Opportunity Starts Here

District 12 has the talent, the location, and the culture—but for too long, we've lacked the investment. Too many storefronts sit empty. Too many entrepreneurs can’t get a loan. Too many people have to leave their own community just to find a good-paying job. It’s time for an economic strategy that puts South and Southwest Atlanta first—with bold investment in Black-owned businesses, local hiring, and neighborhood-based development.

1. Empower Small and Black-Owned Businesses

   • Establish a "Buy District 12" initiative to encourage residents, schools, and the city to spend locally and support homegrown businesses.

   • Partner with Invest Atlanta to create pop-up business corridors and community markets that activate vacant storefronts and parking lots.

     2. Revitalize Commercial Corridors

   • Target investment to key corridors like Campbellton Road, Metropolitan Parkway, Cleveland Avenue, and McDaniel Street to turn them into thriving hubs of activity.

   • Offer façade improvement grants and tax incentives for small business landlords who reinvest in their properties.

   • Streamline permitting and zoning to make it easier for locally owned retail, food, and service businesses to open and expand.

   3. Train and Hire Locally

   • Develop partnerships with local unions, colleges such as Atlanta Metropolitan College and Atlanta Technical Collegeto create job pipelines in construction, green energy, health care, and tech.

   • Require local hiring targets for city-funded infrastructure and housing projects in District 12.

   • Support youth apprenticeship and mentorship programs so our kids don’t just graduate—they graduate into a career.

   4. Invest in Entrepreneurs, Not Just Developers

   • Prioritize Community Wealth-Building Models
     Focus on establishing worker-owned cooperatives, community land trusts, and shared commercial kitchens as vital components of our local economy.

   • Support Women- and Minority-Owned Startups
     Provide targeted assistance for startups owned by women and minorities, especially in sectors with high growth potential such as food, logistics, and digital media.

   • Inclusive Growth Measurement
     Advocate for Invest Atlanta and the City to evaluate success based on inclusive growth rather than merely large development deals.

   Build with—and for—the Community

   • Meaningful Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs)
     Ensure that all significant developments in District 12 come with CBAs that secure jobs, affordable retail spaces, and protections against displacement.

   • Create a District 12 Economic Development Council
     Form a council composed of local residents, business owners, and community leaders to define priorities and hold developers accountable.

   Economic development should promote opportunity, ownership, and dignity for those who already reside in District 12, rather than lead to displacement. As your City Council member, I’ll fight for a future where businesses thrive, jobs stay local, and our communities are built from the inside out—not the top down.