Visible Momentum: Metro Atlanta CIDs
Community improvement districts across South Metro Atlanta are driving growth through safer streets, smarter infrastructure and a renewed focus on beautification, signage and wayfinding.
Focused on Fundamentals: Fulton Industrial Boulevard CID Executive Director Gil Prado at the West Fulton Commerce Park. Photo credit: Eric Sun
Across South Metro Atlanta, economic development is no longer defined solely by major projects and capital investment. It’s taking shape in the details – safer streets, cleaner corridors, clearer signage and more intentional design. Community improvement districts (CIDs) are reshaping how places look, function and compete, proving that how a place is experienced matters as much as where it’s located.
CIDs are districts in which businesses and property owners voluntarily tax themselves to pay for a wide variety of projects – from road construction and landscaping to transit services and public art. The CIDs often collaborate with government agencies and other organizations to make the improvements happen faster.
From the industrial backbone of Atlanta’s westside to the highly visible streets of Downtown and the evolving corridors of the West End and airport area, leaders are aligning infrastructure, beautification and wayfinding to drive long-term growth – and define identity.
In the sprawling Fulton Industrial Boulevard corridor, that strategy starts with fundamentals. Gil Prado, executive director of the Fulton Industrial Boulevard Community Improvement District, leads the largest industrial district in the eastern United States.
Stretching 11 miles and home to more than 1,000 businesses and more than 550 industrial buildings, the district is a critical node in the Southeast’s logistics and manufacturing network. But Prado notes that success today requires more than location and scale.
“We focus on public safety, landscaping and beautification, and transportation infrastructure,” Prado says.
Over the past decade, crime has declined by about 81%, which Prado attributes to expanded patrols, technology and strong partnerships with local governments.
One of the most effective strategies has been addressing the built environment itself.
Eliminating Blight: Fulton County demolished the former Knights Inn in 2026. Photo credit: Contributed
“We worked with Fulton County to identify problem properties,” Prado says. “After many years, we realized the best solution was to buy them and tear them down.”
Since 2022, Fulton County has acquired and demolished five aging hotels – long associated with criminal activity – including the Knights Inn near Interstate 20. Their removal has reduced crime and eliminated highly visible blight at a key gateway to the corridor.
“When companies are looking at where to invest, perception matters,” Prado says. “This helps change that perception.”
Alongside those efforts, the CID is advancing a slate of infrastructure and streetscape projects. The CID leads six major initiatives, with four more underway in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Projects range from intersection upgrades to corridor-wide improvements, with timelines extending through 2030.
“These are projects that have been in design for years,” Prado says.
Increasingly, these projects incorporate landscaping, lighting and other visual upgrades that elevate the corridor’s appearance. “Making the district cleaner and more attractive is part of the strategy,” Prado says.
A wave of investment reflects that strategy. Amazon’s proposal to redevelop a 1.1-million-square-foot building on Campbellton Road for its $500 million robotics-driven facility signals that a new generation of automated logistics operations will locate in established corridors.
“It’s difficult for me to wrap my head around half a billion dollars,” Prado says. “Everything is going to be robotics.”
Other major investments reinforce the district’s strength. UPS is expanding its SMART hub on Fulton Industrial Boulevard while closing an older nearby building. Miller Zell, a firm that provides branding and interior design services for retailers, is undergoing a significant expansion, thanks to a $31 million capital investment. And Questar Solutions is developing a new distribution center. At the same time, smaller projects – gas stations, service businesses and medical offices – support daily operations.
“It’s not just the big announcements,” Prado says. “It’s everything in between.”
Infrastructure and Development
If the Fulton Industrial Corridor is defined by function, Downtown Atlanta is defined by visibility.
High Visibility: A.J. Robinson, president of Downtown Atlanta, Inc., at Mercedes-Benz stadium. Photo credit: Ben Rollins
“We’re the capital city of Georgia. We’re the postcard of Atlanta,” says A.J. Robinson, who plans to retire later this summer as president of Downtown Atlanta, Inc., which operates the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. “We’re seen by so many people, and we have to meet those expectations.” Robinson is expected to become the next chair of the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District’s board.
