Atlanta City Council approved
agreement for Atlanta Civic Center
redevelopment, register as a historic site

Atlanta City Council
3 min readMay 20, 2024

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District 2 Atlanta City Council member Amir Farokhi introduced legislation to ensure compliance of National Historic Preservation Act during planned redevelopment of Atlanta Civic Center

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution authorizing a 10-year agreement with the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Atlanta Civic Center to ensure compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act during a planned redevelopment.

The redevelopment concept includes an affordable senior residential building, five multifamily residential high-rises, a 10-story hotel, a 12-story office building, commercial development and a charter school along with reuse of the Civic Center Performing Arts Center (25-R-3550).

Other items that the Council approved include:

· An ordinance authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Atlanta Braves Foundation, Morehouse College and the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority to redevelop the Southside Park sports complex on Jonesboro Road into the Henry Lewis Aaron Complex at Southside Park. The ordinance also authorizes the City to accept $3.8 million in donations to cover its share of the project (24-O-1217).

· A pair of ordinances closing underdeveloped portions of Chickamauga Avenue SW and Sells Avenue to facilitate expansion of Enota Park, as outlined in the Atlanta Beltline redevelopment plan. (24-O-1224, 24-O-1225).

· A resolution authorizing the City to apply for a $3.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s C-SITE program to fund the installation of solar- and battery-powered resiliency hubs in strategic buildings. Battery storage technology is critical to maintaining energy supply during service disruptions and can serve as critical support centers during emergencies (24-R-3551).

· A resolution authorizing the City’s Department of Labor and Employment Services to exercise an option to renew a two-year, $251,000 agreement with The Door LLC to operate a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) One Stop Career Center (24-R-3546).

· An ordinance providing for the issuance of $600,000 in Airport General Revenue Bonds to fund improvements at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (24-O-1228). This item was sent to the Mayor’s Office post-haste.

· An ordinance authorizing a $4,500 donation to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to continue its mission to educate and inspire visitors about the history of civil and human rights (24-O-1223).

· An ordinance accepting a donation from Atlanta Public Schools, allowing the City to install two markers on the Frederick Douglass High School campus to commemorate the school’s history as a civic institution (24-O-1227).

· A resolution requesting the creation of a commission to determine appropriate honors for the 150th anniversary of the First Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops formed in Atlanta by Bishop Henry McNeil Turner (24-R-3001).

The City Council presented proclamations and recognitions in honor of the Maynard Jackson High School girls varsity basketball team, the Lady Jaguars, who captured the 2024 GHSA 5A State Championship; Goodwill Industries of North America CEO Keith Parker; Momentemps Inc. CEO Terrence Smith; Shannon Heath Longino for her 30 years of service to the City of Atlanta; and in celebration of National Public Works Week May 19–25.

Items introduced for consideration in committee include:

· An ordinance authorizing the transfer of up to $6 million to fund the Atlanta Development Authority’s Invest Atlanta Grocery and Fresh Food Providers initiative to increase access to fresh food in low-income, low-access neighborhoods in Atlanta.

· An ordinance to retroactively authorize and ratify the City’s application for a $10.8 million Shelter and Service Program-Allocated Grant from the Federal Emergency Management System to provide shelter and other services to non-citizen migrants recently released from Department of Homeland Security custody in the city.

· An ordinance amending the Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services Fiscal Year 2024 budget to receive a $20,000 Summer Jobs Connect Implementation Grant from the Citi Foundation and the CFE Fund to launch banking integration partnerships in the community.

· An ordinance amending the FY2024 Intergovernmental Grant Fund budget by $247,000, increasing the amount authorized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the City’s Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program.

· An ordinance authorizing removal of 102 privately owned billboards by OutFront Media in exchange for the right to upgrade and/or relocate 25 billboards.

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