Canton mayor has a track record of turning dreams into reality
Beware of "Pruett's Pipe Dreams." They might just come true.
Cecil Pruett, mayor of Canton — the Cherokee county seat — since 1996, came to office with so many ideas that town residents began to refer to them as "Pruett's Pipe Dreams."
He wanted the city to buy and restore an old theater downtown. Done.
He wanted the city to create its own bus transit system offering free rides for everyone. Done.
He wanted Canton's downtown area to have new sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, flower pots, new lighting and street furniture. Done.
He wanted the vacant buildings downtown to be filled with businesses. Done.
Now Pruett wants the city to transform a 130-acre area next to the center of town into a thriving community with residences, quality retail, parks and restored historic buildings.
Five years ago, Canton received one of the Atlanta Regional Commission's Livable Centers Initiative grants to design a plan for that transformation. Since then, Canton has been busy implementing physical public improvements to the area to prepare it for development.
A recently formed advocacy group, the Livable Communities Coalition, has selected Canton as one of its first four projects to help find solutions to turn the plans into reality, according to Jim Durrett, the coalition's executive director. "You've got a real jewel of an opportunity here, and we want to share that story," Durrett told Pruett last week. "You have an opportunity to be a great example for the region."
For Pruett, working with the coalition is another way to turn his dreams into reality. In fact, Pruett has a long history of finding partners and joining forces. Two women instrumental in the renaissance of Canton are Melanie Whitt, Canton's director of economic development since 1996; and Marie Garrett, a planning consultant who has helped the city adopt new zoning ordinances and develop its plans.
While Whitt and Garrett are quick to credit Pruett for providing the vision, they have become a two-woman tag team adept at securing grants and support from various government agencies.
The centerpiece of Pruett's latest pipe dream is the River Mill District, anchored by a 1900 textile mill that closed in 1981. The mill stands next to the railroad tracks, near a large green field that leads to the Etowah River. A restored mill, along with new development, would help Canton open back up to its origins — the river and the railroad.
Plus, it would be a way to extend the efforts that have transformed downtown Canton to include a larger area.
"We want to create parks and recreation along the river and preserve that area," Pruett says. "We want to put together a complete city with jobs, shopping, parks — the things people need and want to make their lives complete."
For him, the 130-acre district enables Canton "to do something very, very special that creates excitement and involvement in a close-knit area."
Still, the project is complicated. The land is owned by various private property owners. The existing mill villages have tiny streets with no room for sidewalks. The topography of Canton is extremely hilly, making development more difficult. And the flat areas near the river are in the flood plain — which can best be used for passive green space rather than for infill development.
But it's not as though Pruett and his gang haven't overcome challenges before. Pruett moved to Canton 40 years ago to work in private business. In his job, he was able to travel the world — Japan, China, Europe and South Africa — to see how cities worked in other countries.
"When my wife talked me into running for mayor, I felt like our city was at a crossroads," Pruett says. "We could become an also-ran, or we could become a city that was very special. We had an opportunity to plan our city before we were inundated with the growth we knew was coming."
In 1990, Canton's population was 4,980; in 2000, it had climbed to 7,780. Whitt says estimates show the city has close to 15,000 residents, and it is projected to have as many as 44,000 residents by 2015. The community also is diverse, with a Latino population of more than 20 percent.
Because its population could triple in 10 years, Canton wants to make sure it grows so that its residents can attain a high quality of life.
That's where the coalition comes in.
The coalition is partnering with Canton to build consensus among property owners, to help remove any obstacles and to help generate development interest in the community.
Meanwhile, Pruett and his team continue to dream. They hope that one day, sooner rather than later, Canton will be connected to the region with a commuter rail stop. In the meantime, its bus service carries riders so they can connect to CCT (Cobb Community Transit), which has routes to several spots, including downtown Atlanta. Canton provides a beacon for our region by demonstrating how leadership and planning help create healthy communities.
So keep on dreaming, Mayor Pruett.
By Maria Saporta
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Rail Visionary keeps on a-rollin'
Dealmaker Emory Morsberger has grand visions for commuter rail and revamping downtown Atlanta
Emory Morsberger, self-described "redeveloper," knows the art of the deal. And the deals he sculpts are reshaping a good bit of Georgia landscape.
You want to ride a train that actually gets you someplace in Georgia? Talk to Morsberger, the indefatigable locomotive behind the planned Athens-to-Atlanta commuter "Brain Train."
You want a face-lift for an Atlanta mega-landmark? Call Morsberger, who asked the obvious question: "How's a white guy from Gwinnett end up with the biggest building in Atlanta?" The building is the 80-year-old, 2-million-square-foot Sears warehouse on Ponce de Leon Boulevard -- Atlanta's City Hall East for the last 15 years.
