Atlanta City Council Approves Big Step In Piedmont Park Expansion
In what would be the first parcel purchased for the Piedmont Park expansion, Atlanta City Council approved spending up to $20.4 million on Monday to buy about 3 acres at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive.
COURTESY OF CITY OF ATLANTA
Piedmont Park is on track for its $100 million expansion plan.
On Monday, Atlanta City Council approved spending up to $20.4 million to buy about 3 acres at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive. That would be the first parcel purchased for the expansion.
Council member Jennifer Ide introduced the resolution.
“Great cities have great parks. And they have great city parks. And I think our Botanical Garden and Piedmont Park are an example of that.”
There had been concerns about this use of city funds in the Community Development/Human Resources Committee meeting last week, but only one council member, Natalyn Archibong, voted against it in the end. Thirteen voted in favor.
At the meeting, Archibong said, “If we had a two-part question, do you support the concept and the expansion of Piedmont Park at Piedmont and Monroe, I would say absolutely yes, so that would be my vote. I am uncomfortable with the funding sources, and for that reason, I am not going to be supportive.”
Archibong said she does not agree with spending $10 million of T-SPLOST funds for the project. T-SPLOST is voter-approved sales tax money earmarked for transit.
She had previously questioned why some of the money would come from a sewer tax. That funding source has since been replaced by further funds coming from city park fees, she acknowledged Monday.
Council member Marci Collier Overstreet had previously questioned the proposal on the grounds of “equity” and the need for further investment in other parts of Atlanta, notably her own district on Atlanta’s Southside.
After the full City Council entered a closed executive session to discuss the details of the real estate transactions, Overstreet ended up voting in favor of the expansion, saying she would take it upon herself to work to raise money for other parks in her district.
The parcel for purchase by the city would include commercial property. The city would then collect the lease revenue on those properties for a few years, which would go toward the purchase of the other property.
The plan is to raise $80 million more from private donors and add about 14 acres total to the park, renderings for which can be found here.
The City Council also approved Monday the purchase of no more than $130 million in backup generators and power infrastructure throughout the terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The airport was crippled for more than 10 hours in December when an underground fire took out its power and backup systems.
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