DeKalb County Strategic Economic Development Plan · • Preliminary strategy ideas. 7 Employment...

DeKalb County Strategic Economic Development Plan

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Town Hall #3December 12, 2018

Agenda

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Employment Center Strategies

International Business Opportunities

Next Steps

Why Are We Here?

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• Reminder: Goals of this Effort• Establish baseline understanding of DeKalb’s economy and market• Evaluate DeKalb’s employment centers for potential new economic development• Provide a fresh take on Target Industries for 2019-2024• Recommend economic development initiatives for 2019-2024 (keep doing / stop doing / start

doing…)

• Next Steps• Small business opportunities• Draft recommendations• Action plan (Town Hall in Jan 2019)

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Employment CenterStrategies

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Employment Centers

Kensington Station

Perimeter Center

PDK Airport Cluster

Druid Hills / Briarcliff

Emory / CDC

Downtown Decatur

Bouldercrest

Lithonia Cluster

I-85 and I-285 Cluster

Medline / Scottdale

Tucker Summit CID

South DeKalb Cluster

Stonecrest Center

Northlake

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Employment Centers

For each employment center, SEDP staff analyzed data and met with stakeholders to understand:

• Area strengths & weaknesses

• Key parcels & corridors

• Area equity

• infrastructure, demographics, jobs, access, etc.

• Preliminary strategy ideas

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Employment Centers

County-wide strategies

• Improved coordination with municipalities on marketing & outreach

• Clarification of recruitment and retention goals with MAC and other regional groups

• City-led, county-supported infill development

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Strengths• “Geographic center” of Metro Atlanta• Direct transit access via MARTA• Planned projects with emphasis on density• Infill and redevelopment opportunities

remain• Perimeter CID + others leading road

infrastructure improvements• Strong market makes ambitious projects

feasible

Weaknesses• Strong market precludes some uses• Suburban-style layout makes for poor

pedestrian connectivity / ground vibrancy• Vulnerability of mall-focused retail

Perimeter Center

Maksim Sundokov

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Strategies

• Enhanced recruitment/retention collaboration with Dunwoody ED• Define city and county roles/responsibilities

• Collateral development for corporate HQ, professional service businesses

• Engage with GDEcD, MAC, GIC for joint marketing trips

• Potential infill strategies to improve connectivity• Out-parcels of Perimeter Mall• City-led, County-supported

Perimeter Center

Target IndustriesHealthcare & Life Sciences

Corporate Operations & Professional Services

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Strengths• Major highway intersection• Direct transit access via MARTA• Proximity to PDK Airport• Ample infill and redevelopment opportunities• Nearby development momentum in Chamblee• One of Metro Atlanta’s most potentially

catalytic development sites at Assembly• First phase of Assembly Project, incl. Third

Rail Studios, complete

Weaknesses• Very auto-oriented neighborhood, poor street

life and pedestrian connectivity; few areas to “connect” due to highways

• Strong market precludes some uses

I-85 & I-285 Cluster

Curbed Atlanta

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Strategies

• Enhanced recruitment/retention collaboration with Doraville and Chamblee ED• Define city and county roles/responsibilities

• Partner with County Tourism to explore sports, film tourism potential

• Proactive outreach to industrial land owners• Short- and long-term ownership vision• Potential property assemblage/land banking

I-85 & I-285 Cluster

Target IndustriesCorporate Operations & Professional Services

Advanced Manufacturing

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Strengths• Massive financial and social commitment of

CHOA’s campus• Direct highway access• Planned road and bicycle infrastructure

improvement (portion CHOA-funded)• Redevelopment opportunities along North

Druid Hills and Buford Highway• Emerging market for medical facilities

Weaknesses• No MARTA train access• Auto-oriented neighborhood; few pedestrian

connections or walkable destinations; low density

North Druid Hills / Briarcliff

CHOA

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Strategies

• Enhanced recruitment/retention collaboration with Brookhaven/Chamblee EDs• Define city and county roles/responsibilities

• Coordinate on niche market strategy for Century Center

• Proactive engagement with CHOA on market/campus development

• Collaborate on housing development/ redevelopment strategy for aging apartment complexes

North Druid Hills / Briarcliff


Corporate Operations & Professional Services

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Strengths• Large parcels available at cost attractive to

manufacturers, distribution/trucking firms• Direct access to I-285, I-675, close to I-20• Existing logistics cluster, center of DeKalb

trucking industry. Route from ATL to Port of Savannah

• Conley Industrial CID-led improvement projects

Weaknesses• Road upgrades needed – some portions not

constructed for modern-sized trucking• History of lengthy permitting processes• Truck storage as key industry; land-intensive

use

Bouldercrest Logistics Cluster

Google Earth

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Strategies

• Collateral development for logistics cluster

• Engage with GDEcD, MAC, GIC for joint recruitment efforts

• Consider logistics expansion north on Moreland to Moreland Shopping Center property

