A massive sinkhole on Ponce de Leon Avenue swallowed up a car last Tuesday after a broken sewer pipe about 18 feet below the street caused the roadway to collapse. Luckily, the two passengers inside escaped without injury and city crews worked around the clock to fill the hole.
But the newest sinkhole saga raises a flurry of questions about the state of Atlanta’s infrastructure, which already causes headaches for drivers trying to traverse the city’s beaten up roads.
Our AJC colleague Avani Kalara reported that more than a century ago, the site of the Ponce sinkhole was once a landfill, and residents who live and work in the area say the rupture isn’t an isolated incident.
City Councilmember Alex Wan pointed out that this is a common occurrence in Midtown and questioned the Atlanta Department of Transportation about possible fixes.
“As our water infrastructure continues to age, I’m wondering what y’all are doing, if anything, to try and anticipate this,” he said. “It’s better to be proactive than reactive in a situation like this, obviously.”
ATLDOT Commissioner Solomon Caviness said the Department of Watershed Management is pursuing a citywide scan for potential infrastructure weaknesses.
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One every ten days. That’s how often Atlanta hosts a convention, according to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The agency gave its first ever presentation to the Community Development and Human Services committee last week. Top of councilors’ minds is how the hospitality industry has bounced back after the pandemic and what plans are being put in place to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Hosting some of the games for the international sporting event could be the city’s biggest hospitality opportunity since the 1996 Olympics. But there’s a lot to be done to prepare for a crush of visitors, like managing anticipated traffic downtown and engaging local businesses.
“I have some anxious nights, occasionally wishing that FIFA would go ahead and give us the date so that we could, you know, get more deeply into the planning,” ACVB President and CEO William Pate told council members.
FIFA is expected to let city officials know how many games and the exact dates in the fall.
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The U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action enrollment programs at colleges last week, ruling that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful. President Joe Biden and Democrats have slammed the court’s decision. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was among those who weighed in.
Dickens said the decision “will have disastrous effects on families of color who are already grappling with upward economic mobility.”
“Plainly put, they got it wrong and I am gravely concerned on what this means for a diverse workforce like ours in the city of Atlanta,” he said in a statement. “A quality education is a powerful tool, and my Administration will continue to do its part to ensure every child in Atlanta has the support from their village needed to thrive —regardless of who they are. "
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Several residents opposed to the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center crashed a signing ceremony last week hosted by Mayor Dickens, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Dickens visited the Grant Park fire station after the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation received more than $1.6 million for fire station improvements citywide.
Footage of the incident was shared on Twitter by various people in attendance. And it wasn’t the first time Dickens received criticism at a city event. Back in April, a lone protester shouted “stop Cop City” — the center’s derisive nickname among opponents — minutes after Dickens unveiled plans to provide $1,000 scholarship to 44 young residents.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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