The development site is at North Avenue near City Hall East innortheast Atlanta along the proposed 22-mile, $2.5-billion Beltlineredevelopment. Mason's group filed rezoning applications in June2005. He later offered to donate 47 of his 73 acres to the Beltlineproject if the city would approve the rezoning. The city is stillstudying the offer, city hall sources in a position to know tellGlobeSt.com.

Meanwhile, Mason has retained former Gov. Roy Barnes, a lawyer,to represent Northeast Atlanta Beltline Group in near-futuredealings with the city, the company has confirmed. The proposed22-mile Beltline redevelopment corridor is projected to generate$25 billion in housing and the formation of new companies over 25years, according to a private study Mason's firm commissioned inOctober 2005.

Northeast Atlanta Beltline Group bought the 73-acre tract inDecember 2004 from Norfolk Southern Corp. for an estimated $25million or $342,466 per acre ($7.86 per sf), as GlobeSt.compreviously reported. Mason has told city council members the 47acres he is offering to donate has an estimated market value of $2million per acre or $45.91 per sf for a total $94 million.