ATL Standard

City of Atlanta issued the following announcement on Nov. 30. 

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms put forth legislation to the Community Development and Human Services Committee that will preserve and protect 75 acres of land which was the former site of the Chattahoochee Brick Company. Through a partnership with The Conservation Fund, the property acquisition will restore greenspace and memorialize the historical significance of the site. 

The Chattahoochee Brick Company, owned by former Atlanta Mayor James English, supplied material for the construction of houses and buildings in Atlanta after the Civil War. The factory relied on forced convict labor – mostly African American men who endured inhumane working conditions that often turned deadly. 

"Our Administration has worked closely with The Conservation Fund and property owner, Lincoln Terminal Company, over the last several months to acquire the former site of the Chattahoochee Brick Company," said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. "It is our responsibility to protect the sanctity of this property and honor the thousands of victims who suffered and lost their lives on this land. Thank you to Councilmember Andre Dickens, The Conservation Fund, and the community at large, for efforts to acknowledge this property's troubled past. We look forward to a brighter future on this solemn land.”

The Conservation Fund is a non-profit organization, with a dual mission of environmental conservation and sustainable economic outcomes for communities. To reach an agreement on the purchase of the Chattahoochee Brick Company property, the Fund played an integral part in making the deal a reality. This agreement will add 75 acres to the over 240 acres of greenspace protected with the help of the Fund during the Bottoms Administration. The City of Atlanta and The Conservation Fund have partnered in other property acquisitions before, notably the Lake Charlotte Nature Preserve purchase in 2019. With the continued partnership, the Fund will manage activities to preserve the Chattahoochee Brick Company property as parkland, greenspace, recreation and watershed land in the city.

“The Conservation Fund’s work towards acquisition of the former Chattahoochee Brick Company site is a critical first step in its future protection, creating an opportunity for a signature greenspace adjacent to the Chattahoochee River for the community and providing a place for an appropriate memorial to honor the workers of Chattahoochee Brick Company,” said Stacy Funderburke, The Conservation Fund’s Regional Counsel and Georgia/Alabama Associate State Director. “I’m excited that The Conservation Fund has been able to play a key role in reaching a deal between the City of Atlanta and Lincoln Terminal Company for conservation of this important site.”

The legislation is expected to be adopted by the Community Development and Human Services Committee today and by the full City Council on Monday, December 6, 2021. If approved, the City plans to work with District 9 neighborhoods, advocates, and the entire Atlanta community to finalize a plan for the Chattahoochee Brick Company property.

Original source can be found here.