Clayton County commissioners and the Atlanta Regional Commission are lining up a $100,000 study on how to redevelop land south of the airport, industrial area brokers familiar with the project tell GlobeSt.com. The Livable Centers Initiative study is part of a more detailed, long-range report, the Southside Hartsfield Stabilization and Redevelopment Plan. The plan would cover land in three jurisdictions--Fulton and Clayton counties and College Park, GA.

Atlanta-based Robert and Co. completed a conceptual plan for College Park officials in May 2003 that showed a 3,400-acre mixed-use project could easily reach $1 billion in development costs by the time the undertaking is completed. The site is near the fifth runway under construction and would include space for office, retail, hotel and apartment projects, area brokers following the project tell GlobeSt.com.

Meanwhile, the airport's $5.4-billion expansion is moving ahead as planned. The fifth runway and a new international airport is expected to be completed by 2006, even though passenger counts remain below the 80 million passengers logged in 2000, airport officials confirm to GlobeSt.com. They are forecasting 77 million passengers for 2004.