The simple answer to Morsberger's question is money. He offered $35 million, $15 million more than the nearest competitor. But a better answer is his style. Whatever he does, he couches in terms of a higher calling: making a town a better place to live, or offering road-weary commuters a break from the glacially slow I-85 traffic.
Pardon our skepticism when those words come from a developer's mouth. But Morsberger brings some credibility along with them.
What's not to like about a guy who, when he planned the $400 million Sears building restoration, ensured that new residents will include disabled citizens, who also will get preference in hiring by retailers located in the project?
The one-time Republican state legislator even wins accolades from leading Democrats. "He's a Republican, but I like him," said former Gov. Roy Barnes. "A darn good guy when it comes to vision." Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin called him "wonderful."
There's a subtle reason a Democrat would like Morsberger: the hidden power in his pro-transit argument. Morsberger's been pushing the Athens-to-Atlanta commuter line since 2005 as a way not only to un-stuff suburban roads, but to connect Atlanta-area universities with the University of Georgia. That's why he calls it the Brain Train.
He recently released a poll that showed a 71-19 percent Gwinnett County majority in favor of the commuter rail. "A landslide in any language," said pollster Mark Roundtree of Duluth-based Landmark Group. "And Republicans favored the train by 1 percentage point more than Democrats."
That dispels the myth that transit is only for Birkenstock-wearing city folk. Couple that with the poll's findings on gubernatorial contenders, and you have the makings of a political earthquake. In Republican Gwinnett, incumbent Sonny Perdue scored only a 61 percent favorable rating. Democrats Cathy Cox and Mark Taylor were at 49 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
Perdue represents his roots: rural, white Georgia. He's been no friend of Atlanta or, for that matter, even heavily Republican suburban Gwinnett. And he's no fan of transit; it's synonymous with GOP-reviled Atlanta. So, if Perdue doesn't weigh in on behalf of the Athens-Atlanta train, Cox has the opportunity to surf the pro-rail groundswell. She might even overcome Perdue's 12-point lead, capture Gwinnett -- and that could be the tipping point for Georgia. All it would take would be Cox saying, "I vow that in 60 months, that train will be running."
Morsberger didn't want to get political -- although he admitted anger at the GOP-dominated Legislature's 11th-hour insertion into the budget of a resolution that makes it much harder to spend state money on commuter rail. It wrecked the purchase of train cars for a south-metro commuter rail to Lovejoy. And "it will slow down [the Athens-Atlanta project], but won't stop us," he frowned.
To see Morsberger's passion -- for the train or for the Sears building, which he has renamed Ponce Park -- look at what he already has accomplished.
Take Lawrenceville, the Gwinnett County seat. Well, almost no one would have taken the bedraggled town five or six years ago. "I said, 'I want to do something'" about Lawrenceville, where his Morsberger Group is based. "I had a vision about what I wanted to do."
Knowing what happens when a major player starts eyeing big chunks of real estate -- the prices quickly soar -- Morsberger employed stealth. Using 20 or so different corporate names, he started buying up rundown buildings.
"Our president is Rod Britton, and he's African-American," Morsberger said with a big grin. "So we presented him as a gay black hairdresser who wanted to open Sweet Rod's Hair Salon" in order to snare one building.
With boyish mischievousness, he added, "Reporters would call. They'd say they'd heard something. I'd say, 'Oh?' They said they could look it up in the official records. I'd say, 'Oh?' They could look all they wanted. But we were using so many names, well, we never lied, but we did what we set out to do."
After Morsberger acquired about two dozen properties, local owners figured out the plan. Pointing out from his office to the nearby First Baptist Church, Morsberger recalled, "They were all members of the same church, and got together to talk. But by that time, we'd acquired a critical mass. And look at Lawrenceville today." Nice shops, bustling eateries. Not much bad you can say, except for traffic congestion in the town square.
Morsberger, a Maryland native, likes to rattle off dates -- March 14, 2003, for example, when a real estate broker first gave him the idea of acquiring the Sears building. Or, Sept. 5, 1989, when a thief breaking into his car shot Morsberger in the leg and propelled him to successfully run for the Legislature on an anti-crime platform. Or primary Election Day 1992, when Morsberger, a pro-choice Republican, lost to John Linder. "I'm glad I got into politics," Morsberger said. "I'm glad I lost. That got me to where I am today."
Or the day a year ago when he missed a daughter's birthday while sitting on I-85. "We'll improve people's lives if we give them alternatives to cars," he said.
