In the City of Atlanta, Opportunity Zones cover parts of historically-disinvested communities, primarily south and west of downtown. The portion of the West End commercial district that includes the West End Mall is within an Opportunity Zone. In fact, West End has the only OZ that is within close proximity to the Atlanta Beltline, a MARTA rail station, and an Interstate Highway.
While Opportunity Zones require investment in underserved areas like West End, the legislation has no requirement for investors to consider community interests. This has made OZs controversial in some places. Elevator’s vision for the West End Mall, however, is built around community interests – not only because it is the right thing to do, but because we believe it is our most profitable path forward.