City of Atlanta near deal to let state permanently close Mitchell St. by GA Capitol in exchange for upgrades to DLH (Madison: closing, fence)

[Born 2 Roll]

The City of Atlanta reportedly is close to agreeing to a deal to let the State of Georgia permanently close the block of Mitchell Street (officially named Capitol Square) that runs between the Georgia State Capitol on the north side of the street and the Paul D. Coverdale Legislative Building on the south side of the street.

As part of the deal, the City of Atlanta agrees to let the State of Georgia permanently close the block of Mitchell Street/Capitol Square by the Georgia State Capitol in exchange for getting state-funded improvements to more than 3 miles of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway (formerly Bankhead Highway) through Northwest Atlanta proper.

Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway is a state-owned roadway (signed U.S. Highway 78-278/Georgia State Route 8) that will receive state-funded sidewalk and safety upgrades in exchange for the permanent closure of the one block of Mitchell Street/Capitol Square that runs directly through the Georgia Capitol complex.

While that one block of Mitchell Street/Capitol Square is routinely closed during legislative sessions because of the heavy amount of pedestrian traffic that walks between the Georgia Capitol and the Coverdale Building, the aftermath of both the Summer 2020 racial injustice protests and the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot appears to have motivated the State of Georgia to want to permanently close that block because of concerns about safety.

[Atlanta City] Council Member Michael Bond tells WAGA-TV that in exchange for the city agreeing to let the state close a block of Mitchell Street, the state will finance sidewalk and safety improvements along a state-owned road on the northwest side of Atlanta.

The block of Mitchell Street that runs between the capitol and the Coverdale Legislative Office Building has been closed for years during sessions of the General Assembly, in part because there is heavy pedestrian traffic back and forth. But state officials have had a request pending for years that the city give up the block so the street can be permanently closed to enhance security.

Atlanta Near Deal to Let State Close Street Next to Capitol - An Atlanta City Council member says the city is nearing an agreement that will let the state permanently close part of a street that runs between the state capitol and a legislative office building to enhance security. (U.S. News & World Report/Associated Press)

[MattCW]

This is just plain stupid. Mitchell St is a pretty major artery through Atlanta. The issue that started this was some moron pulled a gun on a security guard (not an officer?) that was holding up traffic for the pedestrians. This could have all been fixed by a HAWK, or even a full traffic light, just with a crosswalk as its cross street and timed properly. In other words, not sitting there holding up traffic.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by MattCW

This is just plain stupid. Mitchell St is a pretty major artery through Atlanta. The issue that started this was some moron pulled a gun on a security guard (not an officer?) that was holding up traffic for the pedestrians. This could have all been fixed by a HAWK, or even a full traffic light, just with a crosswalk as its cross street and timed properly. In other words, not sitting there holding up traffic.

That is a good point that Mitchell Street is a major artery through the city.

Mitchell Street is a one-way street (one-way eastbound) that provides an important link from the west side of Downtown to on-ramps to the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector northbound (by way of Mitchell Street eastbound to Jesse Hill, Jr. Drive northbound to MLK Jr. Drive eastbound to the I-75/85 northbound on-ramp) and I-20 eastbound (by way of Mitchell Street eastbound to Capitol Avenue southbound).

Their motivations for permanently closing that block to vehicular traffic likely go much deeper than the incident you describe.

Along with the continuing fear of violence against state government interests around the nation after the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, the vandalization and firebombing of the Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters in Southeast Atlanta last summer likely may be one of the major factors motivating the state to want to permanently close Mitchell Street/Capitol Square between the Georgia Capitol and Coverdale Legislative buildings.

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) -- The Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters on United Avenue was vandalized early Sunday morning when a large group descended on the building armed with rocks, spray paint, fireworks, bricks and Molotov cocktails...

... According to Lt. Stallings of the Georgia State Patrol, the group caused extensive damage to multiple windows along the front of the building, damaged a DPS car parked in front of the building, and heavily spray painted several places. Fireworks were also tossed into the building causing a small fire in one of the offices.

Ga. Dept. of Public Safety HQ vandalized during violent night (CBS46 Atlanta, 5 July 2020)

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Scientist

It's such a stark contrast to move from a state like South Carolina that has its capitol building open and accessible to the public to one like Georgia that insists are keeping people out and away.