Where will he be tomorrow? Morsberger is eyeing a huge chunk of land south of Atlanta's downtown. "We're going to take the city's skid row and turn it into a nice neighborhood."
By John Sugg
Emory Morsberger, self-described "redeveloper," knows the art of the deal. And the deals he sculpts are reshaping a good bit of Georgia landscape.
You want to ride a train that actually gets you someplace in Georgia? Talk to Morsberger, the indefatigable locomotive behind the planned Athens-to-Atlanta commuter "Brain Train."
You want a face-lift for an Atlanta mega-landmark? Call Morsberger, who asked the obvious question: "How's a white guy from Gwinnett end up with the biggest building in Atlanta?" The building is the 80-year-old, 2-million-square-foot Sears warehouse on Ponce de Leon Boulevard -- Atlanta's City Hall East for the last 15 years.
The simple answer to Morsberger's question is money. He offered $35 million, $15 million more than the nearest competitor. But a better answer is his style. Whatever he does, he couches in terms of a higher calling: making a town a better place to live, or offering road-weary commuters a break from the glacially slow I-85 traffic.
Pardon our skepticism when those words come from a developer's mouth. But Morsberger brings some credibility along with them.
What's not to like about a guy who, when he planned the $400 million Sears building restoration, ensured that new residents will include disabled citizens, who also will get preference in hiring by retailers located in the project?
The one-time Republican state legislator even wins accolades from leading Democrats. "He's a Republican, but I like him," said former Gov. Roy Barnes. "A darn good guy when it comes to vision." Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin called him "wonderful."
There's a subtle reason a Democrat would like Morsberger: the hidden power in his pro-transit argument. Morsberger's been pushing the Athens-to-Atlanta commuter line since 2005 as a way not only to un-stuff suburban roads, but to connect Atlanta-area universities with the University of Georgia. That's why he calls it the Brain Train.
He recently released a poll that showed a 71-19 percent Gwinnett County majority in favor of the commuter rail. "A landslide in any language," said pollster Mark Roundtree of Duluth-based Landmark Group. "And Republicans favored the train by 1 percentage point more than Democrats."
That dispels the myth that transit is only for Birkenstock-wearing city folk. Couple that with the poll's findings on gubernatorial contenders, and you have the makings of a political earthquake. In Republican Gwinnett, incumbent Sonny Perdue scored only a 61 percent favorable rating. Democrats Cathy Cox and Mark Taylor were at 49 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
Perdue represents his roots: rural, white Georgia. He's been no friend of Atlanta or, for that matter, even heavily Republican suburban Gwinnett. And he's no fan of transit; it's synonymous with GOP-reviled Atlanta. So, if Perdue doesn't weigh in on behalf of the Athens-Atlanta train, Cox has the opportunity to surf the pro-rail groundswell. She might even overcome Perdue's 12-point lead, capture Gwinnett -- and that could be the tipping point for Georgia. All it would take would be Cox saying, "I vow that in 60 months, that train will be running."
Morsberger didn't want to get political -- although he admitted anger at the GOP-dominated Legislature's 11th-hour insertion into the budget of a resolution that makes it much harder to spend state money on commuter rail. It wrecked the purchase of train cars for a south-metro commuter rail to Lovejoy. And "it will slow down [the Athens-Atlanta project], but won't stop us," he frowned.
To see Morsberger's passion -- for the train or for the Sears building, which he has renamed Ponce Park -- look at what he already has accomplished.
Take Lawrenceville, the Gwinnett County seat. Well, almost no one would have taken the bedraggled town five or six years ago. "I said, 'I want to do something'" about Lawrenceville, where his Morsberger Group is based. "I had a vision about what I wanted to do."
Knowing what happens when a major player starts eyeing big chunks of real estate -- the prices quickly soar -- Morsberger employed stealth. Using 20 or so different corporate names, he started buying up rundown buildings.
"Our president is Rod Britton, and he's African-American," Morsberger said with a big grin. "So we presented him as a gay black hairdresser who wanted to open Sweet Rod's Hair Salon" in order to snare one building.
With boyish mischievousness, he added, "Reporters would call. They'd say they'd heard something. I'd say, 'Oh?' They said they could look it up in the official records. I'd say, 'Oh?' They could look all they wanted. But we were using so many names, well, we never lied, but we did what we set out to do."
After Morsberger acquired about two dozen properties, local owners figured out the plan. Pointing out from his office to the nearby First Baptist Church, Morsberger recalled, "They were all members of the same church, and got together to talk. But by that time, we'd acquired a critical mass. And look at Lawrenceville today." Nice shops, bustling eateries. Not much bad you can say, except for traffic congestion in the town square.
