A tentative sales date of Fort McPherson land to filmmaker Tyler Perry is likely to be delayed over minor environmental issues involving a portion of the site.
Brian Hooker, who leads the authority overseeing the redevelopment of the former Army post, said at a community briefing Wednesday night that the Army has raised some concerns about four parcels that make up about 36 acres of the near 500-acre site. Until those issues are cleared, a closing date, tentatively set for the end of this month, will be delayed.
A resolution to most of the issues could be as simple as updating paperwork related to remediation that has already happened on-site that might not have been properly documented, he said after the meeting.
Hooker said he is hopeful the issues can be corrected in a matter of days or weeks. He assured neighboring residents Wednesday night that the issues are relatively minor, are not an indication that the property is unsafe and may not involve any significant cleanup.
Given recent discussions with the military and other expects, Hooker said he has “a lot of confidence this is not a major issue.”
One of the parcels involved a former dry cleaning facility on the post. He declined identify the other three parcels or the exact nature of the concerns, but he said if any cleanup is required it would be handled by the Army.
“The issue is the I’s have to be dotted, the T’s have to be crossed and signed off and OK’d,” Hooker said.
The Perry deal has experienced some turmoil in recent months, including a lawsuit by a rival studio company and the potential at one point of Perry walking away. But Hooker said Perry's team and the authority are fully engaged in addressing the Army's concerns.
After the meeting, Hooker said that the issues at Fort McPherson are in no way similar to those encountered at Fort Gillem, which also closed a few years ago.
Though redevelopment has started on much of Fort Gillem, cleanup of solvents and chemicals dumped at a portion of the former Army logistics post in Clayton County has dragged on for years.
The Fort McPherson authority and Perry are negotiating a complex transaction with the Army. Perry will essentially pay for the acquisition of the fort’s 488 acres, and he will retain about 330 acres for a movie studio with the authority controlling almost all of the remaining land for future development.
The remainder would be reserved for the Veterans Administration.
