Forest Park GA

9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 FOREST PARK , GEORGIA multifunctional space with a food hall, flexible workspace, and a commissary kitchen. Partnerships with the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce and the Clayton County Board of Education further contribute to the city’s progress and development. Clark points out another key collaboration is that with Robinson Weeks Partners. “Robinson Weeks Partners has partnered with the City of Forest Park and its Urban Redevelopment Agency since 2007 to masterplan and activate the former military base into a world class logistics park.” David Welch, CEO Robinson Weeks Partners highlights. “Our number one priority from day one has been to replace the 2500 jobs that were lost when Fort Gillem was closed. As of today, we have successfully exceeded our goal with 3000 new jobs at Fort Gillem with projections to exceed over 5000 when fully developed.” Welch adds. Employment opportunities are thriving in the community, largely due to Fort Gillem, a former US Army base that now boasts 5,000 new jobs. The development of a $180 million movie studio will soon bring another 1,200 jobs to the community. BlueStar is the production company behind the studio project, and they have taken measures to preserve the city’s traditional look and feel while incorporating modern elements. “It’s a huge investment,” Lloyd remarks. “So, it’s going to be a huge benefit, not only to our local economic development efforts but also for the community as well.” This is complemented by the job opportunities at the Gillem Logistics Center, which is home to companies like Amazon, Kroger, and Home Depot. Workforce training remains a priority in Forest Park, making sure the city has residents who are equipped with the necessary skills for these jobs. “That way you keep the local dollar revolving. If we have jobs coming in like movie studios and logistics, let’s put into place a plan to where we are actually bringing forth that workforce training so that individuals within this community are eligible to get some of those jobs. The flip side of that is talking to the local businesses to know what skill sets they are looking for,” says Clark. There is also a continued focus on the smaller mom-and-pop businesses that make up the fabric of the community. To bring these enterprises to the forefront, Forest Park offers a weekly business spotlight, promoting a local establishment. “One of the things that I’ve learned is that oftentimes our local businesses don’t do well because the community doesn’t know that they exist,” Clark maintains. “There are a lot of interesting small businesses within communities, but people just don’t know about them, and they don’t have the marketing dollars to really promote their business. So why wouldn’t we, as a local government, take the helm and promote them for free, especially since they’re within our city.”