merest of fact Butler Street’s racial designation remained the same. 181 The racial designation was ascribed to an area was set by the Comprehensive Land-Use Plan, this document “held the potential to order the entire city by class and race”, according to LeeAnn Lands. 182 Eddie Williams of the Atlanta Daily World reported, of the 1871 families in the Butler Street Project Area, only 1013 would be resettled in the area, leaving 858 families forcibly displaced. 183 T.M. Alexander, a realtor and insurance executive, voiced strong approval for the Butler Street project during a public meeting with the Aldermanic Board. 184 During the meeting, three Black leaders, Alexander, John H. Calhoun, representative of the Atlanta NAACP, and Warren Cochrane, of the Atlanta Urban League, Warren Cochrane steps for success with the Butler Street project urged the Aldermen to take the necessary steps to ensure success: 185
1. Pay people forced to leave their homes an “equitable” price. 2. Consider reclassifying “Negro excluded lands” for resettlement.
3. End housing discrimination. 4. Provide recreational facilities.
The neighborhood required extensive improvements. The sewers were in disrepair and needed to be rebuilt. The land was poorly laid out with irregular-shaped lots, unplanned streets, inadequate turnarounds, dead ends, and mostly dirt roads. The entire area was deemed in need of redevelopment to enhance the district’s overall condition. Many multifamily dwelling units needed more yard space, and land use was incompatible due to the area’s unplanned layout. Additionally, there were high concentrations of light industry, hospitals (such as Crawford Long and Georgia Baptist), Sears, and the Atlanta Transit System garage. Recommendations came forth to clear properties from 210 acres to ready the land for redevelopment and to rehabilitate the remaining 435 acres. 186 Other changes were made for the three schools serving students which were all severely overcrowded. Forrest and Hill Elementary, while in good condition, lacked adequate play areas and yard space. North Avenue School, on the other hand, was deteriorating and needed additional grounds to accommodate its students. Each of these schools were torn down.
The Citizens Auditorium Advisory Committee selected the Buttermilk Bottom Urban Renewal Project Area as the proposed site for the new exhibition hall. 187 Before the allocation of funds, both the Municipal Buildings and Athletic Committee, along with
181 Williams, “Butler St Redevelopment.” 182 Lands, “Culture of Property.”, pg. 136. 183 Williams, “Butler St Redevelopment.”
184 “ Butler Renewal Project Area”. 185 “ Butler Renewal Project Area”. 186 “ Butler Renewal Project Area”. 187 ""Buttermilk Bottom" to Get New Auditorium." Atlanta Daily World , December 1, 1963.
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