Bouldercrest Logistics Cluster

Target IndustriesLogistics & Distribution

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Strengths• DeKalb’s largest industrial and land-

intensive commercial cluster• Active and engaged CID• All inside one municipality – clarity of

message & permitting• Catalytic parcels with redevelopment

opportunities

Weaknesses• Aged building stock and lack of new

construction• Few transportation options, limited mixed-

use development opportunities

Tucker Summit CID

Google Earth

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Strategies

• Enhanced recruitment/retention collaboration with Tucker ED• Define city and county roles and

responsibilities• Need a definitive vision for the employment

center

• Engage with GDEcD, MAC, GIC, Tucker Summit CID for joint marketing trips

• The City’s downtown plan will help inform future of transition area• City-led; County-engaged

Tucker Summit CID

Explore Georgia

Target IndustriesAdvanced Manufacturing

Logistics & Distribution

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Strengths• Highly diverse uses: industrial parcels, dense-

developing transit-oriented residential, large-scale commercial, medical

• Strong market between Decatur and Avondale Estates; TOD moving forward

• Direct MARTA train access• Strong access to I-285 and Rte. 78• Redevelopment opportunities, especially on

older retail and industrial properties

Weaknesses• Highly auto-oriented in most locations; poor

pedestrian environments even near train station• Spaces in Decatur, Avondale Estates, and

unincorporated DeKalb mean potentially competing jurisdictions and political considerations

Medline / Scottdale

Dwell Design Studio via CoUrbanize

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Strategies

• Create a comprehensive healthcare strategy tying all healthcare facilities in strategic planning

• Collateral development for healthcare and life sciences cluster

• What is the long-term strategy for Avondale Yard?• How to improve connectivity across tracks

• Long-term density of existing commercial sites/Avondale cluster

Medline / Scottdale

Google Eart


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Strengths• Developable parcels (many publicly-owned)

immediately adjacent to underutilized MARTA station

• Direct access to I-285• Identified as “Regional Center” in county’s

Comprehensive Plan & Future Land Use Map

Weaknesses• Close proximity of low-density residential• Nearby land uses like prison may affect

potential value of some uses• Some parcel assemblage required for

transit-oriented development along Memorial Drive

Kensington Station

MARTA

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Strategies

• Proactive coordination with external and internal partners• MARTA• County departments

• Define vision of area before making plans

• Engage County entities in area to understand relocation/reuse potential

• Identify catalytic impacts on surrounding development• Kensington-Indian Creek connection

Kensington Station

Curbed Atlanta // Google Earth


Healthcare & Life Sciences

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Strengths• World-class life sciences research and

patient care• Walkable mixed-use environment• Planned transit access with Clifton Corridor

expansion• Proximity to Central Atlanta• Highly-educated local workforce

Weaknesses• Relatively little developable land• High land costs• No direct highway access – traffic difficulties,

especially for car-dependent health patients

Emory / CDC

Emory University

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Strategies

• Direct partnership with Emory and CDC for economic development potential• Within this employment center• Other health clusters• Indirect/spinoff opportunities

• Engage with GDEcD, MAC, GIC as partners in recruitment and retention strategy

• Potential infill strategies to accommodate both medical and university needs• Partnership with Atlanta

Emory / CDC

WABE-Atlanta


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Strengths• DeKalb’s most walkable community• Direct MARTA train access• Best-in-class schools, safety; ease of

recruitment• Strong market for mixed-use development

Weaknesses• Relatively high land costs and

rents/purchase prices• Limited development-ready parcels• Lack of direct highway access

Downtown Decatur

Visit Decatur GA

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Strategies

• Engage Decatur ED on short term and long-term strategy needs• Define city and county roles/responsibilities

• Assist in implementation as needed• City-led; County-supported

Downtown Decatur

City of Decatur


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Strengths• Strong existing industrial cluster• Close proximity to I-20• Large developable land parcels• Relatively low cost land options

Weaknesses• Comparable parcels throughout South

DeKalb (Panola Road, etc.)• No MARTA train access• Lingering concerns about schools, safety, etc.

Lithonia Cluster

Google Earth

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Strategies

• Lithonia Cluster northern parcels (1)• Engage property owners on long-term investment

strategies

• Engage with Stonecrest ED• Define city and county roles/responsibilities

• Collateral development for advanced manufacturing cluster

• Consider incentives for small and mid-sized businesses

• Create locally-maintained available properties list• Partner with Georgia Power

Lithonia Cluster

1



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Strengths• Nucleus of dense, walkable development at

Chamblee Station• Developable parcels of varying sizes• Direct access to airport; may prove attractive

to corporate headquarters/support• High level of job accessibility

Weaknesses• Highly auto-oriented in most locations; poor

pedestrian environments outside of Chamblee Station area

• Airport flight paths limit development on some otherwise desirable parcels

• CDC/PDK facility as a key anchor – but “unapproachable” for other development activity

