Downtown Atlanta is getting a new financial tool designed to accelerate revitalization of some of its oldest and formerly sleepiest blocks. Mayor Andre Dickens's office announced legislation this week to establish a Downtown Enterprise Zone ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in 53 days.
The zone covers roughly 30 acres between Centennial Yards and Underground Atlanta, south of Woodruff Park, according to Urbanize Atlanta. The State Department of Community Affairs designed the geography, with rough borders anchored by Marietta Street.
Inside the zone, the city can capture up to 5 percent of gross sales generated by qualifying businesses. Those funds would be reinvested into projects and programs intended to uplift the area, city officials said. The revenue captured depends on the number of sales-tax-collecting businesses that qualify, meaning the zone's success scales with how many storefronts open and stay open.
The enterprise zone is part of the mayor's Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative. It arrives at a moment when downtown is already experiencing a noticeable surge in investment, from Centennial Yards build-out to new hotels and retail activity around Woodruff Park. Eight World Cup matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this summer give the initiative a hard deadline to push visible improvements into the ground before international visitors arrive.
For the city, the bet is that concentrated sales-tax capture can create a self-reinforcing loop: more businesses means more captured revenue, which funds improvements that attract more businesses.
