City Halts Airport Project, Cites Immigration Law
myfoxatlanta.com
Morse Diggs
Updated: Friday, 02 Sep 2011, 5:59 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 02 Sep 2011, 5:54 PM EDT
(Video @ link)

ATLANTA - Georgia's new immigration law unexpectedly halted a major project at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Friday.

The city has planned on a major overhaul of the airport's concessions, making all vendor resubmit bids for space.

City officials announced Friday that they are throwing out all the bids at Atlanta's airport.

As part of Georgia's new immigration law, all businesses making submissions were required to submit a form stating they would hire American citizens. About a third of proposals received did not adequately fill out the form, according to Atlanta Chief Procurement Officer Adam Smith.

"To ensure a competitive process, compliance with state law and fair treatment of all respondents, I have concluded that the course of action in the best interest of the city is to cancel the RFP process and start again," Smith said in a press release. "I am committed to making sure that the city's procurement process and the resulting contracts provide best-in-class levels of service and value to taxpayers while meeting the highest ethical standards."

Smith said the businesses had been told of th requirements in advance.

Airport General Manager Louis Miller said he was confident the issue would be resolved in time for the opening of a new international concourse.

The international terminal is scheduled to open next spring.

Smith said officials will ask vendors to resubmit bids in the next few weeks.

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