(The Center Square) — Cobb County awarded a $7.8 million contract to C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. to build an extension of the Silver Comet Trail along Atlanta Road.
The extension runs from Plant Atkinson Road to the Chattahoochee River, and the trail will eventually connect with the Atlanta Beltline. The project also includes rehabilitating a bridge on Atlanta Road over CSX Transportation’s tracks and other work.
The PATH Foundation managed the design phase of the engineering plans and has raised the necessary money. The group will hire a contractor to build a 2.3-mile Silver Comet Trail extension from the East-West Connector to Plant Atkinson Road once the land is acquired from CSX.
Georgia’s unemployment rate remained steady in April
Georgia’s unemployment rate in April was 3.1%, unchanged from March’s revised rate.
Georgia’s rate, three-tenths of a percent lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.4%, remained steady for the ninth consecutive month. According to a state news release, in March, the Peach State had the southeast’s highest labor force participation rate at 61.2% and the highest employment-to-population ratio in the region at 59.2%.
“As a testament to Georgia’s strong leadership at every level, the state’s economy continues to soar with low unemployment and job growth in virtually every sector,” Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said in a statement.
Atlanta buys land for parks in South River Forest area
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation to buy 46 acres to increase the amount of parkland in the South River Forest area. The area is also home to the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
The legislation authorizes the city’s chief procurement officer to negotiate with The Conservation Fund to spend up to $1.6 million to buy the Southeast Atlanta property.
The city council also adopted legislation to buy the Fulton County West End Arts Center for $100. The Fulton County commissioners approved legislation in April to convey the property to the city.
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
