Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
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The Mercedes-Benz emblem already towers over the Atlanta skyline, courtesy of a $1.5 billion sports stadium. But this week, the automaker took things to a whole other level.
On Thursday, the company officially opened its Atlanta headquarters, ushering in a new era of corporate culture to the city. In a tweet, the company posted: “The future is bright. We’re excited to officially open our new US headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
#MBUSA#MBHQ”Mercedes-Benz USA is in the midst of moving employees into its new $93 million headquarters in Sandy Springs. The company’s U.S. base was previously located in Montvale, New Jersey.
By football season, around 1,000 employees will be operating out of the facility. The distribution center’s focus will be on sales, marketing and customer service, the company said.
Mercedes-Benz headquarers in Atlanta, Ga Photo credit: Mercedes USA Mercedes’ entry into the Atlanta market is joined by other Fortune 500 automakers such as Porsche Cars North America, and Groupe PSA. Of course, city leaders are still waiting on Amazon to make a decision on whether to build its vaunted #H2Q site to Atlanta as well.
Read more: Waymo to kick off self-driving trucks pilot in Atlanta
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Home is where the heart — and victory — is. Atlanta United defeated D.C. 3-1 on Sunday, giving fans in Mercedes-Benz Stadium their first taste of victory this season.
More than 72,000 people turned out in Merc-Benz, giving an early indication of what kind of sports town Atlanta can be. The crowd attendance was a record and sets the tone for the rest of the season.
The home team’s three goals were provided by Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron and Hector Villalba. The crowd was rocking and rolling all day on a rainy Sunday as fans still came out to support their team and in the process, made history.
“Unbelievable atmosphere”
Atlanta, your reigning Rookie of the Year has a message for you pic.twitter.com/AF9yrx7sNH
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) March 11, 2018
Sunday’s home crowd of 72,035 tickets sold broke the MLS record for single-game attendance. In its inaugural season, Atlanta United boke the record against Toronto in October when 71,874 bought tickets to the game. On Sept. 16, Atlanta United originally set the record — 70,425 — against Orlando City.
What you know about that 😏@Tip | #UniteAndConquer pic.twitter.com/w6OcO861hY
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) March 11, 2018
The win puts Atlanta back in the win column after getting shut out 4-0 last week at Houston in its season opener. See the rest of AUFC’s schedule here.
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Will Smith is currently in Georgia filming his latest film, “Gemini Man.” The producers are looking for some fresh faces for background roles as well.
As we previously reported the film will be directed by Ang Lee and has been around Hollywood for more than a decade in various versions. It is about an assassin who finally meets his match, actually a younger clone of himself.
Casting directors are now casting actors, models, and talent to work on scenes filming on March 5th and/or March 12 in Savannah, Georgia.
Producers are seeking the following types:
Seeking those with some acting skills.
VERY good chance of upgrade.
Men and Women / 35 and older / Any EthnicityDate: Monday March 12th
Rate: 250/12 + 25 Gas Bump
Location: Savannah GA
Please look up location.If you are available and interested please email headshot and resume to GMan@RoseLockeCasting.com
Include current Selfie and contact info.Subject: BOAT OWNER
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta is set to once again come alive as the city’s professional soccer club, Atlanta United, makes their season debut.
The squad lost last week but now they will D.C. United in front of their fans. More than 70,000 are expected to pack Merc-Benz. Atlanta players are looking forward to getting back in front of the home fans and giving them something to cheer for.
“We miss that atmosphere,” captain Michael Parkhurst told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s such an awesome thing to play in front of. It’s amazing. It’s just really an energy boost. You can feel the passion. You can feel the love.
From the streets to the stadium.
The ATL breathes the beautiful game. pic.twitter.com/fDIVnodmSy
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) March 9, 2018
Match time is 3:p.m. ET. It will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Click here for more details on how to keep up with the match.
More: See Atlanta United’s 2018 schedule
Our Front Office is ready for Sunday.. are you? #5StripeFriday pic.twitter.com/fYzi1FCgWN
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) March 9, 2018
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Atlanta is addressing its stock of old homes in desperate need of repairs too expensive for their owners. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Friday that the city will kick-start an owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program.
The initiative will provide low interest loans to income-eligible homeowners so that they can use the money to fix their dwellings. “Building a city for everyone means ensuing that people who have roots in our communities can remain in our communities and also live with dignity,” Bottoms said.
She said the program was part of the city’s larger strategy to address affordable housing across Atlanta. She announced several loans to benefit residents citywide, but especially in low-income people.
Mayor @keishabottoms Announces New Owner-Occupied Rehab Housing Programs. https://t.co/Af8jbYZscb
— City of Atlanta, GA (@Cityofatlanta) March 9, 2018
She said to be eligible for the loans, people need to have a clean title. “If you are living in your grandma’s house, simply because she died, then you probably don’t have a clean title,” she said. “Please make sure that you take advantage of the assistance that is available.”
The loans will be used to access the safety of the structures as well.