Point but realistically speaking they are also two different political climates, one of which faced extremism within the recent months. I personally also wouldn’t like to see the capital become more isolated though.

I didn’t understand exactly how doing this gives Hollowell Pkwy precedence of upgrades though. How is that connected?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I didn’t understand exactly how doing this gives Hollowell Pkwy precedence of upgrades though. How is that connected?

It’s basically just a trade-off between Atlanta city government and Georgia state government.

The City of Atlanta gets the infrastructure improvements it has long wanted to Hollowell Parkway, which is a state-owned highway that cannot be improved without the approval of the State of Georgia.

The City of Atlanta also gets those infrastructure improvements to Hollowell Parkway without having to pay for them because they will be fully paid for by the State of Georgia.

Meanwhile, in exchange for agreeing to fully fund the improvements to Hollowell Parkway that the CoA has long wanted, the State of Georgia gets the permanent closure of Mitchell Street/Capitol Square that it has long wanted.

After the vandalization and firebombing of the Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters (a facility which includes the headquarters for the Georgia State Patrol) in Southeast Atlanta last summer by very far-left wing aligned groups, and after the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and the lead-up to it (a time which included threats of violence on many state capitals by many very far-right wing aligned fringe organizations with a history of violence), the State of Georgia apparently was more motivated than ever to make a deal with the City of Atlanta to permanently close that block of Mitchell Street/Capitol Square between the Georgia State Capitol and Coverdale Legislative Office buildings.

So the state likely reached out to the CoA and offered to fund the improvements to DLH that the CoA had long wanted so that the CoA would finally agree to close Mitchell Street/Capitol Square like the state had long wanted.

[seussie]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Point but realistically speaking they are also two different political climates, one of which faced extremism within the recent months. I personally also wouldn’t like to see the capital become more isolated though.

I didn’t understand exactly how doing this gives Hollowell Pkwy precedence of upgrades though. How is that connected?

It shoots them up the never-ending cue of rehabbing state-owned roads in the city. It's something CoA would obviously want to have fast-tracked with the future opening of Westside Reservoir park, Beltline developments, gentrification, MAYBE densification in the area, and so forth. I'm personally more interested in the changes to DLH. It'd be great if they could have a barrier bike lane like they do at Madison Yards, and turn each into single lane traffic, or, portions for Bus Only/bike. When I'm in office for work, I ride DLH daily and there are a number of intersections needing left turn signals, some road thinning needing widening, clearing obstructions from residential to state road and such.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Scientist

I'm talking about the street closure and building a fence around the Georgia Capitol. The SC capitol building grounds function like a park.

Yeah, like I alluded to before, every individual state government has handled these security issues differently based on their own unique perspective on the situation.

Georgia state government leaders seemed to have been motivated to execute security moves like the installation of metal fences and the closure of the block of Mitchell Street/Capitol Square though the Georgia State Capitol campus after the aforementioned firebombing of the Georgia Department of Public Safety Headquarters last summer by very far-left wing aligned groups.

Georgia state government leaders very likely also felt pressure to increase security measures when state government officials like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp became very high-profile targets of very far-right wing angst in the disputed aftermath of the 2020 Presidential Election.

Georgia’s very high profile during the hotly-disputed US Senate races and their even more hotly disputed two-month runoffs, during which the Georgia State Capitol received in-person visits from notorious very far-right wing fringe figures like “former KKK member” Chester Doles and their heavily-armed associates, likely also weighed heavily in Georgia state government leaders decision to implement security measures like the permanent street closure and the erection of metal fences around the Georgia State Capitol.

[seussie]

Reports that Bottom just shut this down.

[MattCW]

Well that's interesting. I'm also curious about what MARTA bus routes she's talking about. The road's been closed for two years now, no buses go through there, and I don't think the Summerhill BRT was planned to go through their either.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by seussie

Reports that Bottom just shut this down.

Yep.

Here’s a news link:

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has vetoed a measure the City Council approved last week giving the state control of a road bordering the Georgia Capitol in exchange for safety improvements to a busy Westside corridor.

In a letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that explains her decision, Bottoms argued that under the city’s Charter, individual Council members are not able to negotiate with other governments on behalf of the city. She also said the Council did not give the proper public notice before voting to give up the short stretch of Mitchell Street, between the Coverdell Legislative Office Building and the State Capitol.

BREAKING: Atlanta Mayor Bottoms vetoes giving state control of road near Capitol (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)