Mims Park in Vine City Approved! (Atlanta, Decatur: low income, appointed, schools)

[westau]

Originally Posted by joey86

Article from last July-"The park's first phase, which would include the basic park plan, must be complete by July 2014. Subsequent phases would open roughly every year after. If they don't live up to their end of the deal, the city has the right to renegotiate the lease — or take back the property."

Proposal to transform vacant Vine City lots into ambitious 16-acre park gets greenlight from Atlanta City Council committee | Atlanta News & Opinion Blog | Fresh Loaf | Creative Loafing Atlanta

Mims Park was approved a year ago and the first phase is supposed to be finished a year from now. Has anyone heard anything about this since last July? I think some if the money Arthur Blank is "giving" to help Vine City could be going towards this park. Hopefully we'll hear something soon.

I would rather them just give some of the land to Friendship Baptist so the Falcons can build where they need to.

[aries4118]

A very informative video on Historic Mims Park--plus corresponding map.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/30719908-post83.html

[aries4118]

A must see:

Historic Mims Park

[chiatldal]

Is this still being built?

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by chiatldal

Is this still being built?

Yes. There have been community meetings for NPU-L regarding the upcoming construction. Lots of Vine City residents at the meeting I went to were not too happy that it is being built but it is coming nonetheless.

I am still in English Avenue and think it is a good development. I wish it were closer to my house (I live near Hollowell/Bankhead on the northern part of the neighborhood). But I am close to "West Midtown" so have all those amenities, but I'd like a park within walking distance. Maddox is slated to be upgraded, as was mentioned in this thread earlier and that is closer to me. We are excited about the new parks plans but we are not worried about being priced out of the area because of new development. We bought in this area with the knowledge that it would soon be enveloped in development since the West Midtown area was coming together when we originally moved over here and since we have a great street grid over here and proximity to West Midtown, Midtown, Downtown, Buckhead, and other up and coming areas on the Westside, I figured within 15 years we'd get a good return on our investment. Many of the other residents over here though aren't financially able to keep up with rising taxes. Our elderly will be protected when it comes to property values due to homesteading and other exemptions they can use but many of the "working poor" residents who rent fear they will no longer be able to live in the city as rents over here are extremely cheap due to the perception of the area versus other neighborhoods on the west side of Atlanta. So there has been some complaints about the park, but it is still going to be built.

[chiatldal]

Well that awesome to hear.

People need to stop fearing improving their neighborhood.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

Many of the other residents over here though aren't financially able to keep up with rising taxes. Our elderly will be protected when it comes to property values due to homesteading and other exemptions they can use but many of the "working poor" residents who rent fear they will no longer be able to live in the city as rents over here are extremely cheap due to the perception of the area versus other neighborhoods on the west side of Atlanta. So there has been some complaints about the park, but it is still going to be built.

Gee, the law of unintended consequences -- build a new park and you wind up driving out residents because the rent goes up. Can the city impose a rent freeze or provide some form of supplement to these folks?

[residinghere2007]

I can understand their fear and feel bad for them. They cannot afford to have their rents raised. The few who aren't elderly cannot afford to have their taxes increased. Most do want to see improvements, but they want to be around for the improvements and so that is where the fear comes in.

My family makes enough money that we do not have anything to fear but others, single parents, people who own but aren't considered "elderly" enough for property tax breaks, really do.

Gentrification is a real threat to people who want to remain in their neighborhoods and I truly understand that once these improvements are made, the poor people will be forced out. It has happened in Atlanta before and happens all over the country so it is a real threat to them.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Gee, the law of unintended consequences -- build a new park and you wind up driving out residents because the rent goes up. Can the city impose a rent freeze or provide some form of supplement to these folks?

These are questions that are asked in meetings that aren't answered. To me and others, that means "no." It isn't going to happen. They will have to pack up and move once everyone "discovers" this part of town.

I have always loved this area due to the low amount of vehicle traffic and the grids. It is an older part of the actual city that is laid out really well and one doesn't have to sit in traffic to go a particular direction. People are noticing it who are urban pioneers like myself and many of my neighbors who do make decent incomes. The people already here don't see it that way though, they see it as home and know that their neighborhood has been taken before - think GWCC and the Dome, which demolished a part of Vine City and cut it off from downtown against the protest of many residents back then. People who were around then are still in the neighborhood and all this stadium and park talk reminds them of the razing of that time period and how instead of actually improving the neighborhood for the residents, it was improved for suburbanites enjoyment and tourist and businessmen. They feel the same is happening with the new stadium and Mims Park.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

Yes. There have been community meetings for NPU-L regarding the upcoming construction. Lots of Vine City residents at the meeting I went to were not too happy that it is being built but it is coming nonetheless.

I am still in English Avenue and think it is a good development. I wish it were closer to my house (I live near Hollowell/Bankhead on the northern part of the neighborhood). But I am close to "West Midtown" so have all those amenities, but I'd like a park within walking distance. Maddox is slated to be upgraded, as was mentioned in this thread earlier and that is closer to me. We are excited about the new parks plans but we are not worried about being priced out of the area because of new development. We bought in this area with the knowledge that it would soon be enveloped in development since the West Midtown area was coming together when we originally moved over here and since we have a great street grid over here and proximity to West Midtown, Midtown, Downtown, Buckhead, and other up and coming areas on the Westside, I figured within 15 years we'd get a good return on our investment. Many of the other residents over here though aren't financially able to keep up with rising taxes. Our elderly will be protected when it comes to property values due to homesteading and other exemptions they can use but many of the "working poor" residents who rent fear they will no longer be able to live in the city as rents over here are extremely cheap due to the perception of the area versus other neighborhoods on the west side of Atlanta. So there has been some complaints about the park, but it is still going to be built.

Good for you taking a risk and moving to an area that has a bad rep.