Posted on SaportaReport by David Pendered on Sept. 6th, 2013
Original link: http://saportareport.com/blog/2013/09/falcons-stadium-residents-question-15-million-city-had-earmarked-before-deal-reached/
The $15 million offered by Atlanta to fix up neighborhoods around the planned Falcons stadium is the subject of an emerging controversy.
The money had already been earmarked for the neighborhoods before the stadium deal was announced in March, according to an Invest Atlanta official. A planning firm had already been hired to recommend how the money be spent.
In that case, the sum shouldn’t be counted toward efforts to help mitigate stadium-related issues such as traffic and storm water runoff, according to neighborhood leaders who serve on the committee that’s guiding the stadium-related community benefits deal.
“This money had already been allocated for us and was renamed for us,” said Yvonne Jones, who chairs NPU-L and serves on the committee. “We should just go ask for another $15 million.”
“The $15 million in TAD [funds] should not have been mixed in with community benefits,” said Jerry Ladipo, a Vine City businessman who serves on the committee.