[Buckhead District Developments]

I believe that most developers are trying to get ahead of demand a bit. Future growth trends indicate another 2 million people will live in the Atlanta metro within the next 20 years. We just picked up another million residents in the last six years and people will not move to Atlanta if there aren't jobs. Without the jobs there isn't demand for office space.

Basically, the push in the spec office market is a bet that the metro will continue to build new business, attract corporate relocations and expand existing businesses. As long as developers are willing to wait for a sizable nibble from a tenant before building, the market should stay relatively stable.

[Lenox Square/Phipps Plaza]

I have never posted in this thread, mainly because I hate malls. If their ever was a symbol of America's unrelenting, unparalleled pursuit of material consumption, this is it. Doesn't anyone find is rather sad that we are no longer citizens, but consumers? Even the President of the United States reinforced this notion when, after September 11 and the invasion of Afghanistan, we were told by our Commander in Chief, our Head of State, that the best thing we could do for the war effort was to go shopping. WHAT?!?!?! Could anyone imagine FDR telling our parents, or in some cases our grandparents, that all we had to do to defeat the Nazis and Imperial Japan was to go shopping??? Instead of a forum ohhing and awwing at what wonders will grace the halls of Lenox and Phipps, lets talk about the fact that a 50% voter turnout is considered incredible or that only about 25% of our 18 to 24 year olds even bother to show up on election day. No wonder W got re-elected.

Malls have taken what was once the domian of the public, the street, and turned it into private property where freedom of speech and assembly have no place. They have taken the liveliness and uniqueness of the street, homoginized it and repackeged it into the typical mall you see in every city of every state .

I feel sorry for my generation, for we have never known what it was like to take the streetcar to downtown, or to know the butcher by his first name, or to visit Rich's when it was actually owned by the Rich's and not some faceless corporation located half a continent away. If any of you that are younger then 35 or so still have their grandparents left I implore you to ask them to tell you stories about their childhood, and what it was like to live in a real city.

Give me the hustle and bustle of 57th Street in New York over the banality of either Lenox or Phipps any day!

Well...I understand the dislike of malls, but past that all I can say is: "What a whiner!"

Consumption is part of life. Come on...find a society that isn't into consumption. The ones that aren't are failures. Go live in North Korea or their few and far ilk if you don't like consumption. Yes, malls are not an ideal environment. But save your Communist crap for the pinko blogs where people lack realism and an understanding of human beings.

I agree...I've traveled around and malls tend to make places way too similar. Every city has the same stores - quite boring. But I will never stray from a consumption society. This is reality - deal with the good and bad. It is what it is

[NASCAR Hall of Fame]

I don't know if any of you caught it on the new tonight but in an interview with Humpy Wheeler about whether or not we are going to get the Nascar Hall of Fame he said that we'll get it. Obviously he had no inside info, but he sounded confident. Keep your fingers crossed.

Yes, Kansas City was so confident (and so ticked) too when it got the cut. Confidence doesn't count for anything. Watch the cash register - please. It is between Atlanta and Daytona...wait and see.

[NASCAR Hall of Fame]

Just my 2 cents....

I think is down to Charlotte and Daytona. Atlanta's probably raising the ante and leveraging their new museum district with the new Aquarium (right now, I think they are trying to bite off more than they can chew....need to work on traffic). Charlotte's probably responding with a list of goodies. Daytona just has to be Daytona.

That being said, most hall of fames are not designed to be centrally located or money magnets (....of course we are talking about the France family). They are built to honor the heritage and history of the subject matter. True history of stock car racing is in North Wilkesboro, NC (western NC) and the founding of the NASCAR organization in Daytona.

I mean, why not put the basketball HOF in Boston versus Springfield or Football Hall of Fame in Metro Ohio instead of Canton.

I think it will thrive in either city thats left, but the France's are probably getting an earful from loyal NASCAR folk and as long as the numbers are decent for Daytona or Charotte......either should pull it off.

Yeah, I'm sure NASCAR is worried about traffic in Atlanta, lol. I've lived in Atlanta for 2 years now and I can tell you in town traffic is nothing - outside the Perimeter is the problem. The HOF would be built downtown in an area where I travel daily with no problems whatsoever.

A true destination center is being built downtown with the nation's largest aquarium, the constructiing World of Coke museum, and the High Museum of Art. "Destination centers" are a huge draw for other attractions...just look at what Disney World did for the outskirts of Orlando. Now I'm not saying downtown Atlanta will turn into Orlando, nor do I want it to - but explaining what happens when destination centers are created.

The HOF would be a very successful addition to this destination center. I'm sure Charlotte would like to overlook the projected attendence figures differences, but 2.5 times is nothing to sniff at. Atlanta has 2.5 times Charlotte's population, has 10 times as many convention attendees, has a destination center being built downtown, is home to the world's busiest airport and is home to more NASCAR corporate sponsors than any other city. To put it out of the running based on "traffic problems" and meaningless "biting off more than it can chew" arguments makes no business sense whatsoever. And, based on the elimination of Richmond and Kansas City, it is a clear indication that the Frances are making a business and historical basis decision.

Besides, most of the other museums for sports were created in a different era. NASCAR is a money machine and owned by a private family. Why would they want to do anyone the favor of granting them the HOF when it wasn't in their best financial interest. There is enough money and historical relationship in the sport for Atlanta to pull this through.

If you are going just on attendence figures (and $$$) alone it would be Atlanta (by a wide margin), Daytona, then Charlotte. If I were a betting man, I'd say Charlotte would be the odd man out.

[NASCAR Hall of Fame]

First, I'd like to say that I could care less about NASCAR or where they put the hall of fame. But I would be very suprised if the hall of fame wasn't in Atlanta for the following reasons:

1. Atlanta has more corporate HQ's sponsoring NASCAR cars than any other city...these HQs are also going to bat for the hall of fame to be here

2. Atlanta is the #1 television market for NASCAR - less my viewership of course

3. The proposed site for it is Ted Turner's property downtown next to where the World of Coke Museum and the new Georgia Aquarium will be

4. It is the largest city on the list and is the most centrally located (via highways and airports) which will increase attendance

Really it is all about the moolah - attendance and corporate presence. Guess we will just have to wait and see.