ATLANTA — U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock say they have secured $2 million in federal funding to establish a new John Lewis Memorial Park after the civil rights icon and late Congressman.
The park will be located at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive around the Lewis HERO mural. Lewis died in 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
This investment in the memorial park is part of the ongoing Historic Butler Street YMCA Redevelopment project.
Alfonza X. Marshall, Chair of the Butler Street Community Development Corporation Board of Directors, said the federal investment is meaningful for the community.
“We are profoundly honored to carry forward Congressman Lewis’ extraordinary legacy by creating a sacred space where people can gather, reflect and be inspired by his lifelong call for justice, unity and hope,” Marshall said. “This park will stand as a lasting symbol of connection and possibility for generations to come.”
TRENDING STORIES:
- Clark Howard: Ways to get credit card debt paid off
- Neighbors push back on proposed Gwinnett townhouse project
Plans for a John Lewis Memorial Park were initially announced in 2022. Channel 2 Action News got an exclusive look at the renderings for the area.
The $2 million for the project was delivered through bipartisan government funding legislation that became law in February.
“Congressman Lewis spent his life working towards the advancement of Atlanta, the State of Georgia, and the Nation through his life-long commitment to civil rights,” Ossoff said in a statement.
Warnock said there are only a few figures in Georgia history he believes deserves an honor like this and Lewis was one of them.
“Congressman Lewis was one of Georgia’s greatest sons, and as his pastor and my mentor, I always knew he had a deep love for the city of Atlanta,” Warnock said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
