Sweet Auburn Works

Join us tomorrow, January 28, at 6:00 p.m. for the #o4wba Community Conversation to discuss the new Beltline Special Service Tax District proposal to add a 2-Mill tax increase on all commercial and multifamily properties within the .5 mile Beltline overlay. Councilmember Westmoreland and other representatives will present an overview of the proposal, answer questions, and offer ways to learn more about additional community engagement opportunities before the City Council takes a final vote. Register for the virtual meeting https://sweetauburnworks.us19.list-manage.com/track/click

Applications for the At Your Side Small Business Grant Program are now open! We’ve teamed up with Brother International to provide a total of $75,000 in funding to brick-and-mortar small businesses in designated Main Street America districts and UrbanMain member corridors as they work to adapt to COVID-19 and prepare for the next phases of reopening across the country, while also helping to revitalize and strengthen older and historic commercial corridors. Applications are ...now open and will continue to be accepted through Thursday, January 28 at 7:59 p.m. EST/6:59 p.m. CST. Grants of $5,000 to $10,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants must operate in a brick and mortar storefront located in an Accredited or Affiliate Main Street America or UrbanMain member commercial corridor. https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/brother

Celebrating the 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr Day, Beloved Community Commemorative Service. #community #sweetauburn #belovedcommunity

Despite the challenges of this year, the holidays are finally upon us. Small businesses are one of the foundations of economic activity and job creation in our community. This year, Sweet Auburn is again participating in the American Express Small Business Saturday celebration with our event Dine Small in Sweet Auburn.... On November 28, the Saturday after Black Friday is our day to give back to the neighborhood businesses that do so much for our community. By participating in Shop Small and Dine Small community events, you help promote, support, and bring vital activity into locally-owned businesses and restaurants that are recovering from the pandemic. So, please come visit Sweet Auburn during this important holiday retail season, and beyond. As you shop and dine, please share your experiences #DineSmallATL #DineSmall #DineSmallSweetAuburn #ShopSmallATL #ShopSmall #ShopLocal #AtlantaMainStreet #eatliveplay #eatliveplaysweetauburn #SmallBizSaturday https://sweetauburnworks.us19.list-manage.com/track/click

Last week Sweet Auburn hosted a Sky News interview with Martin Luther King, III, on his thoughts on the importance of tomorrow's election. It is fitting that the interview was held in front of the bust of John Wesley Dobbs, one of the founders of the Atlanta Negro Voters League, which was responsible for adding more than 20,000 black voters in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Watch the video https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

Join SAW and the City of Atlanta in celebration of Historic Preservation Week and to hear from preservation leaders, policy experts, and preservation advocates. https://www.atlcitydesign.com/historic-preservation-week

Registration for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual preservation conference is now open! The virtual conference will feature the breadth and ...depth of great work going on across the preservation field, and feature practical, relevant information to meet your evolving needs in the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. This includes a full day (Friday, October 30) dedicated to Main Street content that will be kicked off with a special plenary session announcing the 2020 Great American Main Street Award winners! Main Street America members are receiving an exclusive registration rate of only $75 for all three days, which includes access to all session recordings for a full 12 months. For the discounted rate of only $150, members can register up to 10 attendees with the same email suffix address at no additional cost. Only want to view the Friday plenary where we’ll announce the 2020 GAMSA winners? It is free of charge and open to everyone, but registration is required. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3hWDJ34 #PastForward2020 #SavingPlaces #WeAreMainStreet

Join the Virtual Meeting Now! SAW and Downtown Decides to learn more about the new transportation-related infrastructure investments created by Councilman Farokhi’s Downtown Decides Participatory Budgeting initiative. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/192690901... You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (646) 749-3122 Access Code: 192-690-901

Please take a look at the following grant program being announced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This program is uniquely tailored to Main Street communities like ours and has a strong focus on "diverse-owned" businesses. We encourage you to apply.... How to apply Applications will open the week of July 27th and will continue to be accepted four weeks after they open or until 500 applications have been submitted, whichever is sooner. We will hold subsequent grant rounds to accept additional applications later this summer. https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/hartbeat Questions? Please reach out to [email protected].

Over the past few weeks HDDC @hddccommunity, Central Atlanta Progress @AtlantaDowntown, and many others fought relentlessly to stop millions of dollars allocated for redevelopment in the Eastside TAD from being redirected to address a revenue deficit in the City of Atlanta’s budget. We have been informed that our efforts were successful and this much-needed resource is safe. This means more affordable housing and commercial space, urban gardens and a lot of other amenities are still possible in @o4wba South Downtown and the Memorial Drive Corridor. We sounded the alarm and our community responded. This is an example of how advocacy should work We thank you for your support because we could not have done this without you.

Today Councilmember Amir Farokhi Launches Guaranteed Income Initiative in Old Fourth Ward We formally announce the Old Fourth Ward Economic Security Task Force through a national and local press release. After months of planning and meeting with many of you, we are excited to finally share this initiative with the public. As we face great challenges we hope this announcement is a reminder of continued efforts to create a better and more just world. Read the official press release at https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

To address a citywide revenue deficit from COVID-19 related economic impacts, the City of Atlanta's FY-2021 budget proposes a $17 million redirection of funds from the Eastside Tax Allocation District (ETAD), which serves a diverse group of neighborhoods east of Atlanta, including areas in the historic Sweet Auburn District. Please read why this funding is vital to the Sweet Auburn community, and why we cannot allow our only tool for economic resiliency, and revitalization to be taken away during these very difficult times. https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

As of 8:00 pm on Saturday, May 30th, we are notifying you per Zone 6 APD and District 5 Councilmember Natalyn Archibong to please take the necessary precautions due to the current protests and possible looting. Read the full letter to constituents https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks... The mayor has issued an executive order for a curfew of 9pm until dawn on May 31, 2020! Business Owners Secure Your Location Remove valuables from location Lock up alcohol/merchandise out of sight in a safe location Instruct your alarm company to call APD before the business owner. Board windows and doors if possible! Please be safe and respectful of not fueling fears on social media. This is a precaution that needs to be taken seriously for the well being of our business community.

In celebration of Virtual Preservation Month, Sweet Auburn Works highlights Alonzo Herndon and the legacy of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Join us as we unlock a piece of history with a sneak peek into the Historic Atlanta Life Building here https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

During our CommunityTHINK forum in January, Sweet Auburn identified 13 potential projects totaling almost $2.3 million in improvements for cycling, signage, sidewalks, and street design improvements. Now is our time to VOTE for community improvements. The competition is stiff; there are 20 other great projects submitted throughout downtown vying for the $1 million. So please take a minute to vote for the changes you’d like to see in our neighborhood and throughout downtown! N...ow is the time for YOU to decide how to improve Atlanta. Voting is open thru May 31. https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

Hey all. Find out which of your favorite Sweet Auburn restaurants will NOT reopen for Dine-in service today, but Curb-side is still available. Take care and stay safe out there. linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

SAW continues to highlight and celebrate our community's heroes who are creatively responding to these difficult times. Recently, Roxanne Scott of WABE visited Joy Huffman of Clues and Cocktails at 314 Auburn Avenue to learn how she has pivoted her business model in light of the crisis. Listen to her story https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks

In this series, we celebrate neighborhood heroes. Rarely has there been a time where every individual in every neighborhood, city, and country had a greater responsibility to their neighbors. Read their stories https://linktr.ee/sweetauburnworks