SAGE | Sweet Auburn Green & Equitable

SWEET AUBURN GREEN & EQUITABLE DISTRICT

SAGE District is envisioned as a holistic strategy for driving sustainable redevelopment and investment in our communities, by our communities.

Join us at SAGEFest!
SATURDAY, APRIL 1 • 10AM

Vision

THE ONLY WAY TO CREATE TRUE SUSTAINABILITY IS TO ADDRESS THE COMORBID NATURE OF THE ISSUES FACING OUR COMMUNITIES.

OUR SOLUTION

SAGE is the formal, coordinated effort among community stakeholders to combat issues of poverty, equity, and overall community wellness. The initiative was founded in partnership with Sweet Auburn Works, Central Atlanta Progress (CAP), and LISC Atlanta.

Stakeholders will exchange, raise, and contribute resources to build a stronger ecosystem within their neighborhood. Together, we will work to achieve 4 things.

Ensure resources brought into the neighborhood are distributed equitably and sustainably
Be a unifying force for the community, proving that stakeholders in the area can work together
Protect legacy residents and businesses from displacement due to rising real estate costs, housing costs, and lack of job opportunities
Preserve the history and culture of the neighborhood during redevelopment

OUR PROGRESS

FRAMEWORK
We have initiated the process to engage a firm or teams of firms that can coordinate the development of the SAGE Framework. More specifically, we are engaging them to handle:

Project Management
Documentation and Analysis of Current Conditions
Visioning and Facilitation Process
Development of Implementation Strategy
Budget and Funding Strategy
Identification of Success Measures
Plan Documentation and Presentation

PLANNING & ADVISORY TEAM

Cheneé Joseph

President & CEO, Historic District Development Corporation

Cheneé Joseph is a community development professional with several years of project management, and community and real estate development experience. She is the Executive Director of the Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) Atlanta’s oldest surviving community development corporation that has spearheaded nearly four decades of pioneering urban revitalization work in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood.

Alena Green

Director, Economic Development, Central Atlanta Progress

Alena Green is Director of Economic Development at Central Atlanta Progress (CAP), a business-led nonprofit providing leadership, programs, and services to ensure Downtown Atlanta is a vibrant and inclusive city center. In her role, Alena leads CAP’s ongoing engagement with Atlanta’s real estate community, public policy and advocacy, and business retention and recruitment efforts. .

Jennifer Ball

Chief Operating Officer of Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. (CAP)

Jennifer Ball is the Chief Operating Officer of Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. (CAP) where her leadership role affords her the opportunity to impact many facets of the people-centered growth of a thriving and economically viable Downtown Atlanta community. In addition to supporting business operations, she also directs economic development, urban planning and transportation initiatives.

LeJauno Varnell

Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works, Inc.,

LeJuano Varnell is the Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works, Inc., the preservation-based economic development organization created to protect and enhance the commercial and cultural legacy of the Sweet Auburn Historic District. Mr. Varnell brings more than 18 years of private sector operating and finance experience in Africa, Asia and the US to this role, and has employed those skills to create a career of using private capital to solve difficult market problems.

The SAGE Advisory Board is a diverse group of stakeholders that represent a full range of perspectives and interests in the Sweet Auburn Community. The board has served as a sounding board for the team and has been instrumental in the development of the SAGE framework.