Business Briefs

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

▲Mark Toro, who led the turnaround of Atlantic Station, is launching Toro Development Company, a venture aimed at acquiring defunct sites such as dead malls, office parks, shopping centers, and industrial sites and transforming them into their highest and best use. Private equity investors Four Stones Real Estate and Lubert-Adler are providing capital for the venture. A team of development veterans joins Toro to launch the new venture: John Kelley, Richard Munger and Vicky Boyce, who have played key roles in redevelopment projects including Avalon, Atlantic Station, Colony Square and Edge on the Beltline. Toro is retiring from his role as Chairman of the Board at NAP Atlanta (NAPA) to focus on his new company. For more information, visit torodevco.com.

▲The Allen Morris Company has announced that UK-based darts club, restaurant and cocktail bar Fight Club will open in the Star Metals development in West Midtown early next year. Flight Club is home to “Social Darts,” which uses state-of-the-art technology that enables automatic scoring, multi-player games for groups from 6 people up to 400+.

Emory University has been recognized as the largest employer in metro Atlanta for the third consecutive year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The publication reports Emory has 32,594 full-time employees in the metro Atlanta region as of Dec. 31, 2020. Altogether, Emory directly and indirectly supports more than 92,000 jobs statewide.

Waystar, a provider of healthcare payment software, has acquired similar Atlanta-based Patientco. Waystar processes medical claims for around 40 percent of the country, while Patientco is consumer-focused payment technology company that helps patients understand their health-care costs upfront.

▲The Spatter Studio, where guests are let loose with paint guns, brushes, and their hands to create artwork, has moved to an expanded space in Ponce City Market. Located in The Plaza next to The Shed and Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, the new, nearly 2500-square-foot space features natural light, expansive windows overlooking the BeltLine, high ceilings and twelve painting stations.

GreenLight Fund Atlanta has announced a multi-year investment in Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) to open its first office in the state in Atlanta. CEO provides employment opportunities and ongoing reentry support services to job seekers with past convictions. “CEO believes that everyone, regardless of their past, deserves a chance to work toward a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their community,” said GreenLight Atlanta Executive Director Joli Cooper. “We affirm that belief and remain committed to helping expand economic opportunity and financial stability in metro Atlanta, no matter someone’s background or zip code.”

Flexport, a global logistics-technology company, has added an additional 25,000 square feet to its multi-floor lease at Bank of America Plaza, while Witherite Law Group has signed a new lease for 11,367 square feet and Cognizant has expanded with an additional 5,786 square feet in the Midtown tower. ▼Lisa Simmons, President of Beacon Management Services, went on her third annual “Moving Mountains” hike to benefit BlazeSports America last month. This year’s hike took Simmons to Peru, where she climbed Machu Picchu. Past hikes included the rim of the Grand Canyon and summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Before Machu Picchu, Simmons had already raised $50,000 for BlazeSports, the legacy nonprofit organization of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Find more information visit blazesports.org.

Esports gaming hub planned for Buckhead

By Amy Wenk

An Atlanta-based esports provider will create a new hub at Uptown Atlanta, the project formerly known as Lindbergh City Center.

Skillshot Media is relocating its Alpharetta office and production studios to the south Buckhead development. It will transform a 35,000-square-foot atrium at Uptown Atlanta into the city’s “premier venue for esports events,” according to an announcement. The atrium will be able to host 300 to 400 gamers for in-person events, featuring a large LED screen for live streaming to gamers around the world. The atrium will also offer video game equipment, golf simulator, bocce ball, and a coffee and wine bar.

A previous Skillshot tournament. (Skillshot)

“With this partnership, Skillshot at Uptown becomes the Metro Atlanta hub for digital media, gaming, and esports,” Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media, said in the announcement. “The gaming industry, at $180 billion, is bigger than movies and North American sports combined. Skillshot and Uptown are now well-positioned to serve this massive and broad gaming ecosystem with support for student workforce training, professional esports teams, studio content and broadcasting, and hosting live gaming events.”

Skillshot will also take 5,000 square feet for classroom and production space. The company is partnering with the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Film Academy to offer students workforce development programs for college credit.

The move marks more momentum for Georgia’s growing gaming industry, which contributed $925 million to the state’s economy in 2019.

“Skillshot Media’s new production studio and learning center will be a game changer in Georgia as the state’s esports ecosystem continues to grow and thrive,” said Asante Bradford, the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s senior industry engagement manager with the Center of Innovation.