Opponent preview roundup

Scout started publishing their team previews. BC's is not up yet, but plenty of our opponents are. I find team-by-team previews from magazines and websites helpful. I don't follow the ins and outs of Syracuse or Northern Illinois like I do BC, so this gives me some insights and helps set expectations for us and them. Here are the ones that are out and a few takeaways...

Florida State -- Like us Florida State has a revamped offensive line and a new QB. Like us, they have a good position coach at OLine (Rick Trickett) so I think they will be ok.

Northern Illinois -- the preview starts with talk of Northern Illinois making the jump to a Power 5 conference, so you know expectations are high. For BC it will be more about stopping the run.

Syracuse -- The Orange are replacing most of their Defense. This team did not score much last year, so a revamped O and a young D could make for a long season. We don't play them until the end of the year, so they will have figured things out or checked out on the season.

Wake Forest -- There schedule is almost as bad as ours. Like us they play Notre Dame. Their other non-conference games are Elon, Indiana, and Army. They are also very young.

Atlantic Station Swimwear Guide 2015

From American Apparel to Victoria’s Secret, here are our favorite looks for Summer 2015.

The secret to having a great summer is looking and feeling your best! How do you do that? Finding the perfect swimsuit, of course! This year, it’s never been easier with some of your favorite Atlantic Station stores offering great deals on the best looks of Summer 2015.

From one- and two-piece bikinis, to coverups and men’s swim trunks, here are our picks for the bests of the best. Find your favorite swimwear and tag us using #AtlanticStation!

American Apparel – Printed Halter One Piece Swimsuit ($45.00)

Athleta – Ariel Cut Out Bikini ($54.00)

Dillard’s – Elan Tassel-Tie Tunic Cover Up ($59.00)

Fab’rik – Riley Coverup-Teal ($68.00)

H&M – Bikini Tops and Bottoms ($8.98/$6.48)

Kinnucan’s – Southern Marsh Dockside Gingham Swim Trunks ($59.00)

Old Navy – Men’s Patterned Swim Trunks ($20.00)

Victoria’s Secret – The Midi Beach Bandeau ($40.00)

The post Atlantic Station Swimwear Guide 2015 appeared first on Atlantic Station.

Five developers named finalists for Georgia World Congress Center hotel

Five developers have been named finalists to build a proposed major new convention hotel in downtown Atlanta. The Georgia World Congress Center Authority on Friday selected Capella Hotel Group, Drew Co., Garfield Public-Private, Legacy Property Group/Stormont Hospitality and Matthews Southwest as finalists to build the hotel, which would have 800 to 1,200 rooms and be on the campus of the Georgia World Congress Center. The Georgia World Congress Center is the fourth-largest convention complex in…

Porsche Revs up the South Side

Atlanta’s north end is usually the most popular area for headquarters locations, but the south side has achieved a coup by attracting the new Porsche headquarters. Located near the northeast corner of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the $100 million, 28-acre development is a redevelopment of the old Ford Motor Co. assembly plant. Its opening on May 7 attracted considerable fanfare, with Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in attendance.

 

Much More Than a Workplace

The new headquarters houses 400 employees – 300 of whom are moving from Porsche’s old headquarters in Sandy Springs – in a 150,000-square-foot office building.  But the development is much more than a workplace. The headquarters also includes a technical training center, a classic car restoration and display area, a high-end restaurant, and the Porsche Experience Center, which includes a 1.6-mile test track that loops through the center of the main building. Visitors can test-drive any of Porsche’s models there and, for a fee, receive professional driving instruction. There is also a steep, muddy, off-road course for the more adventurous.

In addition to the test track, visitors to the headquarters can custom-spec a new car, have a vintage car restored, view famous race cars in the Classic Car Center, play with state-of-the-art racing simulators, and shop for Porsche fan gear and merchandise. At the Human Performance Center, fitness experts evaluate visitors’ physical strength, stamina, nutritional status, and hydration levels. Customers can choose among several services, from a 90-minute assessment to 12-month fitness plans. The staff comes from extreme fitness company Exos. The center has generated so much buzz that there is already a four-month waiting list for driver instruction and a three-month wait for fitness analysis, according to an article in Fortune magazine.

 

Why Atlanta?

