Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson was joined by Georgia Black business owners and leaders today to announce the Legacy Corridor Initiative as part of his Opportunity Agenda.
This initiative will create a new state Legacy Corridor consisting of six of Georgia's historic commercial districts. It will also connect entrepreneurs on those streets to capital, contracts, training, talent, and ownership.
Where will this corridor be located? The Legacy Corridor will consist of Sweet Auburn in Atlanta, the Golden Blocks in Augusta, West Broad in Savannah, the Liberty District in Columbus, the Harlem District in Albany and Cotton Avenue in Macon.
How will this Legacy Corridor be established? On Day One of his governorship, Jackson will create the designation by executive order and assign a person with a phone number to coordinate Georgia's 17 Small Business Development Centers, licensing, MBE certification, financing and state contracting.
What else is there to the initiative? It will also convene community lenders, banks, credit unions and private investors to coordinate the deployment of Georgia's State Small Business Credit Initiative more effectively.
Alongside this, Jackson plans to use Georgia's historic rehabilitation tax credit, freeze assessed values while buildings are repaired, and stop surprise assessment spikes to restore historic buildings without pricing out the people who stayed.
To promote local growth, Jackson also plans to make it easier for all qualified Georgia businesses to bid, subcontract, and compete for state work.
He will then promote the State Opportunity Zone Tax Credit, which can provide up to $3,500 per job to businesses creating at least two jobs.
How will this be tracked? An annual Legacy Corridor scorecard will be published, measuring capital delivered, businesses served, properties restored, and jobs created.
What Rick Jackson had to say:
- “Being the number one state for business means nothing if it does not apply to all of our businesses, in all of our neighborhoods. I know what it means to be written off, and I know what one opportunity can do.”
