Park planned in Midtown Atlanta in long-vacant lot
Midtown property to be turned into park
An inside look at what will soon become a park in the middle of Midtown Atlanta. The Midtown improvement district just bought up a four-acre lot on fourteenth street that’s been vacant for almost a century. Now, they’re hoping to make it into a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.
ATLANTA - A long-vacant dirt lot in Midtown Atlanta is set to be transformed into a public park after the Midtown Improvement District acquired the property.
"It's been an eyesore. It's been a source of complaints. It's been a source of frustration and a drag on the community," said Kevin Green, president of the Midtown Alliance and secretary for the Improvement District. "For the last ten years, it's been a proposed development site for a series of towers, residential condos, hotel, etc. It just never could get off the ground."
The backstory:
The four-acre lot on 14th Street has been blocked off with an ugly blue fence for years.
The Midtown Improvement District recently purchased the site for an undisclosed price with the goal of converting it into a privately-owned public park.
Green said with 140 new skyscrapers in Midtown in the last two decades, there's a the need for more open space in the area.
The property has long been slated for development, with various proposals for residential condos, hotels, and office towers over the years. However, none of the plans ever materialized, leaving the site unused and neglected.
What they're saying:
Several people out on their lunch break on Thursday afternoon loved the plan.
"Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. If you want to come and have lunch, a place to sit down and just chill," said Angela Sims, who has worked in Midtown for 13 years. "Let's do it. That's it. Let's do it."
What's next:
The purchase is currently in a 60-day closing period.
After that, the Midtown Improvement District will begin planning how to best utilize the space.
Green said that process would be one that would be open to the public.
While there is no definitive design timeline yet, Green estimates that in an ideal scenario, the park planning could be well underway in about two years.
The Source: FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo obtained the details about the park from the Midtown Improvement District. He spoke with Midtown residents to get their reaction to the plans.