In this week’s episode, Love, Atlanta host Ann Hill-Bond celebrated Eva Davis’s affordable-housing legacy and discussed Georgia’s data center boom with Capital B Atlanta’s enterprise reporter Alyssa Johnson.
Love, Atlanta airs Thursdays on WRFG from 4-5 p.m. Tune in live or listen to previous shows. The radio show is recorded and produced at WRFG Atlanta.
Data Centers
- Alyssa Johnson reported that Georgia surpassed Northern Virginia as the U.S. leader in data center development, driven by business incentives and demand for AI infrastructure.
- Governor Brian Kemp supports the industry and vetoed a 2024 bill that would have ended a data center tax break. Residents and advocates raised concerns about water and energy use, utility bills, infrastructure, and unenforceable community benefits agreements.
- Keisha Lance Bottoms supports a statewide pause to gather more information. Rick Jackson and Mike Collins favor local decision-making, while John Ossoff has focused on protecting consumers from higher utility costs. Polling cited in the program found that 83% of Georgians support a statewide hold.
Eva Davis
- The show honored East Lake leader Eva Davis, who organized a 24-day Church’s Chicken strike in 1972, advocated for tenants and workers, challenged police mistreatment, and secured $33.5 million from HUD in 1992 to revitalize East Lake Meadows.
- Her work helped shape the Villages of East Lake, including the East Lake Foundation, Drew Charter School, the YMCA, and the cradle-to-career model. Her granddaughter Shannon Longino described the continuing work in affordable housing, education, and community resources.
Civic Updates
- MARTA and Atlanta settled a $52 million funding dispute.
- Atlanta advanced five blight resolutions for Westside properties and pledged up to $50 million for the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. Fulton County and Atlanta Public Schools had not yet decided whether to remain involved in the tax allocation district.
