A potential site for the new high school in Buckhead is already causing controversy for its unwilling seller and proximity to busy roads, even as Atlanta Public Schools' top official indicated Thursday she was not yet ready to announce a final location.
The site of The Paces Apartments complex, located west of the intersection at Roswell Road and East Andrews Drive, has been identified as one of the system's top choices for the school by longtime community advocate and resident Sally Silver, who sits on the city's Neighborhood Planning Unit B, which includes Buckhead.
The site includes about 30 acres and abuts the Wolf Creek Watershed, including two streams that flow through the property, Silver said. It sits in the heart of Buckhead Village about two blocks from Peachtree Road, a prime and central location for what will be one of the city's flagship schools.
Silver said she went public after the owner of The Paces contacted her for help. He wants to sell the property to another buyer, not the system. But Silver said he has received a letter suggesting the system may try to seize the property through eminent domain, by which APS as a local government entity would declare that action to be for the public good.
Silver, who otherwise supports the new school, also worried that a large campus on that specific site would exacerbate the heavy traffic residents experience at nearby intersections, and that any heavy construction could disrupt the watershed. She suggested other sites should be prioritized, including the 56-acre IBM complex on Northside Parkway.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported in March that IBM might consolidate its Atlanta operations, possibly putting the Northside property in play. A spokeswoman for Jamestown, the company that owns the property, said Thursday that it "is always considering new real estate opportunities" but was focused on another project, the redevelopment of Atlanta's City Hall East.
System spokesman Keith Bromery did not confirm or deny whether the system is looking at The Paces site or whether it may try to use eminent domain to acquire it. Instead, in response to specific questions, he released a statement from city schools Superintendent Beverly Hall:
"APS is committed to building a new high school at an appropriate site. At this time, we are unable to disclose any particulars about site selection. However, all community input we have received will be considered as we continue to explore all possibilities," Hall said.
Atlanta officials announced in early February they would build the school to relieve overcrowding at Buckhead's Sutton Middle School. Once the new high school is built, the system will convert North Atlanta High School into a second middle school campus for the community.
They estimated construction could cost between $35 million and $45 million, not including the land. At the time of the announcement, they said they were in negotiations about a piece of property in Buckhead but did not want to release more details.
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