Economic Development
Raising Value and Increasing Commercial Vitality
The Fulton Industrial district is the largest industrial corridor in the eastern United States and home to approximately 1,000 business and 52 million square feet of industrial space. Fortune 100 companies such as Amazon, UPS, The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, along with large regional businesses and entrepreneurs, all make up the district, supporting more than 26,000 jobs and a collective annual payroll of more than $2.4 billion.
The over-60-year-old industrial area has played an important role in the region’s economy since the first industrial developments of the 1960s, with many of the same companies operating out of facilities in the district for the past four to five decades. However, there were challenging periods during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s – each marked by increased competition from newer industrial areas, rising crime rates and a lack of maintenance, including litter control and landscaping.
To remain competitive, a public-private partnership between Fulton County and forward-thinking business leaders and landowners in the district jointly created the self-taxing Fulton Industrial Community Improvement District (CID) in 2010 with the goal of promoting economic development and increasing the commercial vitality of the district through public safety, transportation and infrastructure, and landscape maintenance and beautification programs.
Return on Investment and Impact: Improvements Paying Off
Since its founding, the CID has had an investment impact of more than $50 million. This impact includes direct investment by the CID, grants and other funds administered by the CID, and outside programs and projects that have been undertaken as a result of CID initiatives. The cumulative long-term results have direct, measurable benefits to property owners, including:
- Increased property values
- Increased rental rates
- Decreased vacancy rates
- Increased tenant as well as employee satisfaction and retention
- Increased accessibility, safety and mobility, reducing operating costs
- Increased business development and growth
- Decreased property loss due to crime and vandalism
Overall Economic Impact Analysis
More than 1,000
businesses are located in the district
$182 million
in public revenues generated annually in the district
More than 52 million
square feet of industrial space
The district currently has more than
26,000 primary jobs
The district has
more than 20%
of the transportation and warehousing and manufacturing jobs in the county, and more than 15% of all wholesale trade employment
More than 77,000 jobs
in the state of Georgia are supported both directly and indirectly by economic activity in the district
Employment creates a total regional economic output of
More than $31.1 billion
Source: Economic Impact Report of the Fulton Industrial Boulevard Improvement District – KB Advisory Group, Inc. 2023.