Affordable housing. Legacy businesses. Fresh food access. In 2025, Invest Atlanta focused on the building blocks that help neighborhoods thrive — and its newly released Annual Report offers a closer look at the progress made across the city.
The second edition of VIA, Invest Atlanta’s annual publication, captures a year of impact driven by public-private partnerships, Tax Allocation District (TAD) investments, and targeted programs designed to expand opportunity for Atlanta residents.
Revitalizing Sweet Auburn
One of the report’s featured stories explores the continued revival of Sweet Auburn, a historic corridor shaped by strategic Eastside TAD investment. Through coordinated funding and development partnerships, long-vacant properties are being repositioned to support mixed-use growth, small business activation, and neighborhood vibrancy.
This work reflects a broader commitment to preserving the cultural legacy of Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods while attracting new economic activity.
Supporting Legacy Business Owners
For the first time, Invest Atlanta launched the Legacy Empowerment Grant Program, created to support long-standing small businesses that have helped define Atlanta’s commercial corridors for decades.
The program provides financial assistance and technical support to legacy business owners — including women-owned and minority-owned enterprises — helping them stabilize operations, modernize storefronts, and remain competitive in changing markets.
“These businesses are part of Atlanta’s identity,” said an Invest Atlanta spokesperson. “Supporting them ensures that growth does not come at the expense of history.”
Expanding Fresh Food Access Downtown
The report also highlights the opening of Azalea Fresh Market, a first-of-its-kind grocery store operating in Downtown Atlanta. The market expands access to fresh food options for residents, workers, and visitors — particularly in an area that has historically lacked a full-service grocery store.
Fresh food access remains a critical component of neighborhood health and economic mobility. Through partnerships and investment tools, Invest Atlanta continues to advance projects that reduce food deserts and improve quality of life.
Preventing Displacement, Preserving Community
Another story featured in VIA introduces readers to Ms. Kathryn Copper, a recipient of Invest Atlanta’s Anti-Displacement Tax Relief Program. As a legacy resident of Old Fourth Ward, Ms. Copper is now able to comfortably remain in her home despite rising property values in the area.
Programs like this are designed to ensure longtime residents can benefit from neighborhood growth without being priced out.
Affordable housing and anti-displacement initiatives remain central to Invest Atlanta’s strategy. The report details continued progress in affordable housing development, new homeownership opportunities, and partnerships with faith-based leaders and community stakeholders who are helping shape inclusive growth across Atlanta.
Building Opportunity Across Atlanta
Throughout 2025, Invest Atlanta’s work touched multiple neighborhoods — from Piedmont Heights to Downtown — advancing affordable housing, small business resilience, and community-centered development.
The VIA Annual Report provides residents with a transparent look at how public investment tools are being deployed and the tangible outcomes they are producing.
Read the Full Report
To explore all of the stories, data, and impact highlights from 2025, read the full VIA Issue 2 Annual Report.
Read more at:
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/1004428647/
