Mechanicsville

• History
• Projects
• Development Opportunities
• Neighborhood Facts

History

Mechanicsville, located immediately west of downtown, is one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods. Originally, it was a community of skilled railroad workers, but the neighborhood’s proximity to downtown attracted white collar residents who worked in downtown offices and businesses. By the turn of the century, the neighborhood was characterized by economic, racial and ethnic diversity that was unusual to Atlanta at the time. The onset of the Depression in the 1930s initiated a series of adverse economic and developmental trends in Mechanicsville that have continued to the present. In the late 1950’s the neighborhood was a predominantly black working class community due to the northward migration of the higher income residents.

Redevelopment and public works construction programs of the 1960’s and 1970’s such as freeway construction, the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, and public housing resulted in widespread demolitions that caused displacement and permanent relocation. In addition, the freeways artificially separated the neighborhood from the downtown area. The most obvious impact of these destabilizing forces was the dramatic decline in population. Between 1960 and 1990 the population decline by 73% from 10,530 to 3,899.

Today the neighborhood is characterized by blighted conditions, high levels of poverty and vacant land. Fortunately Mechanicsville also features many positive and traditional elements that are often overlooked such as historic homes, mature trees, excellent natural topography and proximity to downtown Atlanta.

Projects

Community-based efforts that utilize the positive impacts of the Olympic Games to obtain housing and economic benefits for Mechanicsville residents have been underway since 1991. In 1993, the Department of Planning and Development commissioned a consultant to develop a Master Plan for the community. In 1995, the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta (CODA) undertook a more detailed planning effort and prepared a Redevelopment Plan for Mechanicsville. The Redevelopment Plan sets forth the goals and action priorities, improvement strategies, development tools and tactics, phasing objectives for long-term redevelopment initiatives, and implementation strategies. The Redevelopment Plan was adopted by the city council in 1995.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Olympic Games Authority (MAOGA) has been heavily involved in the development efforts in Mechanicsville. Utilizing its condemnation powers, MAOGA has spent $300,000 for the acquisition of 16 parcels. In an effort to provide a boundary from the encroaching parking lots for the current and new stadiums, these parcels were acquired on Pryor Street with the purpose of constructing new mixed income housing to serve as a buffer. The City’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP) contributed towards the financing, while the private sector and Habitat for Humanity sponsored the construction through donations of labor and materials. These houses were sold at prices ranging from $75,000 to $105,000.

The Ralph D. Abernathy Boulevard was drastically altered as part of the the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta’s (CODA) Public Spaces Program. A landscaped median, sidewalk repairs, five foot bike lanes, new street lights and signs were all included in the streetscape improvements. The streetscape enhances the linkage between the West End MARTA station and the Olympic Stadium area. An additional streetscape project was implemented along Pryor Street from Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard to Richardson Street. This project upgraded the pedestrian environment in front of the Pryor Street Housing development. The project included new sidewalks, trees, wrought iron fences and pedestrian-orientated lighting. Furthermore, the City of Atlanta Bond Referendum Funds were used to conduct street improvements valued at approximately $1.1 million to a number of streets selected by the Mechanicsville Civic Association. In addition, the Georgia Department of Transportation has spent $1.5 million in landscape improvements that extends from the I-20 to Windsor Street.

Located on vacant lots between Cooper and Formwalt Street, RDA Square is a memorial plaza to Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy. The development of RDA Square provides a new public space anchor for a proposed “town center” . It will be the first step in reconnecting the southern and northern sections of the neighborhood which was, in part, split by the widening of the boulevard.

The local development corporation, SUMMECH Land Trust, and Fleet Atlanta Neighborhood Assistance Program (FANAP) have rehabilitated 42 homes in scattered locations in the neighborhood. The majority (80%) of the rehabilitation assistance was devoted to home-owners, while the remaining rehabilitations occurred on rental and SUMMECH-owned properties. The $4.7 million required for this project was provided by Fleet Financing. SUMMECH is in the process of rehabilitating another 34 homes, owned by them, at a cost of $18,000 each. The DHCD allocated Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds and HUD Section 203k financing was allocated for this project. The rehabilitated homes will be sold at prices ranging from $48,000 to $60,000. Through the HOME Single Family Rehabilitation Program, DHCD has allocated $145,000 in rehabilitation assistance for six homes. Three of these houses have been completed and the remaining are under construction.

A historic restoration and mixed-use redevelopment project by Lenox Properties is transforming the St Stephens Church into a sportsbar. The new Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Facility, a $5 million facility that will replace the downtown facility, will be built on Alice Street between Pryor and Central Ave. The building has been designed to limit the visual and physical impact on the surrounding areas with a public parking lot in the front a private secured parking located in the rear.

Development Opportunities

The Mechanicsville community strives toward the creation of a mixed income community with expanded home ownership opportunities, as stated in the Redevelopment Plan. Therefore, it is important to develop housing units that cover the entire spectrum of single family detached, single family attached, mixed use structures and multi-family units.

Opportunities for single-family rehabilitation are greatest in the areas south of RDA Boulevard. Approximately 200 houses need to be rehabilitated. The greatest opportunities for multi-family rehabilitation occur north of RDA Boulevard where 300 of the 435 total units slated for rehabilitation are located. The majority of these units require moderate rehabilitation. In the Redevelopment Plan, the areas identified for the construction of new single family detached housing, is concentrated south of RDA Boulevard, while single-family attached housing and multi-family units are focused north of RDA Boulevard.

The RDA Boulevard corridor has a significant potential for mixed-use development considering the completion of RDA streetscape, RDA Square, the projected population increase, and proposed projects. Village Square, a new commercial and service center of 15,000 to 20,000 square feet, is a proposed development along both sides of RDA Boulevard surrounding RDA Square. Included in the Village Square development, is SUMMECH’s proposed Ware Estates project. Ware Estates involve the construction of 54 townhomes at a cost of $4,4 million. The first of four phases includes 16 townhomes ($1,4 million) which is scheduled to start construction in the fall of 1996. The homes will be sold for $75,000 each.

Another housing development proposed by SUMMECH is the Rosa Burney Manor project. This 110 unit apartment complex is located on Cooper Street and will be developed at a cost of $4.4 million. Funding will be provided by Fleet Finance, the Enterprise Foundation, Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) Equity and Tax Credits. In addition, SUMMECH proposes to develop 20 new single family homes on Glenn Street. Funding for this $1.1 million project is yet to be determined.

Neighborhood Facts

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