President Patton Receives Service Award from Atlanta

Georgia State President Carl V. Patton was honored at the March 26 meeting of the Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (CAP/ADID)'s Atlanta Now 2008 meeting.

Held at the Hilton Atlanta hotel after the recent tornado rendered the Georgia World Congress Center unsafe for use, the organization did not seem to be phased by Mother Nature's fury. Safer streets, cleaner parks, and a tremendous influx of cash and new residents into the Downtown area made 2007 a year to remember in Atlanta.

The meeting covered a bevy of topics, including the impact of the GSU community on the Downtown area. The GSU Athletic Director was interviewed in regards to the football team, set to begin play some time in 2010. Other topics mentioned were the new Atlanta WNBA franchise, the Atlanta Dream, the proposed Center for Civil and Human Rights, the meritorious achievements of the new Grady Hospital Board, and the March 14 tornado.

CAP President AJ Robinson told a GSU Signal reporter that although they "will be replacing windows for the foreseeable future," the timetable for progress and revitalization of the Downtown area has not been changed. Surprisingly, the hard-hit Georgia World Congress Center is expected to resume full operations at the beginning of May.

Progress around the GSU campus is quite possibly the most exciting thing mentioned by Mr. Robinson. Plans for continued development and beautification around the campus and Commons are already being devised and implemented.

GSU students can expect to see continued development in infrastructure and streetscapes; notably at the Commons, Decatur Street, Marietta Street, and from Five Points down to Centennial Olympic Park. Woodruff Park will also be improved by the organization, not only physically but psychologically; CAP/ADID wants the park to hold even more appeal for students.

In the not too distant future, streetcars will be reborn in Downtown Atlanta. Not seen since 1949, they will become an even more prominent feature of campus life; routes are planned at Auburn Avenue, Edgewood Avenue, and Luckie Street. More restaurants and retail space are also being planned, to accommodate the ever-growing number of Panthers.

Another issue Mr. Robinson spoke about was the Beltline Urban Renewal project. Those responsible for the Beltline project are moving ahead, said Mr. Robinson. Right now, the main objectives for the project are the acquisition of land, project planning and community involvement.

This project will be a long-term affair and will take many years to implement, but the benefits reaped will be enormous. Some of these will be additional green space and walking trails, an improved light rail system and increased historic preservation, all of which hope to fuel more economic growth in the city.

Where can GSU students see the CAP/ADID in action right now? Just look to the Ambassadors you may run across at Hurt Park. The distinctive white pith helmet denotes them as members of The Ambassador Force of Downtown Atlanta. This 65-strong "full-time public safety and hospitality unit" has been extant since 1996 and patrols roughly 220 blocks of Downtown.

The Ambassadors made significant progress in the last year; according to the CAP/ADID 2007 Annual Report, the Ambassadors in concert with Atlanta Police reduced crime in Downtown Atlanta to 4.6 percent of all crimes reported in the Atlanta area. In the last half of last year, Atlanta Police cracked down on Downtown crime, reducing assaults by 43 percent, burglaries by 13 percent, and auto thefts by 26 percent.

Ambassadors not only serve as crime deterrent, they also greet tourists; in 2007 the number of friendly "hellos" given out by Ambassadors numbered more than 3.3 million. The Clean Team has done a brilliant job of removing unsightly and unhealthy garbage from the parks and streets of Atlanta; 330 tons' worth last year.

President Patton received The Dan Sweat Award. This award is named in honor of a former CAP President who led the organization and the city through its rough-and-tumble growing pains.

President Patton, who led the organization for two years at one point and has served on the Executive Committee, was recognized for his thorough and consistent commitment to improving not only the physical campus of GSU, but the community as a whole.

This award was not intended as a "going away present;" CAP President AJ Robinson remarked to a GSU Signal reporter that "he was eligible for this award a long time ago and would be eligible for it for a long time in the future. We just felt now was the proper timing."

Other men honored with awards were Norman Koplon of Troutman Sanders LLP, Ted Mitchell of the Ambassadors and Damian Horne of the Clean Team.