Compromise offered after street name suggestion with Nazi ties

ATLANTA — Atlanta officials hope they've reached a compromise in a street renaming case.

Controversy arose after a proposal to rename a southwest Atlanta street after a man with ties to Nazi Germany.  Porsche is building its $100 million North American headquarters at the site of a former Ford plant located on Henry Ford Avenue.

"You could hardly ask Coke to relocate its headquarters onto Pepsi Drive," Porsche attorney Woody Galloway told Channel 2's John Bachman.

But the company raised red flags when it requested to rename the street after Ferdinand Porsche, an automotive engineer who accepted commissions from the German government under Adolf Hitler's rule.

Bachman went to City Hall for a Tuesday meeting where the City Council raised its concerns.

"Anything else you can add to reassure the public? Because I will tell you that was shocking and a point of concern," Atlanta City Council member Natalyn Archibong said.

Porsche is now suggesting renaming the street to "Porsche Avenue." That compromise passed out of a committee but will head to the full council next week, where it will be up for discussion again.

WSBTV