The landmark CNN Center building in downtown Atlanta may soon have a new owner, though CNN employees will remain there for at least a few more years.AT&T, which owns CNN as a result of its , has either already agreed to sell or plans to sell the CNN Center, according to an internal company memo sent on Monday. WarnerMedia, the  that operates CNN, will lease back the building from its new owners for at least five years.CNN employees won’t be affected immediately. But long-range plans call for many if not most CNN employees to move from downtown to recently renovated buildings...…The landmark CNN Center building in downtown Atlanta may soon have a new owner, though CNN employees will remain there for at least a few more years.AT&T, which owns CNN as a result of its , has either already agreed to sell or plans to sell the CNN Center, according to an internal company memo sent on Monday. WarnerMedia, the  that operates CNN, will lease back the building from its new owners for at least five years.CNN employees won’t be affected immediately. But long-range plans call for many if not most CNN employees to move from downtown to recently renovated buildings...WW…

The public will have a chance soon to weigh in on a proposal to build a huge deck over the Downtown Connector through Midtown.The Midtown Connector Transportation Improvement Project, a nonprofit association that’s promoting the plan, opened an Monday to accept public comments. The portal will be open through Aug. 5.The Midtown Connector, the name of the project, would include a massive deck, or platform, over Interstate 75/85 from North Avenue to 10th Street. The platform would create property for commercial real estate development and new greenspace. The project would also upgrade...…The public will have a chance soon to weigh in on a proposal to build a huge deck over the Downtown Connector through Midtown.The Midtown Connector Transportation Improvement Project, a nonprofit association that’s promoting the plan, opened an Monday to accept public comments. The portal will be open through Aug. 5.The Midtown Connector, the name of the project, would include a massive deck, or platform, over Interstate 75/85 from North Avenue to 10th Street. The platform would create property for commercial real estate development and new greenspace. The project would also upgrade...WW…

The South Korean company behind one of the biggest economic development projects in state history has the green light to keep going.SK Innovation, which is building a $2.6 billion factory near Commerce to make electric vehicle batteries, reached a settlement on Saturday with a rival that had accused it of stealing trade secrets.The company agreed to pay $1.8 billion in cash and royalties to the rival, LG Energy Solution, to settle the dispute and agreed to “work to help the development of EV battery industry in South Korea and the U.S. through healthy competition and friendly cooperation,”...…The South Korean company behind one of the biggest economic development projects in state history has the green light to keep going.SK Innovation, which is building a $2.6 billion factory near Commerce to make electric vehicle batteries, reached a settlement on Saturday with a rival that had accused it of stealing trade secrets.The company agreed to pay $1.8 billion in cash and royalties to the rival, LG Energy Solution, to settle the dispute and agreed to “work to help the development of EV battery industry in South Korea and the U.S. through healthy competition and friendly cooperation,”...WW…

The New York company behind Rockefeller Center is the lead partner in an agreement to buy the Mall West End in southwest Atlanta and develop it into a 1.3 million square foot mixed-use complex, according to people familiar with the matter.Tishman Speyer went under contract Friday to purchase the property from HT Group, according to people close to the deal. One person said the sales price is eight figures.The sale is expected to close by the end of the year. Plans call for demolishing the mall and developing retail and office space, and up to 1,000 market-priced apartments and condos, these...…The New York company behind Rockefeller Center is the lead partner in an agreement to buy the Mall West End in southwest Atlanta and develop it into a 1.3 million square foot mixed-use complex, according to people familiar with the matter.Tishman Speyer went under contract Friday to purchase the property from HT Group, according to people close to the deal. One person said the sales price is eight figures.The sale is expected to close by the end of the year. Plans call for demolishing the mall and developing retail and office space, and up to 1,000 market-priced apartments and condos, these...WW…

Google will invest $25 million in Georgia as it expands operations in the state, including its plan to move into a new Midtown office tower.The money will support construction of the tower and retrofitting its existing Douglas County data center, the Mountain View, California-based company said in a statement.Google is expected to move into 150,000 square feet of office space, or five floors, next year at the 1105 West Peachtree building under construction. Later, the company will expand into an additional 14 floors.The tech giant said in 2019 it planned to move into the new building, but...…Google will invest $25 million in Georgia as it expands operations in the state, including its plan to move into a new Midtown office tower.The money will support construction of the tower and retrofitting its existing Douglas County data center, the Mountain View, California-based company said in a statement.Google is expected to move into 150,000 square feet of office space, or five floors, next year at the 1105 West Peachtree building under construction. Later, the company will expand into an additional 14 floors.The tech giant said in 2019 it planned to move into the new building, but...WW…