PDK Cluster

National Association of Home Builders

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Strategies

• Continue to support airport facilities expansion to meet corporate needs

• Collateral development to promote PDK as a recruitment asset

• Initiate regional funding strategy to expand hangar availability on site

• Encourage long-term assemblage of properties west of PDK to Clairmont Road

• Ensure future development does not adversely impact CDC and immediate economic opportunities

PDK Cluster


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Northlake


Stonecrest

Mall-focused Redevelopment

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Northlake

Strengths• Significant existing office and retail cluster• Large-scale redevelopment opportunities

including Northlake Mall• Active and engaged Northlake CID• Strong regional market – northern DeKalb +

Gwinnett• Less-expensive northern DeKalb

alternative to Perimeter, others

Weaknesses• Ageing office and retail inventory• Highly auto-oriented environment with

limited pedestrian connectivity• No MARTA train access

Northlake CID

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Northlake Mall

• Dated structure, surplus surface parking may mean more new construction than re-use

• Desirable location; direct access to I-285, high spending power of surrounding neighborhoods

• Opportunities for medical / office development to increase daytime population and cut down on reliance on cars; motivated owner ATR Corinth Partners

• Likely market for multi-family housing on out-lots

Northlake

RKG Associates


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Strengths• Strong existing employment center• Access to two major highways• “Nearest cheapest” – relatively low-cost

land at near proximity to Central Atlanta• Georgia State University – Perimeter

College

Weaknesses• Employment base largely comprised of low-

wage retail and hospitality jobs• Ageing building stock• Lack of significant local spending power• Lingering concerns over education, safety,

etc.


Google Earth

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Gallery at South DeKalb

• Very dated structure, surplus surface parking, and poor visibility from roads

• Strong access to I-20 and I-285, geographically close to Hartsfield-Jackson and Downtown Atlanta

• Opportunities for corporate / light manufacturing combination cluster

• Potential market for accompanying small-scale retail and some new multi-family housing

• Already performs some “city center” functions like hosting early voting


Gallery at South DeKalb Facebook // Google Earth



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Strengths• Potential regional center for Southeast

DeKalb• Direct highway access• Large undeveloped out-lots, with significant

opportunities for infill development• Hayden Quarry Road

Weaknesses• Market-related challenges, reliance on tax

abatements• No direct MARTA access, despite

conversations about future expansion

Stonecrest

Google Earth

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Mall at Stonecrest

• Newer structure means potential changes via adaptive reuse + development on ample out-lots

• Density allowances/zoning likely required to justify strong investment in public transit

• Opportunities for corporate / light manufacturing combination cluster, possible dense housing

• Investment in building a “Stonecrest Center” with walkable streets and relocated parking assets

Stonecrest

City of StonecrestRKG Associates



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InternationalBusiness Opportunities

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International Business

“With more than 95% of the world’s population

and 80% of its purchasing power outside the US,

future economic growth and jobs for Georgia and America increasingly depend on expanding US trade and investment opportunities in the global marketplace.”

2014 Report

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• Goal: attract international firms and entrepreneurs

• Buford Hwy as an important international commercial corridor

• Identified International Program Strategy and Funding Sources

• Recommended International Economic Development organizations and marketing

2014 SEDPFocused on international elements

within target industries

• Approach international business as a market base to develop

• Leverage DeKalb’s international business and population base• Trade: exports & imports• Investors: foreign-owned

enterprises• Development: entrepreneurship

among immigrant and refugee populations

2019 SEDPFocus on international business

as a market

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1) 532 (52%) Exporters149 (55%) FOEs

2) 134 (13%) Exporters63 (23%) FOEs

3) 86 (8%) Exporters10 (4%) FOEs

4) 133 (18%) Exporters18 (7%) FOEs

5) 137 (14%) Exporters31 (11%) FOEs

Buford Hwy

Clarkston

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•Exports (64)•FOEs (31)

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DeKalb’s Export Trade

1,022 businesses84,000+ jobs

$700m in sales/yr

DeKalb’s Foreign-OwnedEnterprises

271 businesses7,000+ jobs

$6b in sales/yr

DeKalb represents 16% of Metro Atlanta’s economybut just 3% of its exports

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Key Takeaways• DeKalb’s international footprint is…

• More than Clarkston and Buford Highway• Countywide and with global connections

• “Incubate” entrepreneurs among DeKalb’s 70,000+ foreign-born 19- to 64-year-olds

• Increase investment by current FOE countries via marketing, consulate outreach

• Expand today’s top export relationships: Caribbean, Latin America, Canada

• Establish trade relationships with origin countries of DeKalb’s foreign-born residents

• Opportunities for Free Trade Zones

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Next Steps

• Small business opportunities

• Draft recommendations

• Action plan

• Engage county leadership to finalize recommendations

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Thank You!

DeKalb County Strategic Economic Development Plan · • Preliminary strategy ideas. 7 Employment...

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