Turner Field Community Benefits Coalition Update

Emmaus House, in partnership with many others, has worked hard over the past few months to help create the Turner Field Community Benefits Coalition. The TFCBC is comprised of 42 neighborhood associations and advocacy groups, representing thousands of residents in the communities surrounding Turner Field. The Coalition advocates for community participation in decisions related to the redevelopment of the Turner Field Stadium.

On Tuesday, July 7th, following a press conference held on the steps of Atlanta City Hall, the TFCBC hand-delivered a letter to Mayor Kasim Reed. "Community, Not Commodity," was the rallying cry.

The letter asked the Mayor to make a public commitment to completing the Turner Field Livable Centers Initiative Planning Study (LCI) process before negotiating any development deal. It requests that Mayor Reed use the recommendations from this study, which is funded by the Atlanta Regional Commission and will be completed by July 2016, to initiate a competitive bidding process for the massive redevelopment project.

The delegation of 63 neighborhood residents and stakeholders also delivered similar letters to Atlanta City Council Members, Fulton County commissioners, and the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority Board. Several media outlets were present to capture and memorialize this monumental event.

In the words of one community resident, "Our communities have suffered long enough as a result of top-down development. We don't want a quick fix solution. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore the surrounding neighborhoods and reconnect downtown to the entire south side of Atlanta."

Peoplestown residents leave the Emmaus House bus at City Hall