Clayton County may sue the developer behind a proposed futuristic $800 million mixed-use project that county leadership once enthusiastically endorsed.
The Clayton Commission on Tuesday approved hiring Anita Wallace Thomas, of the law firm Nelson Mullins, to represent the county in potential litigation against Roman United. Commissioners agreed to pay at least $375 an hour for Thomas, $280 an hour for any firm associates used in litigation and $135 per hour for paralegals.
Roman United, an upstart firm whose leader Jacques Roman is a former college football player whose work experience included installing artificial turf, told county officials in August 2022 that he planned to build a mixed-use development in tiny Lake City that would be unlike anything the county had ever seen.
The multi-million project dubbed “The Roman” called for four high-rises of about 25 stories — the tallest buildings south of Interstate 20 — as well as an office tower, hotel, 7,500-seat amphitheater and a $4 million small business incubator.
Leaders cheered the proposal, and paid Roman $559,000 to begin work on the incubator.
“All the great developers in Atlanta started somewhere,” Larry Vincent, executive director of the county’s economic development arm, said in September 2022.
The county changed its tune after multiple media reports, including an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, raised questions about the project’s financing, Jacques Roman’s background and the county’s lack of vetting of the developers.
Last January, county attorney Charles Reed sent Roman United a letter stating that Clayton would no longer pursue the incubator at the proposed development. Commissioner Alieka Anderson blasted Roman leaders at a commission meeting in April, saying “You all need to give us our $559,000 back tonight.”
By May 2023, the commission voted to sever all ties with the project.
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