Founders Green in South Downtown Atlanta

It was a big week in South Downtown Atlanta! This past Wednesday we opened a new green space and welcomed the governor and mayor. Below are my remarks.

Good morning, my name is David Cummings. I want to thank you all for being here to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new heart of South Downtown: Founders Green.

For the last 70 years, this green space was a parking lot but for the prior 100 years it was teaming with small businesses. Today, it takes on new life: a front porch for entrepreneurs, neighbors, visitors, small businesses, and everyone who believes in the future of downtown Atlanta.

South Downtown is one of the most important historic neighborhoods in our city. This is Atlanta’s original commercial district, born from the three rail lines that came together here and helped create the city we know today. The architecture, the street grid, and the buildings all tell the story of Atlanta’s founding. Downtown is the original social network, designed for serendipity and connectivity.

When we decided to embark on this transformation, the idea was simple but ambitious: honor Atlanta’s past while helping invent its future.

Atlanta has done so much for me as an entrepreneur. This city provided me with opportunity, relationships, encouragement, and a platform to build. I’ve started a dozen companies, including Atlanta Tech Village. Founders Green is part of my effort to pay that forward. It is about investing in one of the most historic districts in Atlanta. It is about supporting downtown, the economic front porch for the entire region. And it is about helping small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs pave the way for the next generation of growth in Atlanta.

Over the last two and a half years, working on this neighborhood revitalization has stretched me well outside my comfort zone. I have had the opportunity to work more closely with the city, state, government agencies, community partners, and civic leaders. It has been challenging, humbling, and deeply rewarding.

I want to thank Jon Birdsong. Jon jumped at the opportunity to lead our oldest neighborhood’s transformation into one of the largest startup districts in the world. Without his leadership, we wouldn’t be here. Thank you, Jon.

Now, as I look around, I could not be more thrilled with the progress. We have more than 100 entrepreneurs who call South Downtown home. We have new energy in these historic buildings. We have the World Cup around the corner. And we have a growing sense that this neighborhood’s best days are ahead.

For generations to come, I believe South Downtown Atlanta will be known for two things: the historic founding of Atlanta and supercharging Atlanta’s future.

Today is an exciting milestone for South Downtown, for downtown Atlanta, and for the next generation of founders and small businesses who will help shape this city’s future.

Thank you.

AJ Robinson

I’d now like to introduce someone who has been a tireless advocate for downtown Atlanta and a true partner in the work happening here in South Downtown.

AJ Robinson is the president of Downtown Atlanta, Inc., the combined Central Atlanta Progress and Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, two organizations that play a critical role in shaping the future of our city’s core. AJ has spent more than two decades working to make downtown more vibrant, more connected, safer, cleaner, and more welcoming for residents, businesses, visitors, and entrepreneurs.

One of the things I appreciate most about AJ is that he understands downtown not just as a collection of buildings and streets, but as the heart of the region. He knows that when downtown is strong, Atlanta is strong.

Please join me in welcoming AJ Robinson.

Mayor Dickens

I’d now like to introduce the mayor of the City of Atlanta, Andre Dickens.

Mayor Dickens is a native Atlantan, an engineer, a former citywide council member, and now the 61st mayor of our city. Since taking office in 2022, he has focused on the core issues that shape Atlanta’s future, including public safety, housing, youth opportunity, economic development, and strengthening neighborhoods across the city.

For South Downtown, his leadership matters tremendously. The mayor, through Invest Atlanta and the Eastside TAD, championed the new streetscapes and small business grants. This neighborhood is not just another development district. It is where Atlanta began. It is the front door to our city, the center of our region, and one of the most important opportunities we have to connect historic preservation, entrepreneurship, small business growth, and civic pride.

Plus, Mayor Dickens was a small business owner and understands the entrepreneurial journey we’re nurturing here. This truly is a group project.

Please join me in welcoming Mayor Andre Dickens.

Governor Kemp

I’d now like to introduce the governor of the great state of Georgia, Brian Kemp.

Governor Kemp is Georgia’s 83rd governor and has served in that role since 2019. Before entering public service, he built his career as a small business owner and entrepreneur, starting his first business in Athens more than 35 years ago.

Under Governor Kemp’s leadership, Georgia has continued to be recognized as one of the top states for business, and that matters here in the heart of our capital city. South Downtown represents the kind of public-private investment that can help bring new jobs, new companies, new energy, and new opportunity to Atlanta’s founding neighborhood.

Please join me in welcoming Governor Brian Kemp.

Closing

Thank you to the Governor and First Lady for their presence and for the State’s partnership in South Downtown’s revitalization.

Thank you to Mayor Dickens and the City of Atlanta for their vision and support of South Downtown, from public safety to infrastructure to helping our small businesses open their storefronts.

Thank you to AJ for your leadership downtown over the past two decades. We all acknowledge that your belief in this neighborhood has paved the way for the progress we see today.

Thank you to the SoDo Atlanta team, especially Jon, April, Marlowe, Jaren, Kevin, Lucas, Brianna, Anthony, and Andrew, whose persistence, creativity, and love for this work made this possible.

Thank you to the businesses, residents, and community leaders who are the living definition of what it means to be a founder.

Thank you to our construction, architecture, and engineering partners who worked tirelessly to restore Atlanta’s historic downtown.

Thank you to all the city leaders and their departments who helped us meet the World Cup deadline.

Thank you again for being part of this special day.

South Downtown is Atlanta’s founding neighborhood for today’s founders.

Let’s cut the ribbon!