A local entertainment company has filed a legal challenge to Tyler Perry's plans to build a motion picture studio at Fort McPherson.
Attorneys for Ubiquitous Entertainment Studios say the company has been planning its own “movie studio entertainment complex” on the Army post for years. According to the lawsuit, filed in federal court this week, the firm began meeting with the civilian authority overseeing Fort McPherson’s redevelopment about its plans to buy up to 80 acres of the 488-acre post as far back as 2011.
But purchasing the land was put on hold, according to the suit, because the civilian authority overseeing Fort McPherson redevelopment said it couldn't negotiate an offer until it owned the property.
Mayor Kasim Reed confirmed in June that the city has been in negotiations with Tyler Perry Studios to purchase a majority share of the property. Under the proposal, the filmmaker would buy much of the post from the McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority for $33 million.
MILRA voted last month to begin formal negotiations with Perry. Speaking to a city council committee Wednesday, Reed said the deal now calls for the filmmaker to take control of 330 acres, the city to receive as much as 144 acres (Reed has previously said the city will receive 125 acres) and for the Veterans Affairs hospital to have about 40 acres.
The AJC has reached out to Reed’s office for clarification as those figures exceed the total acreage of the site.
The entertainment company, according to its lawsuit, believes Reed and MILRA’s actions violate the authority’s by-laws. It’s asking for a declaratory judgment and damages. The company’s
representatives could not be reached this week for comment.
“In effect, MILRA confirmed an exclusive franchise or property interest in the Ft. McPherson property to Perry and [Tyler Perry Studios] on a non-bid, non-request for proposal basis, with no advance public notice to give UES and other potential property developers an opportunity to compete for this real estate development,” reads the lawsuit.
The suit names MILRA, the U.S. Army, other federal agencies, Tyler Perry and his company as defendants.
Jack Sprott, MILRA’s executive director, said Thursday that the authority has not been served with the lawsuit. City officials, who are not named in the filing, declined comment. A representative for Perry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit comes amid mixed reactions to the Perry proposal. At a Thursday meeting of the MILRA board, some residents asked for more information about the plan while others criticized how it came about.
Many residents have previously praised the deal as a concrete opportunity to bring jobs and development to the post.
State. Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, pleaded with the MILRA board Thursday that no matter what comes of Fort McPherson, the plan must involve the local community.
Residents there have spent years working with MILRA, Atlanta and East Point officials crafting a master plan that called for preserving historic buildings, green space and designated property for service providers for the homeless.
It’s unclear how the potential sale would impact those elements. The mayor has pledged Atlanta will preserve a “significant share” of the green space. He believes such a development will draw other businesses to the area and further solidify Georgia’s growing reputation as a major player in the film industry.
Fort also echoed repeated calls from residents for more information about the proposal. MILRA board members have said they can’t discuss the details because negotiations are ongoing.
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