Assembly Atlanta helps revitalize city of Doraville
DORAVILLE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - In the city of Doraville, there is a hustle and bustle of traffic on Buford Highway at Interstate 285. But if you spend any time here, you’ll quickly realize something is missing.
Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman said life changed here when the General Motors plant shut down 15 years ago.
“Really Doraville grew up around that GM plant so when it left that was a major loss for us,” Geierman said.
Hundreds of jobs vanished, and so did the people after the plant closed, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of the city.
Justin Tate is the general manager of Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs in town. H said his store lost about 40% of its lunch business after the GM plant’s closure.
“There were people that would come in and say this is probably my last time coming here. I’m no longer working across the street,” Tate said.
Now for the first time in more than a decade, there is a new heartbeat that will soon bring opportunities and life back to Doraville.
“I do think property values are going to go up and we will see increased revenue based on that,” Geierman said.
Gray Television’s new development, Assembly Atlanta, will bring a new live, work and play studio city to the old GM, site giving new businesses in town a sense of hope.
“We’re just looking forward to more foot traffic, economic growth, new jobs, etc. It’s just a win, win, for everybody,” The PawStand owner Donna Raney said.
“I think the Assembly is going to offer a lot of new opportunity and growth and we’re really excited about it,” Jennifer Andreae, another owner of The PawStand, said.
Doraville’s mayor told Atlanta News First that Assembly Atlanta is expected to generate more than 3,500 new jobs, more than making up for the 800 or so that were lost. The heartbeat is back, and the future is bright in Doraville.
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