Major private developments are reshaping the urban core. Centennial Yards is transforming the former Gulch into a 50-acre mixed-use destination, anchored by COSM, an immersive sports and entertainment experience, and supported by new hotels, housing and entertainment venues. South Downtown, one of the city’s oldest commercial areas, is also undergoing a sweeping revitalization.
“Both of these projects have a lot of momentum and are doing quite well,” says Robinson.
Public infrastructure is evolving alongside private development. The Stitch, a major public-private project, aims to create a 14-acre green space over the Downtown Connector. A nonprofit formed in January, Atlanta Downtown Stitch, Inc. will advance the project, “stitching” parts of Downtown back together.
Streetscape improvements along Broad Street and planned upgrades to Peachtree Street further enhance connectivity. Downtown’s evolution is as much about experience as it is about development. The Downtown improvement district introduced new wayfinding signage to improve navigation in advance of the FIFA World Cup, which has games in Atlanta through July 15.
A New Beginning: Centennial Yards is transforming part of Downtown. Photo credit: Contributed
“We worked on a number of beautification projects,” Robinson says. “Murals, lighting, parks and public spaces have all been upgraded. There’s been a huge beautification effort to make our community look better.”
Interstate Connectivity
The South Fulton Community Improvement District, which includes portions of the cities of South Fulton, Fairburn, Palmetto and Union City, is moving forward with a district-wide freight and sustainability plan designed to support the area along Interstate 85 and the Oakley Industrial Boulevard corridor, while positioning the region for long-term growth. In 2024, the CID won a $320,000 Freight Cluster Grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to create a sustainable freight network. The plan evaluates both infrastructure and operational improvements, including enhanced bike lanes, walkability and transit connectivity, as well as expanded EV charging infrastructure for freight and passenger vehicles.
Sustainable and Industrial: South Fulton CID Executive Director Joddie Gray. Photo credit: Woodie Williams
South Fulton CID Executive Director Joddie Gray says the CID has partnered with consulting firm Cambridge Systematics to conduct a comprehensive study examining how sustainability initiatives can better integrate within a freight-heavy environment. The study examines sustainable practices at industrial sites, such as solar energy and reduced impervious parking surfaces, with the goal of creating a more resilient and environmentally conscious industrial community.
In a significant recent milestone, the Federal Highway Administration has approved a new interchange at I-85 and Gullatt Road, clearing the way for future engineering and funding efforts. The CID worked with the Georgia Department of Transportation to secure the approval.
Gray describes the approval as a major step forward for economic development and freight access in the corridor. Once completed, the interchange would provide commercial vehicles direct access to CSX’s Fairburn Intermodal Terminal and allow for more direct routes to warehouse developments while helping relieve traffic congestion at the I-85/State Route 74 interchange and the surrounding area.
The next phase will involve coordination with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Atlanta Regional Commission to secure funding and begin concept and engineering work on the long-term project.
Impactful Improvements
In the West End CID, the focus is on targeted improvements with immediate impact.
Small Scale, High Impact: Nicole McGee Hall, West End CID administrator. Photo credit: Brandon Clifton
“We are focusing on smaller-scale, high-impact improvements such as sidewalks, lighting and crosswalks,” says Tamia Hill, project coordinator for Nickel Works Consulting, an economic development firm, and administration team member for the West End CID.
Working with the Atlanta Urban Redevelopment Corporation, the CID is aligning its efforts with broader infrastructure initiatives. While some of the CID’s work, such as wayfinding signage, helped ready the city for the FIFA World Cup, that wasn’t the driving factor.
“We were here before FIFA, and we’ll be here after FIFA,” says Nicole McGee Hall, founder and principal consultant of Nickel Works and administrator for the West End CID. “We didn’t start [wayfinding signage] because of FIFA. We started it because there were maintenance issues.”
Meanwhile, the Ralph David Abernathy Great Streets Project aims to connect the West End MARTA Station to surrounding neighborhoods and improve access to businesses and amenities along the corridor. Construction is expected to start this fall. Other projects include repairing sidewalks, addressing drainage issues and maintaining landscaping – improvements that enhance both safety and perception.
