In October of last year, the mayor’s office called a dramatic press conference to announce it was taking the battle against Millennia — the owner of the rundown Forest Cove apartment complex in southeast Atlanta — to the next level.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens stood side-by-side with acclaimed attorney Ben Crump and their top witness, former resident Felicia Morris, also known as “Ms. Peaches,” when he announced the city would file a class action lawsuit against the company.
The mayor said the lawsuit will seek damages on behalf of residents who were relocated after poor living conditions came to light — and at least $10 million to pay back the city for its role in supporting the residents.
But nearly five months later, the city has yet to move forward officially with the lawsuit. Dickens told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution during a lengthy interview last week that the city is still planning on moving forward.
“We still want our money from Millennia and we intend to get it,” he said.
So what’s with the delay?
“Getting a class action suit is more difficult than I thought it would be,” Dickens said, but noted they plan to move forward this year.
Our friends at the Atlanta Civic Circle reported in December that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development threatened to bar the company from entering into any new contracts with the federal government. A month later, HUD moved forward with the restrictions.
Millennia is also suing the city of Atlanta, claiming that city officials violated its Fifth Amendment rights to fair compensation when the city government took on responsibility of the property.
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Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
The hallways of Benjamin E. Mays high school last week were littered with shiny red and pink hearts, bouquets of roses and sweet notes slipped into lockers as some of Atlanta’s young residents celebrated Valentine’s Day.
But later that Wednesday, the heartwarming decorations were overtaken with bright yellow caution tape when an after-school shooting in the parking lot injured four students.
Mayor Dickens rushed to his alma mater in southwest Atlanta when the news broke. He told the AJC a few days later that the violent events were shocking on a day where the city was celebrating so much.
“This was on Valentine’s Day — can you imagine that?” he said. “This was a day where we were celebrating Usher, the city gave Usher the Phoenix Award.”
“Now I am at this school and as I’m walking down the halls, I’m seeing Valentine’s balloons all over the place, I see flowers — and I also see crime scene tape.”
Dickens described addressing the high school students who were unable to go home after the incident broke out and were moved into the school’s cafeteria. He gave remarks over the loudspeaker but also met with students one-on-one, he said, whose emotions ranged from frustration to concern.
“At least they have the mindset that these kinds of incidents should not happen and they can’t understand why this individual chose the use of a gun after a fight had occurred,” he said.
The mayor noted that an Atlanta Public Schools police officer was on the scene, but their presence didn’t deter the shooter.
“So that is what’s concerning, is still we have not gotten the gun culture out of the minds of society and the access to guns,” Dickens said.
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Atlanta will hold a celebration of Black women and girls this summer when the iconic Fox Theatre hosts the 2024 Black Girls Rock Awards. Founded by businesswoman, philanthropist and DJ Beverly Bond, Black Girls Rock is a youth empowerment and mentorship nonprofit that celebrates Black and minority women.
“It’s fitting that Atlanta is the new home of Black Girls Rock— a movement that has been instrumental in shifting the paradigm for women’s recognition, dignity and value,” Bond said last week at City Hall.
“This movement to Atlanta is a strategic alliance in the spirit of those who marched in the streets in a city that has been a cradle of civil rights, innovation and Black excellence,” she said.
The annual event will take place in June and honor Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Stephanie Mills.
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Got tips, tricks or just want to say hello? Email me at riley.bunch@ajc.com.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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