Each design pays homage to the legacies of Atlanta and Hank Aaron.
On Sunday, April 17, Turner Field Stadium Neighborhoods Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) revealed three new potential concepts from Perkins + Will for Georgia State University’s redevelopment of the current Turner Field property.
Posters were displayed at the Atlanta Streets Alive event on the corner of Georgia and Capitol Avenues.
Though the designs are non-binding, the group managing the sale of the property ask the buyers of Turner Field and the surrounding lots to mind the concepts when redeveloping it, since they were created using community input.
The group also shared streetscape proposals including a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge.
GSU and development partners Carter and Oakwood Development plan to close on the sale of the property by the end of this year.
The construction of sports stadiums has long been cited as a strategy to revitalize local economies. However, many times these types of developments – publicly subsidized more often than not – end up doing the exact opposite for the neighborhoods they are planted in.
Though it has been cited that Turner Field generates about $100 million economically for the metro area, that impact obviously isn’t benefitting the immediate neighborhood, as evidenced by the complex’s sprawling parking lot neighbored by boarded-up businesses.
At a glance, one would never know that Summerhill was once a denser residential area laid out in a grid pattern.
The Livable Centers Initiative and Georgia State University’s track record of revitalizing Downtown Atlanta are good signs for residents in the area who hope that this time, the redevelopment of the property may work in favor of both the neighborhood and the regional economy.
Concept 01 – Ballpark Plaza
This plan would create a central plaza combining transit and bike paths with outdoor cafes and kiosks, feature a public square dedicated to Hank Aaron connecting to Georgia State University’s baseball field, and include market pavilions with neighborhood retail and restaurants.
Concept 2 – Big Park
“Celebration Mall” aims to preserve Gold Dome views and connect Hank Aaron’s “historic home run to Atlanta’s Civil Rights legacy.” The open public space would feature artwork and relics from the 1996 Olympic Games.
Concept 3 – Neighborhood Squares
This plan is a throwback to the neighborhood’s (often forgotten) neighborhood scale by creating a series of public squares. Each square would stand in a site important to the neighborhood’s history. One would enclose the Fulton County Stadium’s infield adjacent to GSU’s baseball field.
Photos by WNA reader Ben Nicoara.
Which concept do you think best suits the neighborhood? Tell us below….