Ernest Holmes was very popular after he graduated from Morehouse College in 2019 with a double major in computer science and math.He fielded job offers from Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce and Chick-fil-A, but ultimately accepted the one he really wanted: a position with Google in Mountain View, California.Holmes lived in Silicon Valley for almost two years and planned to stay with Google indefinitely. But he learned that he didn’t need to stay in California to do that.He moved back to Atlanta this year and is assigned to Google’s local office. He continues to work on the same project as...…Ernest Holmes was very popular after he graduated from Morehouse College in 2019 with a double major in computer science and math.He fielded job offers from Microsoft, Adobe, Salesforce and Chick-fil-A, but ultimately accepted the one he really wanted: a position with Google in Mountain View, California.Holmes lived in Silicon Valley for almost two years and planned to stay with Google indefinitely. But he learned that he didn’t need to stay in California to do that.He moved back to Atlanta this year and is assigned to Google’s local office. He continues to work on the same project as...WW…

Airbnb is expanding to Atlanta, the latest West Coast tech titan to move here amid a diversity hiring push.The online platform for vacation home rentals will open later this year an engineering hub, where it will hire hundreds of workers over time, in both technical and non-technical roles, it said Thursday.San Francisco-based Airbnb said Atlanta can help it improve its workforce diversity. It joins , , and other tech companies to choose Atlanta for expansions, new partnerships and charitable giving recently, with much of the focus on the city’s Black workforce.Airbnb wants to increase...…Airbnb is expanding to Atlanta, the latest West Coast tech titan to move here amid a diversity hiring push.The online platform for vacation home rentals will open later this year an engineering hub, where it will hire hundreds of workers over time, in both technical and non-technical roles, it said Thursday.San Francisco-based Airbnb said Atlanta can help it improve its workforce diversity. It joins , , and other tech companies to choose Atlanta for expansions, new partnerships and charitable giving recently, with much of the focus on the city’s Black workforce.Airbnb wants to increase...WW…

Technology giant Apple is close to finalizing a deal with Hyundai to manufacture autonomous electric vehicles at Kia’s assembly plant in West Point, according to a media report.The maker of iPhones would make Apple-branded vehicles of its own design at the Kia factory in Georgia through a contract manufacturing agreement, citing unnamed sources. State officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations said they were aware of the possibility of an Apple tie-up, but stressed the arrangements had not yet been finalized.Rick Douglas, a West Point-based spokesman for Kia, declined to comment on...…Technology giant Apple is close to finalizing a deal with Hyundai to manufacture autonomous electric vehicles at Kia’s assembly plant in West Point, according to a media report.The maker of iPhones would make Apple-branded vehicles of its own design at the Kia factory in Georgia through a contract manufacturing agreement, citing unnamed sources. State officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations said they were aware of the possibility of an Apple tie-up, but stressed the arrangements had not yet been finalized.Rick Douglas, a West Point-based spokesman for Kia, declined to comment on...WW…

Town Center at Cobb is the latest metro Atlanta mall to face financial difficulties as retailers close and shoppers stay at home to avoid the pandemic.Deutsche Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland plan to sell $200 million in loans for Town Center. They will auction the loans on the steps of the Cobb County Courthouse on Feb. 2.New lenders could keep Town Center open, or try to liquidate the mall’s assets and close it.Even before the pandemic, the mall had been struggling to compete with online retailers like Amazon and faced an uncertain future. Many malls closed for weeks last spring.Retailers...…Town Center at Cobb is the latest metro Atlanta mall to face financial difficulties as retailers close and shoppers stay at home to avoid the pandemic.Deutsche Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland plan to sell $200 million in loans for Town Center. They will auction the loans on the steps of the Cobb County Courthouse on Feb. 2.New lenders could keep Town Center open, or try to liquidate the mall’s assets and close it.Even before the pandemic, the mall had been struggling to compete with online retailers like Amazon and faced an uncertain future. Many malls closed for weeks last spring.Retailers...WW…

Georgia reported an increase in new jobless claims filed last week, a signal that the state’s economic recovery may face more speed bumps as COVID-19 cases rise.The Georgia Department of Labor processed 29,088 initial jobless claims for the week ending Nov. 21, up 48% from the previous week. That reversed a five-week trend of improvement in new jobless claims, although the latest tally remained much lower than earlier during the pandemic.Georgia’s performance mirrored the rise in new jobless claims on a national level, where 778,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a 4%...…Georgia reported an increase in new jobless claims filed last week, a signal that the state’s economic recovery may face more speed bumps as COVID-19 cases rise.The Georgia Department of Labor processed 29,088 initial jobless claims for the week ending Nov. 21, up 48% from the previous week. That reversed a five-week trend of improvement in new jobless claims, although the latest tally remained much lower than earlier during the pandemic.Georgia’s performance mirrored the rise in new jobless claims on a national level, where 778,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a 4%...WW…