Dickens backs off BeltLine rail | Leadership Atlanta's new class

Welcome to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s LinkedIn Weekly Edition! I'm Digital Editor Chris Fuhrmeister, bringing you the business news to keep you in the know.

For years, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens championed light rail on the Atlanta BeltLine.

Now? Not so much. At a Wednesday press conference, Dickens clarified recent comments and made clear he's open to alternative forms of transit on the BeltLine — or none at all.

"There's so much more technology, and [transit] demand has changed since the pandemic and since [the BeltLine] has been built," Dickens said. "Let's have a current look at certain things. I'd hate to take a 2006 marker to make a 2056-type decision."

Atlanta Business Chronicle's Tyler Wilkins has the full story.

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Leadership Atlanta announced its Class of 2025. During the nine-month program, 90 participants will learn more about top issues in metro Atlanta through retreats, seminars, service projects, tours and more.

Leadership Atlanta, founded in 1969, has become a symbol of the city’s emphasis on corporate citizenship and its history of diverse leaders working together. Future Sen. Wyche Fowler, corporate CEOs, and judicial and civil rights leaders were among that initial class. In the decades since, the classes have remained a mix of Atlantans in a diverse set of industries and roles.

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Restaurant scoop from Amy Wenk : Ray Schoenbaum, founder and owner of Ray’s Restaurants, is retiring and will sell his popular eateries. Schoenbaum operated his restaurants for 40 years.

Retired Georgia Restaurant Association CEO Karen Bremer told Amy that Schoenbaum was one of the pioneers of casual fine dining in Atlanta.

“He created beautiful, beautiful restaurants in great locations that gave you the fine-dining experience, but didn’t have all the pomp and circumstance,” Bremer said. “He helped create that type of change culturally in the restaurant industry.”

Commercial real estate news of the week

• Healthcare giant to relocate HQ to Midtown
• Allen Morris Co. advances major Westside project
• Industry Real Estate Partners recruits new VP

• Science Square opens on Georgia Tech campus
• Plastics recycler plans nearly $1B Georgia facility

Residential real estate news of the week

• These Atlantans are saving up for homes by paying rent. Here's how

• Mortgage lender brings homeownership assistance program to Atlanta
• Kemp signs anti-squatter bill into law

Restaurant, hospitality and retail news of the week

• Westside cabaret owner wants to turn Atlanta into Roaring '20s Paris

• Atlanta-based Tropical Smoothie Cafe to be sold for billions
• Rreal Tacos sees rapid expansion, aims for more Georgia locations
• Zoo Atlanta to redo African lion exhibit
• QuikTrip to close Midtown store citing crime, less foot traffic
• Publix shopping center sparks urban renewal, sells for $30M
• L.A. entertainment venue eyes Downtown Atlanta expansion

Nonprofit and philanthropy news of the week

• Atlanta composes ‘dream team’ to advance opportunities for women
• Morehouse , Sage Software expand partnership to prepare Black tech founders
• Chase gives $1.7 million for equitable development in Black neighborhoods
• Hawks, State Farm launch upgrades at Atlanta YMCA

• YWCA taps new class of women achievers
• Carter’s contributes $1M for early childhood learning
• Chick-fil-A serves record investment for employee scholarships

Energy news of the week

• Southern Co. partnership could simplify EV charging
• Another link in the EV supply chain comes to Georgia
• Tesla supplier chooses Georgia for operation base

More Atlanta business headlines

• New Atlanta startup lands investment from Mark Cuban
• UPS’ Carol Tomé, Morehouse's Louis Sullivan to get state’s highest honor

• Former Disney president takes position at SCAD
• CEO seeks more funds for new mental health facility
• Atlanta law firm in merger talks to create top 30 US firm
• Relay Payments expands product line
• Atlanta eyes new measure to protect pedestrians
• BeltLine to expedite trail construction

That's all for this week's headlines. Thanks for reading Atlanta Business Chronicle! Questions? Comments? Concerns? News tips? Send them to cfuhrmeister@bizjournals.com.