English Avenue and Vine City: Where'd the money go?

Metro Atlanta

Bob Andres That has been a refrain by taxpayers frustrated by the blighted neighborhoods bordering the new Falcons stadium. Community groups, working with the city of Atlanta, have had ambitious plans for redevelopment in the English Avenue and Vine City communities. A nonprofit founded by political powerhouse Antioch Baptist Church North acquired this ravine and other properties. But even notable public investments in some of its properties didn't spark the hoped-for turnaround. On Sunday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals why. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

Atlanta’s development authority allocated $1.3 million to Bethursday Development Corp. for Elm Street Townhomes. The development would put 28 luxury units in one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods. Only eight were completed when they failed to sell. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

The city’s development authority provided $284,000 to English Avenue Community Development Corp. to acquire and renovate these apartments. Renovation proved too expensive and construction never began. Tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid property taxes piled up. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

Atlanta’s development authority gave funds to construct this retail building, but none to complete its interior. No businesses moved in when it was completed in 2011, and vandals struck last year when police moved out of a station across the street. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

The city spent at least $400,000 in federal funds to build townhomes here. The lot remains empty a decade later. WILLOUGHBY MARIANO / WMARIANO@AJC.COM

The city allocated about $640,000 to Lindsay Street Baptist’s English Avenue CDC to build or rehab a minimum of 35 homes in three years. The project went bust when the nonprofit failed to acquire this and other properties it needed. WILLOUGHBY MARIANO / WMARIANO@AJC.COM

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Bob Andres That has been a refrain by taxpayers frustrated by the blighted neighborhoods bordering the new Falcons stadium. Community groups, working with the city of Atlanta, have had ambitious plans for redevelopment in the English Avenue and Vine City communities. A nonprofit founded by political powerhouse Antioch Baptist Church North acquired this ravine and other properties. But even notable public investments in some of its properties didn't spark the hoped-for turnaround. On Sunday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals why. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

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