A $1.59M step toward the Memorial Drive Greenway heads to Council

Roughly a third of an acre could become a permanent piece of the Memorial Drive Greenway under a proposal Atlanta City Council is scheduled to consider Monday, Oct. 19. The spending ceiling: $1,594,374.75 for the acquisition and related costs—not just the land itself.⁠[1]

The ordinance describes the parcel as part of a 20-year vision connecting Historic Oakland Cemetery to the Georgia State Capitol. It says The Conservation Fund, a land-conservation nonprofit, already owns the property and would sell it to the city.⁠[1]

The proposal includes a lasting restriction: after acquisition, Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation would take responsibility for the land and retain it “in perpetuity as a public park.” Trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, parking and pavilions are among the permitted uses—not a list of improvements the city has committed to build.⁠[1]

The overall cap would also cover expenses such as surveys, title insurance, appraisals, closing costs, signage and site stabilization. The ordinance’s title proposes $834,374.75 from park impact fees and $760,000 from the Eastside tax allocation district, although its attached transfer table itemizes only the park-fee share.⁠[1]

There is also an unresolved street-number discrepancy: the title identifies 264 Memorial Drive SE, while the acquisition clause says 261 Memorial Drive SE. Both identify the same Fulton County tax parcel, 14-0052-0010-026-1.⁠[1]

The Community Development/Human Services Committee recommended ordinance 26-O-1551 by a 6–0 vote Oct. 13. It now appears on the consent agenda for Council’s 1 p.m. meeting, where items are grouped for adoption unless pulled for separate consideration.⁠[1]

That recommendation is not final Council approval or a completed purchase. The proposed acquisition documents would still require legal approval, signatures and the municipal clerk’s attestation before binding the city.⁠[1]