The Atlanta City Council on Monday reversed its contentious renaming of Harris Street for developer and architect John Portman, who raised some of downtown's most prominent buildings.
But opponents of the renaming aren't celebrating. They know allies and admirers of Portman -- including many council members -- are again moving forward to have Harris named John Portman Boulevard.
"It just stinks to high heaven of cronyism," said Wright Mitchel, a lawyer who filed a lawsuit challenging the name change. "A street renaming needs to be done with the consensus of the community."
Monday's action essentially clears away legal questions surrounding the first name change, and a council vote could come again as soon as July 18.
Downtown neighborhood groups, the Atlanta Preservation Center and the Atlanta Urban Design Commission opposed renaming Harris Street, named for the county's first legislator.
The council last month voted 9-5 to rename the street. But the lawsuit contended the council vi0lated its own law on street names, passed in 2003 after public backlash at the renaming of several downtown streets. Opponents also said the council-appointed Portman Commission did not follow the right legal steps when it recommended the name change and refused to seriously consider other ways to honor the 86-year-old Portman.
They note that a similar panel set up to honor Xernona Clayton compromised and found other ways to honor Clayton, a black female media pioneer.
The city's law department's said the Portman Commission could fulfill its legal obligations in time to all the council to vote again on the renaming at its July 18 meeting. The council's action made moot the lawsuit challenging the renaming, and opponents agreed to drop the lawsuit.
“I think the main focus of the settlement is making sure the legislation follows every step," said Council President Ceasar Mitchell, who supports the street renaming.
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