Every case study on this site is built from primary government sources — tax records, bond resolutions, lease databases, budget documents, and official meeting minutes. Each piece ends with what the documents show, what we don't know, and what should change.
In 2020, the Avondale Estates DDA sold a publicly-owned office building to the sitting property manager — financed through a bond the buyer also purchased — with a 15-year full tax abatement. The building was under a 20-year state lease generating $2.16M annually. County records show a post-closing assessed value of $22M against a sale price of $7.45M.
Read Case Study →A DDA Bond for Title arrangement reduced property taxes on a 197-unit apartment development during construction. The developer sold the stabilized asset for $52.5M fourteen months after opening. The buyer — who built nothing — received approximately 76% of the total abatement benefit automatically. The school district bore ~49.5% of the cost and had no vote.
Read Case Study →Beginning in 2025 the city approved 40 zoning variances for an 800-unit development before final building plans existed, then committed $7.2 million through a Development Contract that bypasses competitive bidding. DeKalb County has denied sewer connection under an active federal consent decree. No independent financial analysis was presented before any vote. No affordable housing was required.
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