Atlanta Construction Costs Hit Olympian Heights

By Drew Lindsay

Though the Olympic torch has not yet arrived in Atlanta, many Georgia school districts say they've already been burned by its flame.

For more than a year, a construction boom fueled by the coming of the 1996 Summer Olympics has wrecked school-construction budgets. Dozens of Atlanta contractors are nearing completion of stadiums, housing, and related facilities for the games, and the few companies willing to bid on school projects demand top dollar.

Construction costs in Atlanta-area districts have soared by as...