Christopher Sanders, Executive Director, East Metro CID
Rising property values mean more available funds for Community Improvement Districts (CID). As one of the larger CIDs in the Atlanta area, East Metro is hard at work making its district a safe and desirable place for local businesses and corporations. In an interview with Focus:, Executive Director Christopher Sanders highlights key infrastructure projects for the CID and how it is preparing for the continued growth slated for the Atlanta region.
What have been some key highlights for the East Metro CID over the past 12 months?
Our public safety initiatives have continued to grow, especially as it relates to our partnership with FLOCK Safety, our license plate reader camera provider. We have been able to advance our beautification efforts. Thanks to increasing commercial property values in the area, we have received more funding from our members, which allows us to deploy those resources back into the community. Our focus is to help maintain or increase the value of commercial and industrial properties. Additionally, beautification and public safety are among our top priorities. We want to make sure that the public feels safe and that the area is clean and inviting for the public so they feel encouraged to come into the area.
How would you characterize the recent growth of the CID?
Our growth is always a key goal. Our focus year after year is to get more property owners involved. The best way to demonstrate this is by showing how we are utilizing the resources that we currently have in the most effective manner. Property owners can walk outside and see the work that we do. They can see our landscape crew maintaining our spaces. They can see our cameras and the impact they have in helping the DeKalb Police Department. We are constantly focused on getting more members involved by showing the impact of the resources entrusted to us by the district members. This has been our main objective.
What have been some new emerging partnerships for the CID?
One of our key ongoing partnerships is with the Georgia Department of Transportation. We have two major infrastructure projects that impact business owners in the CID. One of the projects is the I-285/I-20 Interchange. This work also encompasses the reconfiguration of a bridge located on Panola Road slated to improve the flow of traffic. We also work closely with our government partners, DeKalb County and the City of Stonecrest, to make sure that we all help each other meet our objectives to make DeKalb County the best place to live, work, and play. We also work closely with the Dekalb County Chamber of Commerce and Decide DeKalb where we connect with business and help advocate for their needs.
What key trends are shaping commercial development in the area?
From an industrial standpoint, we are seeing strong activity in our Panola Industrial Corridor. We see the same happening in the Stonecrest Industrial Park with companies such as Home Depot and Amazon. Our strength is our location. We are a secondary route to the Port of Savannah, which is a huge advantage. Also, our proximity to the airport cannot be beat. When we have products or people coming and going, the proximity to Hartsfield Jackson Airport is a major plus. In our CID, our major areas are light industrial and manufacturing, as well as retail and small business.
How is the region’s growth in population density shaping the CID?
The population in the Atlanta MSA is growing, which means that more people are going to need to rely on local gas stations, grocery stores, and other local businesses. Those businesses are seeing more activity due to the increasing population. There are more townhomes and detached single-family homes being developed which shows that local areas are seeing investment. This is expected to continue over the next couple of years and projections show that the Atlanta MSA will see continued population growth. We are looking forward to this growth, but it also means we have to be proactive with infrastructure projects.
What challenges are currently impacting the CIDs in the area?
CIDs need to make sure that they have qualified member properties involved in their districts. Then what follows is leveraging funds to get projects off the ground. Going after the same statewide or federal grants to fund projects is a competitive process. CIDs need to make sure that they have the most desirable and most competitive projects and that they remain lockstep with the overall vision of their boards and property owners. There is a limited amount of funds available, so CIDs need to consider how to find what they need and how to leverage resources to get projects rolling that will continue to make their areas better.
As commercial property values rise, how does the CID ensure the benefits of the projects meet the expectations of all stakeholders?
For us, this is a wonderful challenge to have. We have a larger landmass than other CIDs. We have to constantly communicate with stakeholders, especially if projects are happening in phases. We want to show what the current priorities are and what new projects will surface once other projects are completed. CIDs hold a long-term vision for many ongoing projects, so being able to communicate our methodology and have complete board buy-in is key.
