A greenspace project in northwest Atlanta is moving forward that backers envision as one of the only sites in America dedicated to relaying the story of the dreadful convict leasing system that became prevalent in years following the Civil War.
A year and ½ after the former Chattahoochee Brick Company site made headlines lauded by preservationists and neighborhood groups, City of Atlanta officials have unveiled plans for gathering community input regarding the site’s future, beginning later this week.
The city is partnering with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to host a series of discussions at The Carter Presidential Center with a goal of illuminating the property’s troubled history—and defining objectives for its redevelopment.
The acreage is more than three times the size of Centennial Olympic Park, and other attributes of the site would be unique among Atlanta greenspaces.
The former Chattahoochee Brick Company site near northwest Atlanta neighborhoods such as Whittier Mill Village, Scotts Crossing, and Riverside. Google Maps
Remnants of the site’s past uses still dot the property. Photo by Stacy Funderburke; courtesy of The Conservation Fund
The free monthly seminars will be held between this Saturday, Feb. 17, and June at The Carter Presidential Center. According to city officials, the meetings are considered the first phase of community involvement in bringing the historic site into a more useful state.
Saturday’s two-hour seminar begins at 1 p.m., with Morehouse College’s Clarissa Myrick-Harris scheduled to give the keynote address. It will lend an overview of the Chattahoochee Brick project “and how to get involved in the upcoming process to transform the site from its former use to one that not only memorializes those who worked (and possibly died) there, but also one that will serve the needs of Atlanta residents today,” according to the event’s registry page.
Advancing the parks…
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