New Library to Give New Perspective to Atlanta Community and Residents

New Library to Give New Perspective to Atlanta Community and Residents

The Cleveland Avenue Gateway District encompasses the Metropolitan Parkway corridor, and it may well be one of the most under appreciated and undervalued historical areas in Atlanta and Fulton County proper. The once floundering commercial community, which has over the years experienced new residential development and a recent rise in homeownership, is embracing a new civic project to assist the neighborhood in it’s resident friendly transition plan.


Currently residents of the area are engaged in a valiant effort to convince city and county officials to construct a 25,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art library on a two-acre parcel of land at Avery and Metropolitan Parkway. The site is adjacent to the popular Perkerson Park and would include development of a tract of land to improve the open green space that is part of the Gilbert House, and encourage tourists and locals to visit the historic site, which was home to one of the county’s most prominent founding families.


“Community input in this library building project has been the hallmark of this process,” explained Atlanta-Fulton County Library System Director John Szabo regarding plans to construct a new library. “We want to engage the community significantly to speak to the needs of a new library and have a successful outcome to the project … community input is essential and it’s through advocacy that we’re not talking about the renovation of the current library — but the construction of a new one,” said Szabo.

The current library, the Stewart Sylvan Avenue branch, which opened in 1959 is an antiquated 10,000 sq. ft. facility located in a hidden corner of a retail center at Metropolitan Parkway and Lakewood Avenue. It is the oldest of Atlanta’s 34 branches. The branch closing would leave scores of area residents — most of them children and the elderly — without reading resources and internet access.


“I think that’s what people don’t get” points out Chantee Cade, CEO of City Girls, LLC, a real estate redevelopment and maintenance company. “If the library doesn’t get approved, it’s not just that we won’t get one, the fact is that we will be losing the Sylvan Avenue branch and it won’t be replaced.”

And while the library is a natural complement to the site and a must-have for the low- and moderate-income community residents, there are concerns that the new library will not be located in an area accessible to current users.  “The property located at Avery and Metropolitan Parkway is a beautiful space with considerable green space … We collected 1900 signatures from residents supporting that the project be built here. There is room for expansion at this site and the library would be an anchor for the neighborhood, as well as attract new business to the area,” continued Cade.

Another proposed site at Metropolitan Parkway and Dill Ave is a strong contender for the library project. “The board of commissioners is now in negotiations to finalize plans. We have not dotted the Is and crossed any Ts on anything though,” said Fulton County Commissioner and District 6 representative Joan Garner.

A projected groundbreaking date for the new library facility has been set for May 2012. -roz edward

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join our Newsletter

Sign up for Rolling Out news straight to your inbox.

Read more about:
Also read