Category: Business

The Atlanta Beltline is seeking a qualified developer to construction affordable homes on the city’s Westside.

Specifically, the ABI (Atlanta Beltline Inc.) wants a builder to assist in the first phase of developing the Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights neighborhood, which is adjacent to the Westside Trail.

ABI’s primary goals in issuing the RFP (request for proposal) is to get a company that aligns with its vision for advancing affordable housing, economic opportunity, and neighborhood connectivity.

The project would transform a long-vacant site into an accessible, green, walkable community. This phase will kick start the development of the entire 425 Chappell Road site.

Development of the full property is expected to occur in phases, across 10 blocks. The vision for the first phase will take place across blocks 1-5, with road access from Chappell Road and North Avenue, and will prioritize single-family and lower-density, smaller-scale multifamily designed to seamlessly integrate into the surrounding single-family neighborhood.

The development will include pedestrian oriented commercial space that will serve the existing and future community.

The conceptual site plan for the property envisions the first phase of development with as many as 150 new homes offered for-sale and nearly 5,000 square feet of neighborhood-scale commercial space targeted toward local small businesses.

The plan also includes a Beltline spur trail that will extend from the Beltline Westside Trail – Segment 4, through the adjacent City of Atlanta property, and across North Avenue to the first phase of the development, further enhancing access and connectivity for Atlantans to the trail and transit network.

“The development of 425 Chappell Road helps realize the Beltline’s long-term strategy of strategic site acquisition as a means to deliver affordable and attainable housing options and affordable commercial spaces for our local small businesses,” Dennis Richards, Vice President of Housing Policy and Development of the Beltline, says in a news release.

“This development will offer current and future residents’ equitable access to affordable homes, greenspaces, transit, and economic opportunity. This will be an inclusive development and a shining example of the Beltline being a place where all Atlantans have an opportunity to live, work, and thrive.”

Purchased in 2021, the full Chappell Road site spans 31 acres across 13 contiguous parcels, making it the largest land acquisition in Beltline history. The site sits adjacent to 30 acres of City of Atlanta-owned property.

Community engagement was central to the development plans for the site. Engagement took place through public meetings, outreach, NPU visits, neighborhood association presentations, and through a Beltline convened Stakeholder Engagement Committee. The Beltline has completed entitlement of the property, including approval from the Atlanta Regional Commissions’ Development of Regional Impact program. The site is zoned PD-MU (Planned Development – Mixed Use).

More from AtlantaFi.com:

• Cool Things To Do on the Atlanta Beltline
• Best Places To Take Photos in Atlanta
• Top Places To Eat Along the Atlanta Beltline

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) desperately needed meals supplied to Puerto Rico residents affected by a natural disaster: Hurricane Maria had slammed the island in September 20217. FEMA put out an RFP (request for proposals), which was answered by Atlanta entrepreneur Tiffany Brown.

Brown, who ran a ,, was supposed to supply 30 million meals. She subcontracted the contract to two businesses, including a local caterer with 11 employees.

Now Brown has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in a $156 million FEMA fraud case. Brown must pay $1.7 million in restitution after she supplied only 50,000 meals. Why couldn’t she fulfill her contract?

“I’ve had challenges in this area, particularly because I’m so young and being a woman in this world, in the food industry world,” she told CBS News. “My biggest mistake was that I didn’t ask for more help.”

But FEMA says her mistake was criminal in nature. The agency accused Brown of fraudulently obtaining $700,000 in litigation advances from the Litigation Funding Group of Georgia (“LFG”) by falsely claiming that she had settled with a logistics company who failed to deliver the meals to FEMA.

“Brown resorted to extraordinary lengths to defraud FEMA during a critical period when individuals were in desperate need of food resources during the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., said in a Department of Justice press release. “Our Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will remain vigilant in pursuing and prosecuting individuals who exploit the devastation caused by natural disasters as an opportunity to commit fraud.”

Christopher Brown, who local entrepreneur who has secured contracts on the state level, says getting into the government contracting business is not for the faint of heart.

“I’ve had to pull out of some contracts because I just couldn’t scale the way the RFP said I needed to,” he told AtlantaFi.com. “This, what happened to this young lady, is a cautionary tale for Atlanta business owners.”

Brown’s plight is a solemn reminder that small businesses must be honest and transparent with themselves if they apply for government contracts.

On YouTube and other mediums, many people hawk easy ways to score government contracts, but they are not so easy to deliver on.

