ATLANTA (June 26, 2012) – Invest Atlanta, the city of Atlanta’s economic development agency, said today it will move its headquarters to the Georgia-Pacific Center. The agency will occupy 18,701 square feet on the 29th floor of the downtown Atlanta office tower.

The agency signed the 13-year lease with GA-MET, a joint venture of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Georgia-Pacific LLC that is the office tower’s landlord, on Thursday. Invest Atlanta currently has its headquarters on Pryor Street, near Underground Atlanta. The agency is slated to move into its new office on Dec. 1.

“This is a major step for Invest Atlanta,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who is the chairman of Invest Atlanta, during Thursday’s meeting of the agency’s board. “[For] the chief investment and economic development arm of the city to be in a best-in-class space speaks to the confidence that the board has in [Invest Atlanta’s] leadership team.”
The Atlanta office of Cassidy Turley represented Invest Atlanta in its search for new office space, and donated its commission of more than $225,000 to Invest Atlanta to help with the costs of the move. Jones Lang LaSalle represented the landlord.

The Interiors Group of commercial real estate firm Carter is providing project-management services as the office is being prepared for occupancy, and VeenendaalCave is the interior designer.

The firms have “really worked hard to answer the call of duty to assist Invest Atlanta in its upcoming move to the Georgia-Pacific building,” Reed added in Thursday’s meeting.

“This high-profile, beautiful new office space will be a tremendous benefit in our efforts to target the industries – healthcare, R&D, technology – that will make Atlanta the leader of the 21st Century global economy,” said Brian P. McGowan, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “With its tremendous views and bright atmosphere, our new headquarters will offer Invest Atlanta a wonderful way to showcase our city and impress businesses.”

Both Invest Atlanta and Atlanta Beltline currently have their offices at 86 Pryor Street, and Invest Atlanta’s upcoming move was prompted in part by the fact that both organizations need to expand, McGowan noted. Atlanta Beltline will backfill much of the space vacated by Invest Atlanta.

“The new location will help the city re-launch its economic development efforts by locating in a space commensurate with other world-class cities,” said Bradley Fulkerson, a managing director in Cassidy Turley’s Atlanta office who, along Cassidy Turley’s April Hawkinson, represented Invest Atlanta in the lease negotiations. “As a committed corporate citizen, it was also our pleasure to contribute our compensation for this project to Invest Atlanta to allow them to offset the costs of the move.”

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About Invest Atlanta

Invest Atlanta is the official economic development authority for the City of Atlanta. Its purpose is to strengthen Atlanta’s economy and global competitiveness in order to create increased opportunity and prosperity for the people of Atlanta.

Chaired by the Mayor of Atlanta, and governed by a nine-member board of directors, Invest Atlanta’s programs and initiatives focus on developing and fostering public/private partnerships to create jobs, grow the economy, revitalize neighborhoods, attract investment, spur innovation, and encourage entrepreneurship. To achieve these goals, Invest Atlanta leverages the benefits of bond financing, revolving loan funds, housing financing, tax increment financing (TIF), and tax credits.

For more information on how Invest Atlanta can provide solutions for you or your business, contact us at: 404-880-4100, e-mail: wcronin@investatlanta.com or visit us at: www.InvestAtlanta.com. To get the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @InvestAtlanta, and Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/investatlanta.