Atlanta Housing looking into Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment

Atlanta Housing is looking into the redevelopment of the iconic Atlanta Civic Center, an old entertainment landmark built in the late 1960s which has been vacant since 2014. 

The 19-acre site was purchased by Atlanta Housing at $31 million, during former Mayor Kasim Reed’s second term in November 2017; at the time of this sale, Atlanta Housing formerly known as Atlanta Housing Authority, committed to making 30 percent of mixed-use residential units to be developed on the Atlanta Civic Center property, into affordable housing units for low-income and working families. 

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A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was  recently released by the owners to search for suitable developers who are willing to accept the task of Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment.

According to the chief executive officer of Atlanta Housing, Eugene Jones, the redevelopment of the Atlanta Civic Center will entail the repurposing of the beige brick structure and its immediate environment Into a hub of affordable housing and other developments.

Jones also  mentioned that following the release of the RFQ, Atlanta Housing would evaluate proposals from various developers and select upto 2 or 3 of them for a presentation to their staff and the community.

Amir Farokhi, city councilman representing the district where the Civic Center is located, said in a statement that he thinks the property has the potential to spawn hundreds

City Councilman Amir Farokhi, who represents the district where the Civic Center is located, previously told Atlanta Civic Circle that he thinks the property has the potential to bring about hundreds or even thousands of new residences. 

Farokhi said the Civic Center site is a blank canvas that needs to be well structured. He also said that he was hoping for a mixed-use development, with potential for additional greenspace and a grid system, while maintaining the Civic Center performance venue.

Kasim Reed, the serving mayor at the time when AH purchased the Atlanta Civic Center said, he believes that any redevelopment of the site needs to include a collaborative process with the surrounding community and ensure that working people are provided with the opportunity to live in a commuter-friendly area, with access to Midtown and downtown and high-quality schools.