Doraville’s auto plant and its neighborhoods of ranch-style houses tell a mid-century American story of steady jobs and affordable homes.
The city is now hanging different hopes on GM’s hulking Doraville Assembly site, built in the 1940s and closed since 2008.
“There’s a sense of malaise and melancholy when you see it,” said Northwoods neighborhood resident Carol Gilman, who recently announced she’s running in a special election June 21. The winner will complete the term of former Mayor Ray Jenkins, who died in February. “People are asking, why aren’t we doing something with it? Why aren’t we moving forward?”
On March 21, the city council unanimously approved a Livable Centers Initiative master plan for developing the plant, which GM owns. Residents are hopeful a new developer or purchaser would comply with LCI study findings. Gilman participated in the study and calls it a “wish list” for the area that would attract developers.
Most envision the plant to become a live-work-play destination that would include sidewalk shops, theaters and restaurants, like Atlantic Station. The site, perched on MARTA, could also include a science and technology park or corporate headquarters.
The asking price for the plant is $60 million. It’s still zoned as heavy industrial and will involve environmental clean-up, but it remains the biggest piece in remaking the community into a desirable, 21st century kind of place.
“The site has infinite potential to be a beacon for quality growth and a major employment center for the region,” said Luke Howe, assistant to the mayor. “The city needs and deserves a sense of place. The region needs jobs. We don’t intend to settle for anything less.”
Although ideas for an Atlanta Falcons stadium and a prior re-development deal fell to the wayside, the community remains focused on how this building could serve as the bridge between Doraville’s past and present.
“The closed plant is a loss for me on so many levels because I worked there and was close to so many people there,” said Susan Crawford, who taught creative writing and other classes in the UAW Skill Center. “At the same time, it’s a symbol of hope. When it first started, it was the hub for the area and the reason people wanted to live here. I would like to see it be a hub again."
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