The new headquarters combines all of Porsche’s North American operations – including Porsche Cars North America (PCNA), Porsche Financial Services, Porsche Business Services and Porsche Consulting – into a single location. The U.S. accounts for a third of Porsche’s vehicle sales worldwide. Detlev von Platen, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, says that the company chose Atlanta for its headquarters because:

1. Atlanta is on the East Coast, which is close to the German time zone and comprises Porsche’s main U.S. markets.
2. Atlanta has “one of the best workforces in the United States,” von Platen said, thanks to its universities and colleges.
3. The city’s airport is located where 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight.

 

PCNA also received more than $3 million in economic incentives from Atlanta and Georgia to relocate the headquarters from Sandy Springs to the south side.

Boost for the Aerotropolis Atlanta?

The headquarters at One Porsche Drive represents the first complex to be built in the 6.5-million-square-foot “Aerotropolis Atlanta” district, according to a Porsche press release. Local public- and private-sector leaders formed the Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance in March 2014 in hopes of making the area surrounding Hartsfield-Jackson into an “aerotropolis” – an urban environment that develops around a central airport to connect workers, suppliers, business executives, and goods. The alliance hopes that the airport area will become a nexus for local and global economic activity and thereby attract international corporations, logistics companies, and others that would benefit from proximity to the world’s busiest airport. Prominent entities like Delta Air Lines Inc., the Coca-Cola Co., the Atlanta Regional Commission, and Hartsfield-Jackson leadership are involved in the effort. 

Millions of airline passengers will see the Porsche headquarters complex from their windows as they descend into Hartsfield-Jackson. The development promises to become a hot Atlanta attraction and will help to revitalize a dilapidated, largely industrial area. It may even become a catalyst for additional development nearby – paving the way toward the Aerotropolis Atlanta that local officials envision.

Bender Betbeze, Vice President, Project Manager, with Cresa Atlanta is as a project manager for the new Porsche facility. Other project experience includes corporate and multi-tenant office space, airport facilities, data facilities, tourist attractions, manufacturing plants and facilities operations. For more information, please contact Bender at 404.446.1569 or bbetbeze@cresa.com.

How much does it cost to rent 500 square feet in Atlanta? Depends on the neighborhood (LIST)

Five hundred square feet is about 25 feet by 25 feet -- Not much. But renting a space that size in Atlanta will cost you an average $523 per month, according to real estate website Zillow.com. The 5 most expensive neighborhoods in Atlanta to rent 500 square feet monthly: Buckhead Village -- $896 Midtown -- $880 Atlantic Station -- $803 Virginia Highland -- $762 Garden Hills -- $755 Check out the table below to see the cost per 500 square feet in all of Atlanta's neighborhoods And count your blessings…

43 things to do with Coca-Cola (besides drink it)

The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO), which has battled profit declines for several quarters, might consider pitching its flagship product in a new way. Business Insider on Friday published a list of 43 things you can do with Coca-Cola, besides drink it. The list includes cleaning toilets and tile grout, easing the pain of jellyfish stings and making lawns greener. Check out the full list here.

Atlanta Mayor Reed hires new planning commissioner

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has reached across state lines to hire a new planning commissioner for the city. The mayor named Tim Keane commissioner of Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development Thursday, a job that will take him from a similar position with the city of Charleston, S.C. “Tim brings the right expertise to help the department meet the long-term goals of my administration,” Reed said. “I am confident that his experience, vision and exceptional commitment to public…

Midtown’s Veni Vidi Vici will close for good May 31

It came, it saw, it’s closing. Buckhead Life Restaurant Group Inc. Italian restaurant Veni Vidi Vici in Midtown will close its doors permanently on May 31. Veni Vidi Vici opened in 1993 with famous Italian Chef and cookbook author Marcella Hazen was a consultant. “This was a difficult decision, since the restaurant has a loyal following,” said Buckhead Life founder and CEO Pano Karatassos. “However, and while we are and shall always remain dedicated to our base and loyal customers in our…

Atlanta scores professional lacrosse team

The Minnesota Swarm has Georgia on its mind. Stan L. Hall, executive director of the Gwinnett Sports Commission, confirmed to Atlanta Business Chronicle late Thursday the team is moving to Georgia. “We are really excited about the guys from Minnesota moving our way,” Hall said. Atlanta Business Chronicle first reported May 28 the team was scouting The Arena at Gwinnett Center. The arena is north of Atlanta and hosts the Gwinnett Gladiators minor league hockey team. The move adds to the growing…