Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has dished out a proposal for Microsoft.
Bloomberg reports that back in 2021, the technology corporation shared it would build a new complex in Grove Park in Atlanta, GA, with a goal to create 15,000 jobs for the city. However, by 2023, it’s reported that Microsoft placed the project on pause due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, Dickens is putting the spotlight back on the initial commitment from Microsoft. According to the outlet, he is set to reach out to the company about the status of the complex. What’s more, if the plan isn’t going to move forward, he aims to either help seize back the land for Atlanta or team up with a developer.
“We really want them to develop their property or offer it back to us so we can develop it,” Dickens told the outlet. “Even if you don’t know what you want to do, just let us know what you know you won’t be able to do.”
While Bloomberg notes that Microsoft has yet to comment on Dickens’ statement, the company’s mission had been to transform Atlanta into one of its main hubs. In addition to an already existing office in the Atlantic Yard district, built in 2022, its plan included three data centers as well as the halted complex in Grove Park.
In regard to jobs, Microsoft has had its own share of layoffs as of late. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, an estimated 1,900 employees were laid off from the company’s gaming division. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer shared in a memo that the layoffs occurred as part of its greater “execution plan” and to “reduce areas of overlap.”
“We will provide our full support to those who are impacted during the transition, including severance benefits informed by local employment laws,” Spencer wrote. “Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with the respect and compassion that is consistent with our values.”