Improving Access: The Ralph David Abernathy Great Streets Project aims to provide connections to MARTA and create a more walkable district. Photo credit: Contributed
Helping People Get Around
Near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, infrastructure investments focus on mobility and identity.
“We launched a microtransit service in August of 2025,” says Gerald McDowell, executive director of the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts, comprised of Airport South CID and Airport West CID. The two-year pilot of Shift on Demand, a free app-based transportation service for airport workers, operates seven days a week. The $2.6 million service has already delivered more than 40,000 rides.
Hop On, Hop Off: With funding from the ATL Airport CIDs and others, Glydways is constructing a dedicated guideway for self-driving pods to take people from the SkyTrain at the Georgia International Convention Center to the Gateway Center Arena, above and below. Photo credits: Contributed
The district is also advancing a $21 million automated transit network demonstration project with four-person pods that will run along a half-mile guideway.
“These projects demonstrate how public and private funding can work together,” McDowell says.
The airport area is also investing in wayfinding and beautification.
“We want a uniform design for wayfinding and signage throughout the airport area,” McDowell says.
Landscaping, maintenance and gateway monuments reinforce that identity.
Regional Coordination
Another layer shaping this momentum is coordination – often behind the scenes – between multiple jurisdictions, agencies and private partners. For many of Metro Atlanta’s community improvement districts, success depends on aligning priorities across city, county and state lines.
In the Fulton Industrial corridor, that collaboration is evident in the district’s footprint, which spans the city of Atlanta, unincorporated Fulton County and the city of South Fulton. Prado says that scale requires constant coordination, particularly as infrastructure projects move from planning into execution.
“We’re working across multiple jurisdictions to get the best outcomes for the district,” he says. “That’s critical when you’re dealing with a corridor this large.”
That same complexity plays out near the airport, where the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts operate across multiple cities and two counties. There, regional coordination is essential not only for infrastructure, but also for creating a consistent identity.
A key example is the effort to standardize wayfinding and signage. Rather than allowing each area to develop its own system, the ATL Airport CIDs funded a comprehensive study in 2018 to establish shared design standards – ensuring that visitors experience a cohesive environment as they move through the airport area.
Free Rides: Gerald McDowell, executive director of the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts, touts a pilot microtransit program called Shift on Demand, a free app-based transportation service that offers rides to employees within the CIDs. Photo credit: Eric Sun
The approach reflects a growing recognition that fragmented design can undermine even the strongest economic assets. Consistency in signage, landscaping and gateway features helps reinforce a sense of place – particularly in high-traffic areas where first impressions matter.
In the West End, coordination is just as important, even at a smaller scale. Hill says the West End CID is working closely with Atlanta’s departments of transportation, watershed management and public works to address longstanding maintenance issues.
“We’re working with multiple departments to make sure these projects are actually getting done,” she says.
That coordination allows smaller projects – sidewalk repairs, lighting improvements and drainage fixes – to be bundled with larger capital efforts, maximizing efficiency and impact.
Downtown, too, is navigating a complex landscape of stakeholders, from developers and property owners to city agencies and civic organizations. Robinson says that diversity – of users, buildings and expectations – makes the work both challenging and essential.
“You have conventioneers, tourists, students, office workers and residents,” he says. “We have to make sure the experience works for all of them.”
That focus on experience is increasingly tied to economic outcomes. As companies evaluate locations, quality-of-place factors – walkability, safety, aesthetics and ease of navigation – are playing a larger role in decision-making.
Taken together, these efforts reflect a shift in how South Metro Atlanta approaches economic development. Community improvement districts are not just maintaining infrastructure – they are shaping experience.
Wayfinding builds confidence. Beautification strengthens perception. Infrastructure improves efficiency. Public safety underpins it all.
As Prado puts it, “All of those things lead into economic development.”
Across South Metro Atlanta, that progress is more than measurable. It’s visible momentum, taking shape block by block, corridor by corridor. 
