Cobb Approves $13M Bonds For Papa John's HQ At The Battery

COBB COUNTY, GA — Papa John's pizza chain is set to open a headquarters at The Battery Atlanta, and the Development Authority of Cobb County voted to give them financial incentives to do it.

The development authority approved $13 million in taxable revenue bonds for the new headquarters in a 4-2 vote Tuesday morning, which will help pay for improvements of the company's new headquarters. The seven-member body had one person absent — Kevin Nicholas — while members J.C. Bradbury and Karen Hallacy voting in opposition.

Papa John's announced in November that it would open a second headquarters in metro Atlanta, landing on 60,000 square feet of office space at Three Ballpark Center at 788 Circle 75 Parkway as the new location. This new HQ is expected to add at least 160 jobs with an average annual salary of $120,000, company officials said. Of those 160 jobs, about 70 are planned to be local hires with the remainder relocating from the original headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.

The authority also granted a tax break to Papa John's, known as a "bond for title transaction." This means Papa John's will transfer the title of its property to the Development Authority of Cobb County, which does not pay property taxes, unlike commercial businesses and residences. Any property taxes Papa John's owes on the assessed value of its property at The Battery Atlanta are increased by 10 percent each year until the company is paying the full amount, per the agreement.

This tax abatement would only apply toward personal property such as improvements made to the existing office space, furniture and equipment, according to Clark Hungerford, chairman of the Development Authority of Cobb County. Papa John's plans to build out the two floors it will lease at the building.

A fiscal impact study concluded the company's relocation will have a positive affect on the county and the school district, Hungerford said.

“Any time you’re trying to recruit an opportunity for this county as opposed to other locations, everybody comes with their economic incentives available to the applicant,” he said.

Cobb County commissioners also gave financial incentives to Papa John's in November for its HQ opening, which reduced building permit and business license fees for the company. The incentives package was valued at $105,314.