Sandy Springs officials continued to draw criticism from residents Tuesday citing a lack of transparency for plans for a multi-million dollar cultural arts center building that would house a Holocaust memorial.
Mayor Rusty Paul and City Council members heard residents comments for 90 minutes during a Tuesday meeting. Most speakers were in favor of a new $3.3 million arts center dedicated to the Holocaust, but some also questioned why the city changed the planned location of the memorial back in September. They also asked why the community hasn’t been better informed about what the memorial building will include.
Since last September, the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and Sandy Springs officials have discussed a deal in which the commission would rent a portion of a new 8,300-square-foot cultural arts center building for $150,000 annually for 40 years. Sandy Springs would pay for construction of the center with $2.4 million from the city budget and would own the building.
The Commission on the Holocaust, a state agency that educates the public on the mass killing of Jews by Nazi Germany, would occupy about 6,600 square feet inside the arts center and the city would present rotating exhibits or host events in the remaining space.
The city said earlier it would be located near the Performing Arts Center at the City Springs campus. Officials are now considering two other properties the city owns near City Hall.
“While I’m not opposed to such a facility, it would seem that the residents should at least have an opportunity to voice their opinion and to have an open discussion about the potential (alternatives) to what is a prime piece of real estate,” Sandy Springs native Jared Carlson said.
In September, following an executive session, council members approved a resolution and memorandum of understanding between the Sandy Springs Public Facilities Authority and the Georgia Holocaust Commission. Under the terms of that resolution, the commission was required to come up with $3.3 million in total rent for the new building beforehand in guaranteed funds.
Commission member Chuck Berk has said the state agency has raised more than $3 million for the City Springs space and is working on raising another $2.5 million for the exhibits.
Dan Coffer, a Sandy Springs spokesman, told The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Wednesday that the resolution was a framework for the project and not a binding agreement.
Before that September meeting, Sandy Springs considered building the new cultural arts center on city-owned land on Blue Stone, formerly home to a BMW auto business. Officials are again considering that location as well as the adjacent former Heritage Sandy Springs site, which the city also owns, Coffer confirmed.
Resident Renee Hoelting called for more transparency from the City Council Tuesday and says she wants to know why the former BMW site was discarded as an option in September.
“I was tremendously in favor of the exhibit,” Hoelting told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “All of a sudden, somewhere in September we were informed the site was moved — with no explanation — and we don’t know why. We give away a piece of open space at City Center and we already own land?”
Tuesday was the second consecutive meeting where residents spoke to the City Council about the arts center. At the earlier April 20 meeting, more speakers had voiced opposition to the plan.
“Last September, this exact City Council committed to partner with the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust to create a world class facility that will teach tolerance and diversity to adults and students from all over the world and beyond,” Resident Elissa Fladell said Tuesday. “... Something has changed and I’m not sure what... What kind of city do we wish to live in? One that speaks about diversity and tolerance or one that actually lives it?”
