Groundbreakers Finalist

When James* was diagnosed with lung cancer in his 80s, he was in a pretty good place compared to many of his peers. He had a solid network of supportive friends, and he had...

Egbert Perry’s Integral Group bought bought the shuttered GM Plant in Doraville to create a new development called Assembly. Perry, a veteran of mixed-income and senior housing complexes spanning the metro area, has ventured into adaptive reuse in a big way. The under-construction hub of housing, corporate headquarters, retail, parks, and movie and television studios could encompass a massive 10 million square feet across 140 acres when completed over the next several years.

Founded in 1993, VOX has evolved from a monthly paper into a multiplatform media enterprise that reaches 35,000 Atlanta teens with an after-school journalism program, website, and writing workshops. One thing stayed the same: giving teens a voice.

Remnants of English ivy cling to the tree trunks. Hacked off about seven feet above the ground, their leaves withered, the vines now resemble twisted ropes. They were felled by the blade of Jeremy Dahl, aka Machete Man, who is saving metro Atlanta’s forests by removing the invasive species slowly strangling them.

For years, Paces Properties’ most recognizable Atlanta development was Vinings Jubilee, a “lifestyle center”—or, as others may put it, an outdoor mall. That reputation changed with the 2012 announcement of Krog Street Market.