Atlanta

Mayor Kasim Reed announces plans for sale of Atlanta Civic Center

ATLANTA — Mayor Kasim Reed announced Tuesday the city is selling the Atlanta Civic Center and launching a new project that is years in the making.

Reed said the sale could transform the community. He said the $31 million sale to the Atlanta Housing Authority guarantees the Civic Center will create one of the largest affordable housing mixed-use communities in the city.

It will be a $300 million investment to turn the old Civic Center into a mixed-use community. Reed said the best part of the deal is that more than 30 percent of the housing will be new affordable housing for low-income families.

"This means everybody gets to live everywhere in our city," Reed said.

Renderings of the midtown property show green space, retail housing and amenities.

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"They're bringing a public to the site as well, which is going to center the project,” Reed said.

Channel 2's Dave Huddleston said he saw construction work already on the Piedmont Avenue property. City crews working on water and sewer infrastructure.

The president of the Atlanta Housing Authority said this project will offer low-income families access to better schools, amenities and transportation.

"Today's acquisition represents an ability to not only live in the city of Atlanta, but to be a true part of the city's growth,” said Atlanta Housing Authority CEO Catherine Buell.

Atlanta Civic Center

After stalled and failed attempts, Tuesdays’ purchase agreement completes a project that Reed has been working on for at least two years. It also gets to the core of his mission as mayor.

"Affordability and mobility remain a top priority of my administration and will continue to be so until the last hour of the last minute that I am mayor,” Reed said.

Buell said they are looking at a two to three year timeline for the initial phases of development to begin.