Atlanta leaders will hold a meeting on Friday concerning the pending transfer to the state of the city-owned Bobby Jones Golf Course, according to a notice from the Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy.
The land swap involving the golf course is critical to the future redevelopment of Underground Atlanta, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said last week in a City Council committee meeting outlining the deal. The proposal would swap the course with state property near Underground, including a parking deck that Reed said is needed for a privately-backed overhaul of the downtown mall into a live-work-play community.
The meeting will start at 3 p.m. at E. Rivers Elementary School on Peachtree Battle Avenue in Buckhead.
The state plans to redevelop the land to include a new Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. Other planned projects include renovating the course and reducing it from 18 to nine holes and the construction of a practice grounds for Georgia State University and other state college and youth golf programs.
The land swap deal has been simmering for months and has caused heartburn for some residents in the neighborhoods around the course and park. Critics contend shrinking the course from 18 to nine holes would hurt its financial viability, something backer of the deal have disputed.
City Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean, who represents the area, said last week she has asked state officials to attend.
The matter could go before the full City Council for a vote as soon as June 6.
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