Memorial Drive Greenway land purchase wins 15–0 Council approval

Atlanta City Council voted 15–0 on Oct. 19 to authorize buying roughly a third of an acre for the Memorial Drive Greenway, with a $1,594,374.75 ceiling for the acquisition and related costs—and a requirement to keep the land as a public park permanently once acquired.⁠[1][2]

The vote moves ordinance 26-O-1551 beyond the committee backing described in our preview of the acquisition plan. Council's action is approval of the purchase authority, not proof of a completed sale: the records reviewed do not establish that Atlanta has closed on the property.⁠[1][2]

The ordinance says The Conservation Fund already owns the parcel and describes it as part of a 20-year vision to connect Historic Oakland Cemetery to the Georgia State Capitol. This acquisition is a step toward that vision, not a finding that the greenway connection is complete.⁠[2]

The spending limit is not simply the price of the dirt. It also covers expenses such as surveys, appraisals, title insurance, closing costs, signage and site stabilization.⁠[2]

Upon acquisition, the Department of Parks and Recreation would take responsibility for the property 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.⁠[2]

Two details in the paperwork remain unresolved. The ordinance's title divides the funding between $834,374.75 in south-side park impact fees and $760,000 from the Eastside tax allocation district, but the operative transfer table itemizes only the park-fee share.⁠[1][2]

The title also identifies 264 Memorial Drive SE, while the purchase-negotiation clause says 261 Memorial Drive SE. Both identify Fulton County tax parcel 14-0052-0010-026-1.⁠[1][2]

The acquisition documents must receive the city attorney's approval, the required signature and the municipal clerk's attestation before binding Atlanta.⁠[2]