The city of Decatur will hold a kick-off celebration and workshop on Sunday to gather public input on the United Methodist Children’s Home property purchased last year.

The event will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. at the main building at 500 S. Columbia Drive and will include remarks from Mayor Patti Garrett around 2 p.m. and self-guided tours of the 77-acre site.

The visioning process is planned for three months and will also include small group dinners hosted by volunteers. The goal is to gather from Decatur residents which buildings they want to preserve on the property and what amenities or functions should be added. Community meetings are scheduled in March and April.

The Children's Home moved residents to apartments in Tucker and Clarkston last year, and administration staff is now housed in an office building in Tucker.

MYAJC.COM: REAL JOURNALISM. REAL LOCAL IMPACT.

The AJC's Tia Mitchell keeps you updated on the latest happenings in DeKalb County government and politics. You'll find more on myAJC.com, including these stories:

Never miss a minute of what's happening in DeKalb politics. Subscribe to myAJC.com.

In other DeKalb news:

The company calls the mistakes minor, but one Decatur official disagrees.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez