Atlanta park gets new life
An inner city park whipped about by a rare downtown tornado in 2008 is getting a new lease on life.
The storm that ripped through downtown also tore down tree limbs and damaged a basketball court and playground set in Selena Sloan Butler Park in the Old Fourth Ward.
On Wednesday, area residents will get a look at an improved version of the park, first opened in the 1960s, and now includes a community center, resurfaced or new tennis, bocce ball and basketball courts, upgraded playground equipment, a walking track, outdoor fitness area and community garden.
The $1.6 million project (excluding the community center) was a collaborative effort between several entities including the City of Atlanta, the National Recreation and Park Association and several partner organizations and sponsors who donated products and services.
"We would love to be in places where we have generated just enough momentum, enthusiasm and support to do more and recognize that, in this economy, parks need this kind of revitalization now more than ever," said Barbara Tulipane, CEO of NRPA. "We recognize that a project like this will succeed best as a partnership between the public park agency, the community at large and the companies who support the project with their donations."
George Dusenbury, commissioner for the Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, said earlier steps had been taken by the city to start making improvements and repairs to the park. The involvement of NRPA helped expand those efforts.
Public spaces like parks can serve as a "catalyst for community development," Dusenbury said. Over the last couple of years new businesses have opened along busy Edgewood Avenue and residents hope the park will be a cornerstone for further efforts to revitalize the area.
Even before the tornado, the park was in need of help. Originally named for one of the founders of the national PTA, the park had become a popular spot for people "doing drugs, selling drugs or drinking," said Matt Garbett, president of Fourth Ward Neighbors. "I thought, ‘What a shame.'"
Things are different today.
"I'm ecstatic," he said. "It's wonderful. The community has really gotten active, involved and aware of the park. Business owners on Edgewood want it to succeed. The thing about a park is that you have to use it. If the community uses it, then the opportunity for drug dealers doesn't exist."
Ida Mae Moore, a resident of the area, stopped during a recent morning walk to inspect the park and talk to a worker blowing leaves from the sidewalk.
"I think it's good," said Moore, a retired laundry worker. She said once the finishing touches are completed, she may "just sit over there and look" at passersby.
There exists a lively debate among urban planners and those who study urban policy issues about the role of parks and the relationship to the community around them, said Harvey Newman, a professor and chairman of Georgia State University's department of public management and policy.
"Some people say a park makes a neighborhood," he said. "I've always tended to have the opposite view, that the surrounding area is really important in determining what life in the park is like." If the city and community work to maintain the appearance and vitality of a park, "It can be an important amenity." If not, he said, it can be a nuisance.
Newman said Atlanta has historically had less park space per capita than most cities recommend.
"One of the things that has happened in the last 10 years is that the city has added additional park land and green space," he said. "It's finally beginning to catch up. The city has made great strides."
