Atlanta City Council recently voted to acquire more than three and a half acres for a new park in southwest Atlanta.
The 3.65-acre parcel at 3724 Forrest Park Road cost the city $122,000. The purchase was approved at the council’s September 19 meeting.
The city council representative for the area, Antonio Lewis, declined to comment on the purchase or how it might impact his constituents.
The property was identified and located by The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit, according to the meeting agenda.
Michael Halick, executive director of Park Pride, a local nonprofit that works to improve Atlanta’s greenspace, applauded the purchase in an area he said had fewer parks than other neighborhoods.
“Everyone deserves a quality greenspace within walking distance despite race, income, or zipcode,” Halick said.
The park will be located in a residential area on an overgrown plot littered with abandoned homes.
Priti Shah, the director of administration for Atlanta’s parks and recreation department, said the city has no specific timeline for the park’s development. The area will first have to undergo remediation, including the removal of the abandoned houses, she said.
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