Looking ahead to 2021, it promises to be a big year for businesses to rebound. After the record losses brought on by the COVID pandemic in 2020, a new start is exactly what business leaders are looking for. InTucker asked two of the City’s most prominent business minds, Matthew Lee of the Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District and Emory Morsberger of the Tucker Summit Community Improvement District, for their goals in the year ahead.
The word that comes to mind for the Tucker-Northlake CID in 2021 is “connections.” Alleys, highways, and regional partnerships.
In Downtown Tucker we will continue to focus on expanding opportunities for business along the alleys, greenspace, parking, and working with the City of Tucker, the Downtown Development Authority, and business groups in areas of shared responsibility. Last year resulted in two of the best plans for Downtown Tucker ever produced, and it’s time to put those plans into action.
In the Northlake District the focus will remain transportation. As a regional activity center, it’s a great area for companies to relocate, with more affordable leases than intown, and a fraction of the traffic challenges. To that end, we’re partnering with the City of Tucker and DeKalb County on a transportation plan to ensure access into the Northlake District remains aligned for regional success.
This includes preparing for the I-285 Eastside Express Lanes Project and its impact on Northlake Parkway, Lavista Road, and Lawrenceville Highway. While express lane construction is still a few years away, we want every commercial property owner in the district positioned for success, and that requires planning. We’ll also be working with MARTA, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, and cities and CIDs from Fulton to Cobb to ensure Tucker has the best connections possible with our neighbors.
It’s a big year. We have a good team, a solid board of directors, and excellent partners. 2021 should be a great ride.
Matthew Lee
Executive Director, Tucker-Northlake CID
As we move forward into 2021, the Tucker Summit CID will continue to work with the City of Tucker to help with its development and growth. Our Freight Cluster Plan has identified numerous improvement projects along the Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Lawrenceville Highway, Sarr Parkway, Hugh Howell Road and East Ponce de Leon Avenue corridors that will ease rush hour congestion and increase traffic safety within our district.
In addition to roadway improvements, we have partnered with the City of Tucker Urban Redevelopment Agency to apply for a State Opportunity Zone designation through the CDBG Revitalization Area Strategy. A State Opportunity Zone designation would help bring economic growth and redevelopment to our community by providing employers a $17,500 tax credit for every two or more jobs created over five years and by providing better access to redevelopment grants and loan funding through Tax Increment Financing to attract new businesses to the region.
Tucker Summit CID is proud of its members and business owners who were thrown many curveballs in 2020 and managed to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. TSCID is equally proud of the City of Tucker’s quick action with CARES Act funding to help small businesses in our community survive during these challenging times. We look forward to continuing to prosper with new businesses entering the district and current businesses expanding. I wholeheartedly believe that it is our partnerships and relationships that makes Tucker so incredible!
Happy New Year!
Emory Morsberger
President, Tucker Summit CID
