-lane Hammond overpass with a nine-lane, higher bridge to meet current and future traffic volumes.

“This improvement is a testament to the tenacity, drive and dedication of the Perimeter CIDs’ board members and President and CEO Yvonne Williams,” said Perdue.

The project had been planned for more than 15 years to ease traffic in one of the most congested areas of Metro Atlanta, but the Perimeter CIDs collaboration with the state jump started the project, which was the only one let by the Georgia Department of Transportation in the last quarter of 2008.

“The Hammond Drive/GA 400 interchange project is a perfect example of the private and public sectors’ cooperating on a much needed transportation improvement,” said GDOT Commissioner Vance Smith, who also attended the kickoff event. “This project would not have happened right now if not for the financial contribution of the PCIDs,” Smith said. “We are excited about this interchange and look forward to a continued relationship.”

Through self-imposed additional commercial property taxes, Perimeter commercial property owners are contributing $5.5 million for a northbound entrance ramp onto GA 400 and a southbound exit ramp.

The GDOT is funding the cost of the bridge. Sandy Springs also partnered on the project by financing the PCIDs’ contribution through the city’s development department, saving the PCIDs half a million dollars.

“This is the kind of public-private partnership we want to see take root all around Georgia,” said Perdue.

“The Hammond Half-Diamond Project serves as a model that proves the success of sharing a common goal, creating bold and innovative strategies and bringing all available resources to the table,” said Williams. “This project will be a tremendous asset to the business and residential areas of Perimeter.”

The Hammond project is “innovative and forward thinking,” said DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis. He called the project a shining example of what can be accomplished through partnerships.

Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos called the new interchange and bridge “a great improvement to mobility. Hammond is really going to solve congestion. This is the kind of project we needed to build.”

A GDOT study released in April 2008 of the existing and projected volume of trips along the GA 400 corridor shows that additional capacity to enter and exit GA 400 is urgently needed. At present, the Abernathy Road interchange is the only access point on GA 400 for both local and regional traffic into and out of the Perimeter Center area in Fulton and DeKalb Counties.

With more than 100,000 workers, the Perimeter Center is one of Metro Atlanta’s largest employment districts. Nearly 35,000 more jobs are expected to be added in the next 10 years, according to a recent analysis for the PCIDs by Robert Charles Lesser & Company real estate advisors.

At Tuesday’s event, Perdue also dedicated the award-winning Perimeter Center Parkway, another project spearheaded by the PCIDs. The parkway, which connects to the Perimeter Center Parkway Bridge across I-285 completed in late 2007, has experienced $8.4 million in improvements including the addition of bike lanes, sidewalks, lighting and redesigned intersections with pedestrian crosswalks, signage and handicapped accessible ramps. The parkway improvements were achieved through a collaborative partnership between the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority’s Fast Forward Bond Program and DeKalb County.

Last year, Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety (PEDS) presented a Golden Shoe Award to the PCIDs for their pedestrian-friendly retrofit of the Perimeter Center Parkway.

“Over the past 10 years, the PCIDs have brought tremendous positive change to the Perimeter area,” said Perdue. “If you came here in 1999, you would have found an area that was popular, but structurally disconnected from the retail and office market. Traffic was congested and pedestrians had a difficult time getting around. Most didn’t even try.

“We’re here today to celebrate the success of two organizations – the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts and the Perimeter Transportation Coalition – that together with their partners have changed the face of one of Atlanta’s largest business districts,” Perdue said.

“A great example of today’s transformation is the Perimeter Center Parkway with its new options for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians” in Perimeter, Perdue said.

“Perimeter area visitors and workers now enjoy the benefits of this multi-modal connection from Perimeter Place on our left, across the Perimeter Center Parkway Bridge and on to the outstanding medical center – home to the largest concentration of medical facilities in our area. It’s clean, safe and serves as an illustration of a sustainable, accessible and connected future for Perimeter," Perdue said.

Perdue also presented a special award to Bob Voyles in recognition of his 10 years of “innovative service and commitment to create the Southeast’s premier urban center.” Ellis read a proclamation designating Tuesday (Sept. 29) Boy Voyles Day in DeKalb County.

Principal and CEO of Seven Oaks Company, Voyles was one of the founding fathers of the PCIDS and has chaired the DeKalb PCID for five years.