ATLANTA — The deadline has arrived for companies and organizations to submit proposals for where Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic cauldron could go next — but some Summerhill residents say they still haven’t had a chance to weigh in on the landmark’s future.
The cauldron, which has stood near Georgia State University’s football stadium for decades, has become a symbol of the Summerhill community, according to neighborhood leaders.
“What we want to do is to be able to sit down and let them know face to face that this is not what we want to see happen,” John Helton, president of the Organized Neighbors of Summerhill and a longtime resident, told Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter.
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority opened a request for proposals seeking ideas for relocating the cauldron as part of a broader effort to determine its future.
But as that process moves forward, residents say they are frustrated they have not yet had a promised conversation with city leaders.
“We’re still waiting to have a sit-down talk with the powers that be … the people that are actually making the decision about where the cauldron is going to go,” Helton said.
Residents say a meeting with city officials that was expected to happen was delayed until July 23, after the proposal deadline.
They worry a decision could move forward before the community has a meaningful opportunity to provide input.
“Each step we get in the process before we actually have a chance to talk complicates it further in trying to make a different deal,” Helton said.
Neighbors say their concerns go beyond simply where the cauldron is placed. They want to have a voice in the process and find a compromise that respects the landmark’s history and its connection to Summerhill.
Channel 2 Action News has reached out to GSU asking about the timeline for a decision, and they have not yet responded.
Residents plan to hold a rally this weekend as they make the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Olympic opening ceremonies.
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