Morsberger, a Maryland native, likes to rattle off dates -- March 14, 2003, for example, when a real estate broker first gave him the idea of acquiring the Sears building. Or, Sept. 5, 1989, when a thief breaking into his car shot Morsberger in the leg and propelled him to successfully run for the Legislature on an anti-crime platform. Or primary Election Day 1992, when Morsberger, a pro-choice Republican, lost to John Linder. "I'm glad I got into politics," Morsberger said. "I'm glad I lost. That got me to where I am today."
Or the day a year ago when he missed a daughter's birthday while sitting on I-85. "We'll improve people's lives if we give them alternatives to cars," he said.
Where will he be tomorrow? Morsberger is eyeing a huge chunk of land south of Atlanta's downtown. "We're going to take the city's skid row and turn it into a nice neighborhood."
By John Sugg
Monday, May 08, 2006
Transit-trailing Atlanta risks being left at the station
As state leaders block every attempt to develop passenger rail in the region, metro Atlanta is losing its competitive edge.
Nearly every other major metro area in the country has jumped on the passenger rail movement --- recognizing how valuable transit and trains are to their economic future.
Yet in Georgia, a few state legislators have successfully done everything they can to kill commuter rail in metro Atlanta. The latest example occurred last month when state legislators inserted "midnight language" in the budget bill to withhold state funds for "any commuter rail passenger facilities unless otherwise especially appropriated."
That language has given board members of the Georgia Department of Transportation an excuse to yet again delay efforts to implement the region's first commuter rail service --- a line would run from Atlanta to Lovejoy and eventually extend to Griffin and Macon.
Gov. Sonny Perdue can veto that language today or tomorrow --- sending a clear signal to transportation leaders that we must move forward with commuter rail. But up to now, Perdue has done little to support commuter trains or transit.
The lack of any progress on rail transit in metro Atlanta has ominous implications. As other metro areas move forward to provide transportation options for their residents, we continue to be stuck in traffic jams.
Otis White, president of Atlanta-based Civic Strategies, tracks urban trends in the top 20 cities in the country. His research shows that 17 of those cities are committed to rail transit.
The three that aren't are Detroit, where regional leaders feel it's too late for the Michigan city; Tampa, where leaders question whether the city is big enough to support rail; and Atlanta.
"Atlanta is truly the odd metro out," White says. "These other metropolitan areas are going as hard and as fast as they can to build rail transit, and we're not."
Once metro Atlanta had a two-decade lead over these other cities when it built its MARTA system. But sadly, transit growth was stopped in its tracks.
"We were 10 to 15 years ahead of Dallas, and now they are far ahead of us in transit," White says. "Today, they have got the model big city transit system in the country."
Dallas is not alone. From Chicago to Denver, from Washington to Seattle and from Miami to Minneapolis, urban areas are building rail transit.
A striking example is Houston, once viewed as one of the most auto-oriented, sprawling metro areas in the country.
"Houston, the oil capital of the country is building rail transit as fast and as furious as it can, and voters are supporting it overwhelmingly," White says. "If Houston can do it, Atlanta can do it."
And it's not just the major cities. Second-tier cities --- emerging competitors to metro Atlanta --- are investing in rail transit. Charlotte, Portland, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City are only a few examples of cities that view rail as a sound investment.
"Nationally, we turned the corner on the discussion of rail transit 10 years ago because the highway-only system broke down," White says. "I just don't know of another major metro area that's carrying on this silly discussion other than Atlanta."
And most metro areas are not hung up on the need for public subsidies for transit, understanding that all modes of transportation are subsidized.
In fact, in Virginia, the state has agreed to turn over toll road revenues to build a Metrorail line to serve the Dulles International Airport. The airport actually will take over control of the Dulles Toll Road and use those revenues to finance bonds for the $4 billion, 23-mile rail line.
Cities also are adopting a rail strategy because of its positive economic impact on communities --- particularly when compared to massive road projects. "Transit builds cities, and highways do egregious harm to the areas they go through," White says, adding that transit encourages development.
Although metro Atlanta is now lagging behind other cities, White is optimistic the region will reverse its slide and move toward a sensible transit system. "Ultimately, it will be the development community and the business community that will lead us to be smarter about mobility," White says, adding that developers understand the economic benefits of transit.
Case in point, developers from Athens to Gwinnett County to downtown Atlanta are pushing for a "Brain Train" that would connect major universities while sparking billions of dollars of economic development along the corridor.
And historic towns left behind by the Interstate system see commuter rail as a way to revive their communities. For example, an Atlanta-Macon line would provide an economic boost to all the station stops along the way.
