Lenwood A. Jackson, Sr. Justice Center
Judge for the City of Atlanta Lenwood A. Jackson
To Whom It May Concern:
I serve as Judge of the City Court of Atlanta, Georgia and Coordinator of Facility Development. I recently had the pleasure of working with Garfield Traub Development on the development of the new City Court of Atlanta, which had been a goal of the City for over five years. I was deeply impressed with Garfield Traub’s dedication and display of expertise that they and their team showed in helping the City accomplish its goal.
As the leader of the City’s development team, Garfield Traub directed the development with skill and professionalism, including the assembly and acquisition of the development site, which was held by five different private owners. Garfield Traub’s knowledge and leadership of “friendly condemnation” facilitated the timely and efficient control of the site by the City.
Garfield Traub also coordinated the efforts of the investment bankers, bond counsel and legal counsel in structuring the project financing, ensuring the best execution and lowest cost of occupancy for the City. The Court was delivered within schedule and substantially under budget in November 2003.
This was a very complicated transaction fraught with difficulties, including political challenges, all of which Garfield Traub and its team worked through successfully. The City of Atlanta is very pleased with the outcome. I have no hesitation in recommending Garfield Traub Development to you for the development of your essential facilities.
Respectfully,
Judge Lenwood A. Jackson
City Court of Atlanta
President of Jackson Securities W. Bruce Gow
May 10, 2011
To Whom it May Concern:
I am President of Jackson Securities, a full service investment bank that provides a broad spectrum of investment banking and brokerage services to institutional and retail clients throughout the United States. I had the pleasure of working with Ray Garfield and his firm Garfield Corporation, now Garfield Traub Development LLC in its role as Development Manager for Atlanta and its City of Atlanta Municipal Court, now known as the Lenwood A. Jackson, Sr. Justice Center.
At the time of Garfield Traub’s introduction to the City, the Judges were housed in an old and unsafe facility with little hope of moving to a new and secure court because of City priorities placing a new facility on a bond referendum 5 years in the future. Garfield Traub engaged Jackson Securities to help craft a creative financial solution that significantly shortened the time it would take to enable the safety and security of our Judges and the citizens of Atlanta. Together, we identified an existing and reliable source of City revenue separate and apart from the traditional tax revenues entering the General Fund. The City’s historical $25 million in annual Fines and Forfeiture revenue were used to secure an Annual Appropriation Lease, and allowed the City to transact the business of paying for the design and construction of the new Courthouse; thereby avoiding the wait, or indeed the risk of a referendum to approve the sale of General Obligation Bonds. In 2001, when the City engaged Garfield Traub as its Developer, to my knowledge there were very few if any private sector firms thinking in these creative terms, much less actually transacting what is today known as Public Private Partnerships.
Continuing our collaboration, Jackson Securities and our underwriter’s counsel worked with the City and their Bond Counsel in structuring an Agreement with the Georgia Municipal Association, Inc. to issue over $55 million in Installment Sale Program Certificates of Participation, which were rated AAA.
Very importantly, the project was completed ahead of schedule and below budget.
In my opinion and in the opinion of our firm, the leadership, creativity and integrity of the Garfield Traub organization was critical to the success of this facility, a facility that helped greatly improve an older part of downtown and that sets a standard in both design and safety for our City.
I highly recommend Garfield Traub to any community in need of essential public facilities and would work with them again whenever the opportunity arises.
Respectfully,
W. Bruce Gow
