Wachovia Gift Helps Franklin Build Legacy Projects ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - The Wachovia Foundation is giving $1 million to each of Atlanta's two, major, long-term projects. The contributions to the Beltline and the Center for Civil and Human Rights will lay a firmer ground for two projects that Mayor Shirley Franklin started, but won't finish.

Before she leaves office in 2009, Franklin will be working hard to get these projects to the point of no return. As she put it:

FRANKLIN: My job is to keep the projects moving so fast, that they can never slow down.

So far, the Beltline has raised more than $28 million, and many say the project is past the point of no return.

But for the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Wachovia's gift is a sort of kick-off to its $100 million capital campaign. Doug Shipman, who's leading the effort, hopes the Center will be on solid footing before Franklin leaves:

SHIPMAN: I would consider it a real success if we are building the Center when she leaves. We probably won't have it done yet, but that we're actually in the construction phase.

Shipman says that $2 million in gifts have been announced publicly so far, but the Center has actually raised more than that.
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