"You would make it possible for people to live in Macon and commute to Atlanta," White says. "That would help revitalize Macon."
Perdue has a tremendous opportunity to propel our region with rail. With a stroke of the pen, he can send the message that Georgia will be proactive in offering transportation options.
But if state leaders keep killing efforts to develop rail transit, metro Atlanta will continue to (trail) behind other major cities --- to our own economic peril.
Maria Saporta - Staff
Monday, May 8, 2006
msaporta@ajc.com
Source: ajc.com
Nearly every other major metro area in the country has jumped on the passenger rail movement --- recognizing how valuable transit and trains are to their economic future.
Yet in Georgia, a few state legislators have successfully done everything they can to kill commuter rail in metro Atlanta. The latest example occurred last month when state legislators inserted "midnight language" in the budget bill to withhold state funds for "any commuter rail passenger facilities unless otherwise especially appropriated."
That language has given board members of the Georgia Department of Transportation an excuse to yet again delay efforts to implement the region's first commuter rail service --- a line would run from Atlanta to Lovejoy and eventually extend to Griffin and Macon.
Gov. Sonny Perdue can veto that language today or tomorrow --- sending a clear signal to transportation leaders that we must move forward with commuter rail. But up to now, Perdue has done little to support commuter trains or transit.
The lack of any progress on rail transit in metro Atlanta has ominous implications. As other metro areas move forward to provide transportation options for their residents, we continue to be stuck in traffic jams.
Otis White, president of Atlanta-based Civic Strategies, tracks urban trends in the top 20 cities in the country. His research shows that 17 of those cities are committed to rail transit.
The three that aren't are Detroit, where regional leaders feel it's too late for the Michigan city; Tampa, where leaders question whether the city is big enough to support rail; and Atlanta.
"Atlanta is truly the odd metro out," White says. "These other metropolitan areas are going as hard and as fast as they can to build rail transit, and we're not."
Once metro Atlanta had a two-decade lead over these other cities when it built its MARTA system. But sadly, transit growth was stopped in its tracks.
"We were 10 to 15 years ahead of Dallas, and now they are far ahead of us in transit," White says. "Today, they have got the model big city transit system in the country."
Dallas is not alone. From Chicago to Denver, from Washington to Seattle and from Miami to Minneapolis, urban areas are building rail transit.
A striking example is Houston, once viewed as one of the most auto-oriented, sprawling metro areas in the country.
"Houston, the oil capital of the country is building rail transit as fast and as furious as it can, and voters are supporting it overwhelmingly," White says. "If Houston can do it, Atlanta can do it."
And it's not just the major cities. Second-tier cities --- emerging competitors to metro Atlanta --- are investing in rail transit. Charlotte, Portland, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City are only a few examples of cities that view rail as a sound investment.
"Nationally, we turned the corner on the discussion of rail transit 10 years ago because the highway-only system broke down," White says. "I just don't know of another major metro area that's carrying on this silly discussion other than Atlanta."
And most metro areas are not hung up on the need for public subsidies for transit, understanding that all modes of transportation are subsidized.
In fact, in Virginia, the state has agreed to turn over toll road revenues to build a Metrorail line to serve the Dulles International Airport. The airport actually will take over control of the Dulles Toll Road and use those revenues to finance bonds for the $4 billion, 23-mile rail line.
Cities also are adopting a rail strategy because of its positive economic impact on communities --- particularly when compared to massive road projects. "Transit builds cities, and highways do egregious harm to the areas they go through," White says, adding that transit encourages development.
Although metro Atlanta is now lagging behind other cities, White is optimistic the region will reverse its slide and move toward a sensible transit system. "Ultimately, it will be the development community and the business community that will lead us to be smarter about mobility," White says, adding that developers understand the economic benefits of transit.
Case in point, developers from Athens to Gwinnett County to downtown Atlanta are pushing for a "Brain Train" that would connect major universities while sparking billions of dollars of economic development along the corridor.
And historic towns left behind by the Interstate system see commuter rail as a way to revive their communities. For example, an Atlanta-Macon line would provide an economic boost to all the station stops along the way.
"You would make it possible for people to live in Macon and commute to Atlanta," White says. "That would help revitalize Macon."
Perdue has a tremendous opportunity to propel our region with rail. With a stroke of the pen, he can send the message that Georgia will be proactive in offering transportation options.
But if state leaders keep killing efforts to develop rail transit, metro Atlanta will continue to (trail) behind other major cities --- to our own economic peril.
Maria Saporta - Staff
Monday, May 8, 2006
msaporta@ajc.com
Source: ajc.com
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