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Autonomous vehicle company Waymo is about to launch a pilot progam in Atlanta fusing self-driving trucks to transport cargo to Google’s datacenters. The venture will be an adventurous and risky one for Waymo, which has previously only delved into self-driving sedans.
“Our software is learning to drive big rigs in much the same way a human driver would after years of driving passenger cars,” the company said in a blog post. The principles are the same, but things like braking, turning, and blind spots are different with a fully loaded truck and trailer.”
Uber has also entered the freight industry, posing a significant threat to Waymo’s piece of the big rig market.
“This pilot will let us further develop our technology and integrate it into the operations of shippers and carriers, with their network of factories, distribution centers, ports, and terminals,” Waymo added.
Atlanta is seen as a ripe testing ground for Waymo as the city has positioned itself as a smart city. Earlier this year, Atlanta issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a SmartCity Strategic Infrastructure Initiative. The aim is for the city to foster working relationships with businesses in planning and developing smart city projects.
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MARTA is smarta. At least that’s what they say. The Atlanta transit agency is hosting an informational event called Industry Concessions Day to help people market their products or services to its customers.
The agency is betting that as the ninth-largest transit system in North America with over 126,427,817 annual trips, some companies will want to hawk wares to MARTA’s 404,600 daily riders.
Some example products include: Convenience, Accessories, Coffee, Small Electronics, Grab-n-Go Food, Natural Snacks, and more!
“The purpose of this event is to inform interested business owners about the opportunity to participate in MARTA’s retail concessions program.,” the agency’s flyer says. “Industry Day is a precursor to MARTA’s planned release of a Request for Proposals for Retail Concessions later this Spring.”
Wed, March 14, 2018
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM EDT
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If you’re into scenic running with a little (lotta) art thrown in there, you’ll love the Runstreet Atlanta Shakeout Art Run with Clif Bar!
The event includes some incredible murals across a 4-mile span of intown Atlanta. Runers can participate at a relaxed (10-minute mile pace) Art Run in Little Five Points to get started.
“You won’t want to miss Atlanta’s best street art while getting in a chill workout before the Publix Georgia Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K organized by Atlanta Track Club,” the flyer says.
All levels of runners welcome! There will be a few stops for photos along the route. There will be pacers so no one gets left behind.
The run begins and ends at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, from the Clif Bar booth. There will be a bag drop available but runners are encouraged to keep their valuables with them on the run.
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Saturday, March 17 at 1 PM – 2:30 PM
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Hyatt Regency Atlanta265 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
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Marvel Entertainment, the comic book’s movie house, is having a moment. Actually that moment is more accurately about 17 years. That’s how long it’s been since the first “X-Men” movie debuted in theaters, sparking the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, it’s latest and greatest franchise, The Avengers is going to hit us with “Infinity War” this spring. Mind you, this is on the heels of the certified blockbuster “Black Panther,” which has probably guaranteed itself at least two sequels in the coming years.
This week, new images from “Infinity War” has got the internet all hyped up. We see a mesh of superheroes from all the big films, Iron Man, Captain America, T’Challa and some of Wakanda’s finest. And to think, it was mostly filmed and pre-produced right here in metro Atlanta.
In large part because of Marvel, but even before it hit its stride, Atlanta was becoming a movie and entertainment mecca. But with the Avengers, it has just recently been gilded as such.
With Avengers, Marvel has found a way to tap into our inner child. Even though the movies are coming out every year, they all seem fresh and new somehow. This time, the film’s writers have promised that their will be some on-screen deaths, the biggest hint yet that we will lose a superhero.
“It’s safe to say we will say farewell to people,” co-writer Steven McFeely confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.
Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios told EW that “Infinity War” and its follow-up film, which was shot at the same time, will end with a bang unlike anything in moviedom.
“The notion of an ending, the notion of a finale, became very intriguing to us, in large part because you don’t see it that often in this particular genre,” he was quoted as saying.
But still, don’t expect the films to stop coming. Disney has already scheduled at least 10 more films in the pike. And that means more production work in Atlanta.
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One week after Georgia lawmakers removed a crucial tax break for Delta Airlines, Facebook announced that it is coming to the Peach State. Wednesday’s announcement was confirmed by Gov. Nathan Deal.
Facebook will build a $750 million data center in Newton County, about 45 miles (east of downtown Atlanta. The Menlo Park, California-based company has been added to its data capabilities with a string of data centers around the nation.
The data center, which will be located in Stanton Springs, is expected to bring about 100 jobs to Newton by the time in opens in 2020. The company says the campus will be 100 percent renewable energy.
“Georgia’s business-friendly climate and world-class technological infrastructure continue to attract innovative companies like Facebook,” said Deal. “It is fitting that the No. 1 company in the world in terms of active users has chosen the No. 1 state for business for this project. We appreciate Facebook’s leadership for recognizing Georgia as a state that serves not only as a major hub for general business, but also as a place where tech firms can be successful in the future. This project represents a significant investment and will create meaningful opportunities for the surrounding community. We welcome Facebook to Georgia and look forward to the growth of this partnership.”
About $2.5 billion will be invested in infrastructure improvements and equipment through 2029, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, which first reported the story.