Clayton County officials are preparing to take legal action against a developer who failed to deliver on a promised $800 million mixed-use project that was supposed to transform a blighted area near the airport. The county hired two law firms to pursue potential litigation against Jacques Roman, the head of Roman United, who received more than $550,000 in grants and a 50-year lease for 26 acres of county-owned land to build “The Roman”, a futuristic complex of high-rise towers, an amphitheater, and a business incubator.
The Roman: A dream or a scam?
The Roman was announced in 2020 as a visionary project that would create thousands of jobs, attract millions of visitors, and boost the economy of Clayton County, one of the poorest in the metro Atlanta region. Roman claimed to have secured $100 million from overseas investors and pledged to invest up to $350 million of his own money into the project. He also said he had partnered with renowned architects and engineers to design the project, which would feature four luxury skyscrapers, a 7,500-seat amphitheater, a 17,000-square-foot small-business incubator, and a variety of retail, entertainment, and residential options.
However, a series of investigations by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that Roman’s claims were dubious at best and fraudulent at worst. Roman had no experience in real estate development, no verifiable sources of funding, no credible partners, and no permits or approvals to start construction. He also used photos of projects he had no involvement with on his website, such as a mall in Germany, Harvard University, and a UNESCO world heritage site. His company address was listed as a Dunwoody apartment complex from which he had been evicted. His financial backers included a man who had been convicted of wire and bank fraud twice and served time in prison.
Clayton County’s response: Too little, too late?
Despite these red flags, Clayton County officials did not vet Roman’s credentials or financial statements before awarding him the grants and the lease. They also did not require him to post a performance bond or a letter of credit to ensure the completion of the project. They relied on a three-page “conditional commitment” letter from Roman’s financial partners, which turned out to be worthless.
The county’s development authority, Invest Clayton, put out a call for proposals for the former Ingles site in 2019 and selected Roman United’s bids from three placed. The county commission approved the deal in 2020 and held a ceremonial groundbreaking in August 2022, where Roman and county leaders praised the project as a game-changer for the community.
However, six months after the groundbreaking, nothing has happened on the site, which remains a vacant and dilapidated former grocery store. Roman has not applied for any permits, nor has he submitted any plans or drawings to the county. He has also stopped returning calls and emails from county officials and reporters.
Clayton County officials are now considering their options to terminate the deal and recover the money they paid to Roman. They have hired two law firms, Greenberg Traurig and Hall Booth Smith, to advise them on potential litigation. They have also expressed interest in building the business incubator on the site, which they had agreed to finance with $4 million in taxpayer funds. However, they have not disclosed how much they have spent on the project so far, or how much they expect to spend on the legal battle.
The impact: A missed opportunity or a lesson learned?
The Roman project was supposed to be a catalyst for economic development and revitalization in Clayton County, which has struggled with poverty, crime, and unemployment for decades. The county has also faced challenges in attracting and retaining businesses, especially after losing its accreditation for its public schools in 2008. The county has made some progress in recent years, such as restoring its accreditation, expanding its transit system, and attracting new employers, such as Chime Solutions and Kroger. However, it still lags behind other metro Atlanta counties in terms of income, education, and quality of life.
The failure of the Roman project is a setback for the county’s efforts to improve its image and reputation, as well as a waste of time and money that could have been used for more feasible and beneficial projects. It also raises questions about the county’s due diligence and oversight processes, and whether it was too eager to accept a deal that was too good to be true.
On the other hand, the Roman project could also serve as a wake-up call and a learning opportunity for the county to be more careful and selective in choosing its partners and projects, and to demand more accountability and transparency from them. It could also motivate the county to seek out alternative and realistic ways to redevelop the former Ingles site, which has been an eyesore and a liability for the county for more than a decade.