Before You Apply For a Government Contract, Know Your Capabilities

Before a small business applies for federal government contracts, there are several key factors to understand to navigate the process effectively and avoid pitfalls. Here’s a concise breakdown:

Find Out If Your Business Qualifies

First, ensure your business qualifies as a small business under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) standards. These standards vary by industry and are based on your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, which categorizes your products or services.

Typically, manufacturing businesses with 500 or fewer employees or non-manufacturing businesses with average annual receipts under $7.5 million qualify, but exceptions exist by industry.

Use the SBA’s Size Standards Tool to confirm eligibility, as size standards determine if you can bid on contracts set aside for small businesses.

Sign Up With SAM.Gov

You’ll need to register your business with the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov. This is mandatory to bid on federal contracts. During registration, you’ll receive a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a 12-character alpha-numeric code that replaced the DUNS number in 2022 to streamline the process.

SAM registration is free, but it’s your business’s résumé for government agencies—make your profile detailed and accurate to stand out. Some transactions, like sub-awardee reporting, may only require a UEI without full registration, so assess your needs.

Make Sure Your Business Is In Compliance

Compliance with federal regulations is non-negotiable. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) governs the contracting process, and small businesses must adhere to it, along with other rules like 13 CFR 125 for small business programs.

If bidding on Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, you’ll need to meet Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) levels, which can involve significant upfront costs to secure your systems. Non-compliance can lead to audits, penalties, or losing contracts, so be prepared for scrutiny.

Know Your Competition

Understand the competitive landscape. The federal government aims to award 23% of prime contract dollars to small businesses, often through set-aside or sole-source contracts for specific groups like women-owned, veteran-owned, or HUBZone businesses.

However, competition is fierce, and larger contractors often dominate. Research the market using tools like SAM.gov, which lists contracts over $25,000, and the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) to find opportunities and partners.

Also, check USASpending.gov to identify agencies’ spending patterns and procurement forecasts from agencies’ Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).

Follow the Bid Requirements Closely

Bidding requires careful preparation. Federal contracts often involve Invitations for Bid (IFBs), Requests for Quotations (RFQs), or Requests for Proposals (RFPs), each with different expectations. IFBs focus on the lowest price, while RFPs prioritize value and solutions.

Your bid must address all requirements, highlighting your business’s stability, past performance, and experience. Be realistic about your capacity—overcommitting can lead to failure.

Subcontracting with a prime contractor via the SBA’s SubNet database can be a lower-risk way to gain experience before bidding directly.

Count the Cost Before Applying

Finally, consider the costs and commitments. Government contracts often have strict regulatory requirements, including labor, environmental, and equal employment opportunity rules. Cybersecurity compliance, especially for DoD contracts, can require significant investment.

Additionally, while the government is a reliable payer, the process involves extensive paperwork, potential audits, and sometimes delayed payments with interest. Ensure your business can handle the financial and administrative burden, and aim for contracts that align with your capabilities and profit goals—agencies often expect around a 15% profit margin.

Final Word

What happened to Tiffany Brown is sad, but unfortunately, it’s not rare. Too many business owners run before they should walk.

By focusing on eligibility, registration, compliance, market research, strategic bidding, and resource readiness, a small business can better position itself for federal contracting success.

Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe recently opened its newest boutique at Phipps Plaza and first location in Georgia, featuring a full collection of women’s ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, small leather goods, eyewear and other accessories.

If you’re looking for things to do in Buckhead, this shop is a must-stop.

The 1,237-square-foot location houses a full, highly sought-after collection of women’s ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, small leather goods, eyewear and other accessories.

Nodding to the brand’s Spanish roots, the space draws inspiration from the CASA LOEWE concept and intersperses LOEWE products with art, craft, and design pieces. Ceramic tiles in peach and silver envelop the façade and interiors, while glass, wood and concrete surfaces complement the space’s warmer textures, such as ceramic, brass and turned iron.

Reflecting Loewe’s commitment to blending traditional styles with modern accents, the boutique features a selection of contemporary furniture, including Utrecht armchairs, signature iron martini tables and a tufted leather puffer bench, as well as three black-and-white reproductions of British textile artist John Allen’s Pink House Cumbria.

Hand-selected artworks from LOEWE’s global art collection can be found throughout the space, illustrating the luxury brand’s devotion to craftmanship and artistry. These pieces include The Thuringer (2021) by Belgian-born artist Caragh Thuring and Pouch on a bent branch (2020) by Irish basket maker Joe Hogan, a finalist of the 2018 edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize.

Final Word

If you want to check out some other food spots in the area, here are the best restaurants in Buckhead. Or you might like to read our Buckhead Steak Guide to find all the best eateries offering mouth-watering prime cuts.