Mayor Dickens targets five Atlanta properties for condemnation

ATLANTA - Mayor Andre Dickens' administration is asking the Atlanta City Council to hold a specially called meeting to authorize condemnation proceedings against five blighted properties. 

Atlanta neighborhood reinvestment

What we know:

Mayor Andre Dickens' administration requested the Atlanta City Council hold a special meeting as soon as possible to consider resolutions authorizing the city to start condemnation proceedings. 

The proposed action targets five blighted properties: 

• 533 English Avenue NW
• 748 Neal Street NW
• 293 Sunset Avenue NW
• 699 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard NW
• 2795 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW

 Officials said any acquisition will be based on an independently appraised fair market value. If eminent domain becomes necessary, the city must pursue legal proceedings in Georgia Superior Court to comply with state law. 

What we don't know:

The city has not yet announced the specific date or time for the specially called City Council meeting. 

Officials have also not disclosed the exact timeline for when condemnation proceedings would begin or when potential site redevelopments would start if council members approve the resolutions. 

Westside community revitalization plan

What they're saying:

Mayor Dickens emphasized that property blight harms nearby families and limits community growth. "Blight is more than an abandoned building or neglected property," Dickens said. "Blight affects quality of life, safety and economic opportunity of the families who live around it. Our Administration is using every appropriate tool available to us to address properties that have remained distressed for far too long. This action is about protecting our residents, enhancing neighborhood pride and making sure all of Atlanta’s communities can benefit from the growth and investment happening across our city." 

District 3 Councilmember Byron Amos noted that neighborhood residents have waited years for local intervention. "These properties have been a concern for residents who have waited to see meaningful action and investment in their neighborhoods," Amos said. "We have an obligation to use the tools available to us responsibly and strategically when persistent blight threatens the stability and future of a community. Addressing these properties creates an opportunity to remove longstanding barriers to neighborhood revitalization and help move the Westside forward."